These 9 North Carolina restaurants really commit to their themes

From book-centric cafes to biker bars, discover North Carolina’s best themed restaurants.

With their distinct decor, playful menus, and unique ambiance, themed restaurants provide a memorable and immersive dining experience . In North Carolina, there are many themed restaurants to experience, allowing diners to travel to a new city or back in time or celebrate a beloved pastime while enjoying delicious food and drinks.

Whether you want to order coffee from a double-decker bus, dig into a burger in a space full of NASCAR memorabilia, or chow down on a steak while pretending you’re a cowboy, there is a theme restaurant in North Carolina to satisfy your hunger.

1. Deadwood 

Deadwood is a family-owned Western theme park with a full-service restaurant. (In addition to the restaurant, the park features attractions including scenic train rides, miniature golf, an arcade, a playground, a roller coaster, a carousel, and picnic areas.)

Deadwood’s western theme is carried through to its restaurant, The Smokehouse Grill. Menu items include Wagon Wheels, fried green tomatoes with a signature breading, Cowboy Corn, breaded and fried like the green tomatoes, and several burgers, including the Tumble Weed, which is topped with fried onion straws. However, the marinated ribeye steaks tend to steal the spotlight.

Note: Admission to Deadwood is free; however, tickets are required for many of the attractions.

Address: 2302 Ed’s Grocery Rd., Williamston

2. Lancaster’s BBQ

Located in Race City USA, Lancaster’s BBQ caters to hungry NASCAR lovers. The Mooresville restaurant serves up Eastern North Carolina barbecue in a NASCAR-themed setting. The walls—and ceiling—are covered with racing memorabilia, from firesuits and sheet metal signage to car hoods. Lancaster’s also features an arcade area with racing games and a bus in the middle of the restaurant.

The barbecue-heavy menu features Redneck Fries, topped with a choice of Eastern North Carolina style barbecue or chicken covered in queso, several burgers, sandwiches, wraps, wings, and baby back ribs.

Address: 515 Rinehardt Rd., Mooresville

3. Side Quest Game Lounge + Bar

Serious gamers gather at Side Quest Game Lounge + Bar, which houses more than 400 board, card, role-playing, and party games. There are plenty of tables for casual or tournament play, and game supplies and merchandise are also on display and available for purchase.

Side Quest Game Lounge + Bar offers a selection of local beers, craft cocktails, mocktails, and hot beverages to sip on while you play. Food-wise, your options are limited; however, Side Quest does offer a variety of snacks for purchase.

Address: 317 W. Morgan St. #113, Raleigh

4. Wonderland

Wonderland brings the excitement of Miami’s nightlife to Raleigh with an extensive signature cocktail menu, vibrant neon signs featuring sayings like “Alcohol You Later,” bubble machines, and bottle service.

The signature drinks are all themed and include options like Lights, Camera, Action, a tequila-forward cocktail served in a glass designed to look like a camera, Bath Time, a vodka-based cocktail with Blue Curacao and bubbles served in a bathtub-shaped glass, and Pour Decision, a rum drink with cotton candy that smokes as it’s poured into the glass.

Wonderland also launches limited-edition menus with themes, such as the recent 1990s Remix menu, which included boozy Capri Suns, SpongeBob SquarePants and Scooby Doo garnishes, and cocktails served in character cups featuring Stitch, Mickey Mouse, and other cartoon icons.

The food isn’t as fun or flashy as the drinks and decor, but the menu offers decent variety, featuring items like wings, tacos, fajitas, and sandwiches, plus French toast, chicken and waffles, and a Spanish omelet for brunch.

Address: 222 Glenwood Ave., Raleigh

5. Double D’s Coffee & Desserts

Double D’s Coffee & Desserts takes the concept of a food truck and steps it up a notch. This eatery on wheels is actually a double-decker bus that was brought to the U.S. from London in the 1970s and later transformed into a coffee shop in 1999.

Double D’s serves hot and cold organic coffee beverages, teas, smoothies, and milkshakes to drink, as well as a small selection of baked goods and desserts. Some signature drinks include the Double Decker White Mocha, Lavender Honey Latte, and Crème Brulée Latte.

Address: 41 Biltmore Ave., Asheville

6. Video Vortex

Video Vortex is reviving the video store—with some notable improvements. At the video-themed bar, you can sip local brews, admire vintage posters and ​​8-foot VHS boxes, and explore one of the largest video rental collections in the country. The collection includes more than 70,000 titles from all genres on DVD, Blu-ray, and VHS, and you can rent two titles per visit. VCRs and Blu-ray players are also available for rent.

The bar has almost 100 craft beers on tap and also serves a variety of modern “Fast Forward” and classic “Rewind” cocktails—all inspired by different movies ranging from “Bridesmaids” to “The Big Lebowski.”

Address: 2116-D New Bern Ave., Raleigh

7. Olde Hickory Station 

Olde Hickory Station is a restaurant and market housed in a carefully restored train station. Despite being transformed into a restaurant, the interior retains its authentic look, and the patio offers space for outdoor dining near the train tracks.

Small plates range from buffalo oysters and candied bacon to cauliflower fritters, while main dishes include several signature pizzas, multiple burgers, beef short ribs, and rack of lamb. The restaurant also has about 50 beers and ciders on tap and serves a variety of craft cocktails.

After you eat, be sure to check out the market area, where you’ll find an array of wine, beer, cheese, charcuterie, fresh baked goods, and other local treats.

Address: 232 Government Ave. SW, Hickory

8. The Book & Bee Cafe

The Book & Bee Cafe is an English-style cafe and tea room adorned with literary decor, including the front steps, which are painted to look like books, a faux fireplace filled with book pages, and a mural that resembles a bookshelf.

The menu maintains the literary theme, with headers like Plot Twist: Salads and Soup, The End: Sweet Treats, and Subplot: Sides. Dishes are also named after books, book characters, and authors, such as Poe’s Panini, Gandalf’s Fancy Grilled Cheese, and Shakespeare’s Quiche. Teas follow a similar naming convention, with selections like The Gatsby (bourbon black tea), The Green Gables (strawberry herbal tea), and The Austen (rose black tea).

Note: Afternoon tea requires a reservation made at least 24 hours in advance. Reservations aren’t required for lunch or cream tea.

Address: 795 Mountain Rd., Hendersonville

9. Iron Thunder Saloon & Grill

Iron Thunder Saloon & Grill is a motorsports-themed bar and restaurant with four locations in the Tar Heel State. Inside, you’ll find a motorcycle—as well as plenty of motorcycle photos and decor on the walls— pool tables, and plenty of TVs (it’s a sports bar after all).

Kick Starters (appetizers) include Kickstands (mozzarella sticks), Bent Spokes (deep-fried barbecue ribs on a bed of cheese fries), and Saddle Bags (fried wontons). Entrees are called Road Kings and have names like Sportster Sirloin and Boot Straps (marinated beef strips), while side dishes are referred to as Side Cars. The menu also features pizzas, street tacos, pastas, and hearty sandwiches.

Staying true to its theme, Iron Thunder also hosts a weekly Thursday Bike Night with live music.

Address: 10023 Weddington Rd. Ext., Concord; 2022 13th Ave. Dr. SE, Hickory; 124 Meadow Hill Cir., Mooresville; and 608 W. Roosevelt Blvd., Monroe

This article first appeared on Good Info News Wire and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.

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