Harriet’s Hamburgers

Harriet’s Hamburgers is the smash burger stall inside Optimist Hall with a short, nostalgic menu of burgers and fries and not much else. Two thin patties on a brioche bun with pickles, red onions and a simple sauce, white American cheese if you want it, and fries with garlic aioli.

It is the food hall stall people who live nearby order the most, and the reason a lot of children in Charlotte learned to like a cheeseburger. Nothing is complicated and nothing needs to be. Optimist Hall itself is the former Highland Park Mill on North Brevard Street, with a dozen other food stalls, a brewery and a cocktail bar under one roof, so Harriet’s is often the anchor of a group order where everyone gets something different. There is a second Harriet’s in the Elizabeth neighborhood for anyone who wants the burger without the hall.

What to know

• Double smash burger with white American cheese.
• Fries with garlic aioli.
• Inside Optimist Hall, with everything else the hall offers.
• A tiny menu and no wrong order.