Felix's Handmade Empanadas

This is such a great spot!!!We were in Charlotte and decided to give this place a try in Optimist Hall. We ordered four types of empanadas - pizza, traditional chicken, pulled chorizo, and Bacon Date & Goat cheese. They were all sooooooo so good. But my favourite has to be the pizza and chicken. The cheese pull of the pizza empanada was next level!This place was so packed the entire time I was at the Hall. And after tasting their food, I know why they're so popular. And the staff, and the owner Felix are super sweet and engaging with all their customers, making the experience better.If you're ever in the area, do give this place a shot. And do you want to know a secret - they're baked, so they're healthy! ;)

I LOVE Feliz empanadas. They have so many different options to choose from and each are made fresh with many different flavors. My go-to order is the 3 empanada of choice for $13 . They also let you get as many sauces as you'd like so definitely try out their Mambo sauce !! I have also tried the pizza empanada and it is amazing.The service is fast and the staff is very friendly. It is located inside of a food hall and they do not have the t"ext when your order is ready" option, so you do have to stand near their location while waiting for your food.

Carolina BBQ Empanada (4/5): I liked the shell which was flaky but still doughy. The pulled pork and slaw were both pretty tasty and flavorful. Cheeseburger Empanada (3/5): Tasted more like a sloppy joe filling than a cheeseburger filling. Would've loved a little more complexity in flavor and texture.Pulled Chorizo Empanada (3/5): Honestly couldn't tell that this was chorizo. It was very bland overall, but tasted better with the mambo sauce which was a little sweet and sour.*I really liked how the empanadas came in different shapes so you could tell which was which! RATING SYSTEM5 - 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)

I went to Optimist Hall and tried Felix Homemade Empanadas. They are about $5 each which isn't too bad. Since it was my first time, I went with the traditional flavors (chicken and street beef). I preferred the chicken but both were good. I got two sauces (chimichurri and Mexican hot sauce) the chimichurri went well with the chicken. To me there wasn't too much spice to the hot sauce but could taste the adobo base in it. I do wish my empanadas were labeled so I knew which was which before opening them. Overall, it's a good place to check out.

Service was quick and friendly. The menu offers a great variety. Only issue I had was trying to narrow my selection to three. We ended up going with the Carnitas Taco, Bacon Date 'n Goat Cheese, and Pepperoni Pizza empanadas. All great options! We had originally planned to take them to go as we had sampled a few different restaurants this trip and were pretty full, but I didn't realize the Carnitas Taco had toppings that likely wouldn't travel well. So we ended up splitting that and taking the rest to go. I'm glad we did because it was still hot. The dough was fresh and crispy and the carnitas filling was flavorful. I would definitely get this one again. The Bacon, Date 'n Goat Cheese caught my eye and I just had to try it. I loved that the bacon was thick cut. It paired well with the sweet date and tangy goat cheese. I do feel this one could've used a little more filling but it was still good overall. Like the other, the dough was perfectly crispy and fresh. We had the Pepperoni Pizza empanada later that night and it reheated well in the air fryer. I feel like it would've been perfect dipped in some marinara sauce but was still very good on its own. I would order any of these options again. I also enjoyed the dipping sauces they offered. My favorite being the mambo sauce. Their hot sauce is really good too (and pairs nicely with the Texas Cheesesteak next door if you happen to visit them.) Next trip I will definitely be ordering at least one of these empanadas again, but I also have my eye on their sweet options as well. All in all, I don't think you can go wrong with anything on the menu. They're perfectly cooked and have great filling options no matter your preference.

A few months ago someone mentioned this place and how delicious the empanadas are. We stopped by on New Year's Day. Fortunately, Optimist Hall wasn't too packed at all...somewhat quiet and very relaxed. Although I wasn't really hungry, I was determined to try the Bacon, Date, and Goat Cheese empanada. There wasn't a line when we approached the counter. We watched the ladies in the back work for about 5 minutes before the cashier walked in and we were finally greeted...he must've taken a bathroom break. While I was waiting for the order, someone else walked up and began talking about how the line is usually very long, so we lucked out on the holiday. The empanada was good. I like dates and bacon, and I love goat cheese, but the empanada was extremely rich and had a LOT of goat cheese. I believe I would have enjoyed it more if I had an appetite, and if the portions were divvied up differently. That was my first time trying them out. I'll eventually return and try another kind.

Empanadas were okay, not bad. The service was a little slow as they only have one person on a Saturday night. The light fixture was covered in dust, would recommend more cleaning specially since it was above the food.

Was in the area and decided to give them a try...it was a good experience! Their kitchen is visible from the front counter and you can see the empanadas in process.The staff is friendly and helpful when it comes to selections as well.I opted for the taco empanada, which was really good and flavorful. Also tried the beef and chicken which were good as well!They are located inside Latta Arcade in Uptown, so cans get to it from S. Tryon or Church St. Seating is available outside in the hall or take it on the go.Definitely give them a try!IG/TikTok: @JBEatzCLT

The counter service was pretty quick and friendly. I like how their menu is laid out on the wall with pictures of the shapes of the empanadas. I ordered the combo meal which comes with two empanadas, a side, and a fountain drink. My empanadas were pulled chorizo and the Carolina BBQ and I wanted rice and beans as a side but was told that their machine was broken. Not sure what machine they use to make rice and beans, but no big deal I went sea salt fries instead. Their open kitchen area is right behind the counter so I was able to watch them take a scoop of fresh fries out of a tray and placed in the fryer which was cool to see that they are not frozen. The empanadas both were very tasty, although I didn't realize how filling they would be and felt the need for a siesta after my meal. The chorizo empanada had chorizo, peppers, and maybe onions in it and the Carolina BBQ had purple slaw and BBQ meat (pork or beef, I forget).The fries were golden, well cooked, had great seasoning, but had no crispness to them. Pretty soft for French fries. Overall, it was a great lunch and I would come back next time I'm in the city to try the other empanada options (and hopefully some rice and beans).P.S. the photo I included is after I had gone through about a quarter of my fries,

I came here on a weekday afternoon, and they weren't swamped, so the service was prompt. The gentleman behind the counter was very kind and offered his suggestions. I opted for the street beef. The dough was Argentinian-style empanada dough, which is more akin to a cross between puff pastry and pie dough. The filling was flavorful, and the portion size was great. It was very good, and I recommend it. They have two locations: one inside Latta Arcade and the other inside Optimist Hall. Both are great and give off a food hall vibe, so it's perfect for casual no-frills dining.