Suárez Bakery & Barra

Shared the coconut cake slice and it was so light and creamy and refreshing! I took two cookie sandwiches home on the plane and they were HEFTY but also nice and soft and flavorful and rich. For everyone that tried they loved them but could also only take a few bites so you've been warned 😂 or a challenge to accept Either way this bakery is 👌🏼👌🏼👌🏼

The line was not long when I went, and though I spent $25, it was a well-spent $25! The food and dessert is absolutely exquisite! I ordered their most popular items: A Cubano Sandwich with the Yuca Fries, Mojo, and a Tres Leches Cake. The Cubano Sandwich has an amazing texture! The bread was perfectly crispy, there is a filling amount of meats on there, and the pickles tasted so fresh! The Yuca Fries almost tasted like a Hush Puppy if they were made of potatoes, and the Mojo sauce tasted like a cross between Italian and Indian dressing. The Tres Leches Cake is HUGE! The cake is quite indulgent and softer than the softest cloud! The cake is quite sweet, though I am often very sensitive to sweetness. Then the cake was topped with a cinnamon dusting, which added an extra flare into it! The meal was so indulgent, I couldn’t eat dinner!

I ordered a cubano combo with maduros to go. It was $17+ with tax. The maduros were good but in the middle of enjoying my one half of the cubano, I bit into a bone (pictured). It absolutely ruined my appetite and hurt my teeth and jaw. I'm very unhappy and disappointed.

This is my second time ordering from this bakery, and they did not disappoint! The first time was for my son’s 1st birthday — the cake came with a perfect little smash cake. Fast forward, he’s now 4, and I just ordered three 6” cakes for my twin girls’ 3rd and his 4th birthday. They turned out absolutely beautiful! The cakes were moist, flavorful, and a big hit with everyone. Customer service was top-tier — friendly, responsive, and so helpful. I’ll definitely be coming back for our next celebration! I was so rushed with three kids with birthdays days apart, I didn’t get very good pictures.

Cafe con tres leches is the best coffee in all of optimist hall and for such a good price! I’ve also tried almost all of their desserts and they’re all amazing, especially the tres leches and chocolate mousse cake. I haven’t gotten around to trying a sandwich or bowl yet but they always look/smell good coming out

The tres leches cake actually does take the cake! So so good!

Tried the Iced cafe con tres leches and strawberry chiffon. That iced coffee was phenomenal - smooth and delicious! My family tried the chocolate croissant and chocolate chip cookie sandwich. Everyone enjoyed their options.

Great place inside of Optimist Hall. Their food is made fresh and the portions are more than plentiful. I would suggest their bowls - they are delicious. They also have a nice selection of pastries

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.

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.

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.

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!

How can you not indulge in a Croissant the size of your head and a Cubano? I mean, really. It food is top tier and the coffee next level. If you ever traveled to Miami or Columbia, you'd understand. Trust me and indulge...

First time in Charlotte in 5 years and I was stoked to see Suarez had a spot for sandwiches and not just baked goods. Ordered a Cubano and the bread was extremely dried out. I was not expecting Ybor City or Havana level quality bread, but this was subpar. I politely asked for a refund, even apologetically as I hate to complain but it was inedible and the one girl rolled her eyes at me before getting the other girl. They offered me another sandwich which I declined because I didn't want more dry bread. I told them I was not trying to be difficult I just wanted a refund, which seemed to be an issue. I even said if they thought a full refund for taking one bite wasn't appropriate they could pick another amount. They decided that $10 refund for a $12.99 sandwich I took one bite of was appropriate. They tried to let me keep the sandwich, I guess because they thought I was trying to get free food? I let them throw it away. Awful customer service. As someone working in the service industry, I am appalled.

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.

Located inside Optimist Hall, this great bakery is located next to the ice cream and ramen shops on the second floor. They have multiple delicious goods and desserts. My top pick is the cheesecake! It's the perfect personal sized cheesecake. It's sweet, but not too sweet and oh so creamy!

This was a great stop during our visit to the food hall. The counter staff was very knowledgeable and helped ensure we got the best treats for our crew. The doughnuts were very yummy! We ate at the countertop bar on the side and got to enjoy our food out of the noisy main walkway

Always looking for a good Cuban sandwich and found one here. I have heard about Suarez before, but never been able to try it out. It was dumb luck but here they are at optimist hall. I ordered the Cuban sandwich with a side of plantains and they didn't disappoint. Everything was on point with the sandwich and plantains. Taste had a lot of flavors and big serving sizes. I will definitely add this to my list of favorites when I am at optimist. please support this business.

I only had the Cubano but it was delicious! The bread was perfect (although next time I will try the media noche w/ the sweet bread). It had the right ratio of pork & ham to bread with pickles, Swiss cheese and tangy mustard. Go get you one!

Pretty little stall in Optimus Hall. Display (if you're early enough) is always filled with such beautiful pastries. The even have a little bar to sit and eat your food tucked away to the side, its very convenient. We've been here a few times now and its always been good. The staff is friendly, last time the cashier was playing with my baby and gave her a sticker. I've gotten the Cuban sandwich, best I've had in Charlotte so far. The croquettes were pretty decent but a bit soft and lacking in ham for my liking. Their pastries are fantastic. My personal favorite is the Strawberry Chiffon Cake, so light and refreshing! My husband loves the Guava Pastelitos or Guava and Cheese Pastelito. The Chocolate Croissant has a wide surprise of chocolate mousse inside not your traditional chocolate croissant in the best way possible. We always stop here for dessert when at Optimus Hall.

I wouldn't leave any stars, but I have to admit their "Cuban" is a decent pulled pork sandwich. I'll start by saying half of my family are from Cuba, and I grew up in Miami. My husband and I ordered Cuban sandwiches via Postmates. The sandwiches were still warm, which would have been great if the food didn't have a number of issues. First issue: the pork was pulled and not roasted and sliced. Second issue: I don't know what seasoning they used for the pork, but it was definitely not a taste you would expect from a Cuban. Third issue: all you could taste was the incorrectly seasoned and cooked pork. If the sandwich had ham, Swiss cheese, pickles, and mustard, as it should, I wouldn't know. The only thing we tasted was the pulled pork. Fourth issue: the bread wasn't great. It didn't have the crispiness of Cuban bread. And last issue: the price of the sandwich was ridiculously high. It may have been worth it if it was actually a Cuban sandwich, but it wasn't. All in all, we were very disappointed. Thank goodness we had a $23 promotion to use on Postmates. If we'd paid full price for the sandwiches, I would be really upset.

We sampled three different desserts from Suarez Bakery on a recent rainy afternoon, and all three were exceptional. The tres leches cake was more like a pudding -- served in a tin, super soaked, and very delicious. We also had a flaky pastry with guava paste and a German chocolate brownie. Any of these desserts would be great to get as takeout and bring to a loved one, or to eat together at Optimist Hall on a date. Definitely recommend!

Baked goods are definitely my weakness. When I found out that Suarez had an Apple fritter that's dairy free (and other dairy free options) I was in trouble. The fritter is delicious, and I really love their Cubano sandwich. This is a must stop when in Optimist Hall. Like many of the vendors here, you get a buzzer or they take your number when you place an order so that they can notify you when it's ready. The time always goes by because there's so many other stalls to visit, but I normally wait 10-15 mins on a normal day for my food to be ready.

My girlfriends and I had a blind taste test of all the donuts in the city - and Suarez's chocolate sprinkle donut won decisively! I absolutely love their sweet treats and highly recommend that donut!

Five stars for delicious cakes, baked goods and coffee! AND VEGAN BAKED GOODS!! Woot woot!! The coconut cake was so so light and airy. Absolutely loved it. The chocolate mousse cake was delicious with a rich layer of chocolate ganache and loads of chocolate mousse filling. Nothing grinds my gears more than a chocolate mousse cake that only has a thin, puny layer of chocolate mousse. It should be illegal to call it chocolate mousse cake if there isn't at least an inch of mousse in there. :) Neither of these cakes disappointed and I would love to try more. The cookie sandwiches and vegan donuts looked awesome. As did the tres leches cake. So many delicious options. My cafe con leche was wonderful. I was tempted to try the cafe con tres leches, but I might have gone into a sugar coma if I'd done that with the cakes.

Before I get into it, let me say I'm VERY critical of my sweet treats because I own a small bakery business. HOWEVER, my boyfriend and I swung in on a Sunday after we ate dinner in Optimist to snag a few sweet treats to bring home. Their display case is DROOL worthy so we had a hard time selecting. I chose the chocolate mousse cake (last slice) and a funfetti cookie sandwich he got the cheesecake and a chocolate chip cookie sandwich. Let me tell you, when we got home there were audible moans as we sank our teeth into those treats! The cookie sandwich was the perfect touch of sweet with fluffy icing and so fresh it was like they had just made them (even fresh the next day since I saved most of it for then). The chocolate cake was so luxurious and rich, I couldn't eat it in one sitting but it was still good the next day with a cold glass of milk! Highly recommend their treats and I'll definitely be back soon to try other things!

I was so excited to see Suarez Bakery open a location in Optimist Hall! I came with a friend to get some pastries on a weekend morning. They have a full case of tasty options ranging from donuts to tres leches. I tried the Apple Fritter. I was happy to find that it was full of soft, spiced apple pieces. Plus, it was a large serving. I could have probably shared it. Fair warning the pastries are served fresh, so you have to get there early because they might run out of your favorite! In addition to pastries, it looks like they also sell bowls and coffee. It's a great little spot to try out when you're in the Optimist Hall area.

At this restaurant, cuban flavors are very unauthentic, the most cuban thing they have in their food, are their names. Their plates' flavors are very strange, adding to the undefined flavors their amount of protein is minuscule, is about a soup spoon. Today I had lunch at the Optimus Hall location, I ordered a ropa vieja, for my surprise I could barely see the meat, so I approached the manager Brandom and told him about it, he was very cynical and told me laughing that a soup spoon is the amount of meat they put in the bowl and that he is ok with that, cause he eats those bowls daily. Someone of my group ordered a Cuban sandwich, the same story, the meat very salty and with an undefined flavor, the pork comes pulled so it gives the illusion that is more quantity, you can barely see the meat, worst Cuban restaurant and manager in Charlotte

I recently visited the Optimist Hall location and I ordered the Morning Bun with Café con Tres Leches...what a combination! It was delicious. The Bun was flaky and the coffee was so flavorful. I look forward to going back to try other treats!

Tried the tres leches as a dessert after getting lunch from a bunch of places in optimist hall. It was delicious. It's moist, sweet, tasty and the whipped cream on top is the perfect touch. Best way to end your meal from optimist hall!

Great place, food was fresh, server and cash registers staff was pleasant. This is our number one stop every time we visit good desserts.

Everything looked delicious, but we settled on the funfetti sandwich. It was so decadent and a great dessert! I'll be back to try more! ETA: stopped by the next day for lunch - did not disappoint! We each had a Cubano combo, and it was a ton of food - we could have easily split one. The yucca fries were very good, and the croquetas were tasty but heavy. The Mexican coke was the perfect accompaniment.

I realized when looking to review the Suarez Bakery original location, I had not done a review for this location in Optimist Hall. I actually tried this location first before going to their original location. As this is a small location inside of Optimist Hall, they only offer a few select items. I got the chocolate chip cookie sandwich with an icing filling, apple fritter, and caramel brownie. All of which I brought home. Chocolate Chip Cookie Sandwich - loved it! So many chocolate chunks in their chocolate chip cookie. I'm a huge icing fanatic, so a cookie sandwich was perfect for me, although I wouldn't hesitate to just get a cookie the next time. Fritter - A good solid fritter. Not my favorite, but a good one that definitely is better if you can warm it up for a couple of seconds. Caramel Brownie - my husband thought this was okay - the caramel was not that strong until you warmed it up for a couple of seconds - which I loved because it made the brownie nice and gooey, my favorite kind of brownie. I loved it! Definitely would recommend if you are visiting Optimist Hall's other tenants and need a sweet tooth fix. If you want more options, definitely visit their Park Road location.

This review only hits a few items but all experienced rate as Great on the Yelp scale. The first few are sweet - Glazed donut, Apple fritter, Cinnamon twist donut. Each one tried is exactly as they should be from a flavor and texture wise. The glazed donut in particular really hit home in a good way because I've been craving a good, yeast raised, simple glazed donut for a couple months but kept running into Ob stack els. We only have cake donuts. Sorry we are out of glazed... Thank you Suarez for delivering! The other 5 star item was the Cuban sandwich I had this weekend. Perfect bread, flavorful pork, ham, swiss, pickles. Pressed, hot and crunchy outside, melty, warm inside. Everything one could want from a Cubano. There's so many options at Optimist Hall so may not circle back for another sandwich for a bit but, in time, I'll definitely be back.

I've been to their original location several times, but they have a couple items at the Optimist Hall location only that I wanted to try. Covid-19: unfortunately there's no way to order ahead of time that I could find. Luckily you can quickly get your food. We came on a Wednesday around 4:30 and I was lucky enough to get the last raspberry croissant. It's half covered in a raspberry coating and then it's filled on the inside with a whipped raspberry filling. Both my husband and I loved it. I was also eyeing the strawberry chiffon cake, but I ultimately decided one dessert was enough. It's definitely worth a stop here at Optimist Hall.

There is nothing that is not delicious. The chocolate croissant is a weekly staple for me and I wish I could have one every day. Top personal favorites include: Chocolate Croissant, Ham egg and cheese croissant, Cafe Con Tres Leches, Tres De Leches, Congri Croquetas.

When I first discovered OH, I got so excited to see a Cuban restaurant and ordered my main meal from here. It was so good, I came back the next day *awkward smile* The Good: although I'm Latina, I'm not sure I've had authentic Cuban food so I can't speak to that. I can say that what I got was absolutely delicious and my mother, also Latina, loved it as well. We got the Ropa Vieja with an extra side of Maduros and Tres Leches for desert. Everything was FANTASTIC!! The tres leches cake was so good, not too sweet, and very (insert gross M word adjective). The rice and beans had nice flavor and went well with the Ropa Vieja. Highly recommend getting sides of the Mojo sauce if you're a fan of garlic (I can literally drink the stuff). My mom and I split everything and were stuffed so I feel the portions were great. The Meh: nada The Bad: nada again. This place is amazing. Again, can't speak to the authenticity like some reviews mention, but it is DAMN good food.

I have visited the Suarez bakery in the Park Road Shopping Center a few times so I knew what to expect. So I saw they had a second location in Optimist Hall and stopped by to visit. Their donuts looked excellent, but I in the mood for some cookies. So I ordered a a sampling: the triple chocolate cookie, the funfetti sandwich cookie, and iced snowflake sugar cookie. All three were decent. However, they were pricy though. The iced sugar and the sandwich cookie were $5.50 each. That was more than I expected to pay for 1 cookie. If you consider today's prices, a cupcake at a bakery is about $4 and a donut is about $2, so $5.50 for a cookie seemed a little excessive and not worth the price. They tasted good, but not great. The ingredients used were ordinary and not some super special rare ingredient. So if you are in the mood and have some money to spend stop on by.

Amazing! I recommend the chocolate chip cookies and the chocolate croissant!!! Soo good. And the coffee is also perfect!

Stopped here with a friend of mine from out of town. Let me start by saying the tres leeches cake is very good. I like the container it is served in: an aluminum bottom and plastic lid. It keeps all the moisture in and makes it easy to get all that milky goodness onto your spoon ($5). The funfetti cookie ($2.50) was good but small for the price. The best was the maple bacon donut ($3.75). Omg.... it was filled with a maple-flavored creamy filling, coated with a maple icing, and topped with bacon pieces. It was soooo good. Highly recommend this if they have it. My friend got the pumpkin spice croissant. She was not impressed. She said it had a pie filling-like center and the croissant was just ok. Glad to have a bakery in the hall to take home some goodies.

You have to try the PB&J filled donut, a true foodie will understand lol I've had a few sweet treats and they're always yummy and super fresh!

I'd die for the tres leches cakes, but all of their desserts are certainly worth dying over. They're addictive, fully recommend!

Amazing new Cuban bakery inside of Optimist Hall! I wanted to try everything because it all looked so good! I started with something savory and came back for dessert. The service is quick and the staff was very friendly and helpful. I love that they text you the order once it's ready to pick up. I ordered the mojo pork bowl. It comes with rice, beans, 3 maduros, and some pickled onions. It's a pretty big bowl of food and has a good portion of everything. The meat was really good and well seasoned. Everything had really good flavor. I also tried the congri croquetas because I had never had rice and beans in a croqueta before. It was pretty bland and I would have liked to have a sauce to dip them in. Next time I would go with the traditional croquetas. For the pastries, I wanted to try a bunch so I split them with my family. They were all amazing! They tasted so fresh and flavorful. The morning bun was buttery and had a lot of cinnamon. The guava and cheese pastelito was flaky and had a lot of filling. The apple fritter was also very good. My favorite pastry was the chocolate croissant. It was really big and filled with so much rich chocolate! I loved the food here and I can't wait to come try all of the other desserts and the coffee too!

Good and flavorful food. Good size portions. This place has a couple of basic Cuban dishes. Good enough if you want some Latin flair. I would come back again.

I mean, I suppose it would be tough to mess up a cream filled cookie sandwich, but Suarez delivered and then some. Dee-licious. I've also tried the Cubano sandwich and Ropa Viejo bowl- both were amazing. Highly recommend trying their Maduros as well!

I ordered a breakfast croissant with egg, spinach, ham, and romesco sauce. The croissant was sooo flaky. It was super flavorful overall. Definitely will be my new go to order here!

My husband loves this bakery, and in the past, it's just been so-so, but today I decided to try their sea salt caramel brownie and let me tell you something....it DID NOT disappoint. It is handed to you cold, but once the brownie reaches room temp (or if you just want to pop it in the microwave for a few seconds), it is the bomb.com!

Love the quality and choices of products. Convenient location for the area and service.

This was a delicious treat after my meal. Tres Leches was wonderful! The cinnamon was the perfect combo. Yum-O

Looks so yummy. I went to the counter in anticipation of buying a chocolate croissant but they were sold out already. Everything looked so good...just wish they could take out the calories and it still taste that awesome. They are a bit pricey but I get it. You do get what you pay for. FYI they do sell sandwiches. They look really good. I will have to try the next time I am at Optimist Hall.

Stopped by this place for the first time after having a meal in Optimist Hall with friends. I've been wanting to try Suarez's for a long time, and with their newer location in Optimist Hall, it was super convenient and a no brainer that day. I got the Tres Leches cake to eat when I got home later that day. First of all, it was so cute and compact.. I love it! When I took the spoon into it, it was so soft and perfectly soaked into the "milks." The sweetness level was just enough for me...enough to not be overpowering and to finish the whole thing. I will definitely be coming back to try their other pastries and food. For now, I highly recommend the Tres Leches if you go there.

I'm a fan of Suarez Bakery. I've been to their original location a few times. When I learned about their new location in Optimist Hall, they had some new items I wanted to try. Thankfully, my wife was able to snag the very last raspberry croissant. It was great. On the outside, it's half-covered with a raspberry coating. On the inside, it is filled with a fluffy, whipped, raspberry filling. I was in heaven.

Great service and delicious food. I ordered the cafe con leche, chocolate croissant and the croquettes. Everything was delicious and I cannot wait to go back.

A much long overdue review from last summer. This bakery is simply dope. They have the best tres de leches cake!!! Sadly, I don't even think any spots in NYC surpasses their skills (with the exception of Arepas cafe in Astoria). It was delicious. I wanted to order a whole cake right then and there. It took a bit of self control. The layers of condensed, evaporated, and whole milk cake is made perfectly. It had right amount of whipped cream, caramel and cinnamon topping. My two lil' ones had their brownie and cupcake. And they were fans of their goods too. The staff was also friendly and assisted with the selection. Though it's not hard to see why the tres leches is popular among the crowds. Unfortunately, we didn't have room left or we would definitely get a cup of café cubano to go. We had a pretty big lunch at Optimist Hall with all the different vendors in one spot. If we are ever due for a visit, I would definitely trek back here for their tres leches cake! :)

I suppose if you're not familiar with authentic Cuban food and coffee this place might impress you, but if you're from Miami like I am, it's a total FAIL! Their Café is horrendous! They don't even use Cuban coffee! And we tried them a couple of times. Their prices are insane and it's NOT authentic. Their sandwiches are VERY skinny and not your typical Cuban sandwiches that should be stuffed with meats! Those pastries aren't even typical Cuban pastries! So far I've only found one authentic Cuban spot in ALL of North Carolina and it's in Kannappolis called Havana Carolina Bakery. Do NOT WASTE your time with these imposters!

I got the raspberry croissant. I was expecting the filling to be more jelly-like, but I'm very glad it's not because it was very good! Would definitely get this again!

My review is based off an experience stopping by this location for a sweet treat. All of the desserts are prominently displayed at the front. I was immediately drawn to the Kitchen Sink cookie. It did not disappoint. Even better is the pricing... this cookie could easily have been twice the price. Def a must try if you're looking for a treat.