Located between Uptown and NoDa, Optimist Hall takes the concept of a food hall to a whole other level. This isn’t your average college dining hall - at least not where I went to college. And although I still see myself as that twenty-one year old throwing back tequila shots in Chicago’s finest bars, I’m really the lady cleaning pizza sauce off of her kids’ faces with wet wipes and reminding them to use their manners.

Our latest venture into Charlotte was with the whole family, and Optimist Hall was a great way to introduce the kids to the city’s food scene. Here are four reasons why Optimist Hall is the happiest place for parents to feed their inner foodie as well as their entourage of little ones. 

1. Variety Is the Spice of Life
When it comes to food, we try to expose the kids to a wide variety. They don’t have to like everything, but I want them to have the curiosity and desire to try. I love that Optimist Hall gives everyone in the family diverse choices, from Asian to South American and European cuisines.

For our maiden voyage through the food hall, we shared dumplings from The Dumpling Lady and gelato from Honeysuckle Gelato. My son ordered a wood fired pizza from Ava that looked heavenly. To be honest, he devoured it so quickly that the only thing I got to try was the crust.

From The Dumpling Lady, we ordered three types of dumplings: pork and chives, Chengdu and pan fried veggie. All three were amazing, although I admit the pan fried veggie was my favorite. Don’t skimp on the house-made Sichuan chili oil either. We ordered it on the side, so everyone could add it to their liking. Personally, I’d bathe my dumplings in that sauce the next time around.

On the sweeter side, nothing was more refreshing than a scoop of Honeysuckle Gelato’s Nutella and roasted pistachio flavors. It made for a killer combination.

2. Cocktails and Candy
With a mix of new and vintage candy types, there’s something to delight the child in everyone at Collier Candy Company. It’s also a great way to bribe your kids into eating their meal. For moms and dads, there are a number of places to enjoy a drink while the kids get hyped up on sugar. For our next visit, I have my eye on Fonta Flora for the craft beer and Billy Sunday for the award-winning craft cocktails.

3. Ample Outdoor Seating
Optimist Hall has several outdoor eating areas setup with tables and chairs to accommodate groups of 2-4 and picnic tables for larger groups. Everything is nicely spread out, so there’s plenty of space to move around even during the busiest times. You can even enjoy a view of the city’s skyline from several vantage points.

4. The Early Bird Gets a Parking Spot and No Lines
Our kids are early risers and therefore hungry for lunch before noon. This actually played to our benefit for a Saturday afternoon at Optimist Hall. There were ample parking spots around the property when we got there. And when you’re one of the first people to arrive, there’s no waiting in line. We surveyed the entire food hall upon entering and then ordered from three different vendors - all in less than 30 minutes.

Overall, I over ate and left over joyed. The kids are already asking when we can go back, and I’m wondering the same thing myself.