Fabulous Restaurants

The Yadkin Valley: A Food Lover’s Guide

Foodie stops as you nibble your way north to south through the Yadkin Valley:

Strudel’s Bakery, Dobson,NC
This wonderful place is located between Ragapple Lassie Vineyards and Stony Knoll Vineyards on a curvy farm road. It’s a TRUE German bakery run by a German family. Last time I was there, bikers touring the wine country shared space in the parking lot with SUVs and pick-ups. Do try the coffee cake – but get there before it sells out on Saturday morning.

The Snappy Lunch, Mt. Airy, NC
Yes, it is based on the famous restaurant that was mentioned in The Andy Griffith Show. Andy ate at the restaurant as a young boy growing up in Mount Airy. Snappy Lunch is known for their huge fried pork chop sandwich, which was created by restaurant owner Charles Dowell. Snappy Lunch, which opened in 1923, is Mount Airy’s oldest eating establishment. You’ll also see the Old North State Winery and Café just down the street. They do our native muscadine wines, one of the only wineries in this area to offer the sweeter wine.

The Harvest Grill at Shelton Vineyards, Dobson, NC
The Harvest Grill lures visitors with its great view of the Blue Ridge Mountains and the fishpond at the largest estate vineyard in North Carolina. The view is fabulous, and Shelton’s Kudzu Cabernet Franc and Riesling are quite nice. It’s a great picnic spot, too.

Swan Creek Vineyards region
In the Swan Creek Vineyards region there’s an Amish community with a little general store that has incredible homemade breads, desserts and sandwiches. Go slow...you’ll come up on the horsedrawn buggies here. Go get lunch at the Amish general store and take a picnic to one of the Swan Creek Vineyards. Enjoy the breathtaking view of the Brushy Mountains at Raffaldini Winery and the rose bushes and cozy porch at Laurel Gray.

Where is the Yadkin Valley? Starting around I-77 just south of the Virginia line, the Yadkin Valley is shaped like a funky boomerang that extends West into mountains and then eastward just past Winston-Salem and then South just past Lexington, NC with Interstate 85 as a boundary.

As you head further South into the Yadkin Valley, Winston-Salem is a great city with good restaurants and a cluster of vineyards around it:

• Sweet Potatoes Restaurant offers casual Southern dining in the up tempo Arts District in downtown Winston-Salem.
• The Tavern at Old Salem Living History Museum and Gardens serves 1770s-style Moravian choices (flavors and techniques elevated for today’s tastes) served by costumed wait staff on pewter plates...you’ll love the bratwurst!
• And of course in Lexington, you can enjoy lunch at The Bistro at Childress Vineyards. This is stock car racing legend Richard Childress’ winery.
• Lexington is also known as the Barbecue Capital of the World (rivaled only by a few other institutions in North Carolina!) Dive into the more than 20 barbecue restaurants in this famous capital of ‘cue! (The Lexington Barbecue Festival is always the 4th Saturday in October.) For more on barbecue, visit www.davidsoncountync.com/bbq.html and www.ncbbqsociety.com.

By Susan Dosier

added: December 15, 2008

updated: June 25, 2009