2 Charlotte food halls voted among the nation’s best, USA Today says

Charlotte is home to not one, but two of the nation’s best food halls, USA Today says.

Optimist Hall nabbed the No. 8 spot in the USA Today 10Best Readers’ Choice Awards, followed by The Market at 7th Street in uptown at No. 9, according to results published this week.

Both cracked the top 10 to join other standout food halls across the nation recognized for “their fantastic selections of eateries, as well as their positive contributions to their communities,” 10Best editors wrote.

Readers were invited to vote for their favorites in the nationwide contest, which ended April 13.

Optimist Hall earned high praise for its abundance of tasty cuisines. Think: Classic Southern fare, artisanal pasta, Asian-style dumplings and pizza by the slice.

The old textile mill-turned-dining hall opened in 2019 and has cemented itself as a must-visit foodie destination in Charlotte. It has appeared on USA’s Today’s Best Food Halls list two years in a row (it landed at No. 8 last year too). Editors described it as “a comfortable space that can accommodate both groups and solo diners.”

Beyond its 25+ food stalls, visitors will find dine-in restaurants, a full-service bar, a brewery and several retail shops, its website says.

The Market at 7th Street is just a short drive away and features equally diverse food options. But the non-profit food hall is more than just a place to grab a meal.

Since launching in 2011, the venue has served as a “small business incubator,” helping launch and grow more than 75 local food businesses, its website says. The market typically hosts about a dozen tenants at a time, including Geno D’s Pizza, Serengeti Kitchen and The Social Cow ice cream shop.

“This ... is a testament to the creativity and determination of the chefs and makers who have built their businesses here,” Salem R. Suber, executive director of the Market at 7th Street, said after learning of the food hall’s nomination in March.

“The Market belongs to them, and to the Charlotte community that shows up every day to support local.”

What are the best food halls in the U.S.?

Here’s the full list of USA Today’s Best Food Halls, as voted by readers:

1. High Street Place in Boston
2. Southern Market in Lancaster, Pennsylvania
3. 3rd Street Market Hall in Milwaukee
4. The Garage Food Hall in Indianapolis
5. Assembly Food Hall in Nashville
6. Budd Dairy Food Hall in Columbus, Ohio
7. City Foundry STL in St. Louis
8. Optimist Hall in Charlotte
9. The Market at 7th Street in Charlotte
10. The Market at Malcolm Yards in Minneapolis

Tanasia Kenney

Sun Herald

Tanasia is a service journalism reporter at the Charlotte Observer | CharlotteFive, working remotely from Atlanta, Georgia. She covers restaurant openings/closings in Charlotte and statewide explainers for the NC Service Journalism team. She’s been with McClatchy since 2020.