Inside 185 N. Main St., the floors are checkered and the light fixtures look like street lamps. Velvet chairs and cushioned banquettes fill a cream-colored dining room, and a bar runs along the front windows, according to CharlotteFive's opening coverage. Diners can see into the kitchen from their tables. That room is Deepwell, and it opened on Wednesday, Sept. 16.
For anyone in Winslow Bay, the community beside Bluefield Road in Mooresville, the address matters more than the décor. The restaurant group behind it is one of the best-known in the Lake Norman area. Until this fall, all of its dining rooms were south of here.
The Kindreds came north
Joe and Katy Kindred opened their first restaurant, Kindred, in downtown Davidson in 2015. Since then they have added Hello, Sailor in Cornelius, Albertine in uptown Charlotte, and milkbread, an all-day café in Davidson, uptown Charlotte and Plaza Midwood. The Charlotte Business Journal's report, republished by the Iredell EDC, lists them all. Deepwell is the first one in Mooresville.
Their partner is chef Craig Deihl. He is the corporate chef for Kindred Hospitality and co-owns Deepwell as its executive chef, Axios Charlotte reported. Joe Kindred is a James Beard Award semifinalist. Katy Kindred runs service and front-of-house and designed the interior herself.
The building may be familiar to longtime locals. JJ Wasabi's, a sushi restaurant, used to be here. The new restaurant covers about 4,000 square feet, with an outdoor patio of roughly 1,500 square feet. When the plans were announced in May, the Charlotte Business Journal quoted Kindred Studio describing the concept this way:
"Rooted in the timeless tradition of the American steakhouse, Deepwell reimagines the genre through the soulful lens of the Mississippi Delta and the rich culinary legacy of New Orleans."
The May announcement promised an opening in "late summer or early fall." They opened in mid-September, inside that window.
What a table costs, going by the preview menu
Before opening, Axios Charlotte printed sample prices in a Sept. 4 menu preview. Treat them as a guide. Menus often change in the first weeks after a restaurant opens, and the restaurant's own site is the place to check current pricing.
| Dish or drink, from the Sept. 4 preview | Preview price |
|---|---|
| Smoky redfish dip | $16 |
| Smoked duck gumbo | $21 |
| Crab cake | $23 |
| Prime brisket | $36 |
| T-bone | $72 |
| Madeira Cobbler, a classic cocktail | $13 |
| Cypress, an original cocktail | $14 |
Prices start at a $16 dip and reach $72 for the T-bone, so a night at Deepwell can be anything from a drink and a starter to a full steakhouse dinner. The bar is a big part of that range. The Business Journal described it as an indoor-outdoor bar pouring everything from local beer to New Orleans classics like the Sazerac and French 75.
CharlotteFive's menu rundown has more detail. Starters include NOLA barbecue shrimp with sourdough and lemon, plus cured meats and aged cheeses. Among the mains are crispy NC flounder with pommes purée and peekytoe crab butter, a dry-aged whole NC-style barbecue duck, and a list of large-format steaks. The brisket comes with collard greens, Sea Island red peas and the Kindreds' signature milk bread. For dessert, there is wood-fired milk bread with Cheerwine caramel sauce and sweet cream ice cream. The drinks list also includes spirit-free options.
The dining room has a view into a glass-enclosed room where meat is dry-aged and cured. A private dining room seats up to 25 guests, which may help anyone planning a holiday dinner for a group.
Getting in without a reservation
When CharlotteFive covered the opening, the first open reservation for two was Oct. 14 at 8:30 p.m. That was about four weeks after opening night. The wait may be shorter or longer by the time you book. It shows how quickly the reservation book filled once the doors opened.
The same report gives the way around it: a limited number of high-top tables and bar seats are held each night for walk-ins. From Winslow Bay, deciding at 5 o'clock to drive in and try for a bar seat is a realistic plan. You won't spend much of the evening on the road.
The Deepwell website lists dinner hours and a phone line:
- Wednesday and Thursday: 5 to 9 p.m.
- Friday and Saturday: 5 to 10 p.m.
- Sunday: 5 to 9 p.m.
- Phone: 980-503-3500
The site was still showing "NOW BOOKING" for reservations at last check. The restaurant's Instagram account is where it posts updates. Soon after opening, the team posted there: "We are SO thrilled to join this amazing community in Mooresville. Thank y'all for the warm welcome." CharlotteFive quoted the post.
The next door to open is on South Broad Street
One new steakhouse would be a nice addition. Downtown is getting a second new place to stop in the evening, and it comes from a different direction.
At 275 S. Broad St., Churchill Brothers Brewing and RudeDog Distillery have been renovating a building together for about a year. They recently received their certificate of occupancy after passing all required inspections, Lake Norman Publications reported on Oct. 7. At the time of that report, the businesses were finishing their final steps with the North Carolina ABC Commission and said they were getting closer to opening. There is no public opening date yet. The brewery's website still says "SOON 2026," so check there before you plan a visit.
Families run both businesses. Brothers Joel and Nick Churchill founded the brewery. Joel brews, Nick handles the business side, and Jamie Churchill helps develop recipes. RudeDog Distillery belongs to Dave "Rudy" Rudy, who moved into distilling after a career in racing, and Sheri Rudy, who leads creative development. They will share one space, pouring craft beer and spirits made there. The brewery says it focuses on creative, approachable beer and uses local ingredients where it can. The families told Lake Norman Publications they want the venue to be a gathering place for family, friends and the community.
Deepwell is on North Main and the brewery and distillery are on South Broad, so one evening can now include a dinner reservation, a drink somewhere new, and an hour on the sidewalks between them. Before this fall, either one would have meant a longer drive.
Three October dates that pair with dinner
Downtown's fall calendar is already set. Each of these dates falls on a night Deepwell is serving dinner, and the timing works for an early meal before or a late one after.
- Friday, Oct. 23, 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. Hocus Pocus plays as a free family movie at Liberty Park, 255 E. Iredell Ave., according to Visit Mooresville. That's the day after this post goes up. Deepwell opens at 5 on Fridays, which leaves time for an early dinner or a bar seat before the movie.
- Friday, Oct. 30, 3 to 5 p.m. The Downtown Mooresville annual events calendar lists the Halloween Candy Grab. It ends at 5, just as Deepwell's doors open.
- Saturday, Oct. 31, 6 to 9 p.m. Monster Mash on Main Street is on the Downtown Mooresville October calendar. Deepwell serves until 10 on Saturdays. On a busy Main Street night, the walk-in seats may fill up early.
If Churchill Brothers and RudeDog have opened by Halloween weekend, South Broad Street is one more place to stop that night. If they haven't, the brewery's website and Lake Norman Publications are the places to watch for the date.
Winslow Bay has a new place for an easy dinner out. If you're also wondering how downtown's new restaurants and other changes around Mooresville fit into your plans as a homeowner, I'm glad to talk it through with you, calmly and with real local numbers. David Salmonsen Realty is here when you want that conversation. Work With David.
