The optimist is so so so cool! ESO was some of the best pasta I've had in a minute, we had a 6 hour layover and uber'd over. Absolutely worth it. I really don't think you can go wrong with any spot in this space, Botiwalla looks insanely packed so it must be super dank! read more

Finally got to checkout ESO with my youngest son and it did not disappoint. We ordered the fettuccine with bolognese (a lil too salty for me), the Italian fried chicken (fav), the focaccia (2 orders bc it was that good), the penne ala vodka and some drinks. All in all, it's expensive. This haul was $80 (before tip). Note: pasta was perfectly made and cooked. Some of the best we've had in the states. Definitely going back to try the rest of the menu and always, always the Italian fried chicken! read more

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I had to give y'all an up close and personal shot of this delicious a$$ Bucatini Cacio E Pepe..... Aka cheese and pepper. Made with Romano cheese, black pepper , and handmade homemade pasta.  I loved the thickness....and softness of the Bucatini. Fresh coarse pepper mixed with the cheese sauce made every bit worth biting. Check'em out. #GratuityAdded #charlotteeats #OptimistHall #ESOArtisanalPasta #CltLunchDates read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - Bucatini Cacio E Pepe - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

I need to try the entire menu. Fresh pasta made directly in front of you. A digestible and straightforward menu, and great service. I think the fedoras are hilarious. Optimist hall is super saturated on a weekend and parking is getting out of hand but this paste is worth the hassle every time read more

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I'm 0% Italian, but this pasta makes me feel like my ancestors wanted me to taste this. It is always SO good. The quality, the taste, the thought, the staff.. everything is always amazing. I get the vodka sauce when I need to feel alive. read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Chefs Kiss! Sicillian chicken and Fettuccine Alfredo. The most delicate pasta lightly sauced. The chicken was so juicy and flavorful. Hands down the best pasta I've ever had. I cannot wait to try all the other pastas and the focaccia bread! Service was efficient. The person who took my order was very knowledgeable. There's nothing to the ambiance as it's in a food hall however, watching the chef it gives Hells Kitchen vibes! Absolutely love it! read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - Sicilian chicken and fettuccine Alfredo - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

What a great spot for fresh handmade pasta! I came here twice, once during their opening week and again about two months later. The food was consistently delicious both times. You can tell the pasta is made fresh in-house and cooked perfectly to al dente. I love how they rotate their menu daily so it's never the same experience twice. Can't wait to see what new dishes they come up with next. Also, most of their pastas come in two sizes--a small or a large..which I absolutely love. It's perfect for trying multiple dishes without committing to just one big bowl. My group and I ordered a few smalls to share and it was the best way to sample everything. When: First visit during opening week, second visit two months later (recently) Overall: 4.8/5 - Super impressed with the quality and freshness. One of the best pasta spots in the city!! Food: 4.9/5 - I've tried the gnocchi, cacio e pepe, focaccia bread, penne à la vodka, and Sicilian fried chicken. The gnocchi was probably my favorite. Pillowy soft and full of flavor. The meat sauce it came in was so good and added the perfect richness to the dish. The cacio e pepe was good, but I realized I'm just not a huge fan of that dish in general since it's mostly cheese and pasta. I prefer my pasta with more of a sauce base. The penne à la vodka was solid and made authentically, but I personally like mine a little less bitter from the tomatoes. The Sicilian fried chicken was super unique. Crispy with a little kick and a touch of sweetness. The focaccia bread was really good too. I wish they offered a side of olive oil and balsamic for dipping because that would've taken it to the next level. Service: 4.8/5 - It's a stall setup so there's not traditional table service, but the staff is friendly and efficient. They've got a great social media presence and are super engaged with their customers. I commented on their Instagram suggesting a few dishes like penne à la vodka and a mushroom-based pasta, and literally the next week they had them on the menu. Love that they listen to customer feedback! Vibe: 4.3/5 - Located inside Optimist Hall near the sushi spot and delicatessen. It's definitely casual and cafeteria-style, but still cute and a little upscale for a food hall. No assigned seating so it can get hectic during busy times. Sometimes you have to scramble for a table or take your food to go :( Also, there's a large window where you can see them making the pasta fresh, which was super cool to watch. Other: First 90 minutes of parking are free, then it's paid. They use license plate scanning tech so it tracks your entry and exit automatically. First-time visitors need to scan a QR code and enter payment info, but after that it's seamless. Just drive in and out. read more

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Amazing! Wonderful! Fantastic! Clearly I was super happy with the food at ESO. This is some of the best pasta I have ever had. You can tell they use the best ingredients and you can even watch them make the pasta while you are waiting for your food. They do have some small counter seating if you want to watch the person making the pasta and the people cooking it. Service was friendly and helpful. The flavors and quality excellent. I hope everyone will support this business so that they can stick around for a long time. read more

Surprised to be writing this because I heard so many great things! Maybe it was just me, or maybe an off day in the kitchen, but everything tasted very over-seasoned. I got the Orecchiette, Bucatini, Sicilian Chicken, and Focaccia. The Focaccia was honestly the only item I thoroughly enjoyed. Both of the pastas and the chicken seemed heavy handed with the seasoning. I'm not afraid of strong flavors, I typically love bold flavors but to me it was out of balance today. read more

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I stopped into ESO Artisanal Pasta and ordered the Sicilian Chicken with fettuccine--and wow, this place is such a gem! The pasta itself tasted fresh and perfectly cooked, with that tender bite. The sauce was rich and balanced. The Sicilian chicken was the real standout--juicy thigh meat, well-seasoned, and paired beautifully with the pasta. Every bite had this rustic, comforting flavor. As I was waiting, you could see the owner tasting pasta before boxing it up, showing that the staff clearly care about the food and the experience. You can tell a lot of pride goes into every dish. Definitely one of those spots where you leave already planning your next order. If you're a pasta lover in Charlotte, don't skip ESO--this place is the real deal. read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - sicilian chicken - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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This spot is such an amazing addition to the Charlotte food scene. The staff and the service were amazing even on a very very busy Saturday. It took a little time to get our food but the offered a free dessert due to our wait. I recommend visiting during the week! There are a few countertop seats; but plenty of seating around the building. The food was the star of the show! The flavors were explosive! I ordered the fettuccine Alfredo and it was just perfect. Perfectly seasoned with such an amazing flavor. The Sicilian chicken was another highlight. I highly recommend this restaurant. Order ahead and be patient; the food is well worth the wait. read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - Sicilian Chicken - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Okay, this review WILL include TMI. My wife and I had some outstanding noodles with Alfredo sauce along with probably the best chicken nuggets we've ever had! The pasta is fresh and perfectly al dente, the sauce was lush, silky and flavorful. However, the star of the meal is the crispy Italian chicken.... It is slap you in the face good! Tender and juicy, bursting with flavor and absolutely some of the best tasting chicken we have ever had, no cap! That being said, not too long after the meal our tummies started to rumble. This was not a drill, this was a find a loo with haste situation! All I can say is it was soo good going in that it was worth the extreme elimination! Run, do not walk to get that chicken! I will skip the pasta next time and eat all that chicken my myself! And be near proper facilities for the aftermath! To those about to nosh, I am envious and salute you! read more

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Had the penne ala vodka. it was very good but would do a couple of tweeks - the pasta was ever so much undercooked but pretty good. i do like my pasta al dante so it wasn't that. the pasta was tart - guessing this came from either sundried tomatos or the tomato paste that they use... which i like but maybe a touch too much cheese. i say this because about 1/2 through, it seemed to be getting more and more heavy. service was great. quick and polite. they could have asked more questions to help us decide or tell us what was popular - we came during the week and it wasn't really all that busy. read more

New Italian spot in optimist hall serving house made pasta, sauces and meatballs. I hade the meatballs, fettuccine mushroom Alfredo, and trotolli ragu....all made to perfection! I had the small portion and still had leftovers, so it's well worth the price. read more

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NEVER AGAIN. I was so excited to try this place again as I am not from the area. I ordered meatballs. Received the incorrect order (thankfully I was dining in) which wasn't a big deal. When I informed the woman who gave me the order she apologized and took the open box from me. I told her I could keep it since I knew they would have to throw it away. She said I could keep it instead of the meatballs? I told her no. I then told her to just cancel my order as I fully believe she kept it so she could give it to the correct person which is just disgusting. I question the cleanliness of is place and just didn't wanna take my chances. I really hope they didn't but I never actually saw her throw it away. I've worked at carry out restaurants and that's not how you do things. read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - Not the meatballs I ordered. Not sure what this was. - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

This was such an incredible experience the pasta was amazing! I felt like it was way better than any fine dining pasta. The portions were generous and the sauce was very tasty! The fried chicken was amazing as well and USE the lemon! It really brightens up the flavors in many ways, extremely DELICIOUS! We can't wait to go back and try the other dishes. We don't eat pork but we decided we're not going to deprive ourselves from the other entrees because they have prosciutto! We're definitely going back to try those! Fried chicken Mushroom Alfredo read more

Wow this pasta was soooo good. I wasn't expecting such high quality pasta from a place in optimist hall but I was wrong! So flavorful and good price for the quality. I will be back to try others! read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - Cacio e Pepe - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Enjoyed the pasta, was cooked aldente and the sauce was delicious. Wasn't impressed by the focaccia but it was free on the side of the pasta. Small is around $12 and large is around $19. Small was filling enough for me! read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Optimist Hall is my favorite food spot in Charlotte, and the addition of ESO makes it even better! Since opening, they have been absolutely slammed, but the staff is helpful and nice with recommendations even when they sell out of items. ESO is unique because you can watch fresh pasta being made and the dishes being prepared and packaged. You also can sit at the food stall unlike most other places in Optimist Hall. ESO has amazing Italian food. I have tried multiple pasta dishes and would eat all of them again! They have two size options - small or large. The large is huge! Also, you MUST try the meatballs - best I've ever had!! They currently have a rotating menu, so all items are not guaranteed daily, but you are sure to find something you will enjoy. I am looking forward to my next visit to ESO! read more

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After hearing so many good things about this place I decided to try it before a meeting. I got the cacio de pepe bucatini pasta with the sausage. The pasta was good and the sausage was good but the sausage didn't go well with the pasta I had. I should have just had it plain. The pasta was fresh and good. But I the sausage was like Polish kielbasa style which I normally don't eat with pasta. But I guess it is a personal choice. The people there were nice and helpful. Plus the sodas and good. The prices are a little expensive. read more

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Interesting place in mall setting. Atmosphere was cute, modern rustic and simple. Service was prompt and helpful to explain menu. Small Bucatini with Focaccia bread hit the spot. Definitely will be back to try more from here. read more

I came across the perfect time no line! However, that online order line was jumping. I wanted the Ragu but it was out so I settled on the Penne Alla Vodka (Small) and Meatballs. I tried the pasta and it was scrumptious. EXTRA LARGE noods freshly made Penne with a great bite and super sauce-E. I loved the sauce tucked in the noods and the pecorino romano. It added a nutty salty flavor that was very home-E. Now, those Meatballs were nothing to play with. They are on the small side but they'll make you wanna throw your glasses (Jordan) cause they're fall off the bone moist. Not to mention they're covered in sauce.; which I will NOT let go to waste. The sauce is rich and robust with large chunks of herbs. It's fresh and tangy with a wonderful earthy bite. I'm not sharing with anyone they're so good. I don't know the meat mixture but I'm sure it's NOT all beef. Either way you'll feel like you're fine dining with every bite. read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - Penne Alla Vodka - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Walk, don't run to try this FLAVORFUL, authentic Italian pasta!! We could not wait to try the Cacio e Pepe after eating nonstop in NY, and let me tell you it did NOT disappoint! It actually was better than the ones we had there! Now, because this place is very popular, there is usually a long line and it takes a little while to get your food. So pack your patience, it'll be worth it! It's in the Optimist food hall, so the atmosphere is busy and loud, but this is definitely the most upscale place inside of there as honestly needs to open their own free standing restaurant! Enjoy!! read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - Cacio e Pepe with focaccia bread - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Optimist Hall just scored a new tenant and it's all about pasta. ESO Pasta is run by Kristina and AJ Sankofa, a husband-and-wife duo from NY/NJ who were contestants on The Great Food Truck Race. They left behind their food truck and brick-and-mortar in Morristown, NJ to bring the pasta love to Charlotte, where AJ's family is from. Everything here is made in-house. Pasta rolled right in front of you through a window, sauces cooked from scratch, and a short menu of four options that feels more like a tease than a limitation. On opening night, I showed up at 6:30 pm and they were already sold out. Sold out pasta in Charlotte. Wild. I finally made it back and ordered the Orecchiette All'Arrabbiata. It came with a side of focaccia that deserves its own fan club. Fluffy, golden, olive-oil shiny, with rosemary on top. I could have eaten three more pieces but I need to at least pretend to have self-control. The pasta itself? Cooked better than anything I've had in Charlotte so far. The sauce had real balance: sweet tomatoes, a little richness, and just enough Calabrian chili heat to make me keep going back for punishment bite after bite. A small portion ($10) is enough for a quick meal, but if you're really hungry or flying solo, grab the large ($16). If you're with friends, order all smalls and share so you can try the whole lineup. I overheard that Kristina makes one of the best tiramisus you'll ever taste, but it hasn't hit the menu yet. They're keeping that card in their back pocket. Guess I'll just have to keep coming back until it drops. If they're slammed, it can take a little while. They'll text you when your food is ready, which gives you an excuse to wander Optimist Hall for a drink or snack. Also, parking is free for the first three hours. Bonus points if you drive an EV, there are free fast chargers across the street at Duke Energy. My only gripe is the packaging. Eating top-tier handmade pasta out of a cardboard box with plastic utensils feels a little off, especially if you're dining in. Hopefully Optimist Hall works with their vendors to move toward reusable options. ESO Pasta is legit. Fresh pasta, killer sauces, and owners who clearly know their craft. Charlotte finally has a pasta spot worth bragging about. Looking for more legit Charlotte food spots without the fluff? I made a guide.Find them here: http://evansfoodguide.com Follow me on IGhttp://instagram.com/charlottefoodieguy Go eat something good! Subscribe to my Substack Newsletter to be notified of my newest restaurant reviews and what's happening in the Charlotte food community! https://substack.com/@charlottefoodieguy read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - Fresh focaccia - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

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Love the concept! Today must have been an off day, my pasta was so salty I couldn't finish it. Maybe I'll try again soon. I ordered the penne alla vodka. read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - Penne vodka - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Eso Artisanal hasn't even been open that long but I have eaten there four times already. It hits all the buttons. First of all, affordable. Isn't that crazy in this day and time, to be my first take away? You can order small or large portions. Don't get too caught up on the menu and wanting to order specific items because the menu changes. Everything is made in house. There are plenty of menu items to make everyone happy, vegetarian, meat based, spicy items, meatballs and today they had Sicilian fried chicken. I am telling you this is the perfect place to grab a quick dinner by yourself or bring your friends and order the whole menu. They even have wine. Head over to Optimist Hall and check out this amazing food stall. read more

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Not sure if I went to the right location, but Eso in optimist hall is far from 4 stars. Ordered two pastas, the mushroom Alfredo and the ragu as well as focaccia. It took over 20 mins for the ragu even though they had nothing else on the board and then they forgot the focaccia and mushroom Alfredo. So he tossed the focaccia in for a few seconds but still never started the mushroom Alfredo. So now the focaccia and rug sat for almost 10 minutes while he made the mushroom Alfredo. When I got the food I asked it it was all still hot and she said "we can warm it up". I ordered hot fresh pasta I don't want reheated pasta. I take the food and of course the focaccia is not hot and the ragu noodles are over cooked and extremely salty as well as a 1/8 inch layer of grease pooling around the edges. The mushroom ragu sauce was completely separated and the noodles were also over cooked. Which is odd since he forgot to fire it anyway. When I took it back up she offered to recook the food and I explained I did t have another 30 plus minutes to wait that I would just take a refund. And of course not a single employee knew how to process a refund. Idk if this is charlotte pasta standards but whatever it is was very low grade and not acceptable. The cashier had me write my number down with hopes of a call from the manager about the refund. read more

I think ESO is a great addition to Optimist Hall! Staff were attentive & personable. You order at the counter & a text will be sent when your order is ready for pick up. There's plenty of seating available in the food hall both inside & outside or you can take your order to go. I ordered the Fettuccine & Sicilian Chicken. The Fettuccine was fresh & flavorful - I would recommend this dish. I ate every bit, it was absolutely delicious. The lemon juice does enhance the flavor of the Sicilian Chicken but it was not what I expected. Overall I think the hype is worth it. If you like pasta, try it out! I look forward to getting other dishes off the menu. read more

I'm a huge fan of Optimist Hall and have written reviews about several of its tenants. A couple of months ago, I was there and saw a new place that had a number of people waiting in line. I looked them up on Instagram, read their story and was immediately drawn in. A husband/wife team owns it. They are chefs and very open about various aspects of their journey including what their day-to-day is like - even their struggles and lessons learned in building ESO. Initially, I saw lots of pics and posts but not a fixed menu or way to order ahead, even on their website. I always order ahead at Optimist, even when I'm onsite, so this was a little frustrating at first. However, their social media presence was strong, and their account featured awesome looking dishes. Additionally, the number of people willing to wait in what were sometimes longish lines piqued my interest. I decided to check them out for myself. Their place has a very clean, streamlined and contemporary look to it. They talk about the meticulousness of their food preparation online, and that translated visually in person. You can tell they take pride in everything about their place. They seem to have regular menu items but also some daily variations. On my first visit, I tried their Sicilian Fried Chicken and Bucatini Cacio e Pepe. The pasta came in two sizes. I got the small, and that was plenty, especially since I also got the chicken, which was a generous portion as well. These were both delicious. I wasn't sure what Sicilian Fried Chicken would taste like. It was great though. It had a distinctive flavor incorporating honey. I usually prefer some type of protein in my pasta, and they'd sold out of several pasta dishes when I went later in the evening on a Sunday. The one I selected was really good; I'd definitely get it again. I visited again soon after, earlier in the day and tried the Trattole Ragu Napoletana. This item was tasty as well, incorporating beef and prosciutto. There are many other things I am looking forward to trying there, like their Fettucine Mushroom Alfredo and Tiramisu, so I most definitely will return. Some good news is they recently announced online ordering as well as delivery options. They really are a team to root for, and they've already been recognized by various outlets. See what it's all about! read more

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It was hot, fresh and ready exactly when they said it would be. The Sicilian Fried Chicken was delicious and the Mushroom Fettuccine Alfredo was perfect. read more

Had the focaccia bread and the trottole ragu. Absolutely divine. One of the best pastas I've had in Charlotte.

My wife & I ate at ESO. We ordered the large TROTTOLE RAGU   NAPOLETANA and two pieces of bread.  We could not eat our pasta dish as it was beyond salty, masking any and all flavor and  not heathy for BP.  Also, the bread was ridiculously stale and very dry.  One employee offered to replace the pasta with the same dish with less salt. What we received was a totally different pasta and sauce, which was also way too salty.  We trashed both dishes.  For us- once and done. read more

The aesthetic is cute but 4 of us ordered from here and none of us liked our food. :(

Exceptional, absolutely exceptional. Super fresh and it's noticeable. These folks care. The ragu is delicious, the ratio of meat to sauce is perfection. Every bite is satisfying and so, so comforting. The first time we grabbed the ragu here we loved it so much, we went back in and took home some fettuccine Alfredo. The fettuccine pasta was consistent throughout the dish and the Alfredo sauce coated every bite, but it didn't weigh you down at all, light and buttery. Nothing is over or under done, just beautiful. The bread had a nice crispness and a warm soft interior. The meatballs... Holy cow. Zesty, fresh, addicting. So herbaceous. The sauce on the meatballs is ridiculously good, and a fantastic portion, way more than I expected. I cannot say enough good things, I want to go back and try it all and I will. The owners and the employees and all there and they're so wonderful. You will love whatever you get. Next time I go in, I'm going in blind, I know that no matter what I randomly choose I'm going to love it. They put so much quality into the food, it's a beautiful thing. Go. Just go. read more

Food was amazing! Came in on a Saturday night and they were sold out of the penna alla vodka but we still weren't disappointed. Don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu. But definitely get the meatballs!! read more

just ordinary pasta you could make at home, nothing special.. VERY OILY. taste like i'm eating bread an butter.. for 12$ not worth it read more

ESO Artisanal Pasta - alfredo - Pasta Shops Near Me - Charlotte, North Carolina

Get these guys some help! 40 minute ticket times, expo selling tickets without packing bags, mac and cheese was ice cold in the center. I hate leaving negative reviews but highly disappointed with the entire experience here. 0/5 read more

I visited this place on a busy Saturday. The line to order moved very quickly. The wait for my order was pretty standard for how busy it was. I ordered the fettuccine alfredo and pasta alla vodka. The fettuccine was very good. Noodles were perfect and the sauce was authentic and delicious. The vodka pasta was quite disappointing. The sauce tasted like slightly elevated chef boyardee and looked like an orange crayon. read more

Best Italian food I've ever had. Great service, loved being able to watch them ply their craft. 10 stars out of 5!

I've had to learn self control to not eat at ESO everyday. This is the best Italian food in Charlotte. It's extremely consistent, delicious, and high quality. I'm excited for ESO's journey considering their success in such a short period of time. I love to see the comradery that all the staff share. Cheers to many more delicious plates from ESO! read more