Village Corner Comfort Kitchen & Bar — Restaurant in Concord

We recently went out for brunch at the Village Corner, marking my first visit, though my sister has been there several times and always speaks highly of it. I decided to give it a try based on her recommendations. We arrived around 12:30, and as expected, the place was fairly crowded. From what I gathered, this is typical, as the restaurant is known for being busy.

Our server, Mazak, was exceptional—friendly and attentive—but it was apparent from the start that they were understaffed. Mazak was the only person handling our section and was also responsible for the outdoor tables, which were numerous. Due to this, the service was notably slow. It took a while for someone to come to our table to take our initial orders, and the wait for food was longer than anticipated.

I ordered scrambled eggs, a side of bacon, and toast. The first item to arrive was the toast, which appeared barely toasted and looked like plain white bread. I asked Mazak if they could toast it more, and he kindly took it back. When my full order finally arrived, the eggs and toast were there, but the toast was only marginally darker. It still didn’t meet my expectations for toast. Additionally, the bacon was missing, so I inquired about it. Mazak explained that the bacon was mixed into the eggs, but I clarified that I had ordered it as a separate side. He quickly put in the order for the side of bacon, but by the time it came out, I had nearly finished my meal. To add to the disappointment, the bacon was overcooked to the point of being dehydrated, crumbling into pieces when touched.

While the service was undeniably slow due to the understaffing, the staff was as friendly as could be. The menu itself looked impressive, and I could see why others might enjoy dining here. However, my meal was underwhelming, and if a place struggles with simple items like eggs, bacon, and toast, it’s hard to have full confidence.

Despite the experience, I’d consider giving the Village Corner another try, perhaps after 3 PM to sample their later menu, which might be more in line with their strengths. The restaurant has a charming, locally-owned, neighborhood feel that I appreciate, and many folks seem to genuinely enjoy it. Hopefully, next time the experience will be more aligned with the reputation my sister and others...

What a great time tonight! It’s that time of year when Cabarrus County Burger Madness gets us out of the house to visit new restaurants and try some interesting burger creations. First stop this year was Village Corner Comfort Kitchen & Bar. My husband and I shared the Southern Burger. This burger was the perfect blend of our favorite Southern treats- Fried Green Tomato, Pimento Cheese, and Duke’s! Also topped with bacon and fresh lettuce, this burger was very pleasing to the palate. We were glad we stopped in for the burger, and especially glad we took our time to chat with our server, Marion, and drink creator, Mackenzie. Both of these lovely ladies were very personable, accommodating, and could not stop smiling. You could taste the love and passion in the Coconut Margarita and the Espresso Martini that went into Mackenzie’s creations. Our bill even came with exquisite chocolate mints shaped as a train and a space ship! If you have not yet been to this corner of Afton, we recommend visiting. You will not be disappointed. One word of advice- the banana pudding has peanut butter and chocolate blended in. Not exactly the typical southern banana pudding we’ve been accustomed to, but it’s Over the Top delicious! We will definitely be back! - Maybe next...

The grits, a slow-wrought porridge of ground corn, held a pale, creamy luminescence like a moon on a foggy night. They were a foundation, a patient, simple earth for what was to come. Upon this quiet bedrock, the shrimp were scattered, their bodies curled in an almost supplicant posture, pink and firm. The air, heavy with the humid summer scent of the Carolina low country, was now thick with the aroma of their pan-seared grace—a faint whisper of garlic and a buttery richness that clung to the back of the throat. A sauce, a deep russet, the color of clay-rich river water after a hard rain, pooled and swirled around them, an intricate lacework of flavor. It was not a hasty sauce, but one that had known time, a patient simmering of tomatoes and smoky bacon, its depths holding the ghost of a sherry finish. To eat it was to feel the generations of that land, the sun-baked fields, the slow-moving creeks, the hands that had worked them all. The spoon cut through the softness, the grits yielding with a sigh, the shrimp firm against the tooth, the sauce an audacious, complex chord struck against the simple, sustained note of the corn. It was a meal of memory and anticipation, of quiet comfort and profound, savory joy.

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