Optimist Hall, the amazing food hall near uptown Charlotte, is such a popular lunch spot for the working crowd and a date night hang out for young adults. But for our family? It is one of our favorite places to go with the kids when we’re all in the mood to try something a little different. We’ve been dining out at Optimist Hall for the last several years whenever we get the chance to go out in uptown Charlotte and my kids now love it so much, they beg to visit. I’m sharing everything you need to know to enjoy your first visit along with our favorite menu items and restaurant recommendations so every bite is better than the last! Hours:The hours vary depending on the day but Optimist Hall usually opens between 7 am – 8 am and closes between 9 pm and 10 pm during the peak summer season.NOTE: Check with the specific food vendor you’re interested in ordering from, their hours may vary from the general hall hours. Parking: There is limited parking available in an on-site parking lot. The first 90 minutes are free and you can pay your parking fee via a phone app. There is ample seating both at indoor tables and at outdoor picnic tables all throughout the site. Once you and your dining partners have settled on places to eat, order your food at the stall and you’ll be given a buzzer so you can return for pick-up. You could place a few orders at several counters and just plan to circle back around to collect the food and beverages. Want to order your food before you arrive? You can view their current vendor list and find links to online ordering here. We like to work in pairs and send teams back in for food while the rest of our party holds our tables. Many restaurants offer smaller sized portions so you could easily order a little something here and a little something there and enjoy the sampling as you go. Over several trips with my kids, here are our favorite places to eat: That one dish alone has kept us going back for visit after visit and my daughter begs to get her dumpling fix between trips. Fun Fact: The Dumpling Lady even sells frozen dumplings you could pick up to make at home but don’t forget to grab a jar of the spicy Sichuan chili oil to go, too. You can view the entire menu at The Dumpling Lady’s stall at Optimist Hall and even place your order ahead of time right here: THE DUMPLING LADY OPTIMIST HALL MENU We sampled the KFC bun which has crispy fried chicken, sweet and spicy Korean bbq sauce, cucumbers, and kewpie mayo during our last visit and it was one of our new favorite things. We also ordered the Spicy Pork Ramen which has Chasu pork belly, shoyu egg, shredded cabbage, pork and chicken stock, and fresno chili paste with tender ramen noodles at the base. This was our first time trying ramen and though we enjoyed the flavor, we found it was a little messy to eat at the picnic tables. I think we’d stick with the bao buns next time and try the sampler with a few other flavors. You can view the entire menu and even order your food ahead of time here: BAO AND BROTH OPTIMIST HALL MENU In the end, she made a seriously solid choice and the couple of bites she begrudgingly shared with me from her awesome, crispy chicken sandwich were absolutely delicious. Next time, we’re totally ordering the Sweet Potato Fries with cinnamon and brown sugar topping, too. And I may have to put my foot down and try the official Boxcar sandwich which features pimiento cheese, spicy mayo, and a peach coleslaw. YUM. BOXCAR BETTY OPTIMIST HALL MENU View Papi Queso’s menu here. View Noble Smoke’s menu here.
