Charlotte taco joint with a Southwestern spin is opening soon. Here’s when
A swap from tapas to tacos is underway at the former Marina’s Tapas space in Charlotte.
Starting Dec. 3, Comal Taco Co.’s Southwest-inspired, fast-casual tacos and Arizona cheese crisps will be available to try at Optimist Hall.
Comal — named after the traditional Mexican griddle used to cook tortillas — will feature a menu that includes fresh tortillas and chips from locally owned De La Vega Tortillas, along with queso, fresh salsa and made-to-order guacamole to pair them with, owner Shang Skipper told CharlotteFive.
“They’re really probably the best tortillas I’ve ever had, quite honestly, other than someone sitting in front of me in their home making fresh tortillas,” he said.
A touch of the magic from Marina’s Tapas, owned by the team at Michelin-recommended Customshop, will even stick around. Chef and co-owner Andres Kaifer is working with Skipper through the transition as a chef partner, designing the menu and providing other oversight. Marina’s employees will stay on to join the Comal team, as well.
“It’s been a privilege sharing my family’s stories and recipes through Marina’s. I love Shang’s idea for a taco concept, and I believe it will be super successful at Optimist Hall,” Kaifer said in a news release. “I’m looking forward to working with Shang and bringing his vision for simple high-quality tacos to life in the space.”
What to expect at Comal
Skipper, a longtime restaurant professional who has spent years at Fox Restaurant Concepts in Arizona and Mac’s Hospitality in Charlotte, said he and Kaifer have worked together before and visited multiple cities to try tacos.
The highlight of Comal’s signature menu items is the Arizona cheese crisp, a 12” tortilla that’s traditionally topped with cheddar cheese, green chilies and queso fresco. “It eats like a pizza ... a thin-crust pizza,” Skipper explained.
“There are a lot of great tacos in Charlotte, but no one’s doing cheese crisps — no one that I know of, anyway,” said Skipper, who plans to be in the food stall daily, serving customers.
Comal will take the cheese crisp a bit further and load it up, with options including carnitas, blackened shrimp and chicken adobo.
Drinks to pair with the meal will include Jarritos Mexican sodas, Mexican beers and red sangria.
“It’s gonna be fun — the concept’s fun. And, I think, what better place to do it than Optimist Hall?” Skipper said.
Comal
Location: Optimist Hall, 1115 N Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28206 (opening early December)
Cuisine: Southwest, tacos
This story was originally published November 18, 2025 at 6:00 AM.
