Restaurants in Kannapolis

Generations of history permeates the walls of Old North State Winery, whispering stories of the 19th century building it calls home and the wines spawned from old family vineyards. The elegant shop showcases its rustic origins in dark wooden floors scattered with barrel coffee tables, plush leather couches, and sleek high-tops shaped in the likeness of Grover Cleveland. A marble-topped bar sprawls across one of the sandstone colored walls, fortified with bottle after bottle of the winery’s own creations.

Though wine is clearly Old North State’s main attraction, the shop also purveys beers and complements sips with a dozen sandwiches from its Downtown Deli. The deli provides for lunchtime cravings and catered events with turkey clubs, homemade meatball sandwiches, and a bar menu of hotdogs and steak nachos.

From the Spanish word meaning the appetizer, La Botana references itself as "a modest little restaurant with big flavors." Modest is right. With its vegetarian menu alone boasting more than 25 dishes, the eatery was named the Readers' Choice for Best Mexican Food in 2011 by Winston-Salem Journal, among a slew of other awards.

The full menu, which is rife with mole-slathered entrees, sizzling fajitas, and lime-infused seafood, comprises multiple regions of Mexico, including Guadalupe, Nuevo Leon, and Oaxaca. North Carolina craft beers are also available to wash down spicy morsels or put out small table fires caused by rubbing your hands in anticipation.

A peek inside Thai Corner Kitchen’s crispy spring rolls reveals an edible tapestry woven from cellophane noodles, cabbage, and mushrooms, all rolled up into thin shells and destined for sweet and sour dipping sauces. The rest of Thai Corner Kitchen’s menu features the same kind of ingenious ingredient mixing, pairing noodles, curry, and rice with Thai herbs and spices and a choice of meat, seafood, or veggies. As diners munch away, natural light streams through dining-room windows and free WiFi sweeps across the room in search of mobile devices to impregnate with its signal.

Though Twin City Diner opened in 1988, the plush turquoise booths, wood-paneled walls, and black-and-white photos displayed throughout its dining room lend the eatery a refined, contemporary-American feel that harkens back to the '50s. While the space pays homage to days gone by, the diner’s chefs—under the helm of owners and local culinary gurus the Karahalios family—delight in updating traditional southern comfort dishes with modern touches—from BLT sandwiches layered with fried green tomatoes to burgers slathered in chili, cheese, and slaw. Their menu also incorporates the family’s heritage, showcasing Mediterranean staples such as hummus, chicken souvlaki, and greek wraps.

Patrons can chow down within the sleek confines of the dining room, or they can mosey outside to the patio, where red umbrellas and flickering votive candles cultivate a relaxed and romantic atmosphere ideal for savoring alfresco meals or hitting on passing clouds.