*sigh* I love the dumplings here. But.... Well, you see the picture. That piece of hair is literally wrapped around my dumpling. Also, I really think they need a sauce. Like a nice chili garlic soy honey hoisin gochujang kind of situation. Chili oil is not a sauce, it's just spicy oil. read more

The Dumpling Lady - A dumpling, with a long hair wrapped around it. - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The food was amazing, literally 0 feedback. The shrimp and chicken dumplings were loaded and Seasoned so well with the house sauce. The shredded chicken noodles were delicious, exactly what we needed!! read more

Hmmm. I just don't know. This place is raved about and the two times I've been I've been left disappointed. In the most recent visit I ordered the shiitake chicken noodles.and soup dumplings. I went here specifically for the soup dumplings. The noodles... ehh okay. Nothing to write home about. The dumplings..... the dumplings. My boyfriend isn't huge on Asian cuisine so I was explaining how when you bite it you should get an explosion of broth or soup in your mouth. Nothing. There was not a single oz of liquid within the dumpling. Checked another one just to see if it was a fluke and no. I ended up taking them back and explaining what happened and the girl helping was like oh wow there should definitely be some liquid in there! Side note: she was very sweet and understanding! She offered to make me new ones and said they were actually making a brand new batch so it should be about 10 minutes. A few minutes later my buzzer went off, I went and got them, got back to my table excited to try because these are freshly made and the exact same thing happened. At this point I was fed up and felt like they served me the same exact dumplings because this order has one less dumpling than my first order and they were cold but were supposed to be freshly made. So I just ended up taking them back and getting a refund for the dumplings. Probably won't be back but as said before the lady working the front was very sweet and I appreciated her customer service! read more

The Dumpling Lady - Shiitake chicken noodles and soup dumplings - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I have never had a bad dumpling from here! Very delicious! The chili oil really makes it! It's inside Optimist Hall, which is nice because I can get this and my best friend always gets a Greek Bowl from another place! Works great! The workers have always been nice too! read more

The Dumpling Lady - Dumplings! - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This was my first time trying The Dumpling Lady, and I was thoroughly impressed! I ordered the Nei Jiang beef noodles, and the flavor was incredibly savory and delicious. The beef was so tender, it practically fell apart--just perfect! I also tried the shrimp and chicken dumplings. While I'm usually not a fan of the texture of dumplings, these were fantastic. The texture was just right and really satisfying. Lastly, I had a side of cucumbers, which rounded out the meal perfectly. I will definitely be back for more! read more

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Never disappoints!!! Dropped by the food hall and of course the faithful aromas of the delicious foods were in the air. However, the smell of the delicious dumplings stood out. Yummy yum yum, just had to have some. There was a soft spoken young lady working the counter; she was very pleasant and took my order with a smile. The service was very fast because although I ordered to go, by the time I found a seat (which didn't take long) my notification device was going off. I grabbed my dumplings and was on my way. When I reached home they were still hot and fresh, and that's what I love about the food. Thanks again for the delicious shrimp and chicken dumplings. AMAZING! read more

I have wanted to try the dumpling lady since they opened their food truck but kept missing them. But now that they have a stationary location at Optimist Hall, I could finally partake. Today's visit will make the 3rd one in a week, which tells you how delicious they are. I have ordered the Chengdu Style Dumplings, Pork and Chive Dumplings and the Scallion Pancake. The orders of dumplings come with ten dumplings drizzled in chili oil, and the scallion pancake is one pancake quartered and served with chili oil for dipping. These are 10/10 delicious. The flavors are out of the world and way better than any frozen dumplings you may have had from your favorite Chinese takeout. You'll never want another subpar dumpling, and you, too, will find yourself here three times in one week. I have a decent appetite and think the portion size is perfect. The ambiance at Optimist Hall is excellent. There is plenty of casual seating inside and out makinf it a easy to create your own ambiance as it is to create your own meal. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I don't know what has happened but everything is extra spicy! I used to get the chicken and shrimp dumplings and now it's so spicy I can barely eat it ! Service was quick the good quality has changed drastically read more

The decorations of this booth was so cute it already made me crave dumplings. I wanted to explore the food hall before deciding on this place, but even as I was walking around and looked at so many variety of food, I couldn't get my mind off of Dumpling Lady! So I ended up just coming back to order. The person who took my order was super friendly and sweet. She knew the menu well and gave me recommendations. Here is what I ended up getting: Chengdu Style Dumplings: Part of me got this because I've been to Chengdu before whilst the other part of me got it because it was marked as a favorite so I figured it must be good. Pretty tasty dumpling! Flavorful and I love the texture of the dumpling itself. Dan Dan Noodles: Possibly one of the few noodles I can handle because everything else was marked with so many pepper symbols so in order to save my coward tastebuds, the cashier recommended this. It was tasty and filling! Scallion Pancake: these can be a hit or miss but I do like the ones here. As good as my favorite ones I've had in California although these are teeny lol Overall a good place to get your dumpling/noodles fix! read more

The Dumpling Lady - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The scallion pancakes were delicious. I would eat them everyday! Served fresh. I can't wait to go back and have dumplings on another trip. Everyone was very friendly. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Scallion pancakes and chili oil - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Yall, talk about some delicious dumplings! I had the shrimp and chicken dumpling and really enjoyed it. It was busy but the cashier kept the line moving and was very nice! Counter and outside area was clean and fully stocked. Every option sounded so good, heat level wasn't bad at all! I look forward to returning! read more

The Dumpling Lady - Shrimp and chicken dumplings. - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

The dumplings were absolutely delicious and the highlight of the meal! The chicken & mushroom noodles were just okay--nothing to brag about. The dumplings are what I'd come back for and staple at Optimist Hall. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Dumplings - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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While visiting family for the holidays, I stopped in at the food court in Optimist Hall. My son has raved about the Dumpling Lady many times so I decided to give them a try. I ordered the Veggie Dumplings and Scallion pancakes. You get 10 small dumplings that come with their house made chili oil which gives it a good kick of spice. Not to overbearing, but just right. The dumplings are just right, not doughy or too thick. Filled just enough to satisfy your hunger. The pancakes were good as well. It really complimented the dumplings. read more

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I've been a huge fan of The Dumpling Lady and while I enjoyed the food truck, I so am happy they have a stall in Optimist Hall. It's usually packed here, especially on weekends. You may have to circle the building to find a spot to sit. The line may be long but orders come out quickly! My go to order here is dumplings - any of them!Today I tried the Shredded Chicken Chili Noodles and added their sauce (spicy!) My favorite time is to go during weekday lunch where you can order half noodles, half dumplings. read more

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Brought a friend to have a quick bite and stopped for some dumplings at optimist hall. It was Sunday, and very busy. There was 2 girls at front and we didn't have a line behind us, so i asked the girls what was most popular, or must try items since it was my friends first time. One was helpful, the other girls seemed annoyed at my question so we played it safe and ordered the pork and chive dumplings. They were delicious. We asked for no spicy but they were definitely spicy, and already home when we noticed will definitely be back. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Pork and chive dumpling - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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I love spicy. This food was spiced to the point of uneditable. Quality of the chicken wasn't very good either. I know it's a "fast food" setup but I expect more than a cashier who spends more time on her phone texting than paying attention to orders backing up under the hot lamp read more

Order: The Lunch Special (Spicy Beef Noodles and Chengdu Dumplings (Pork and Scallion)) Summary: Incredibly noodles and dumplings but they aren't joking when they say things are spicy. Review: I adore good dumplings but honestly they can be pretty hard to find. My friends and I stopped here to check them out and I'm glad we did. It's been a long time since I had noodles and dumplings this good. The noodles were firm enough to still have chewiness without being hard and the flavor of both the beef noodles and pork dumplings were to die for. I will issue a warning that when they say spicy, they mean it. My friend, who doesn't like spicy food, just got the Shrimp and Chicken dumplings and couldn't eat them. I love spicy food so I really enjoyed it but the spicy beef noodles were hot enough it burned (in a good way, if you like spicy food you know what I mean). I'd highly recommend The Dumpling Lady if you like noodles or dumplings. This will absolutely stay on my list of favorite restaurants when I'm in Charlotte. read more

I was in town on business and was told I needed to try the Dumpling Lady and that it doesn't disappoint. Well, they weren't wrong. We tried most of the menu and I the spicy pork belly dumplings were out of sight. The flavors were unique and bold. I loved it and the serving size of ten per bowl except for the soup dumplings is wonderful for sharing. Definitely worth another trip. read more

Good seating next to the restaurant. Food was okay. For ~$11 you get 10 dumplings, so a good price/portion. We ordered the pork dumplings and they were mediocre. Lacking in the flavor department on their own, the chili oil helped some, but not much. Needed salt & some umami, so it gets a 5/10. I asked the cashier if they had any regular dumpling dipping sauce, they do not, that was a huge let down. IF there was regular dumpling sauce I'd give it an easy 7/10. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Pork dumplings, 10 ct. - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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My favorite spot in optimist hall. The food is delicious and it's always so fast. The soup dumplings are my favorite. read more

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This is a decent dumpling place inside the food hall. There was a long line during pick dinner hour, but the line moved fairly quick and I got my food after 15 to 20 minutes of ordering. It was they were flavorful, but on the salty side, and I personally think it was too salty for my liking read more

The Dumpling Lady - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Came to optimist hall with some girlfriends for the vibes and variety. Had no idea I would be getting Dumpling Lady, and it was the most pleasant surprise! I ordered the burning noodles because I LOVE the numbing spice flavor. Even though it was cold outside, and the noodles were cold, it hit the spot! I used to have the most delicious locally made numbing spice in Atlanta and these noodles brought me back. The folks working were also super sweet enough to hold my order because I asked to remove the peanuts just to make sure I didn't have an allergy. They're always really poppin, so make sure you get there or order online. It's super convenient! Looking forward to trying some other dishes my next visit. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Burning Noodles - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

These ladies know how to make a yummy dumpling. Very quick service and the dumping is nice and hot when it comes out. They fill them with a nice soup and it explodes when you bite into them. Your whole mouth will be filled with the umami! Make sure to order more than you think because will be gone pretty fast. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Soup dumplings - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Always on point with the quality of food and service. And the new location, Nana's, offers smaller portions, which is perfect for a quick lunch. read more

You can find The Dumpling Lady at 1115 N Brevard St, Charlotte, NC 28206 in Optimist Hall - this is a huge food hall in NoDa with many, many food options. Parking is along the building edges in fairly large lots - I was a bit surprised by this place - difficult to have so many food vendors in one large building - there must be big demand in this area. I had high hopes for The Dumpling Lady - I'm a big fan of Asian-style dumplings and was attracted to the Chengdu-style (Zong Shui Jiao) as a huge fan of Atanta-favorite Gu's Dumplings. We also sampled an order of pork dumplings. In general the dumplings were on the small side and very stiff - I'm not sure if the skins weren't thinned enough or if the dumplings are pre-made instead of made-to-order but okay, I've had much worse and these were at least eatable. The Chengdu came off as too anise for all of use (there were 5 people splitting the various items we ordered at Optimist) - we actually didn't finish them which is unusual for our group. Quite surprised at the outcome as high hopes became nigh hopes. I hope the restaurant can make some adjustments and will try them again on my next visit to Charlotte. read more

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So much flavor, perfect amount of filling and spice! You can taste the love in them. A great comfort meal without feeling bleh afterwords. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Chicken and shrimp dumplings - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I LOVE this place. The dumplings & chive pancake are always fresh and tasty. The only thing I'd change is putting the sauce in the side instead of in the bowl. It's SUPER spicy! There's always a long line, but worth the wait! I bought dumplings to cook at home - I think I'll just stick to ordering pre-cooked ones from them. They don't taste the same at all! Fail on my part. read more

I had a really mixed experience here. I thought the dumplings were fantastic, and based on the one I ordered I assume the rest have the same quality. The dumplings came with their house-made chili oil, and I thought it added a nice kick that didn't over power the taste of the dumpling. The noodles on the other hand were slightly over cooked and kinda mushy. Not really sure what it was, but they tasted kind of bland. I would suggest if you come here stick to the dumplings! read more

The Dumpling Lady - Sichuan Pork Noodle - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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The chicken Fried Dumplings are amazing!! My daughter and I decided to drop in Optimist Hall last Sunday & have lunch and I was impressed& I will be back! read more

Not much to say about the food much spicer than expected I got the Shittake chicken noodles which only had one spice level but it was so spicy that I didn't even end up finishing it. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I'm visiting from out of town so my friend brought me to Optimist Hall on my last day here. I wish we came sooner in my visit so I could try more of the places here. So many options, but the lure of Sichuan dumplings called me here. This place is definitely a popular spot, as it was quite busy! We didn't wait too long to order, but they must have been pretty backed up before we even got there because it was a bit of a wait with a constant flow of people picking up their food. And it's no wonder... the dumplings were delicious. And 10 large dumplings for about $10 was a great deal. I opted for the Chengdu dumplings. Their Sichuan chili oil was flavorful, though I wished it was a bit spicier. My fellow Yelper, Peter M. met me at the hall and tried their pork belly side. I thought it was tasty, but preferred the dumplings. They even have a vegan dumpling option, but sadly they were sold out. I will 100% be coming back next time I'm in town. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Chengdu Dumplings - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

this time at optimist hall the cutest of chicks had an early appointment near city center so we were overnighting in town to avoid the early morning drive and still get a night's rest. needed sustenance but were unsure about what so off we went to the buffet that is optimist hall. we saw this noodle (dumpling?) joint as we were walking in and I was pretty sure we would eventually end up back here ;-\ yep, and while I was next door getting something else my lovely bride was trying to figure out which dish was the least spiciest (pro tip: it's all spicy) settling on a stage-one bowl as I returned just in time to pay for it. got handed a page-o-matic that went off just after we found and cleaned a table and seats so I hurried back to fetch our meals. the chicken and shitake was actually a nice size bowl of dinner. large bits of mushroomery and bird chunks and greens atop a mound of noodles in a light brown sauce. it started out well enough but she was soon overwhelmed by the wonder of it all as the spiciness continued to build with each bite until she couldn't take any more and had to apply a small gelato to sooth her delicate palate (but that's a whole other story ;-) read more

The Dumpling Lady - pro tip: it's all spicy (or none of it is) - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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The soup though! What did I get I got the Szechuan wonton soup. Not sure why I thought it wasn't a soup when it clearly said soup... The soup was really addictive! A little salty for me, maybe I needed some noodles or rice in this soup. The wontons were decent I thought... The wonton skin wasn't what I expected it to be.... and the meat somehow tasted a little off to me. It definitely not the wonton skins that I am used to and not the meat texture I am used to... I guess I need to try the dumplings... Environment This is inside the Optimist Food Hall. There are seating available around. All foods are served in ready to pack to go. When you place your order you get a beeper and they buzz you when your food is ready. Niceness of the staff Didn't have a lot of interactions with the staff. Just the regular order and wait for it. No bad interaction and no over the top interactions. Dollar It was less than 10$ for the soup. Yes? I which they had smaller batches or mixable batches, this way you can try more types... I would give the dumplings a try, but probably won't get the wontons again. read more

The Dumpling Lady - 2021.08.01 - Szechuan chili wonton soup - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

A one and done for me. These dumplings were ok but nothing I need to have again. I wish there was a dumpling flight option so you can try multiple flavors in one dish. My husband and I had the chicken and shrimp dumpling order. The total was $10+ which is over a $1/dumpling. The dumplings came with a spicy chili sauce which had quite the quick. The dumplings had a fair amount of protein and the noodle was very soft. These dumplings were good but for the cost and 20 minute wait, I probably won't be back. I have had better in the Charlotte area. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Chicken and shrimp - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

10/10 recommend! We got the sweet pork belly dumplings which truly melt in your mouth. The balance between the sweet pork belly, the pillow-soft dumpling wrapper, and the perfect heat chili oil is a flawless union of textures and flavors. My boyfriend couldn't help but close his eyes after the first bite, savoring the warmth and richness that takes comfort food to a whole new level. Also, got the spicy chicken noodles!! Super delicious if you can take the heat! read more

The Dumpling Lady - Sweet pork belly dumplings and spicy chicken noodles - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Wow! The dumplings were amazing!!! We got dumplings And dumpling soup..the soup was so good!! And I love the food hall it was in, so many options. Will be back when in Charlotte!! read more

The Dumpling Lady - Table area - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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This is probably my fave stop at Optimist Hall...so much so that I seem to always get something here, in addition to whatever else! Anyway, I resorted to my long-running favorite, their Sweet Pork Belly Dumplings...and again, SO DEE-LISH! I noticed again just how these dumplings are perfectly spicy without being overbearing...and what's more, they nearly melt in your mouth! SO Juicy too!! OMG?!? BTW, like most (all?) food vendors here, the foods here tend to be pricey for what they are...street foods in a pick-up eatery, not a full service restaurant. Still, not as bad as some other vendors here...think these Sweet Pork Belly dumplings were about $11, and at least for me, well worth it! Definitely returning again...and again!! read more

If you like spice and dumplings, this is a great place! Also in the infamous optimist hall, it's a great addition to the food selections. We ordered the shredded chicken noodle and shrimp and chicken dumplings. The shredded chicken noodle was quite spicy, but tasty. I loved the chicken and shrimp dumplings which had just the right amount of spice. Would definitely be back if I have another noodle/dumpling craving. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Shredded chicken and shrimp and chicken dumplings - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This spot in Optimist Hall is popular. My friend and I split an order of the pork & chives dumplings. The order is for 10 dumplings so it was perfect to split so we could try a few other food vendors plus we both really enjoyed them. Check out The Dumpling Lady if you are in the area. read more

The Dumpling Lady - Pork & Chives Dumplings - Szechuan Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

If you don't mind waiting in line, this food vendor in Optimist Hall is superb. They serve dumplings, made fresh daily along with some noodle dishes. You eat where you can find a seat in this mega food court. Wonderful, dumplings come in a variety of stuffings. You can have them steamed or fried. Choose from: Pork & Chives, Sweet Pork Belly, Shrimp & Chicken, ​Veggie or Vegan and "​Chengdu" Style - Pork & Scallions, which I have not tried...yet. Dunk the dumplings in a sauce, or just eat them plain. Or, you can do as I do by dunking my dumplings into the made-in-house Sichuan chili-oil. This is a form of lighting up your life without dying. Yes, it is HOT and spicy, but is also an excellent dumpling enhancer. You don't have to dunk and can just put a little on the dumpling. Please try it...no penalty if you don't like it. Don't just stop with dumplings as they also serve Wonton Soup and Sichuan Wonton Soup. The Sichuan is more spicy. Did I mention NOODLES? Oh, yes...choose from Spicy Beef Noodles, Dan Dan Noodles, Shredded Chicken Chili Noodles, Sichuan Pork Noodles, Spicy Chicken Noodles, Nei Jiang Beef Noodles (a popular Taiwan version) and , "Fried Sauce" Noodles (something I can try later and I have no idea as to what these are). A coupld of sides are offered: Scallion Pancakes (scrambled eggs loaded with green onions...very nice), ​Sichuan Smashed Cucumbers (add spicy to smashed) and, why, I don't know, Side Rice. Rice with doughy noodles and dumplings? Well, maybe if you are having the pancakes? I am salavating on the key board as I finish this review up and want to drive very fast to Optimist Hall to suck down noodles or dumplings, whatever they happen to hand me. Don't get in my way? Although the servers are busy, they will help you with your orders, but remember that you just cannot go wrong here, unless you hate noodles and dumplings. read more