Concord’s got a lot, too
When someone from Charlotte hears about Concord, he or she immediately has images of the NASCAR speedway, Concord Mills and annoying after-work traffic up I-85.
[Related: Road-tripping northbound out of Charlotte is like purgatory.]
But that’s the big city mentality. If you head up a few more exits on the interstate, then you’ll find that Concord is a down-home, laid-back kind of town. There’s plenty to offer both during the day and at night, but you need a few tips before exploring.
Even though Concord has almost 80,000 residents, it still has that small-town mentality, so a lot of restaurants and bars close earlier in the night or might not offer that liquor drink you’re craving.
Don’t worry though. My “born-and-raised” Concord friends took me on a journey around the historic downtown district and had some great advice on what to do and see.
Afternoon
Union Street divides the downtown area in half and is the main street to find your places to eat and shop. Stop into Villani’s Bakery for some incredible homemade canoli’s, chocolate cheesecakes and coffee drinks.
Concord’s very own winery, Cabo Winery, lets you try five of their signature wines for $5, and they’ll even let you keep the wine glass. Just mark off the wines you want on their sheets and Proprietors Tommy and Sue Carter will serve ‘em up to you!
On a nice day, you can walk down North Union Street and see all of the huge early-1900s mansions popping up on both sides of the street.
Dinner
We actually chose to drive 10 minutes to neighboring city Kannapolis and eat at a hot spot called Brew Pub. They have tons of microbrew drafts on tap (you’ll notice that once a keg runs dry they like to use the taps as decorations all around) and the food is well-priced and very satisfying.
Did you ever think you could get pork rinds as a side?! Step outside and watch the trains go by, and sit at the bar or tables downstairs if you want to hear the live music.
Other options to eat are Gianni’s Trattoria Italian Restaurant in downtown Concord, the newer ENoodles Asian Bistro or Afton Pub & Pizza in the Afton Village shopping area just a few miles away from downtown.
Nightlife
Two spots that we love to hang out in downtown Concord are Lil’ Robert’s Place and MeKong Thai Restaurant.
The eclectic Lil’ Robert’s keeps their brews flowing on 20 rotating taps while you’re sitting around lots of local art work. There is live music every Friday night, and be sure to get a good spot on the patio in the back if you can.
I’d suggest starting here first because the beer kegs could tap out as the night goes on and Lil’ Robert’s closes around 10:30-11 p.m.
Head over next to MeKong Thai. I haven’t tried the food, but I do love the bar! MeKong’s is a rare restaurant/bar that offers liquor in the city, and you couldn’t find a better place for it.
Bartender Jay is hilarious and will even let you try and sample some of their signature drinks. After a while, the lights dim, the dance lights come on and the bar turns into a ’90s ballad karaoke spot. Just sent any of your requests to Bartender Jay and he’ll play it.
So instead of heading to South End for the fifth time in a row, split an Uber with your friends and go explore downtown Concord sometime soon.
Will Johnson is a Digital Content
This story was originally published October 19, 2015 at 11:00 PM with the headline "Concord’s got a lot, too."