If you’ve never tried sonker, Surry County in North Carolina is the place to fix that.
This old-fashioned Appalachian dessert has been baked here for generations, usually with juicy fruit or sweet potatoes tucked beneath a soft, golden crust.
Sonker may remind you of cobbler, but locals will quickly tell you it has its own traditions, family recipes, and devoted following.
In fact, Surry County celebrates the dessert with its own Sonker Trail, connecting restaurants and bakeries that keep this sweet tradition going.
You’ll find versions packed with seasonal fruit, recipes passed down through families, and plenty of warm servings that practically demand an extra spoonful.
Ready to taste one of North Carolina’s most unusual regional desserts?
These seven stops are a delicious place to start.
1. Royall’s BBQ & Grill — Elkin
Royall’s BBQ & Grill, located at 128 W. Main Street in Elkin, is a casual local stop where you can dig into North Carolina barbecue, burgers, and sandwiches.
Save room for sonker, Surry County’s famous deep-dish dessert made with fruit or sweet potatoes and topped with everything from biscuit-style dough to pie crust.
The dish is such a local favorite that the county even has its own Surry Sonker Trail.
Royall’s makes an easy food stop while exploring Elkin, especially if you’re visiting downtown, hiking sections of the Mountains-to-Sea Trail, or checking out wineries in the Yadkin Valley.
Pair a hearty barbecue meal with a serving of sonker, and you can try two classic North Carolina food traditions in one sitting.
2. Southern on Main — Elkin
For a more polished take on Southern cooking, head to Southern on Main at 102 East Main Street, right in downtown Elkin, where the menu mixes familiar Carolina favorites with creative dishes made for a sit-down lunch or dinner.
The restaurant occupies a historic downtown building and is known for scratch-made Southern food, rotating specials, cocktails, and desserts, so you can settle in for a full meal before finishing with its take on Surry County sonker.
Afterward, walk straight out onto Main Street to explore Elkin’s compact downtown.
Southern on Main also works well at the end of a day spent visiting Yadkin Valley wineries or hiking nearby trails, making it an easy stop before heading back for the evening.
3. Harvest Grill at Shelton Vineyards — Dobson
From downtown Elkin, take your sonker hunt into North Carolina wine country at Harvest Grill, the on-site restaurant at Shelton Vineyards in Dobson, one of the largest family-owned estates in the Yadkin Valley wine region.
Here, you can pair Southern-inspired dishes with Shelton wines made from grapes grown on the estate, then order warm fruit sonker for a sweet Surry County finish while looking out over rows of grapevines.
Make time to explore the property before or after your meal, since Shelton Vineyards offers wine tastings and landscaped grounds to explore.
Harvest Grill is a fun pick when you want to turn a sonker stop into a full afternoon of local food, North Carolina wine, and vineyard views.
4. Central Cafe — Dobson
After the vineyard, switch gears with a stop at Central Cafe at 304 North Main Street in downtown Dobson, where the setting is casual, the portions are hearty, and classic Southern comfort food takes center stage.
This local restaurant serves breakfast and lunch favorites like eggs, biscuits, burgers, sandwiches, and daily plate specials.
But of course, you need to save room for its homemade sonker.
Central Cafe is also just a few blocks from the Surry County Courthouse, so you can grab a no-fuss meal, try one of the county’s signature sweets, and see a little of Dobson’s small downtown without adding a big detour to your day.
5. Miss Angel’s Heavenly Pies — Mount Airy
From Dobson, follow your sweet tooth about 20 minutes to Miss Angel’s Heavenly Pies in Mount Airy.
Here, the owner Angela “Miss Angel” Shur serves scratch-made pies, cakes, cookies, and Surry County sonker from a colorful bakery on North Main Street.
Sonker fits right in with the bakery’s dessert-packed cases, and you can try this local specialty before browsing Miss Angel’s many pie flavors, including Southern favorites such as pecan and moonshine apple.
You’re also close to Mount Airy’s famous downtown attractions like the Andy Griffith Museum and Floyd’s Mayberry Barber Shop, two stops connected to the town that inspired Mayberry on The Andy Griffith Show.
6. 25 Summit Restaurant + Bar — Pilot Mountain
After loading up on sweets in Mount Airy, head about 15 minutes to 25 Summit Restaurant + Bar at 729 South Key Street in downtown Pilot Mountain, a stylish dinner spot serving steaks, seafood, cocktails, and other local favorites.
Sonker gives you a distinctly Surry County ending to the meal, making it worth saving space after the savory courses.
The restaurant also puts you close to Pilot Mountain State Park, where the 2,421-foot Big Pinnacle towers above the surrounding countryside.
Tackle the 0.8-mile Pilot Knob Trail around its base before heading downtown for dinner and a well-earned sonker.
7. The Tilted Ladder — Pilot Mountain
Sticking around Pilot Mountain pays off, because The Tilted Ladder at 105A West Main Street brings your sonker tour into a lively downtown restaurant known for Southern-inspired food, cold beer, and live entertainment.
Inside, exposed brick walls and a long bar set the scene for burgers, sandwiches, steaks, and shareable plates, but keep an eye out for sonker when it appears on the dessert lineup.
Main Street location also makes it easy to explore Pilot Mountain on foot, and you can pair dinner with a trip to nearby Pilot Mountain State Park, where the 2,421-foot Big Pinnacle rises 1,400 feet above the surrounding countryside.
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