While in the Carolinas we made our way to Optimist Hall. As food halls go everyone splits and picks…read morewhatever delights their fancy and then reconvenes and enjoys. We were lucky to grab seating larger enough to accommodate our group right by the Poppycox suite/stall. While everyone wandered to grab food, I noticed the continual line and what I could only assume was their notable popularity and decided I will give Poppycox a try. I joined the line and perused the menu as this would be my first introduction to the brand and what they offered. When I made it to the front to place my order I was initially met with a welcoming "hello and what can I get you", that quickly turned sour. I guess because I wasn't a regular whom automatically knew what I wanted and I actually had questions. Me: I would like to try the Crazi Daddy Fries.... Can you please tell me what is "Comeback Sauce"? Employee: The sauce on the chicken. Me: Ok, I understand that but what kind of sauce is it exactly? Employee: Huh? Well I can't really tell you that. Me: You can't tell me what the sauce contains? I'm asking because I'm not a fan of some mayo based sauces... is it mayo based? **disregards my question and engages in a side convo with another employee and then walks off** 2nd Employee: Can I help you? Me: She couldn't tell me what's in the "comeback sauce" can I please taste it to make sure I'm ok with it? 2nd Employee: No I cannot allow you to taste the "comeback sauce" Me: Ok. To be clear she wouldn't tell me what the sauce is, and you're saying I can't taste it first before it's squeezed all over my order. This is my first time trying your food. 2nd Employee: Yes, that's correct. Me: Well can I have ranch instead? 2nd Employee: Ok, we charge for the sauce. Me: Ok well you can just put the comeback sauce on the side please incase I do not like it. 2nd Employee: There will be additional charge for the sauce on the side. Me: I'm not asking for additional sauce. I'm no longer asking for you to change the sauce. I'm simply asking for you not to put the sauce that I cannot try or know what it's made of on the side please. 2nd Employee: Yes. You will be charged for that. Me: Fine! At this point I'm convinced I must be on some hidden camera show because the amount of attitude and back & forth I'm getting over this "highly coveted comeback sauce" is mind-boggling. My order is placed and as I sit at our table and wait for my order. I'm looking for the camera crew. Welp turns out no crew, that was just the service. Overall the Crazi Daddy Fries were ok. They are very filling and larger enough to share especially if you would like try other food while at Optimist Hall. The Chopped Chicken- flavorful and juicy. Nicely seasoned and you can control your spice level. The Fries- not impressive, honestly kinda hard and dry. This would have been better and elevated with crinkle cut fries IMO. The Comeback Sauce- as I suspected not my thing. I enjoyed the ranch much better. Yes I was charged for both. (To be clear it was not the charge it was the whole interaction) The Service- Honestly sad. The attitudes were unnecessary, but more important the assumption that every customer is familiar with your product or what you offer is a disservice to both parties. Especially when questions are immediately dismissed or answered with frustration. Just A Note: -3% Surcharge for Credit Cards -My experience was extra spicy and I'm not talking about the chicken. So much so I forgot to snap a pic of the food because I was still taken aback.

The Tendies (5/5): Huge tenders with great flavor. Slightly sweet and lots of heat (medium was…read moreperfect for me). The sauce was great as well. It also came with a piece of white bread. RATING SYSTEM 5 - Great (Need to get this again) 4 - Good (Would get this again) 3 - Ok (Might give this another shot) 2 - Not Good (Won't get this again) 1 - Bad (Telling people to avoid this)

Chicken king was pretty tasty. I'll say that I was disappointed in the sanitation grade and didn't…read moresee it until I had already ordered . Thankfully you can see the cook from the ordering window so there's no mystery. Staff was polite. This is attached to a gas station near downtown.

I stopped here after having a disappointing stop at the West Blvd location. If you judge a book by…read moreits cover, you may not stop here. I happen to know that some of the best food comes from the roughest looking places sometimes. The interior has definitely seen better days. Google maps needs to change their directions for getting to the restaurant. The simplest route would've been to turn in on Trade St; instead, they had me come in on 5th St which is really the back of the building unless you're going to the tattoo shop. It's right across the street from Church's. The restaurant itself is to the right of the Boost mobile store. I ordered the okra & a chef salad. The okra came out good & hot. The salad looked good. I asked the guy for blue cheese dressing; he said he only had ranch. I almost didn't see it hidden under the tomatoes & meat. I liked that they used all romaine lettuce from what I can see. Didn't care for the crackers being laid on the top of the salad or the ranch container inside the salad in light of cross contamination, etc. Don't think the crackers would've been crushed or the dressing spilled being put on the side of the bag.

Everything I've ever had at the Cafe or ordered through Uber Eats has been huge on flavor and…read moreportions, and Chef Brewton and fam are great people. If you want a chicken sandwich at 2:30 AM on a Saturday night and are ready to have an experience, hop on Uber Eats quick. Wish I had taken a picture before I crushed the latest example last night. Previous pasta snagged at Cafe below; stoopid with two o's good. And to address other reviews, they may not be the fastest operation on the planet, but go in knowing that, maybe plan ahead especially if ordering, and know it's because they're doing it right and it ain't McDonalds. With a little patience you're going to be real happy with the results. Highly, highly recommended.

One of the best spots in the city to get food. Everything is made fresh as soon as you order so it…read moredoes take time but it was worth it.

Stumbled upon Leroy Fox while walking through South End and honestly couldn't have made a better…read morerandom stop. The $15 beer bucket is an absolute steal, and pairing that with $1.25 wings? Hard to beat for the area. The ambiance is great -- exactly the kind of spot you want to catch an NFL game with a group. Our server was friendly and attentive, which always makes a difference. The wings were solid -- we went with the deep fried and grilled option, which came out well. My only note would be that I'd love to see a strictly grilled wing option on the menu for those who prefer it. A small ask, but it would make this place even more of a go-to. Will definitely be back for game day. Gem of a find in South End.

I would like to give this place 2 1/2 stars so I am unfortunately rounding down. I came here on a…read moreSaturday at 7 PM with a couple friends for dinner. We made a reservation, but it did not appear to be necessary because the place was only half full. We sat at a four top on the covered patio area and placed a couple orders for drinks and appetizers. I had a strawberry mocktail that was actually decent and served in a cup glass, which elevated the experience and presentation. my friend ordered the polar express which looked like a espresso martini, but apparently was not one. We started with fried zucchini bites and chicken nuggets. Our reservation was for 7 PM, but we did not receive our drinks until at least 730 and our first appetizer did not appear until after 8 PM. We then placed our order for the main entrée. I got the quarter south with the kale quinoa, side salad and my friends got a couple sandwiches. The food arrived around 8:30 PM by which point we were all very hungry. One of my friends had to ask for the side of honey mustard multiple times before we finally got an extra dipping sauce as far as flavor goes the nuggets and zucchini fries were OK at best not bad but definitely nothing to write home about and they took forever to come out. I liked my quarter south enough, the leg and the thigh but the kale quinoa salad was just too bland it was dressed, but definitely not enough or they just need a better dressing something with more flavor and zing. We didn't even bother asking for a dessert menu because we did not want to be held hostage any longer. Price wise it was pretty on point with other restaurants in the area, but overall this place was just very slow and did not live up to expectations as one of my friends had been here a while back and was actually a regular I think. Because the service was so slow I got my ticket validated, but it exceeded the two hours so I still had to pay for parking which was a little bit annoying considering I waited over an hour for appetizers. Unfortunately, this one was a miss. @azfitfoodfun

Decided to try Noble Smoke while visiting Optimist Hall. I got the 1/4 lb of brisket and collard…read moregreens. I was hoping for my brisket to be more tender and juicy. However, the sauces here are solid! I also enjoyed the collard greens which were made to my liking. I don't think the price is worth what you get for the small portion sizes.

The prices are outrageous. The burnt end 1/4 lb was good with the three sauces were the sweet…read moreSmokey sauce. The lex sauce is way off from Lexington sauce to me.. and the other one was just hot. I don't like hot. But now the coleslaw was another story not good tasted like a bite of mayonnaise and it wasn't good Adderall very playing I did not even taste the cabbage

All the food tasted burnt. It was overcooked. I was highly disappointed considering how much I paid…read morefor it. Had it been prepared properly, I wouldn't have had an issue paying. However, $33.77 (includes drink, beef patty, food and taxes) for overcooked mac and cheese, burnt/dry overcooked brown stewed chicken, over cooked rice and peas (which I didn't see many peas/ beans) and a burnt tasting beef patty, just wasn't what I expected. I just hope it was a night and not a regular way foods were prepared. From others here, I see they do well. The service was great. Very friendly. However, this meal was not acceptable. I'll just have to accept it. They were located at the food truck set up by CookOut on Freedom. I'm willing to try again if others truly swear by them... and I'll update this review. Again, great service, just terrible food - I'm willing to even say maybe it was because it was late night- was the food just cooking all day???? Idk- the mango peach juice was delicious!!!!!! No disappointment there. I'll buy that again. $5. Also, I love this location because it is filled with a number of food trucks. I would love this business to thrive. I ate the beef patty seeing as I was hungry- it was spicy by the patty was hard overcooked. The filling tasted liked it cooked a while. Just ok. Last... I found plastic in it.

The jerk chicken tasted more like a jerk bbq than a marinade. The jerk chicken and Mac n cheese was…read moredecent but nothing rememberable. The collard greens and rice & peas were both bland. The beef Patty was good but thin. The coco bread is okay but doesn't taste like any coco bread I've ever had. The food overall is average. Had the food today when they visited my apartment complex. I will say the lady was super nice and quick. Can't complain about the service.

The food truck came to our community and we decided to try it out. We spent about $40 for two meals…read morethat came with a meat and 2 sides. They (give you) rice with smoked meat in it, but the rice is dry and does not taste fresh. The fried chicken wings are crunchy without a lot of breading, and seasoned just "ok". The baked beans taste out of a can. The cabbage is too salty. The fried whiting is too breaded and the meat wasn't (white) and looked like it was not freshly made. If I had to put it in less words, the food smells like it's been cooked in old grease. The crinkle fries was my favorite part of the meal. Overall did not meet my expectations. I prefer that my food tastes fresh. The wait time was acceptable and the food was hot. The food needs a little more love and soul put into it.

The service was friendly but the food was not good. We ordered green beans and received…read morecauliflower. We ordered fries and got very few but got some rice with smoked sausage which we don't eat. The fried chicken was overcooked and tough. The wings were so overcooked you couldn't get the meat. Disappointed. This food truck is in our great neighborhood. Needs a lot of improvement.

I ordered the honey glazed salmon with yellow rice, cornbread, cabbage and Mac&cheese. I tasted as…read moreif my grandma came back to life to personally make me Sunday's dinner. It was a bit of a wait but well worth it. Portioned well and very well seasoned. 10/10

I tried Rudy's for the first time 04/07/2025, The turkey wings were so salty until I could not…read moreenjoy after 2 bites. Mac taste like it was made 2 days in advance along with the cornbread. The lady who brought my food to eat looks like she just did not give a darn. This was the worst soul food I have had. a waste of $29. I would not allow my dogs to eat this food it was that bad. No stars fits very well. I have to check one in order to complete.