10 best food halls in North Carolina for international eats
North Carolina’s food halls are expanding folks’ taste-bud passports with divine food from across the globe. Check out these 10 for a robust flavor journey.
North Carolinians love us some good grub, and we’re particularly fond of using local ingredients to make those culinary ambitions come to life. Our state’s food scene is so well-established, in fact, that North Carolina’s famous BBQ has two famous versions: East and West-style. (We could talk about the difference between them all day, but we’ll save that for another time.) In recent years, the food scene has evolved, and while it remains focused on local, high-quality ingredients and mouth-watering flavors, it has also become more international.
Food halls have become more popular nationwide, and we’re proud to say that our beautiful state has seen many open and flourish. These halls become hubs for foodies to try flavors they may have never experienced before, with restaurants of all different backgrounds vigorously chopping and slinging frying pans to delight new and regular customers alike.
Hungry to stamp your flavor passport with more countries’ cuisines? Check out these 10 food halls across North Carolina that offer myriad finger-lickin’-good restaurants.
1. Optimist Hall
Address: 1115 N Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28206
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday: 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday: 8 a.m.-9 p.m.
Charlotte is well-represented on this list, boasting three great food halls for locals and travelers alike to adore. Among them is Optimist Hall, a communal spot where delicious food meets delightful banter. With open space meant to be shared with others, you can hang out here with friends and family or meet new people all the same. Loved ones in tow, you can travel to the streets of Italy at Ava, taste your way through Asia at Bao and Broth, hop over to India at Botiwalla, and more. There’s a bar and a candy shop for all of your drink and sweet-treat needs to boot!
2. Durham Food Hall
Address: 530 Foster St, Suite 1, Durham, NC 27701
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 6:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday: 6:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday: 7 a.m.-9 p.m.
Durham Food Hall is exactly what it sounds like: a hub for Durham locals to gather and grub in the name of local ingredients and seriously good eats. Here, diners can choose from restaurants like Corner Yaki, a premier Japanese spot boasting fresh flavors and ingredients; EX-VOTO, a Mexican joint specializing in burritos and famous for its 1-pound crunch wraps; Mango Indian Grill, an eatery where its namesake tropical fruit comes to life like nowhere else; and more, including a bakery, a bagel shop, and a pizza restaurant.
3. Stock + Grain Assembly Food Hall
Address: 275 N Elm St, High Point, NC 27262
Hours: Monday-Wednesday: 7:30 a.m.-9 p.m.; Thursday-Friday: 7:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Saturday: 8:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sunday: 8:30 a.m.-7 p.m.
Stock + Grain Assembly Food Hall is another social hub where good people, good food, and good drinks collide. Two bars keep the bevvies flowing here, and with 12,000 square feet to its name, Stock + Grain has plenty of space for all of your gathering needs. Once there, you can indulge in Fig and Olive Mediterranean Deli’s fresh, scrumptious bowls and sandwiches, Yumi Sushi’s unmatched rolls and poke bowls, and Taco Street’s sumptuous quesabirria and more. But these are only the beginning of your food journey at Stock + Grain—a taste of why you need to visit.
4. Morgan Street Food Hall
Address: 411 W Morgan St, Raleigh, NC 27603
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-12 a.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.
Raleigh’s Morgan Street Food Hall is full of local North Carolina restaurants that really stick to their themes. In fact, it’s one of the food halls with the most vendors on this list, coming in at 22 at the time of writing. Among them are a Japanese spot called The Katsu, an East Asian restaurant called The Bowls, an Argentinian joint called Makes Empanadas, a Colombian restaurant named Buena Papa Fry Bar, an Indian eatery called Curry in a Hurry, and more. With so many yummy options, as well as beautiful outdoor seating when the weather’s nice, you can never go wrong with suggesting Morgan Street Food Hall to your family or friend group.
5. Monarch Market
Address: 101 N Tryon St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
The second of Charlotte’s food halls on this list, Monarch Market is located in One Independence Center—one of the city’s biggest buildings—and keeps many locals fed each day thanks to its vendors’ delicacies. Monarch Market may have a more industrialized setting than many other food halls, but it’s still a friendly watering hole with a charming atmosphere. Here, you can enjoy tasty Mexican fare at El Veneno, delicious bao and noodles at Maroon Market, outstanding Lebanese food at Kabab 2 Go Uptown, and pleasing Indian and Nepalese food at Curry Gate, among other hotspots.
6. Transfer Co. Food Hall
Address: 500 E Davie St, Raleigh, NC 27601
Hours: Monday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Tuesday-Thursday: 7 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday: 7 a.m.-10 p.m.; Saturday: 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday: 8 a.m.-8 p.m.
Transfer Co. Food Hall is one of Raleigh’s two most popular food halls that keep the masses fed in style. It calls the beautiful Carolina Coach Garage and Shop home, and it unites 10 unique vendors that truly create magic together. Perhaps you’re in the mood for Bul Box’s Asian fare, or maybe you’re leaning toward the Argentinian-rooted Che Empanadas or the Italian dishes at Alimentari at Left Bank. None of the above? No problem! Indian dishes are served fresh and hot at Chhote’s, sushi and ramen are always delicious at Yatai, and Asian and Latin flavors sing in beautiful harmony at Dank Burrito.
7. The Market at 7th Street
Address: 224 E 7th St, Charlotte, NC 28202
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 8 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday: 8 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday: 9 a.m.-6 p.m.
The Market at 7th Street is the last of Charlotte’s best food halls on this list, but it’s certainly not last in competency, consistency, or creativity. This non-profit food hall has 12 businesses, ranging from restaurants to shops, and many are owned by women and people of color. On the food front, you can take your taste buds to Africa at Serengeti Kitchen or to Italy at Mano Bella Artisan Foods. You can also stop for specialty Belgian waffles, ice cream, coffee, popcorn, and more, so there’s truly something here for everyone.
8. Old North State Food Hall
Address: 67 Jr Rd, Suite 300, Selma, NC 27576
Hours: Monday-Sunday: 8 a.m.- 9 p.m.
If you’re traveling on I-95 and develop a hankerin’ for some real good eats, you need to pull off at Old North State Food Hall. It holds a unique title among food halls: According to its website, Old North State Food Hall is “the nation’s first roadside food hall.” What can you expect to eat here, you ask? Aroma De Cuba takes you to the Caribbean with its flavors and flair, while Spice Me Up goes even further with its roots planted in Morocco. The global reach of Old North State Food Hall is also expanding. Upcoming launches include Pat Thai Asian Fusion Food and Hibachi Brothers Wings and Grill. If that’s not enough to convince you to stop, you should also know that there’s a dog park very close by, letting your pet get some energy out while you fuel up.
9. Alley 51
Address: 10500 Centrum Pkwy, Pineville, NC 28134
Hours: Monday-Thursday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.; Friday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Charlotte proper has three solid entries on this list, but the suburbs deserve global flavors, too—and that’s where Pineville’s Alley 51 comes in. Alley 51 specialized in Asian flavors, and not just from one country. No, diners can expect to taste their way through the Philippines, China, Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and Thailand here. For example, Filipino flair shines at Manila Grill, and Vietnamese dishes delight at Saigon Cafe. Other restaurants that have set up shop at Alley 51 include the full-service Chinese eatery Great Wall, the sweet-treat spot Honeycow Dessert Lab, and the delectable Korean joint Mukja. Every option here will leave you drooling, so let your nose be your guide—and enjoy.
10. Burlington Food Hall and Commissary Kitchen
Address: 268 E Front St, Suite C, Burlington, NC 27215
Hours: Monday-Saturday: 11 a.m.-8 p.m.; Sunday: 11 a.m.-5 p.m.
Last but not least, we have Burlington Food Hall and Commissary Kitchen, which proves that small can be mighty. It might not have more than 10 restaurant options like some other food halls, but the five you’ll find here are top-notch—and dripping in delicious global flavors. Take Pork and Spoon as a prime example. This Filipino restaurant is beloved for its pork spring rolls (Lumpiang Shanghai) and slow-cooked chicken seasoned with soy sauce, lemongrass, ginger, and more (Chicken Inasal). That’s only one option, though. You could also choose Middle Eastern fare at Kapakodia Turkish Eatery or Asian drinks and treats at Tea Rex. Oh, and did we mention there’s hibachi, too? That’s right: Oishii Hibachi Grill is here to fill all of your scrumptious dreams and desires.
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