I got the spicy pork ramen earlier today. I ordered it to go so it was packed separately broth and fixins. Service was fast, a little brusque, and price wise it felt a little steep (18$ after tax and tip). It's a simple and straightforward place and menu. Flavor profile wasn't as good as I had hoped for, spicy yes but missing a richer/deeper flavor. A little bit of a disappointment with this one. @azfitfoodfun read more

Bao and Broth - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I've been to Bao & Broth in Optimist Hall probably a dozen times and finally remembered to grab photos on this visit. I ordered the OG, the KFC, and the Bulgogi bao. The OG is consistently good, soft bun, solid flavor - but if you've ever had one from Good Food on Montford, you might find it a little less memorable by comparison. The KFC bao was great, but that almost feels expected... it's fried chicken, so it's hard to go wrong there. The Bulgogi, which is usually what I'm most excited about, was unfortunately the biggest miss this time. The meat came out dry, overcooked, and almost jerky-like with very little flavor. It was surprising given how much I normally enjoy their food. Overall, I still like Bao & Broth and most spots in Optimist Hall - this just felt like an off day for one item. I'd absolutely go back, but I might skip the bulgogi next time. read more

See all

One of my favorite ramen places in Charlotte! I get the miso and I love the buttered corn added and the broth is so yummy. HOWEVER, I have heard of some not feeling great after eating here. I sometimes have a small stomach ache but it taste so good worth it to me. The service is ok, quick. It's in optimist hall and a nice thing to take to go for me because I can never finish the whole thing in one serving. read more

Bao and Broth - Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Bao and Broth, like all of the food stands inside Optimist Hall, has a small but mighty menu. I've grown to love smaller menus as it allows the chefs to perfect their craft and offer extraordinary meals. Bao and Broth is amazing! I ordered their KFC bun, ramen, and a green milk tea. Everything tasted amazing! The service was friendly and quick. There's plenty of seating around but I was doing a to-go order. At night, especially on weekends, it's very busy at Optimist Hall, but the hustle and bustle is a great experience and is so incredibly lively. I'll definitely be coming back to Bao and Broth! read more

Bao and Broth - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

We visited Optimist Hall and decided to try Bao and Broth -- and we're so glad we did! The food was fresh, flavorful, and really hit the spot. Everything we tried was delicious, and you could tell it was made with care. Service was fair, its really more like a fast food set up. It was a solid experience overall, and I'd definitely recommend it if you're in the area. We'll for sure be ordering again next time we're back! read more

Bao and Broth - Tonkotsu Ramen spicy - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

One of my faves at Optimist Hall! The KFC bun is delightful and the pork belly one is YUMMY!! They have this lychee tea that is literally THE best thing ever! The food comes out quickly so not a long wait. The staff are pleasant even when it's busy! read more

Awesome Bao Buns and soup! Wry hearty and seasoned perfectly. All of the preparation of the food was done after I ordered. I went to location in Optimist Hall. Love the vibe there. Wonderful food! read more

My favorite place at Optimist Hall! Would highly recommend the vegan ramen (it has crispy tofu!!!) and the miso ramen. The bao buns are also delicious if you're looking for something smaller. read more

They serve their ramen with ice cold eggs and argued that is how it's supposed to be. I have NEVER been served ramen with ice cold eggs. And they weren't even soft boiled, they were like poached. He begrudgingly warmed it all up together, by the time he return it one of the eggs was scrambled. The other one is just broken with no shape even closely resembling a boiled egg. The flavor of the actual food isn't bad which is I gave three stars, however, I would not return read more

Bao and Broth - Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

So many choices for dinner in the Optimist Hall! My eye was drawn to the ramen and so this was my decision. Placing my order with a friendly young lady, my phone buzzed at me a few minutes later and I picked up my meal. A bag containing all the needed parts and I found a seat nearby to assemble. Yes, everything was ready for transport so that it would still be fresh at home so it was even better to have it immediately. Opening the bowl of noodles and fixings, I poured the broth into the noodles and dug right in. Still hot of course and so much flavor. Mushrooms, fresh sweet corn, al dente noodles. It was beyond excellent. Absolutely delicious and fun to eat! [Review 2090 of 2024 - 3764 in North Carolina - 23109 overall] read more

Bao and Broth - Bao and Broth, Optimist Hall, Charlotte - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Enjoyed Miso Ramen at Bao Both. The bowl has fresh vegetables - corn, scallions, grilled chicken and water shoots. The broth is a flavorful miso that has a hint of spicy. The service is quick for a takeout stall. This is one of my new takeout places for a grab and go meal. read more

Bao and Broth - Miso Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Although the O.G. bun was good, it was not traditional since traditional ones don't include Vietnamese-style pickled daikon and carrots. Overall, I wouldn't go out of my way to go to this place again. read more

Bao and Broth - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

There were so many eateries to choose from but this place attracted in located inside Optimist Hall. They served a variety of bao buns and ramens. I ordered 4 items: 1) The Brunch Bao 2) The Gringo Bao 3) Thai Tofu Bao 4) Cucumber Kimchi. The gringo look interesting but was mediocre. Inside the bao was stuffed with a fried wonton wrapper in shape of a taco, filled with ground beef and pico de gallo. The highlights were 2 items: the Thai tofu bao which was full of umami and decadent. Inside the bao was filled with crispy tofu, Thai chili sauce, shredded cabbage and cilantro. The other one was the cucumber kimchi which the flavors were on point and it's a must get item. If you have some leftover sauce, dip your pizza in it because it won't disappoint! Unfortunately the brunch bao fell flat for me. It was a simple but bland. It was pan-seared spam and eggs. I will make another visit in the near future to try other items on their menu. read more

See all

Bao and Broth is one of my favorite spots to eat in CLT. I order take out from here at least once a week! The broth is so flavorful and the noodles have a great texture. It is very hard for me to pass on ramen when visiting Optimist Hall! read more

Bao and Broth - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Cashier was friendly. Very good bao buns! The bun itself was soft and light. "The O.G." Bun was so good, very tender and well marinated. Pickled veggies and hoisin sauce complimented it well. "The KFC" bun was my favorite of the three! The chicken was nicely fried and seasoned. The sauce on it was very good in the cucumber didn't give an overpowering "cucumbery" taste. I no longer see it on the menu, but there was a bun with a small hard shell taco inside. It was very interesting, but my least favorite. read more

Bao and Broth - Buns - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

First trip to Optimist Hall and I can't pass up ramen! This was delicious for a counter service restaurant and rivals many table service I have been to. The ramen was served quickly and staff was nice. I also ordered crispy tofu and while crispy wish it had some seasoning. Optimist Hall is great for a family to have different meals! We will be back! read more

Bao and Broth - Tonkotsu Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Came in summer long food road trip! The venue itself is awesome. Staff friendly. Wait times super fair. Ordered the "pick 3" bao options out of about 7... (fried spam tomato egg sriracha aioli scallion), OG (5 spice pork belly pickled veggies hoisin), and falafel (seasoned cucumber cilantro tzatzik)... OG the best. Pork belly cooked to perfection but a bit over drenched with hoisin. Spam was delicious but the egg was a bit think and forgettable. Falafel was great with the tzatziki as well. read more

Bao and Broth - Bao trio (insta: @mmmashterchef) - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Located inside the Optimist Hall, my daughter and I wanted to try a bunch of different things, and BAO and Broth was one of the places. I chose the belly bun and the gringo bun. They were both very delicious, and I also went with the original bun. If you're in the area, this is one of the places you want to stop by and try fresh buns so delicious; can't go wrong, and customer service was fantastic. read more

Bao and Broth - Belly Bun, gringo Bun - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Bao and Broth is easily my favorite stall at Optimist Hall! The vegan ramen has onion broth as opposed to miso which I really enjoy. The service is quick and I appreciate that they text you when your order is ready so you're able to explore in the meantime. The ambiance in Optimist is so cozy, especially on a cold rainy night like yesterday. read more

Bao and Broth - Vegan Ramen & Lychee Tea - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I come to Charlotte every February & I always try to make it to Bao & Broth. Last year I tried their ramen & it wasn't my favorite. Nothing too special, so this year I did not order it again. Instead, I did the 3 baos for $13. They always hit, I'm always so impressed with how quickly the service goes despite busy Saturdays. It's nice because as you are waiting for the food, you and your group can go look for seating and by the time you do, the food is most likely going to be ready. Overall, I enjoy going here when I'm in Charlotte! Worth a try! read more

Bao and Broth - Fried Chicken Bun - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Decided to go to OH with my friend, and we had such a hard time trying to figure out what to eat! There were so many options, but we decided on bao and broth, and I'm so happy we did! We both got the Tonkotsu ramen bowls and really enjoyed the rich, deliciously flavored broth! We also ordered the bao bun sampler and got the pork belly and the kfc bao buns! Tonkotsu ramen 9/10 - We both enjoyed the delicious broth, but we had to add the broth to the ramen. If you didn't add enough broth, it was a bit bland, we both agreed that had the noodles been sitting in the broth, the flavor would have been richer. But overall, it is delicious! Pork belly bao bun 10/10 - The pork belly was tender, the bun was bouncy soft and chewy, the slaw/veggies that were added were fresh and crisp. Just absolutely Heavenly! We also both got the lychee tea....... Listen to me and listen to me well! That dam tea was delicious, we laughed at the fact that we were sipping slowly because we wanted to savor that tea to the last drop! It was absolutely delectable. I wish they had free refills on it! The cashier was friendly and super patient with us when we were ordering! We were both unable to finish our ramen and had a good serving to take home for dinner! Give them a go, you won't be disappointed! read more

See all

Stopped by before Lamelo Ball and tried their Tofu Thai Bun. The buns were good. The flavors were solid, but I wasn't particularly wowed by anything. Just your standard bao experience you feel me? Nice to try once, but not something I'd get again type shi. Would I come back? Maybe, if I'm in the mood for buns, but I wouldn't rush back for it. It's in a food court so service was standard. The food court itself is pretty though! read more

Bao and Broth - thai tofu - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

I got the spicy pork ramen and not only was it NOT spicy (i had to add chili oil), it didn't taste like anything. Like the broth tasted like nothing. It was so disappointing. Maybe salt would have helped? I'm not sure. But i liked it was simple. I'm used to ramen on the west coast and that ramen is elite and they have a bunch of added toppings. This ramen didn't really have toppings but i honestly prefer that anyway. I also got 3 buns and all 3 were tasteless. I got the 3 in a row, the fried chicken one, the pork belly one, and the "gringo" one (that was my least favorite). Fast and quick service. Overall the experience was good but the food was so bland read more

Bao and Broth - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Yum! The chicken in this was super crispy. There were good flavors in there and nothing that overpowered anything - blended well. It was a good starter. read more

Bao and Broth - KFC bun, pork belly bun - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Yummy boa, pretty quick and friendly service Definitely liked the jackfruit bao unexpectedly! read more

Bao and Broth - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I love this place! I go very often and the staff has always been extremely friendly and make the best ramen ever! 10/10 would highly recommend! read more

The OG was just tasteless meat and sauce . The KFC was unseasoned chicken with mayo and cucumbers. The Gringo is a taco inside a bao bun with what I think was Taco Bell sauce. Plus get the extra sauce they were dry. Service was average. read more

I grabbed the three combo of bao buns from Bao and Broth at Optimist Hall & was happy with this simple yet filling lunch option! Here are the buns I got: Falafel Bun - a big fan of this bun, very flavorful, plus I'm a huge fan of falafel! The taziki spread in this paired perfectly. Fried Chicken Bun - the chicken was oddly chewy so I wasn't a huge fan but the chipotle mayo on top was good. Chicken Salad Bun - lots of toppings and veggies packed in this bun, good flavor! Overall I was happy with the Bao buns but I definitely would be open to trying some of the other bun options & toppings! The spot also has great ramen bowls (not pictured), a cute addition to Optimist Hall! read more

See all

We went to Optimist Hall for the first time and as we walked around this caught our eye so decided to try it out. I got the vegan ramen with a side of kimchi and my friend got the pork belly ramen with a bun side. Everything is to go so when you get your meal it's separated. The broth is in a separate container, the mains are in a separate one and for me the tofu was in a separate package. I like it better that way you can add as much or as little broth as you want. Overall taste quality was excellent, portion size was good and overall it was a delicious meal read more

Bao and Broth - restaurant - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all

Absolutely delicious meal from Bao & Broth! The broth was seasoned nicely and packed some good flavor. Not too spicy at all. The pork was so tender and melted in my mouth. The egg, pork and noodles were such a good bite together. Service was great and the cashier was very helpful with giving suggestions. Front counter was stocked and cleaned! read more

Bao and Broth - Spicy pork Ramon - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

We decided to revisit since the kids love ramen, but unfortunately, they didn't care for the ramen here. They didn't even finish their food, which says a lot. The broth lacked flavor and needed more salt. We can find better ramen somewhere else . read more

Bao and Broth - Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Optimist Hall is a really cool place and while I was in town, I made sure to pay them another visit. After walking around a bit, both my boyfriend and I decided we wanted to go with ramen and Bao and Broth was where we headed. After browsing their menu and asking the staff what the popular vegetarian option was, I went with the vegan miso. My boyfriend opted for the classic tonkotsu. It didn't take long to be prepared and when it was ready we found a table alongside the windows. There is plenty of seating here as well as different options of seating. They've got picnic tables, small tables, high tops, and even a nice patio for those sunshiny days. My boyfriend enjoyed his ramen and mine wasn't too bad either. I could have added a little more spice but when I asked the staff for hot sauce, they pointed at a small menu with their options, each costing about .50-.75. This totally caught me off guard given that I've never had to pay for sriracha or soy sauce when I get ramen (which is rather often). I didn't have any change on me and didn't notice this until after we paid so I went without. It Overall, the ramen here satisfied our appetite at the moment but I would likely try other ramen spots before coming back. read more

Bao and Broth - Vegan Miso - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

There isn't much seating right next to this place, not a bad thing, just something to note especially for a busy day. Nice building and location. The Bao came out fast! The "O.G." Bao was good. The best part was the bread. Soft, slightly sweet, airy, everything you want from a Bao. The meat and veggies were underwhelming in flavor. The price for the Bao alone was ~$5, so it gets a 6/10. read more

Bao and Broth - "The O.G" bao. - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This place is inside the Optimist Hall (food court). The Miso Ramen and the OG bun tasted great. The service was fast. The Optimist Hall looked great. It is an order your food and find a place to sit either inside or outside kind of place. read more

My family has a cold so Ramon is exactly what we needed for dinner. We ordered through Postmates and got the spicy pork Ramon and the tonkotsu Ramon. Both were delicious and huge portions! The flavor was good and we really enjoyed it. The pork was tender and delicious. We would order from here again! read more

Bao and Broth - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Taste: 3.5 Creativity/Authenticity: 4 Atmosphere: 3.5 Service: 3.5 Bang for your buck: 3.5 Got the ramen and the sloppy joe bao. Ramen was solid; good broth, noodles were different but still good, soy egg was however cold inside but easily heated up in the broth. The bao was delicious and the toppings went well surprisingly well with the broth from the ramen also! But why 3 star, honestly CUSTOMER SERVICE! Is the most important thing. When it was time to pick up my order, you get a text, as I approached the counter instead of handing off my Food and normal thank you greeting for trying our food I got a bag tossed at me as the workers continued to talk to each other didn't even look me in the eye nothing, Completely ignored?! Hmm thanks? Not very welcoming. Overall food is good but if your service is like that I'll def try the other spot read more

You can find Bao and Broth at 1115 N Brevard St Ste 15 Charlotte, NC 28206, this is in the Optimist Hall - a huge place that features 20-30 restaurants and a common eating area. Parking is outside in lots along the edges, there appears to be plenty and also a drop-off. The main entry is upstairs so be aware - I'm sure there are ramps and assistance if needed but didn't notice offhand where you would go. Our focus on this visit was Fonta Flora, who occupies a ground floor/basement space with a private entrance - since it coincided with lunch we decided to go upstairs and sample from several of the vendors then eat at Fonta while enjoying one of their remarkable sours (or two). Bao and Broth is near one corner of the hall (the hall makes a big U or possibly a square). We also purchased food from several other vendors including The Dumpling Lady (I reviewed that place previously). Bao and Broth has a mixed-Asian menu featuring several bao (bun) and a few versions of ramen. I ordered a mix of 3 bao (someone else ordered a fourth that I didn't but I did get to taste it). * Bulgogi Bun - My thought eating this was that the marinade wasn't quite right - the shaved steak needed to be marinated a bit longer as it lacked some of the sweetness. I think it would have been better loosely applied in the bun instead of stacked. * Belly Bun - This was one of the better of the four I tried - succulent pork belly with crisp pickles * Fried Chicken Bun - This was also very good - they should try serving it with a Gochuchung BBQ sauce * Chicken Salad Bun - Interesting but a bit plain. In general the Bun were pretty good if not fantastic - the bao itself was steamed to that perfect stage. * Tonkatsu Ramen - I had high hopes for this, ordered it spicy. The broth was very watery - I'd imagine that in a food hall like this it would be difficult to keep the broth consistent. The noodles were good if not homemade, pretty decent quality and the ingredients were satisfying. If they can get the broth more flavorful it would be notable. Service was okay from a counter-order perspective - my order was taken quickly and I received a call on my cell when it was ready be be picked up. I'd rate this experience more a 3.5/5 but they really need to fix that tonkatsu to get to 4 for me. read more

See all

I've had plenty of bao buns from Bao & Broth but hadn't had the "broth" yet lol. So, while working at OH one day I decided to go for it. And of course I got a bulgogi bao bun :) I went with the Miso Ramen which has: Miso with burnt garlic + sesame oil, Ginger Chicken, Roasted Corn, Bamboo Shoots. It was delicious! Very flavorful and fresh and it was plenty of food. The chicken was a little crispy which made for great texture in the soup. I really enjoyed this ramen and definitely will be back for this again soon. read more

See all

Ordered thru Ubereats their Miso Ramen ( good flavor & portioning) 2 orders and 1 Fiji water from our hotel in Charlotte, NC. They missed out the Fiji water. I called Bao & Broth that day to ask for a refund of the 4.50 plus tax on my card. They said they cannot process it so I need to call Ubereats. Asked them what the contact number to call and they don't know :-( So we had to travel back to our origin since we are just visiting in NC. Today , I called ubereats to relay the problem and they said , they have a policy that the refund should be called in within 48 hours. I told Ubereats to educate each restaurant that they partner with to relay this policy because it sucks to have to deal with this if you are on a hectic schedule, plus the restaurant made a mistake in the first place. Including the tip , $12.00 loss for a not so good delivery service. read more

So this rating is just for Ramen. I will try the buns and other items and update my review. If you are at Optimist and has a craving for Ramen, it's good enough but it's not a ramen place that you would go out of the way just to have their Ramen. Ramen here is well executed but the flavors are not Anywhere close to Sheng Ramen or Rappongi, two of my favorites Ramen place owned by Asian family. read more

Bao and Broth - Spicy Pork Ramen - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

See all