Optimist Hall is definitely the new trendy spot in Charlotte and we were so excited to check out Bao and Broth since we love us some Ramen! The Ramen wasn't terrible but as most have said, it wasn't a big WOW factor. The noodle consistency was more so soft than a nice chewy texture but the broth was quite savory and delicious. We also got the Bao Buns which was pretty good, the bulgogi bun was our favorite. However we felt that the bun to meat ratio wasn't great and it was definitely pricey for the amount of food we got. read more

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I may cause a stir here, but this right here is the BEST RAMEN IN TOWN. The broth is light and bright in flavor. Pickled ginger soaking in the broth?! Take my money now... The key is that my chest doesn't feel heavy after eating it as if I just downed a huge bowl of oil and fat, which is the feeling I get at other ramen joints. I do agree with others that I think the bao buns are priced too high but I would pay time and time again for the ramen I got! My ultimate food recommendations that you MUST order: SPICY PORK RAMEN $12 | Pork + Chicken Broth, Fresno Chili Paste, Chashu Pork Belly, Shoyu Egg, Pickled Ginger BELLY BUN $4.25| Chashu pork belly, chili crisp, daikon, scallion BULGOGI BUN $4.25 | Bulgogi beef, cucumbers, gochujang Larry Schreiber, executive chef of Good Food on Montford, opened Bao + Broth underneath the Moffett Restaurant Group umbrella (which is owned by local chef Bruce Moffett -- including restaurants Barrington's, Stagioni, Good Food on Montford, and N.C. Red). read more

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

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Some of the best ramen I've had. It stands out among all the great restaurants of Optimist Hall. I love the kind of noodles they use and the broth always hits the spot. I have to say though, it's kind of weird to put shredded cabbage in ramen -- to each his own. I always ask to omit it from my ramen. A must! read more

Bao and broth was a great place for quick bite and good ramen. The buns were delicious and the cucumber dish was a really large portion. read more

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One of the best ramen places in Charlotte. Broth has umami and depth, noodles are on the chewy side. The Bao is good. maybe needs salt? Ive been craving ramen for a while and have yet to find another Ramen place around here that is better. read more

While perhaps not as critical as some of the other Yelpers here, I agree with the consensus that it needs work. I stopped by Optimist Hall around lunchtime today specifically to try out The Dumpling Lady, but the Bao and Broth stall caught my eye as well. They have a very attractive, modern storefront that is helmed by renowned Charlotte chef Larry Schreiber. Although I had plenty of food from my first stall, I was way too intrigued to not get some bao buns as well. Based on what was coming out of the kitchen when I got in line, I thought the $4.75 price tag was a bit too much for the size of the buns. I wasn't deterred too much by this because quality and flavor can certainly justify a premium price tag, so my intention was to take advantage of the 3 buns for $12. Unfortunately, when I got to the front of the line, they were sold out of two of the three flavors! Both falafel and bulgogi was out, unsure if it was out for the day or just out until they made more, but I wasn't prepared to wait. I decided to just order one Belly Bun. The Pork belly bao was accompanied with chili crisp, daikon, and scallion. My first impressions was that the bun was small, and did not have much pork. Some people like fatty pork belly and some like less fat with an overall crispier piece of meat. My bun's protein had little if any fat which made the pork belly dry. The chili profile had a good flavor but the daikon, which should have provided a fresh, crisp balance, was nowhere to be found. As far as the bao bun itself, based on the other offerings I've had in Charlotte (primarily Futo Buta and Hawkers, and Honey Buns), I wasn't a fan of the actual steamed bun. Their Instagram page in fact has a post with some picture-perfect buns, with a slight sheen indicating freshly steamed buns. My bun had no sheen, the outside was dry and there was no "springy-ness" to the bun. Because of the factors above, I would say that the price doesn't justify what you get. I will say that the flavor was good, but the texture with a dry bao bun and lack of fat in the pork belly, didn't do the bun any justice. I see a lot of potential here, I just think they need to get their bearings and work through the soft opening. But they do need to get things on track soon. It's a critical time for Optimist Hall with all eyes on the hottest new foodie destination, I really hope in a couple of weeks that all the issues are behind them. read more

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

We only tried buns, the bulgogi and fried chicken and they were both SO good. The bulgogi is a lil spicy but not bad and the flavor is so good. The fried chicken was my favorite. Must try. We can't wait to come back and try the ramen! read more

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

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The prices are definitely high as all the other reviews states. They do not fill up the bowl not even half way, so I can see why people would be upset for the price they are paying. The broth was very good in the bowl that I chose. I also really liked the seasonings and egg, it was cooked perfectly. I would go again if they would fill the bowl more. Otherwise, I feel that other places in Charlotte give you a lot more for your money. I wouldn't be opposed to trying the buns sometime. read more

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

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I know the reviews on Yelp weren't great but I wanted to give the place a try myself. Well I really should have listened to my fellow Yelpers. First of all the prices were way too high. It was overpriced considering the quality of food you received. I ordered the kimchi pork ramen that (with $1 tip) I ended up paying $15 for. $15 got me a paper bowl of ramen in a mild broth that was not flavorful at all. The meat was not tender and you can taste the poor quality of it. There was a good soft boiled egg on top which is probably why I gave this 2 stars instead of 1. The chili oil is not spicy at all and they barely have any other topping on the dish. I will probably not come back for the baos. They did not look appetizing to me and good quality buns and meat is essential for a good bao which I know they don't have. read more

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

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I'm saying I'm between A-OK & Yay, I'm a fan! I didn't have any expectations going in, but I was a bit sad about the pricing. Just for myself, I spent $18+ on a pork belly bao, the kimchi ramen & a sweet tea. It's definitely not going to be a regular spot to go to. My friends & I got there right when they opened on a Sunday at 11 AM. The storefront is welcoming & the staff were very friendly. It didn't seem long until my order was ready. I loved the presentation on the steel tray & the disposable​ bowl was sturdy & a nice size. $13 size, no, not really. I did enjoy the noodles & the bun. I thought the noodle dish was just fine - seasoning, ingredients, noodles - all of it. read more

The vegan ramen is choice And the fried tofu that goes with it is amazing! The service has been fantastic every visit. I love the vibe at Optimist Hall. It never disappoints. read more

When I tell yall I absolutely LOVE this place!! In the past 2 months, I've been to optimist hall about 5-6 times (don't judge me, it's my favorite place on earth, lol!) and each time I've ordered ramen. It's so bad that, I'll go into optimist hall telling myself that I'm not getting any ramen that day, and STILL walk out with ramen noodles!! Every single time, the food has consistently been amazing!! The service has always been spot on and they clearly run the business like a well-oiled machine. There have been times where the line was intimidating but they move customers along superbly!! I always order the vegan broth with add-ons and sometimes get the pork belly bun and bulgogi bun. I have nothing but great things to say about everything I've tried!! I even remember calling the restaurant to ask questions before placing an online order and the staff member was super friendly and helpful when explaining why certain options weren't available at the time. I recommend Bao and Noodle to anyone who loves ramen and steamed buns...coming from someone who has tried multiple ramen spots around town, they're one of the best!! read more

I'll admit the prices seem to be a little high for what you get here. My husband and I split the bao buns- we each got a pork belly and split the bulgogi. The pork belly has really good flavor and I enjoyed the chili spice they added. The pork belly was in my opinion a good mix of fat and tender. More of a pulled pork consistency. The bulgogi one was decent (needed more meat and cucumbers) but I preferred the pork belly. The price will cost you $4.75 each or 3 for $12. I think if they want to stay in business with the other competitors they should lower the price to $3.50 or $3. Or they need to start loading the buns up more. Overall great flavor and excited for a new addition to Charlotte. read more

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I really wanted to love this place. Buns. Ramen. It's my thing. Located in Optimist Hall near the Dumpling Lady, they serve a variety of buns and a ramen noodle soups. I wanted a little of both so I ordered the pork belly bun and kimchi ramen. After you order they give you a pager, but as soon as I got to a table, it started vibrating. So it comes out super fast. As far as the taste goes it's average. The bun was soft and pork belly a little tough, and sauces unremarkable. It was also overpriced at $4.50. I've had better. The ramen was suggested to me since I told the cashier I like spicy. It did have a tiny bit of pork belly and an egg. The broth was quite flavorless and starchy. It was as if the noodles were cooked in the broth. And there wasn't enough of a pork base to flavor the broth. The noodles were fine and portion size. Also, the plastic soup spoons are way to rough. It cut my lip. I would maybe try another ramen, but might skip on the buns due to price. read more

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

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Was hopeful for Bao and Broth, but I'm just not impressed. I agree with the reviews regarding the price point vs. what you get - it's just a little pricey for the size of the food. I liked that there was a lunch combo available so I could try multiple items - but the girl at the register wasn't helpful at all. We mentioned never being there and what did she recommend etc. and she said "everything is good"...understood, but some top sellers would be great. She handed my friend a cup for the fountain sodas without ice, because their drink machine doesn't have an ice dispenser, they have to get that for you. So she waited for the ice, then the Diet Coke was out and the response was "oh yeah, that's out". I ordered unsweetened tea, was given sweet tea and then when I try to switch it out she said "we don't have unsweet tea" -again, okay fine but why didn't she say that when I ordered it instead of assuming I'd be okay with it? We finally get through the beverage saga and move on the food. I was surprised the ramen serving was so small, but I will say that was pretty tasty. It was creamy and flavorful. Definitely the stand out in the experience. The bao buns were completely undercooked...like wet inside kind of undercooked. It was disgusting. You couldn't even eat around it, we had to take the contents out of the bun and eat with a fork. Overall, not impressed - especially when Dumpling Lady is right next door cranking out solid dishes. I hope they make some tweaks, but at this time would not return. read more

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

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I'm just like very other reviewers regarding the prices. 3 of us came by on opening day.. We expected to wait a long time but I'm really surprised that's only ONE register.. Granted, there's a lot of staffs in the back to help pushes thru the orders but a 2nd register would've been nice. All 3 of us brought $90 worth of food. It's expensive to me.. 4 bowls of ramen, 4 of the bao, all in different varies and one of the rice cakes with Kim chi. None of the ramens was even half way filled.. really disappointed. The baos wasn't memorable. And the rice cake was nothing like I have imagined it. Some reason I thought it was crispy rice cakes. But it's the opposites. It's chewy and has no favor. Kim chi is ok. Thank goodness it wasn't spicy.. I really thought the first time I went there and just ordered too much with my friends so I over indulge so nothing was memorable. So I want back 2 weeks later and ordered one of the Raman again. Again it wasn't filled to the top or even half way.. I was still hungry for more food after my bowl of ramen. For $12. I thought that's way overpriced for the amount of food that's was given., so I won't be going back.. there's many other places that is neat, have good ramen and bao. And it's worth the money.. this place I'm guessing is pricey because of the location. read more

Not sure why this place only has 3.5 stars but they definitely deserve 4 or better. I had never had ramen before I had the food here & honestly I drive out of my way to come get some. I like the miso with pickled ginger & a poached egg the most but honestly it's all wonderful. I've sampled everything off the menu except the buns. I'm personally not a fan of pork, but was blown away by how amazing the spicy pork & tonkotsu ramen bowls tasted. I like the fresh cut fries with the togarashi spice & sesame aioli as well as their spicy cucumbers. The kimchi is good but you can get the same quality from grocery store kimchi so it's not necessary to come here for it. Next year I plan to sample the buns, they look delicious, but I'm just drawn to the ramen more than anything else. If you're ever in optimist hall be sure to check this place out, you won't be disappointed! read more

Good buns, great service, take out counter with no seats like Noble Smoke but some nice places to sit in other areas of Optimist Hall.

Starting the new year off right with the Lucky Ramen special! What a treat! Was expecting to order my favorite, Miso Ramen, however the special was" Lucky Ramen in honor of New Years, served with black eyed peas, collard greens, smokey bacon, etc. It was delicioso! My favorite spot in Optimus Hall! read more

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

Dishes are super flavorful, especially the broth! I always make sure to stop by when I'm in town. You can tell their ingredients are super fresh too. read more

We picked this place in Optimist Hall because it was the shortest line we saw that had food we were interested in. We went on a ridiculously busy Saturday and everyone was jammed like sardines in a can everywhere so we were just gonna take our food to go. Thankfully a nice older couple gave us their seats and we were able to eat our baos fresh in a secluded area. The cashiers were nice and professional and texted us when our food was ready. The ratio of bao to meat was very good and the meats were juicy and the sauce complimented the meats well. My favorite was definitely the fried chicken one. I also give this place 5 stars because I ordered tonkotsu ramen for my SO .. and afterwards I regretted my choice at first because I imagined by the time it would get to him an hour and a half later it would be a a soggy soppy noodley mess. Fortunately to my surprise they packaged the broth, noodles, and meat / veggies in a separate containers. This totally made my day and my SO was able to enjoy his tonkotsu ramen the way it should be. 5 stars for short line and pleasantly surprised with packaging and yummy baos. read more

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

This was a new restaurant in Optimist Hall was slightly underwhelming. I can be a skeptic when it comes to Ramen because oftentimes it's way overpriced for the value that you usually get. This was no exception. There are about 4 ramen options, and all of them are about 14 dollars. However, the portions are pretty small and the broth and toppings were not flavorful and mostly just salty. You can see the kitchen from the checkout counter and it's obvious that these are pre portioned noodles that they drop into broth. For the price and the fact that you're eating out of a paper cup, it's not worth the experience in my opinion. read more

The newly opened and running Optimist Hall in Northern Charlotte has opened its doors for about a month now. Catering to the trend of food halls opening up throughout the US. Providing a wide variety of options such as sushi, tapas, noodles, and Gelato. However, if you want good quality ramen and pork buns. I wouldn't recommend this place. I didn't even bother taking a picture of the food because of the way it looked and the way it was served. Because of the hype of the restaurant, there was a long line of people waiting to try out their menu. The menu itself consisted of three different types of ramen, with no options to customize, and three different types of pork buns. I ordered the miso ramen with ginger chicken, corn and menma. I also ordered the Bulgogi Bun to try out as well. The ramen was subpar. Coming in a cardboard-like bowl, the broth was barely above the halfway mark, the ingredients are strewn across the bowl, unlike in typical ramen where it is presented neatly. As for taste, the broth was overly salty and unflavorful. The bun was also subpar. The bun itself was extremely thin, not the usual bleached look of other places and not fluffy. The meat itself was a bite full of the bulgogi, with some light drizzle of sauce. Barely a bites worth. Overall, not the best experience I've had. Definitely would not come here again...oh and the price was leaning towards the expensive end for ramen. read more

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

This is one of the eating places in Optimist Hall. Located in the back of the hall by the dumpling place and soon-to-open Suarez Bakery, they specialize in ramen and bao buns. I walked around the hall and saw a lot of people walking away with bowls of ramen, which looked great. I went with their pork ramen, which has slices of pork, ginger, green onions, a shoyu egg, and a mixture of pork and chicken broths with spices. My folks bought the chicken and bulgogi bao buns. Food came out fairly quickly and presentation looked great. The bao were delicious and we ordered 3 more afterwards. Some of my noodles were not cooked all the way through for the ramen and the mixture of broths was not ideal. I feel I'd come back for the bao only. read more

Expensive and very subpar. Can'r recommend. They also don't know what tonkatsu chicken is.

So I came here for the first time the guy at the register help me with my order he was a long blond haired kid, Brian L, so it's Saturday 5/28 and I'd say I arrived a little at 3. I just left and arrived home so it's 3:22 now. After I placed my order and gave my name and walked around until I received a text message that my food was done. I came back and noticed that he forgot my cup and so I was like can I have my cup, bc it had probably been all of 7 minutes, my order was ready at 3:04 pm. The guy handed me a water cup& I said no I ordered a drink and he goes are you sure I don't remember that and the guy with the locs grabs my receipt and said oh yea she did have a drink I'm not sure if the cups are just small or if he was trying to show off for the white couple that was standing that but he handed me this small cup and did apologize for basically calling me a liar so what turned out a good experience changed when I was basically profiled and treated like a would steal a cup I could literally buy all of the cups sitting in that tray if I wanted to plus more but to be so belittled and treated like a thief was so distasteful and changed my experience and just because of that I can't say that I'll be back. I honestly don't even want my food at this point just because of the way he treated me in front of other customers. It was very distasteful. I'm thankful to the other guy who actually had sense enough to grab my receipt and see that I did in deed order one and that I was not trying to get over I am a Christian I do not steal. This whole experience was definitely just not fair to me as a black individual being embarrassed in plain sight of others who were and were not the same color as me... read more

Bao and Broth - This was my ticket and servers info - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

DISGUISTING!!! Bland, the broth was extremely oily.dry chicken and spaghetti noodles instead of ramen.

This place is amazing, full of flavor and great service. I have also tried their baos and are delicious. When ordering they ask for you phone number so you don't have to wait in a line, they text you when your food is ready. Highly recommend. read more

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

Quite delicious! Definitely a different dinning experience, order at the counter and everything is served is single use dishes except the pho including silverware. But if you don't mind that aspect the pho and combination rice noodle bowl were very good. read more

So flavorful. I love this for a filling, healthy and cozy meal. The miso broth had deep flavor and the noodles were perfectly tender and satisfying. read more

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

It was okay...not bad, but just okay. Maybe I came on a bad day, I don't know. It doesn't deserve all the hype in my opinion. read more

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

Really good ramen. I want to be able to say I've tried other things here but I can't not order the tonkotsu ramen every time I go because it's absolutely delicious. That soft runny soy marinaded egg, the salty meaty pork belly, the silky umami broth filled with hearty chewy noodles. It's so freaking good! The portion is huge too, I can't ever finish it and have to give some to my husband or kids. I hate Optimist Hall, the crowds, the parking, the wait times (which Bao & Broth doesn't actually have a problem with unlike a certain chicken sandwich place my kid loves), but will continue to go just go get my hands on this ramen. Maybe one day I'll try something else but until then just take my word that the tonkotsu ramen is absolutely fire. read more

One the best restaurants at the Optimist Hall. The food is just amazing! Pork Belly and Bulgogi Bao are excellent. Loved this place, will be back. read more

This is exactly what I would expect when people tell me, "we finally have a decent ramen spot in town" It was decent. The line wasn't long but the food took a lot longer than I expected. I ordered a schnitzel bao and it was OK. I shouldn't expect more than that when ordering schnitzel at a bao place but it wasn't the schnitzel that was off, it was the bun. I'm not sure if it was the shape, texture or what but it was something. I also ordered the Spicy Pork Ramen and my first bite was deceptively delicious. The egg was cooked perfectly and the broth was thick, which I like, although it might have been from sitting out too long before they buzzed me because it wasn't hot. I wasn't able to get the same flavor in any additional bite. In fact, it wasn't spicy. I added a ton of chili oil and from that point on the flavor of sesame oil overpowered everything else so I'm not sure if it was the ramen broth or the chili oil to blame for that. The bowl was small. The pork was pretty tasty but also a very small portion. read more

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

The flavors are amazing. The buns were on point. The Ramen was really good. Lets about the broth OMG so freaking good. You could just drink the broth because it is just that good read more

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

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I should have checked the review first before ordering. The kimchi ramen is tasteless! No salt, not the right spicy, not any taste of kimchi. Overall, really one word "tasteless". Where is the pork belly? Put a raw egg in the soup?! Why is that? This is absolutely not the way you make ramen! The portion is very small for the price, $13 get this?! You must be joking. Overall, do not waste your time and money on this store. Totally a bummer! read more

Bao and Broth - Kimchi ramen. - Ramen Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I've been here several times and it's always been SO good! I get a chicken bun and the tonkotsu ramen. Today was a little different. They've changed their chicken bun and it was awful. Our chicken was so dry and tough that me and my husband had a hard time even biting into it. The old bun was way better! Bring it back read more

Their bao buns and green tea latte drink is amazing!! The staff is also super kind and the ambiance is great. I come here all the time and it never disappoints read more

Tbh, the spicy pork ramen was very bland. And the broth was disgusting. Overall I really don't recommend.

Delicious! I tried the Miso Ramen with kimchi, and it was so good. Very filling, and good quality ingredients. I'll be back! read more

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