Deepwell in Mooresville: A Guide to Walk-In Bar Seating

"It's kind of crazy that you know we're opening a restaurant on Main Street, and it's very similar layout. It's in an old historic building," chef Joe Kindred said in May, when he and Katy Kindred announced their new restaurant for downtown Mooresville. He was comparing it to Kindred, the couple's restaurant on North Main Street in Davidson. Four months later, on Wednesday, September 16, Deepwell opened at 185 N. Main St. It's a New Orleans-inspired steakhouse with wood-fired steak and seafood.

Deepwell's reservation calendar has filled quickly. The restaurant also keeps part of the room for anyone who shows up without one. If you live close by, that walk-in seating is the most practical way to eat here on short notice.

The Wait Has Shortened, but Not by Much

When CharlotteFive covered the opening, the first reservation for two was October 14 at 8:30 p.m., almost a month away. As of today, October 4, Resy shows nothing for tonight. The next slot for two is Friday, October 16.

Put those two checks side by side. In opening week, the wait for a table was about four weeks. After nearly three weeks of service, it's down to about 12 days. That's shorter, but it's still close to two weeks. A party of two who decides on Monday to go out Saturday will find the reservation book full.

Either number could change by next week, since booking availability changes constantly. Still, nothing so far points to a quick drop-off in demand.

What the Dining Room Holds Back

Axios Charlotte reported before opening that the main dining room would take reservations and that bar seats and walk-in tables would be first come, first served. CharlotteFive described this as limited nightly seating for walk-ins at high-top tables and the bar.

The bar is also a good seat. CharlotteFive reported it runs along the front windows of the cream-colored dining room, where you can look out at people passing on Main Street. Some tables also have a view into the kitchen. The rest of the room has checkered floors, street-lamp-style light fixtures, velvet chairs, and cushioned banquettes.

That's why living nearby matters. Walk-in seats go to whoever is in the room, and getting there is easy from a few minutes away. A downtown errand can turn into dinner. If the bar is full, you can try another night with little lost.

Five Nights a Week

Deepwell serves dinner only, five nights a week. Its website lists these hours:

That adds up to 22 hours of service a week. Friday and Saturday run an hour later, which gives walk-ins a little more room. Wednesday, Thursday, and Sunday are shorter, so plan to arrive near the 5 p.m. opening on those nights. With Monday and Tuesday off, Sunday is the last chance until Wednesday.

Deepwell's site has a Resy link for reservations. The restaurant's phone number is 980-503-3500. Locking in a date two weeks out makes sense for a birthday or for out-of-town guests. For a spur-of-the-moment dinner, go early and try the bar.

What Works at a Bar Seat

Much of the menu suits a stool and a drink. CharlotteFive described the menu in its opening feature:

• To start: smoky redfish dip with brown butter Saltines, NOLA BBQ Shrimp with sourdough and lemon, and a selection of cured meats and aged cheeses
• Dinner: Prime brisket with collard greens, Sea Island red peas, and the Kindreds' signature milk bread, plus a crispy NC flounder filet with pomme purée and peekytoe crab butter
• For a group: a long list of large-format steaks, dry-aged whole NC-style BBQ duck, and smoked NC fish on the half shell
• Dessert: wood-fired milk bread with Cheerwine caramel sauce and sweet cream ice cream, plus chocolate cake and key lime cheesecake
• To drink: classic cocktails, house cocktails built around the menu, wine, beer, and spirit-free options

For two people, a few starters, one entrée, and the milk bread dessert make a full dinner. The large-format steaks and the whole duck make more sense at a reserved table with a bigger group.

The Team Behind the Menu

Deepwell is a partnership with Craig Deihl, the Kindred Restaurants corporate chef, who is Deepwell's executive chef and co-owner. When the restaurant was announced, the Charlotte Observer noted Deihl's reputation as a "charcuterie king."

The Kindreds also own Kindred in Davidson, which is Michelin-recommended, plus Hello, Sailor, Milkbread, and Albertine. The milk bread at Deepwell, served at dinner and again at dessert, is one of the couple's signature dishes.

Iredell EDC reported, crediting Charlotte Business Journal, that the building at 185 N. Main St. was previously home to JJ Wasabi's, a sushi restaurant. The name Deepwell also has local history behind it. A history compiled by the Mooresville Museum says the families who settled here in the mid-1700s formed small communities that grew into one called Deep Well, "which took its name from a large natural well that was found in the area." The restaurant hasn't said whether that's where its name came from, but it shares the name with the settlement that became Mooresville.

Kindred Returns October 20

Deepwell opened while Kindred, the couple's Davidson restaurant, was still closed. On Sunday evening, May 3, a fire started in a wastebasket at Kindred and was contained in the upstairs bathroom. The sprinklers caused substantial water damage, and the restaurant closed for repairs. In late May, Katy Kindred estimated the repairs would take about 12 weeks, which would have matched Deepwell's opening.

The repairs took longer than that. On September 23, News of Davidson published the couple's announcement that Kindred would reopen for dinner, with reservations starting October 20. The announcement said the reopening comes "nearly five months after a small fire at Kindred." That means Deepwell will have been serving for about five weeks before its sister restaurant reopens in Davidson.

No one has said whether Kindred's return will shorten Deepwell's reservation wait. For the next two weeks, the realistic options are the bar seats on North Main and the October 16 reservations on Resy.

If Deepwell has you thinking about how much of your week you'd like to spend within walking distance of downtown Mooresville, I'm happy to talk through which nearby streets make that easy and what homes there are actually like. You can reach me through Rachel Mangiapane. Let's Connect.