Suarez Bakery & Barra

Love this spot! Pastries are always delicious. Located in optimist hall. Too much to choose from. Cookies, donuts, brownies. Definitely a treat to yourself

When I tell you that the croquetas here are amazing...they're amazing. Wow wow wow. I got an order of croquetas with café con leche. It made my whole Saturday. Service was great and quick. Good seating and nice decorations for the holidays.

No visit to Optimist Hall will be complete without getting some desserts to go at Suarez. Browsing their selections makes me feel like a kid in a candy store! Of course I was far too full to eat any of them at the time, but trust me, they travel well and are just as good later. This trip we decided to try the Strawberry Chiffon and Tres Leches cake. Any time I see tres leches on a menu, I cannot pass it up! It was very good. I love that they have them individually made in containers since that helps to hold in the milk that makes tres leches so amazing. It is very rich so we have ate a little at a time. The Strawberry Chiffon was even more delicious than it was beautiful! I will definitely be getting it again on the next trip. It reminded me of a strawberry shortcake, only fancier. The cake was fluffy and the strawberries and cream were sweet without being overly so. I love trying different items every visit but this will certainly be a repeat every time. It's hard not to want one of each item that they offer. Everything looks so tempting! I can't wait to return and try more.

Okay so I was feeling a Cuban sandwich today so I had to lookup the best Cuban Sandwich in Charlotte one of the choices I had already tried, so I needed to figure out the hype about Suarez Bakery and Barra, so I decided to drive to Optimist Hall and see how optimistic my choices was...I have to say that it was amazing! Look out Mami we might not have as many Cuban spots in Charlotte, but this place can definitely compete! Service was friendly and efficient! If you are looking for a great tasty Cuban Sandwich and have a bit of a sweet tooth for some amazing pastry, look no further!

The donut at this place was on another level! It had the perfect balance of sweetness, with a crispy outer layer and a soft, doughy interior covered with a Carmel finish. It wasn't overly sweet, which made me want to savor every bite. I've had plenty of donuts in my life, but this one was truly special. I can't wait to go back and try their other baked goods and coffee.

I had the Cubano sandwich with the Cuban coffee for lunch. For those unfamiliar, the coffee is more like a shot, and that thing powered me for 12 hours. I was so productive! The sandwich portion was generous and fed me twice. Would love to try their baked goods next time as they all looked delectable.

Upon looking at the baked items, I knew I was in trouble. Everything looked phenomenal. I had the chocolate croissant. It was flavorful, flaky, and delicious. In my opinion, it would have tasted better if it was warm. Other than that, it's definitely worth a stop here at Optimist Hall.

We came to Optimistic Hall for lunch on Saturday afternoon. The bakery case spoke to me with the doughnut options. I also saw they had different sandwiches and rice bowls, so gave them a shot.I ordered the mojo chicken bowl and apple fritter to share. The doughnuts and fritters were quite reasonable at under $3. After 10 minutes or so the mojo chicken bowl arrived. It was very hearty, with ample black beans. I appreciated the lime to give it some citrus tone. Hubs and I shared the apple fritter afterwards. It has a good crisp to it and wonderful apple and cinnamon flavor. Definitely recommend. The menu had some fun options. I definitely would love to try more items!

I just ate a next-level cuban sandwich at Suarez! I usually temper my expectations walking into a food hall joint, but their quality of food far exceeded my expectations. The sandwich itself was MASSIVE, the largest I've seen yet. Between layers of crusty Cuban bread, you get a huge pile of ham (off the bone, not lunch meat slices), and delicious Cuban pulled pork. Topped off with mustard, Swiss, pickes and mojo, it was easily one of the best sandwiches I've had in my entire life. Adding to the decadence was the crispy yuca fries on the side. With a perfect crusty brown exterior, and a lack of greasiness, it was exceptional dipped in the accompaniment of green mojo dip. I bought a vegan glazed donut for my son who is dairy- and egg-intolerant. He joyously gobbled it up. It was one of the best donuts I've tasted.

When I first walked by this place, I noticed the dessert display right up front tempting me and everyone else to make a purchase. Not the first thing I would think of for a Cuban restaurant, but it does grab your attention.Suárez Bakery and Barra offers fresh Sammies, various bowls, snacks(sides), baked goods and coffee. There prices are very reasonable and service is swift. About 10-15 minutes during lunch time is good. I decided to go with the Mojo Chicken bowl and added a fried egg. All bowls include black beans, jasmine rice, maduros, pickled onions, and a slice of lime. My son went with the Chickpea and Sweet Potatoe bowl and added avocado. They were both very tasty and filling. I was too full to think about dessert, but later that evening I wish I had. I'll be sure to check out a few the next time.