Botiwalla by Chai Pani
Indian restaurant · Belmont ·
Indian street food with flavorful burgers, wraps, naan
Indian street food with flavorful burgers, wraps, naan
"Botiwalla is a top option in Optimist Hall, Charlotte’s popular food hall. It comes from the team behind Asheville’s Chai Pani and the original Botiwalla in Atlanta’s Ponce City Market, and it specializes in Indian street foods, like vada pav, skewered meats, and six kinds of naan. It all makes for an amazing quick lunch or dinner that you can and should cap-off with the only dessert on the menu: a delicious plate of gulab jamun. The counter-service restaurant’s colorful space is a ton of fun, filled with Bollywood posters, picnic tables, and floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s also a provisions corner, where you can stock up on snacks, sauces, and spices." - tess allen, g clay whittaker
"This Asheville import occupies a huge back section of Optimist Hall — easily missed if you don’t know it’s there or were tempted too soon by earlier eateries along the way. While wings and sliders aren’t traditionally Indian, the crispy, street-style MG Road Wings and scrumptious lamb sliders offer an Indian Persian, or Parsi take. Tikka wraps, kababs, and recently added rice bowls are also on the menu, and all for around $15 per person. Order at the counter and then take a seat in the ample dining area adorned with nostalgic Bollywood posters that evoke chef Meherwan Irani’s childhood vibe." - Shindy Chen
"Botiwalla is a top option in Optimist Hall, Charlotte’s popular food hall. It comes from the team behind Asheville’s Chai Pani and the original Botiwalla in Atlanta’s Ponce City Market, and it specializes in Indian street foods, like kale pakoras, vada pav, skewered meats, and six kinds of naan rolls. It all makes for an amazing quick lunch or dinner, that you can and should cap-off with the only dessert on the menu: a delicious plate of gulab jamun. Served three to an order, the sweet milk dumplings are fried to perfection, like the best not-too-sweet donuts ever. The counter-service restaurant’s space is a ton of fun, filled with Bollywood posters, picnic tables, and floor-to-ceiling windows. There’s also a provisions corner, where you can stock up on Indian snacks, sauces, and spices." - Tess Allen
"An Indian street-grill in Charlotte hosting Diwali festivities on Monday, October 24 from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; offerings include food and drink specials, a free gift bag of sweets for every customer, festive lights and floral decor, an on-site henna artist, and sparklers." - Erin Perkins
"I learned that Irani had been rapidly expanding his Botiwalla Indian street food concept before the pandemic—with locations including Ponce City Market and plans for several more around the Southeast—but the health crisis forced the closure of the Alpharetta Botiwalla and largely halted expansion; despite that, Botiwalla at the Optimist food hall in Charlotte, North Carolina, did open." - Beth McKibben
