"mattwestm" is correct. You may NOT carry (OC or CC) in ANY establishment that serves alcohol for consumption on-premise. That means places like Pizza Hut, Ruby Tuesdays, sports bars, and Olive Garden. Avoiding the "bar area" is NOT OK--these restaurants generally have a "liquor license" that covers the ENTIRE restaurant in NC--even their outdoor dining areas. So in NC, if there is ANY type of booze (beer, wine, liquor) on the menu, the place is OFF LIMITS for carry in any configuration. Period...
Also, you may NOT carry in any venue that charges for admission. This means amusement parks, movie theaters, concert venues, conventions museums, or tourist attractions with admission fees, etc.
Silly, huh?
Also, you generally can't carry in any government buildings. State government buildings are specifically off-limits by state law. Most local governments also have local ordinances prohibiting carry in their buildings--and are usually posted as such.
Some municipalities have prohibitions against carry in city parks, but this is a questionable policy under NC statute. Parks may or may not be posted, and carry may or may not be prohibited--the only way to find out is to look for signs, and if there are none, look up the city codes. But even if a city DOES ban carry in city parks, such a ban is questionable (well, actually it's flat out illegal) under NC State law. Cities DO NOT have the authority to pass such laws regarding public property (except for buildings).
And although OC is OK in National Parks in NC, it is against State Law to carry in State Parks. Yep... I can carry at the Wright Brother's National Monument Park (and have on several occasions), but right down the road, I can NOT carry at Jockey Ridge State Park to fly my big kites... We're working on that one though...
Most malls in NC are posted. If you carry in a posted venue, you will probably be asked to leave. The worst they can do to you is charge you with trespassing if you don't leave, but some "security guards" and some LEOs (some large malls in urban areas actually have special LEOs as security) will go out of their way to harass, intimidate, and attempt to illegally charge you with made-up violations.
Know the law. Have a lawyer on speed-dial if you are particularly paranoid. Carry a few "NC Open Carry" brochures. And ALWAYS carry a voice recorder of some type.
NC is generally pretty cool with OC. The rural areas are pretty much trouble-free for OCers, from my experience. Some of the urban areas (Raleigh, Charlotte, Fayetteville, Durham, Cary) have a few loose-cannon-LEOs, but generally NC is almost as OC-friendly as VA (with the exception of the "restaurant and theater bans"...) I've even carried in Nags Head--ON THE BEACH. The Beach is not a State Park--it is owned by the City...
Welcome to the Tarheel State, and we hope you have a trouble-free trip!
Exactly what part of NC are you planning to visit?