I love options. You know that one friend's place where everyone wants to hang out? Super comfy vibe, all the fun friends are there, they always have good food in the kitchen and they even let you bring your dog along. That's Optimist Hall. Every time I visit my amazing daughter and her fiancé in Charlotte - we head here at least one time. (Btw, they own The Grey Ash - check it out. Vegan tattoo and art studio). Anyway, I love it at Optimist Hall. My favorite thing to do is sit outside in the Adirondack chairs and watch the dogs people bring. On this particular trip I ordered greens, brisket and banana pudding from Noble Smoke. The brisket was delicious but the greens...oh my. Best I've had, and I've eaten greens in about 8 states. The banana pudding was a perfect portion and a perfect ending. I also had two of the dumplings my daughter ordered from The Dumpling Lady. I knew Nnext visit that's where I'm heading. So good. We meandered around after eating and stopped in at the Archer Paper Goods Store. I love all things paper. This store had so many cute things. --- We went back in the evening, for a second time, about week after I arrived. We grabbed dinner before a concert and I had the Dumpling Ladies pork belly dumplings and pork and chives dumplings. Yuuuuum. We ate outside on the turf area. So many sweet dogs. There's a lo here- a large open bar, coffee places, smoothies, a plant shop, a shop full of cute pet supplies, Ethiopian food, and so much more. If I lived in Charlotte, optimist hall would be the place I'd be hanging out for lunch with friends or to sit back, relax and enjoy a smoothie and a good book.

An old industrial warehouse converted into a food court with some creative food options. The outdoor courtyard in the center has plenty of seating options to eat and then enjoy a game of corn hole or just relax in a comfy Adirondack chair. The food was cooked to order so by today's standard it seemed like a long wait, but not really. All the vendors and staff were all very friendly, explained options and helpful. Even on the busy Sunday evening, we were there. The parking was limited and it was a pay to park app It was a nice experience

My North Carolina gal pal took us to Optimist Hall right before our flights back home. What a great spot for a small group with varying palates and cravings. From ramen (yes, vegan options) to burgers to Mediterranean to sushi, pizza, barbecue, smoothies, and everything in between, we were not limited in options. There are a few attached restaurants with waistaff service, along with a few cocktail bars. First 90 minutes of parking are free. My only gripe - and yes, it's a gripe - is the overuse of single-use plastics. I've been to many other food halls where actual silverware, cups and bowls are used at every food stand, so it can be done. They do have recycling bins and hand wash stations. But the plastics... it's too much and hurts my heart.

This was an interesting experience for my dining mate and I as we just recently heard about this place. One registers outdoors for a 90 minute free parking spot, longer stays require a fee.. Once parked we climbed the steps into the hall. There are at least a dozen or more food vendors featuring a variety of foods from Ethiopia, India, Asia, Jewish, and American foods, vegetarian, ice cream, coffee, burgers, and more. There are also shops in the complex for home goods , plants and gifts. Many comfortable seating areas inside the hall. We would certainly return again. Posted are some of the food vendors in the hall. We bought a corned beef sandwich and a hamburger from 2 different vendors and both were good.

Cute atmosphere with tons of choices! Love that the first hour and a half is free parking! We tried the Jewish deli, pizza place and gelato! All was really good! Will definitely be back to try some other places!

If you're in Charlotte, please go check out Optimist Hall! Come hungry because there's lots of options for food and drinks here. Everyone here is super friendly, the food has diverse options, and there's lots of AC to escape the heat. This food court is very aesthetically pleasing and has lots of tables / chairs to sit and enjoy. It's family friendly and one of the best spots I've visited while here in Charlotte. I was so excited to see a cuban bakery here, but I only got the yucca fries which didn't really hit the spot. The beer I got was superrr delish where I forgot the name but it had a yuzu taste. We also tried the dumplings, burger, and rice bowls that were great. The only true disappointment was the smoothie. It was very very bland and not refreshing (strawberry banana but it tasted like water). Hope this is helpful to making your decisions here !

This is by far the BEST food hall I've been to. The way it's set up is amazing. There is plenty of parking around the building. Your first 90 minutes is free and then you get charged for any additional time. There is covered seating available outside and inside. The hall is set up as a big circle with plenty of options to choose from. They even have store inside to shop from. One was a paper co and another was plants and home items. They had hand washing stations throughout the hall and restrooms. They also had a bar area. I tried the dumpling lady, grilled cheese, coffee place, and the gelato. Everything was very delicious and well priced. I spend around $35. Definitely would recommend this place to others!

The venue is one of the cooler food halls I have been to in my cross country food travels. Parking is made easy with plate tracking upon entry with free digital vouchers when you swipe QR codes at the businesses. The outdoor seating area is very colorful and welcoming. Inside high tech hand washing stations. Clean colorful and easily navigable over 2 floors with everything from food to shopping to even fonta flora brewing!

I was here on a work event and looking for a sampling of food. The optimist Hall fit the bill perfectly. It has a good mix of restaurants and inside seating. It looked like it was a little bit tight but as the evening got later there were more available seating options. I tried the Dumpling lady and sampled the Dan Dan noodles and the Chengdu dumplings. I heard that Charlotte has great barbecue and Noble was a good example of some of the barbecue so I tried that. I got a half pound of ribs which is about three ribs total. Overall walking around there was a good mix of restaurants and I would definitely head back there if I had more time.

If there's one thing you need to know about me, its that I love variety. And variety is what you'll find at Optimist Hall! This particular trip, we tried Harriet's hamburgers, Felix's Empanadas, Enat Ethiopian food, and for dessert we tasted some delicious gelato at Honeysuckle. After you get done eating, you can browse the cute stores. The plant store is of course my favorite along with the Rifle Paper company store. Harriet's hamburger was tasty but the bun was too bready. The meat-to-bread ratio was a little off for me. We absolutely loved Felix's Empanadas! The depth of flavor inside those little pockets of dough was incredible. There are SO many empanada options so we had to try 3. Enat was my first Ethiopian food experience and it reminded me a lot of Indian food. The flavors really packed a punch. The first 90 minutes of parking are free, which was plenty of time for us to eat and browse the stores. It was very busy on a Saturday around lunch but there is plenty of seating indoor and outdoor. Check it out if you haven't already!