Charlotte: Fun Chocolate Making Class With a Local Chef
Create handcrafted chocolate treats from scratch in a fun, beginner-friendly cooking class. Learn essential chocolate-making techniques, decorate your creations and en...
Noble Smoke at Optimist Hall is Charlotte's hickory-smoked-BBQ counter, with pulled pork, brisket and Southern sides served quick-service at the food hall.
Editorially verified June 4, 2026 by Elliot Marsh, TableJourney editor. Source.
Must order: A two-meat plate of pulled pork and brisket with one side.
Tip: Get there before noon on weekends; the BBQ sells through Cash typically expected.
Create handcrafted chocolate treats from scratch in a fun, beginner-friendly cooking class. Learn essential chocolate-making techniques, decorate your creations and en...
Turn healthy eating into something genuinely exciting in this interactive grain bowl cooking class in Charlotte.
Tour the lively city of Charlotte on a fun and pioneering Segway. The ideal way to explore North Carolina’s “Queen City,” the 2-hour guided tour will give you a compre...
Address: 1115 N Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28206
PoppyCox at Optimist Hall is Charlotte's Nashville-hot-chicken counter, with crispy sandwiches at varying heat levels and loaded fries in the South End food.
Try: Nashville hot chicken
Order: A medium-heat hot chicken sandwich with loaded fries on the side.
Tip: Pick your heat carefully; the kitchen does not adjust spice levels after the order goes in, and the hot setting is genuinely hot.
The Dumpling Lady at Optimist Hall is Charlotte's Sichuan dumpling and noodle counter with authentic handmade dumplings from a family recipe.
Try: Sichuan dumplings and noodles
Order: An order of pork dumplings with chili oil and a noodle bowl.
Tip: Grew from a food truck. The dumpling line moves quickly; place orders at the counter directly.
Ava at Optimist Hall is Charlotte's wood-fired Neapolitan pizza counter, with traditionally prepared Italian pies and a short antipasti list in the food hall.
Try: Neapolitan pizza
Order: A Margherita off the wood oven and a glass of house red.
Tip: The wood oven runs hot; pizzas come out in under three minutes.
Enat Ethiopian at Optimist Hall is Charlotte's Ethiopian counter, with wat stews, kitfo and a variety platter served over injera bread in the South End food.
Try: Ethiopian wat plates with injera
Order: The vegetarian sampler over a sheet of injera.
Tip: Order to share; injera plates are designed for groups Cash typically expected.
Zukku Sushi at Optimist Hall is Charlotte's quick-service sushi-burrito and poke-bowl counter, with build-your-own and signature options inside the South End.
Try: Sushi burritos and bowls
Order: A signature sushi burrito or a salmon poke bowl.
Tip: Fast counter service. Watch the rice line at lunchtime Cash typically expected.
Bao and Broth at Optimist Hall is the Charlotte ramen and bao counter from the Moffett Restaurant Group, with rotating ramen bowls and Taiwanese-style bao.
Try: Bao buns and ramen
Order: A signature ramen and a pair of pork-belly bao to start.
Tip: Counter-order at the food hall. Bring your bowls to the second-floor cocktail bar Light Rail.
PoppyCox at Optimist Hall is Charlotte's Nashville-hot-chicken counter, with crispy sandwiches at varying heat levels and loaded fries in the South End food.
Try: Nashville hot chicken
Order: A medium-heat hot chicken sandwich with loaded fries on the side.
Tip: Pick your heat carefully; the kitchen does not adjust spice levels after the order goes in, and the hot setting is genuinely hot.
The Dumpling Lady at Optimist Hall is Charlotte's Sichuan dumpling and noodle counter with authentic handmade dumplings from a family recipe.
Try: Sichuan dumplings and noodles
Order: An order of pork dumplings with chili oil and a noodle bowl.
Tip: Grew from a food truck. The dumpling line moves quickly; place orders at the counter directly.
Ava at Optimist Hall is Charlotte's wood-fired Neapolitan pizza counter, with traditionally prepared Italian pies and a short antipasti list in the food hall.
Try: Neapolitan pizza
Order: A Margherita off the wood oven and a glass of house red.
Tip: The wood oven runs hot; pizzas come out in under three minutes.
Enat Ethiopian at Optimist Hall is Charlotte's Ethiopian counter, with wat stews, kitfo and a variety platter served over injera bread in the South End food.
Try: Ethiopian wat plates with injera
Order: The vegetarian sampler over a sheet of injera.
Tip: Order to share; injera plates are designed for groups Cash typically expected.
Zukku Sushi at Optimist Hall is Charlotte's quick-service sushi-burrito and poke-bowl counter, with build-your-own and signature options inside the South End.
Try: Sushi burritos and bowls
Order: A signature sushi burrito or a salmon poke bowl.
Tip: Fast counter service. Watch the rice line at lunchtime Cash typically expected.
Bao and Broth at Optimist Hall is the Charlotte ramen and bao counter from the Moffett Restaurant Group, with rotating ramen bowls and Taiwanese-style bao.
Try: Bao buns and ramen
Order: A signature ramen and a pair of pork-belly bao to start.
Tip: Counter-order at the food hall. Bring your bowls to the second-floor cocktail bar Light Rail.