Some of Winston-Salem’s most memorable meals come from places you could pass without a second glance. A strip mall, a grocery store, or a simple counter can hold a plate worth remembering. These local favorites serve everything from Greek gyros to steaming noodle bowls, with two nearby Clemmons stops worth the short drive. So, where will your next bite take you?
1. Grecian Corner: Greek Comfort Without the Fuss
A warm pita packed with flavorful fillings can turn an ordinary lunch into something worth slowing down for. At Grecian Corner, gyros and souvlaki are the main reasons to put this neighborhood Greek restaurant on your food list.
Start with a gyro if you want a familiar introduction to Greek cooking. Souvlaki offers another direction, built around pieces of grilled meat rather than the thin slices commonly associated with gyros. Ask what comes with each order so you can choose between a handheld meal and something better suited to a leisurely sit.
Simple food benefits from a little planning. If you are carrying your meal home, ask whether sauces can travel separately to help keep the pita from getting too soft. Anyone with food allergies should also confirm ingredients, especially in sauces and bread, instead of relying on a dish’s name.
Grecian Corner has been serving Winston-Salem since 1970, and generations of regulars still swear by the gyro and the chicken souvlaki platter. The appeal is easy to understand: recognizable dishes, generous portions, and no need to make dinner complicated.
2. Pizza Greco: A Fresh Direction for Pizza Night
Pizza night gets a little more interesting at Pizza Greco. This casual counter-service spot on Country Club Road makes its dough in house every day and serves both New York and Sicilian-style pies, with gyros and souvlaki on the menu for anyone craving a Greek detour.
Keep your first order simple enough to notice the basics. A pizza with just a few toppings makes it easier to judge the crust, sauce, and balance of flavors without everything competing for attention. Once you know what you enjoy, a later visit can become your chance to explore more combinations.
Timing matters when taking pizza home. Pick it up close to serving time, keep the box level, and avoid stacking heavy bags on top. A drive-up pickup window makes collecting your order even easier on a busy evening.
For families, choosing toppings together can turn dinner into a small shared project. Pizza Greco belongs on the list for its fresh dough and two distinct pizza styles, not because every pizza lover wants the same thing. Let your own preferences lead, and give the fresh pie a fair taste before reaching for extra seasonings.
3. Spaghetti Park: A Clemmons Takeout Detour
Some restaurant discoveries are meant to come home with you. Spaghetti Park, located nearby in Clemmons rather than Winston-Salem itself, is a takeout-only stop for Italian food with a less predictable approach.
Plan this visit around where you will eat, not around finding a dining room. The menu has a playful streak, with broccoli rabe egg rolls, Kobe lasagna, and a pizza called the Holy Spinacha sharing space with classic eggplant parmigiana.
Pasta needs thoughtful handling during the trip. Keep containers upright, head straight to your destination when possible, and ask whether any toppings should be added just before eating.
The Clemmons location also makes this a useful option for readers exploring beyond city limits. For a group, write down everyone’s choices ahead of time instead of trying to remember them at checkout. Its understated appeal comes from making Italian takeout feel like a destination of its own, even when the final table is your kitchen table back home.
4. BLL Rotisserie: Let the Chicken Lead
Golden roasted skin is a pretty convincing invitation to dinner. BLL Rotisserie on Knollwood Street draws attention for its rotisserie chicken, while Italian offerings give diners another reason to explore the menu.
Make the chicken your starting point if you want to understand the restaurant’s main appeal. Rotisserie cooking slowly turns the bird near a heat source, helping develop an evenly roasted outside. Regulars praise it as juicy and tender every time.
Mixed appetites are easier to manage when a restaurant offers more than one direction. Someone craving chicken can stay with the signature choice, while another diner can look through the pasta and parmigiana dishes. Save room for a slice of Italian lemon cake to finish.
If you are picking up dinner, keep warm dishes together and allow a clear spot in the car for the containers. The strongest reason to visit is straightforward: a well-chosen main dish can carry the whole meal. Start there, then let the rest of your order support it without overcrowding dinner.
5. Don Express: Big Comfort in a Small Shopping Center
An easy-to-miss shopping center can hold a very good lunch. Don Express, tucked into a Knollwood Street strip mall, focuses on Japanese comfort dishes such as curry bowls, ramen, yakisoba, and gyoza.
Choose by mood rather than trying to order everything at once. A curry bowl suits someone who wants sauce and rice, while ramen brings broth into the picture. Yakisoba takes a different path with stir-fried noodles, and gyoza can provide a smaller addition when your main dish needs company.
Noodle dishes also reward a little takeout planning. Ask whether ramen broth and noodles can be packed separately, since noodles continue softening when they sit in liquid. If you are unfamiliar with Japanese curry, ask about the flavor and heat level instead of expecting it to match another style of curry.
This family-run spot lets diners order from tablets at the table, and Japanese tea makes an easy companion to any bowl. Don Express offers a practical way to branch out without turning dinner into a complicated project. Pick one dish that sounds comforting, add something new if you wish, and leave another menu choice for your next visit.
6. Hot Dog City: Familiar Favorites and a Vegetarian Surprise
Not every memorable meal needs a fork and a long explanation. Hot Dog City on Patterson Avenue keeps things familiar with hot dogs, sandwiches, and fries, making it an approachable stop when everyone wants something easy.
The unexpected part is the menu’s two full pages of vegetarian choices, from veggie dogs to veggie burgers and hoagies, with plenty of vegan-friendly options. That gives mixed groups a reason to look beyond the restaurant’s name before ruling it out.
A classic order can be as simple or as dressed up as you prefer. Request sauces separately if you are taking the food elsewhere. Fries usually taste best soon after serving, so this is a meal worth planning around a short trip rather than several more errands.
The draw is not fancy presentation; it is the comfort of a recognizable meal with room for different eating preferences. Late hours on weekends also make it an easy stop when dinner plans run long.
7. Los Dos Carnales: Give Sopes the Spotlight
Step away from your usual taco order for a moment. Los Dos Carnales on Silas Creek Parkway is a favorite for sopes and generous portions, while its birria tacos give regulars another reason to come back.
A sope starts with a thick corn base shaped with raised edges to hold its toppings. That structure creates a different bite from a folded tortilla, with more room to notice the corn beneath the filling. Ask which toppings are available and what comes on the standard order before choosing.
Portion size deserves attention here. Begin with a reasonable amount, especially if you are adding sides or ordering for children. Sharing can help curious diners try something unfamiliar without committing the entire meal to one choice.
Texture is a big part of the pleasure, so enjoy sopes while they are fresh when possible. For takeout, keep salsa separate if the restaurant can accommodate that request, and unpack promptly once you arrive. Los Dos Carnales offers a useful reminder that Mexican cooking includes many shapes and styles beyond the best-known staples.
8. Los Juanes: Follow the Quesabirria Craving
Crisp tortillas and melted cheese make a strong case for changing your dinner plans. Los Juanes on Jonestown Road started as a small counter inside a Hispanic grocery store, and today its quesabirrias are the dish regulars rave about most.
Quesabirria combines cheese with birria filling inside tortillas that are commonly cooked until their outside develops a browned surface. A dipping broth often accompanies the dish, but ask what this restaurant includes with its current order.
For the best texture, treat this as food to eat promptly. If you are taking it home, keep any broth container upright and separate from the tacos during the drive. Dip one bite at a time rather than soaking everything at once if you want to preserve some crispness.
Generous portions of pupusas, tacos, and enchiladas fill out the rest of the menu, along with fried plantains in a sour cream sauce. This stop makes sense for diners who enjoy contrast: soft filling, a toasted outside, and rich dipping flavors. Start with the featured dish, then explore the rest of the menu on your next visit.
9. New Sichuan: Noodles With a Bold Point of View
A bowl of noodles can deliver far more than plain comfort. New Sichuan on Silas Creek Parkway brings the bold, tingling flavors of Sichuan cooking to Winston-Salem, and dan dan noodles make a natural first order.
Heat is only one piece of that style. Sichuan dishes may also bring deep savory notes and a tingling sensation from Sichuan peppercorns, which feel different from ordinary chili heat. Ask whether a dish’s heat can be adjusted before making your choice.
Dan dan noodles are a sensible starting point, but ingredient questions still matter. Recipes can include meat, sesame, peanuts, or other ingredients that need checking if you have allergies or specific dietary needs.
A group meal offers room to compare different flavors without relying on one large order. Choose a mix and ask which dishes balance one another rather than ordering only the hottest options. New Sichuan is especially appealing when you want a meal with a clear regional identity. Take your time, notice the flavors beneath the spice, and let your own comfort level shape the experience.
10. Ronni’s Wings: A Saucy Side Trip to Clemmons
Napkins deserve a place in your plan for this meal. Ronni’s in nearby Clemmons has built a loyal following for its exceptionally crispy wings and creative flavors like Jala Mango and Citrus Chipotle.
Bold flavors are the fun part here. Ask about the heat level of each sauce before ordering, especially if your table includes both spice lovers and milder eaters.
Wings are the main event, but the menu also stretches to loaded pizzas and comfort-food entrees. That makes it an easy pick for a group where not everyone is in the mood for something spicy.
Because this stop is in Clemmons, allow for the extra drive from Winston-Salem. Crispy wings are best enjoyed soon after they leave the kitchen. Ronni’s belongs on this list as a nearby comfort-food detour, not a restaurant within the city itself. Arrive hungry, order according to your heat tolerance, and give those wings your full attention.
11. Thai Sawatdee: The Grocery-Store Surprise
Your grocery run might need a lunch break built into it. The Cloverdale Avenue location of Thai Sawatdee sits just inside the doors of a Harris Teeter, earning the affectionate local nickname Teeter Thai.
The setting is unexpected, but the food is the reason to pause. Fragrant Panang curry, made with coconut milk and kaffir lime leaves, is a regular favorite, while Massaman curry offers a milder, richer route.
Ask about spice before ordering, particularly if someone at the table prefers milder food. Heat labels can mean different things across kitchens, and ingredients may vary between dishes.
Combining lunch with shopping sounds convenient, but think about timing. Finish your meal before buying items that need prompt refrigeration. Thai Sawatdee shows how a practical everyday setting can hide a worthwhile meal. Follow your appetite past the grocery aisles and give the kitchen a chance to surprise you.
12. What Da Pho: Downtown Comfort by Bowl or Sandwich
Steam rising from a noodle bowl has a way of slowing the day down. What Da Pho on West Third Street brings Vietnamese food to downtown Winston-Salem, with pho bowls and banh mi sandwiches leading the menu.
Your schedule can help decide what to order. A sandwich may be easier for a meal on the move, while a bowl encourages you to sit and enjoy its different textures.
Banh mi offers its own balance of bread, filling, and fresh toppings. Check the available proteins and ask about sauces or pickled vegetables if you are new to the sandwich. For noodle takeout, separate broth and noodles when possible so they hold up better on the way home.
Downtown dining also calls for a quick look at parking and walking distance before you leave. What Da Pho closes this list with an easy choice between two comforting formats. Whether you want a warm bowl or a sandwich with contrasting textures, it gives your usual downtown meal routine another direction.