This terrific little brewery in the lower level of Charlotte's Optimist Hall serves up tasty IPAs, pales, pilsners and other varieties in a warm, welcoming environment. There's ample seating inside and out, and the spacious patio is a great spot to kick back with a cold brew when the weather turns warmer. I particularly love their Hop Beard west coast IPA, but the tap menu has something for just about everyone, including house-made cocktails and ciders. Founded in Eastern NC, Fonta Flora brings a fresh farm-to-table approach to craft beer, and is an amazing addition to the Optimist Hall lineup. Definitely worth the drive from anywhere in the Queen City! read more

Love this spot here at Optimist Hall. Such a solid location with amazing beer and food from the hall. I go here every time I'm at Optimist. It's a must! On this visit I appreciated the beer tender acknowledging my presence while serving someone else in front of me. Seems like that should always happen but that's not the case always. read more

Fonta Flora Brewery - Optimist Hall - Hazy IPA - Breweries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Here's an updaWe stopped by Fonta Flora Brewery while visiting the Opry Hall and had a great time. We tried a few beers and played board games with our kids--the atmosphere was perfect for us since it was pretty quiet, just us and another group. Our kids had a blast with all the games, and we got to enjoy a little adult time too, which was a win-win. It's a really cool spot, especially since you can order food right from upstairs. We'll definitely be coming back! read more

Fonta Flora Brewery - Optimist Hall - Breweries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I am not a beer drinker. I was only there for a class. I did order a hard cider called Pinkies Up. It was okay. Nice interior and probably a nice atmosphere for grabbing a brew. Note no food served but you can order from restaurants in Optimist Hall and pick it up. It's not for me. read more

Fonta Flora Brewery - Optimist Hall - Pinkies Up - Breweries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Beautiful spot inside and outside of Optimist Hall. Lots of tables outside on both sides and they had a bit of a bazaar market outdoors. We sat indoors and grabbed a beer, the Table Stout and a cider, Botanist & Barrel. The bartender said the beer was better than a Guinness and it was good. They brew their own beer. Super cool spot to sit and chill. read more

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Popped in after grabbing some food from Optimist Hall. The ambience itself is great, there's a ton of seating options and it was pretty empty when we were there, which was nice. The beer options were fine. Didn't love any of the IPAs we got but they were pretty standard. I did feel as if it's maybe a more local bar, as the bartenders seemed particularly interested in chatting with those at the bar itself and left us alone unless we were ordering and seemed forgetful we were there afterward. I truly don't understand the vibe of the bathroom decor but enjoyed it. read more

Great Brewery, in a great location. Fonta Flora Brewery features everything you'd expect from your typical brewery experience. They have a solid menu of beers that hit all the main styles and even some newer / less common wine-style brews that I haven't seen before. The atmosphere is very chill, a large space with tons of room to roam around. They have a cool outside spot and are right inside of the Optimist Hall which has tons of food options making this an ideal beer spot. They also have board games! Anytime I'm near Optimist Hall for food we stop into Fonta Flora for a brew. read more

Fonta Flora Brewery - Optimist Hall - Breweries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

You rarely find a brewery that can execute a wild imaginative ale as well as it can craft a crisp lager. This is one of those unicorn breweries! Half the taps are brewed with ingredients you've probably have never heard of, stuff that's so hyper local and niche, you will have to Google it. Some the ingredients and terminology are so obscure that you won't find any answers on the internet, you'll have to ask the bartenders. Luckily, they are friendly and also know their stuff! They also had not one, not two, but a handful of hoppy lager beers. These are my favorite type of beers to drink, and it can be challenging to find even one on tap at most breweries! Given that this brewery seems to specialize in very out their beers, I was pleasantly surprised to find these beers here as well! This place is an absolute gem, well worth a visit! read more

3 year blend. Quiet, peaceful and cozy little brewery. Great beer selection and quality. read more

Fonta Flora Brewery - Optimist Hall - 3 year blend. Tart & funky next to the cutest Xmas tree - Breweries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Such a great day spent at Fonta Flora!! Ample seating outside, parking was easy and the Aperol Spritz was delicious!! There was also a band playing so it was great! Order Harriet's Hamburgers straight from the QR Code and stay a while! read more

Great location. Amazing beers. Even better people. Love coming here and grabbing food upstairs then eat it with a FF beer. Cool atmosphere. Smells like an old crayon factory. Love it. read more

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Sadly we didn't enjoy the beers and the bartender/owner (I presume). He seemed cold and uninviting despite it being slow. The location is convenient to the food hall, but the brewery was dead in comparison to the food hall. Overall the beers and atmosphere were unenjoyable. read more

Fonta Flora Brewery - Optimist Hall - a flight of beers - Breweries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Love love love the vibes in the place, all the plants and funky decor and the BATHROOMS are so cool they speak to the history of the place. Service and brews are great!! read more

Super cute spot, got two beers, one was great and the other was so sour it was absolutely undrinkable. The vibe is nice, service was quick, they have indoor and outdoor seating (pet friendly). I'll definitely go back! Will steer clear of the sours though, even as a sour lover. read more

Fonta Flora Brewery - Optimist Hall - Breweries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This is a great spot located at the first floor of Optimist Hall. It has a laidback industrial feel with ample space to hang out with friends or work from your laptop. The bartender promptly greeted me and was friendly- providing excellent customer service. They make good beer and I really enjoyed one of their IPAs. Overall, worth a stop for a beer or two. read more

Easy parking, good amount of grass and outdoor seating, some indoor seating. Dogs are allowed outside. Beer is very different. They specialize in sours and stouts. The brewery itself doesn't serve food, but there is a food hall upstairs with lots of options that you can bring to the brewery. read more

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Great brews. Delicious stouts for me and IPAs for him. Wide selection of food choices from the food court upstairs

My friend and I stopped in to grab a beer and had a fun time. It was the Hop Beard (an IPA) for me and the What I Love (a Wild Ale) for her. I like that they offer interesting beers. If you are at Optimist Hall check out Fonta Flora. read more

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Fonta Flora is a chill spot at Optimist Hall. I love that they have so many tables outside along the side of the building and the yard behind it. There is ample seating, covered with umbrellas, and some without, for all to enjoy. It's perfect if you want to social distance from other groups with those you came with. I like their menu. It's different to me, but not in a bad way. Their beers, ciders, etc. are unique and the service is great. Actually, the service is why they get 5 stars from me - staff were friendly, offered suggestions and made my first visit there wonderful. Optimist Hall is constantly criticized for being overpriced, but I think Fonta Flora is priced well for the size of the pours. I'd go back! read more

Fonta Flora Brewery - Optimist Hall - Razzmatazz Remix - Breweries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

If you're in downtown Charlotte and love beer this place is for you. Great variety of beers and friendly service. An entire upscale food court is located above the brewery. read more

We've been to Optimist Hall on several occasions but finally ventured into Fonta Flora today -- man why did we wait so long. Instantly gripped by the vibe, music and the array of very interesting lagers, ales, stouts and slushees. Options are truly plentiful. Enjoy brews straight from the tap or choose from their selection of 4-packs in a heavily stocked fridge. Indoor space is limited and can be a bit cramped. Wasn't a fan of wrapping a table around columns (I get it), so we took the first opportunity to move to a normal table. Staff was helpful and answered all questions we had, even provided samples of their offerings to help narrow down our choices. I can say that we'll be making Fonta Flora a normal stop every visit to Optimist Hall going forward. Cheers! read more

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You can find the Charlotte location of Fonta Flora at 1115 N Brevard St Ste D, Charlotte, NC 28206 - this is the Optimist Hall. The brewery is located on the ground or basement level (depending on how you count floors) so it's a straight walk in from the parking lot. There's a bunch of parking - also a drop-off that's pretty much right in front of the brewery (stairs to the left to enter the Hall) If you haven't been to Optimist Hall - it's a pretty amazing old factory building that's been converted so lots of exposed brick, high ceilings and industrial accents - it's also full of a great variety of food. I'm not sure how such a large space with so many vendors (20-30 at first blush) can sustain itself - there must be a lot of local business. On this day our destination was to pick up food in the Hall and eat it at Fonta while exploring the beer menu. If you're interested in the food I've already reviewed Dumpling Lady and Bao and Broth. The interior of Fonta Flora is much like the rest of Optimist with exposed brick, polished concrete floors and wooden tables - the taproom bar is to the right as you walk in - there are stairs so you initially look down into the space - there's a surprising amount of natural light as there are large windows and high ceilings. The beer menu is toward the back wall above a rack of take-home bottles (there's a cooler to the left with chilled, mostly 4-pack cans). The vibe is a cross between a classic pub and an open-air picnic. There's also a fairly large patio out front if you're still leery of COVID or just enjoy sitting in the heat and sun (yes I know several that are into it). I've had quite a bit of Fonta Flora previously, mostly brought into Atlanta from fans and people in their barrel club - Fonta uses locally-sourced fruit and grains (when they can) so the beer they offer reflects what's available at the time it's brewed (for the most part) - they also have a very good culture for their wild ale - if you're a fan of funk, Fonta should definitely be on your list. There appears to be 16 taps at this location, mostly of beer with a seltzer or two and a slushee. We tried most of the menu, a slushee plus a bottle: * Dandy Pale Farmhouse 4/5 - I liked this a lot - good even well executed saison with great balance, a full body and slight Belgian nose, finishing full - very refreshing. * Watermelon Gose 4/5 - For a mixed-culture sour this was really easy drinking, notes of lime but not too bright, touch of salt on the finish. * Lake James Rind Lager 4/5 - Light weight, easy drinking lager with notes of watermelon and as the name implies, more towards the rind and not the sweet part. Finishes crisp with a note of tajin. * Why 'Cause [Gin Barrel Aged] 4.5/5 - Quite good if very bright, effervescent body with flavors of stonefruit and plums, the gin barrel comes across as slightly tannic with a juniper hint on the nose, super funky and quite satisfying. * Razzmatazz Remix Wild Ale 4.4/5 - Quite funky tart wild with great mouthfeel, sweet fruity notes of raspberry almost a vinous quality with noticeable oak tannins, finishing a touch dry with a good amount of funk. * Mimosa City Witbier 3.8/4 - Interesting wit with added sweet oranges and an earthy backbone, finishing unusually dry with a fair amount of coriander/spice on the nose. * Well I'll Be! NEIPA 4.2/5 - Hazy, quite juicy NEIPA with fruity notes of citrus and tropicals, almost creamy body finishing dry and hoppy, a bit floral * Topsy Seltzer 4/5 - Not your typical seltzer with bold fruity tart strawberries transitioning into bright lemon finishing clean without the typical seltzer metallic carbonated flavor * Spoonbill [Double Coconut] 4/5/5 - Delicious variation of the now classic Spponbill with big boozy chocolate notes tempered by sweet coconut on the nose and lingering finish. Quite good. * Topsy Boozy Slushee 4/5 - I'm not sure why I haven't had a seltzer slushee before but this works very well - there are additions that make things both more tart and more sweet that helps out a lot - this one had a lot of red fruit notes (which you can probably tell by the color). * Yuns Changed Double NEIPA 4.2/5 - I do love an unfiltered IPA, hazy juicy body with citrus notes finishing hoppy with just enough bitterness to offset the sweet body. * TIcky TIcky Buzz Kvass 4/5 - Not typically a fan of Kvass - this one has a bready sweet backbone and finishes with lingering honey and a touch of orange. Crushable. * Little Guatemala Imperial Coffee Stout 4.1/5 - Fairly thick bodied stout coming in at 8.5% ABV with low bitterness coffee on the nose providing some balance to the sweet chocolate malt, finishing full and fairly clean * Coracoid Strong Service was fantastic both when we ordered (many questions answered promptly with great recommendations) and as we ate and drank (felt like we had a server on the floor). Much kudos to Kevin the taproom manager. read more

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I'm so happy Optimist Hall selected this local brewery for this prestigious spot. The bartenders are amazing and helpful to all questions. The space is unique and gives a great chill vibe with wood, metal, skulls, and plants. The beverage offerings are unique and delicious! Lagers, sours, barrel aged, stouts, seltzers, and more! I love the variety and know there's something for almost everyone. The outdoor picnic tables in the sun are a highlight for me as much as I love the inside vibes on a hot day. Dog and people watching prime. Grab your favorite meal inside and your drink from Fonta Flora for a nice meal with friends! read more

Really good selection. My favorites were the stouts and porters. The barrel one was legit and will be coming back for in the future. They got some boozy slushies too for that hot day. read more

Such a fun find at Optimist Hall! The staff here was so friendly and kind, we really enjoyed them! There's plenty of outdoor seating and several tables inside too. They also offer 6-packs to go in the fridge. We opted to try the Slushies and I really enjoyed them! They were playing all the 90's hip hop our hearts could take. Overall, this was a great stop and we will definitely be back! read more

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So let me preface this review with the fact that I have been going to Fonta Flora in Morganton for many years. I have also been up to Whippoorwill Farms a couple of times in Nebo. I love Todd and love his beer. He is a Master at what he does. Fonta Flora has grown to have a nationwide cult following like Scratch, Jester King, Arizona Wilderness and Prairie Artisan Ales. I also attend the State of the Origin Festival each year. I even went to a beer dinner/fundraiser when Wisteria was still open. So, I think I have a fair background to express my opinion before anyone decides to throw local produce at me. The new facility is in a great location in a cool building. I like that they tried to give this place a bit of the feel their other tap rooms have. The wall of glasses behind the bar is a neat feature. There's a large cooler with package beer to go and a wall of swag for sale. What I didn't like - some of the price points have really gone up. It's been a couple of months since I've visited the Morganton location and maybe things have nudged up in general (oy vey inflation, but you pay for quality) or maybe it's in the Charlotte Market. What I really didn't like was one of the bartenders was kind of a jerk. Not going to delve into it - not a polite person. There were four very busy bartenders in total on duty and one bar-back. I didn't recognize any of them which tells me they're likely new recruits for this location. I wish them all the success in the world and hope it stays as busy as it was. I do think Optimist Hall is going through a stage of very high popularity, making it a bit crowded, not that much fun, a parking nightmare and dragging Fonta Flora ( a latecomer to the space) with it. So business is good and that's great. Take my opinion with a grain of salt or not at all. Their beer is simply amazing - you will enjoy it - come here - just maybe hit them on an off time and maybe get a bartender that has manners. read more

Visited this place on Saturday with a friend of mine. The main brewery is in Morganton, NC, however, they have a very nice taproom out in Charlotte. They have a nice little pub feel and I believe they're a local spot for Charlotte FC fans to go for a rambunctious time during the game. I didn't tour the rest of optimist hall, but it looks like a pretty great set up. There's a bunch of outdoor seating to gather with friends and family. The beer itself was pretty good. My first time having stuff from fonta flora. Nothing overly blew me away, but there were some beers that I wouldn't mind having again. read more

Fonta Flora, both the Morganton location and the Whippoorwill Farms locations, are favorited in my Google Maps. They're some of my favorite places to go, and we've more than once made a whole destination out of it. We have merch and cellared bottles and love to support them. They're some of the most innovative brewers in the country, and we're so lucky to have a satellite location here in Charlotte. The space is located "downstairs" in Optimist Hall and it's flanked by a really nice outdoor space with steps to sit on and a few picnic tables (I think they're going to need more in the future). The inside is really nice with TONS of natural light pouring in and lots of small seating arrangements. They've got a fridge for cans, a tower for all other merch (including socks that I *will* be picking up next time I go), and then the actual counter. They had a really nice selection when we went, as well as sheets of paper that explained all of them. It would be nice if this were electronic a la iPad or something similar, because I envision them wasting a lot of paper if they're going to change their menu up as often as they're innovating, and that's just kinda anti-sustainability which I know is important to their core business model. Things here can get pricey. There's a huge swing in the price per pint, some even getting to $9.50 for what's essentially a half pour. Then you have other beers that are $4 for a mug. We spent quite a lot for 2 drinks each, so this is NOT the place you should go when you want to "drink". Fonta Flora is a place to go to sit and enjoy the beer, not a pregame spot. You'll lose your entire paycheck pretty quickly ;) I don't know if this is the same at the other locations, but I don't remember being taken aback so much at the prices in Morganton. All in all, I'm so glad to have them here and I'll continue to go to pick up fun bottles, try unique brews, and support the business that I've been supporting for a while now. They've almost got it perfect, just need a few little tweaks. read more

Fonta Flora Brewery - Optimist Hall - Neat light coming through. - Breweries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Location is wonderful. Beer is OK. The craft beer game is strong in CLT and this is run of the mill. Not terrible but not what I am stocking in the fridge. Good spot to hang with the crew or start the night, just not memorable beers. read more

Horrific service. Our group came in around 9:10 and was given instant sass from the bartender. From working in the service industry I completely understand how annoying it is at the end of your shift, but to be treated as we were was another thing. When asked what we wanted the bartender was instantly irritated by us having to take a second to figure it out. I told him "one second" he said under his breath "Know what the F you want!". Shocked we just ordered our drinks even though we knew he was visibly annoyed. We quietly played chess in the corner having our only drink. As we hung out more people came in and went to the bar to grab a drink including a security guard. Not knowing the closing time we just continued to drink our beers and hang out, enjoying our time. While the bar was still packed @ 10:05 the rude, bartender came to our table and said "Just so y'all know we're close, and we've already done last call." No last call was ever placed. After we collected our own glasses and brought them back to the bar the bartender joked with his "friends" at the bar who started us down and laughed. Trash service. Trash brewery. read more

Cool vibe, and lots of beer choices, including barrel aged beers to go. I'd come back for lunch at the Hall then drinks at Fonta.

Love craft beers but this place was a disappointment. Visited on Good Friday... cold day and their was no heat on inside. The one employee was wearing a toboggan and mittens(inside) and seemed bothered by taking our order. Tried a flight and didn't enjoy any of the beer, not sure if it was the beer or because I was freezing. IF their heater was broken, none of the staff bothered mentioning it. read more

Convenient location with trendy, creative brews. Nice view. The sour aged in gin barrels is unite any sour I've tried. read more

Great atmosphere and solid selection of beers. A great spot to grab a quick drink with friends.

We loved this place!! Also, loved the two chonkt cats Whip and Will which reminds me be sure to try their Whilpool beer soooo Yumm! read more

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Beer is ok, but the 4 stars is cause this is a neat spot to hang out. The vibes are legit, the staff is neat. Wish they used more hops per barrel read more

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Finally made it! Very spacious location with a look and feel that fits perfectly within Optimist Hall. The whole deconstructed look plays well with Fonta Flora's rustic origins. Unfortunately, the seating is pretty bad. They most certainly do not have enough, or well laid out seating arrangements for the crowd that gathers. The staff is super friendly and attentive and the atmosphere is the same scene that you see in most breweries these days. The beers are always amazing. I've been enjoying FF's beers for years. The Schwarzbier with white oak stood out as the winner for the evening. Definitely a cool place to hang, and have truly delicious beers. read more

Finally made it out to the optimist hall location and I was not disappointed! Beer was great, and our bartender was awesome!! Great overall experience. I'll definitely be back. read more

I got to try a few beers this past weekend and all were quite good. The lack of 5 stars is on the brewery itself. It is a cute but limited space meaning it was hard to sit down and I need to be able to sit as did one of my friends. Also, I will say that despite this predicament, there were tons of kids all ranging from about 3 months-7 years. I don't get it. But, that's not part of my review. They had tons of merch and beer to go, which was nice. Many of the beers we tried came in smaller fancy cups (I assume due to abv) but they all came with a high price tag- $9 for a beer is steep especially when you can't enjoy the atmosphere. read more

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Opening night and we had a fantastic experience. It was busy yet right when we walked up to the bar we were acknowledged by a friendly bartender asking if we had any questions about the menu. We had the Optimist DIPA and Good Bird. Both were solid. We are looking forward to coming back and excited to have Fonta Flora in Charlotte! read more

Fonta Flora Brewery - Optimist Hall - Breweries Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina