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There’s nothing quite like going to a classic diner from yesteryear — you know, one of those nostalgic places featuring burgers, hot dogs and homemade ice cream.

And, of course, ground steak sandwiches. 

Unless you’re from Mount Airy/Surry County or have visited that area, you undoubtedly have no clue of what this is.

I’ll let Freddy Hiatt, the longtime owner/cook of the Dairy Center, which has been around for 70 years (that’s even before the days of Mayberry and The Andy Griffith Show), describe this sandwich.

“It’s basically hamburger boiled, and you drain the excess grease off of it,” Hiatt said. “Then you add salt, pepper and flour. We dress it as a sandwich with mayonnaise, slaw, tomato and onion, and if preferred, chili.”

Seeing that we fit the tourist mold, Hiatt stopped by our table to welcome us when my wife, father-in-law and I decided to stop by his cozy eatery on a recent trip to nearby Cana, Virginia, to first visit an apple orchard. I was the only one brave enough to try the signature sandwich, and I thought it was mighty tasty.

So what’s this deal with this ground steak sandwich?

Hiatt said that it goes back to the days of the Great Depression where you could “make a little meat go a long way.” The next step in the rise in popularity of the sandwiches was blue-collar workers at the local textile mills looking for affordable choices and the ground steak fit the bill.

But for some reason, this unique mixture has never made it beyond county lines at diners and burger places that feature it on the menu — with one tourism official calling it “one of our hidden treasures.”

It sure seems like something this popular in one county out of 100 in North Carolina could make it in lots of other places. 

Anyway, my wife really enjoyed her hot dog, which one of the waitresses said was a favorite along with the ground steak sandwiches, and we had to get some homemade peach ice cream for dessert.

You can also get ground steak as a meat entrée with a couple of vegetables, and for breakfast, there are ground steak and egg sandwiches along with ground steak omelets.

The Dairy Center, which is located just a couple of minutes from downtown Mount Airy, is certainly one of those local treasures. It’s a place where you can still sit in your car and get curb service or head inside where old photos and memorabilia line the walls where most of the customers seem to know each other as they fill the tables awaiting some good food.

And there’s much more to this charming town — with the distinct Mayberry theme — if you take a walk down North Main Street, leading off with Snappy Lunch, which has been around since 1923 and is the home of the famous pork chop sandwich. 

Next door is Floyd’s Barber Shop. Then just down the way is Opie’s Candy Store, Walker’s Soda Fountain, Barney’s Café and The Loaded Goat — just to name a few. You’ll no doubt see the official Mayberry squad car on patrol. It’s available for a ride from visitors and probably gets serviced at Wally’s Service Station just down the road.

You get the idea. It’s all worth the trip.

• • • •

Speaking of restaurants and ice cream, how about the news of Cook Out finally coming to Clemmons?

That’s wonderful in some ways, but selfishly this presents a bit of a problem for me — the possibility of an expanding waistline thanks to that great lineup of milkshakes.

It’s soon going to be too close for comfort with the new location only a couple of miles from home. More visits mean more calories.

My favorite always has been the Chocolate Mint Chip, which ranks near the upper end of the Cookout Creamery Fancy Milkshake range of 510 to 900 calories.

Oh well, perhaps I can cut back on Nick’s Old Fashion Burgers in Davidson County and buttered popcorn at the movies.

Uh, or maybe not.

I guess it looks like another diet could be in the works when the calendar clicks over to January 2025.