Spectrum Center Food & Drinks
Charlotte Hornets · Charlotte, NC
Know Before You Go
Essential details checked against official venue information.
- Venue payments
Spectrum Center concession stands and retail locations are cashless.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Reverse ATM kiosks around the arena convert cash to a prepaid debit card that can be used inside or outside the venue.
- Outside food and drink
Outside food, beverages, coolers, bottles, and cans are prohibited, with limited exceptions for medical needs.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Contact Guest Experience at arenainfo@hornets.com or 704-688-8128 before the game because the public guide does not describe the approval process.
- Dietary options
A Greek-inspired vegan salad is available from Spectrum Center grab-and-go markets.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- The current public dining directory does not identify allergy procedures or gluten-free locations.
- Alcohol sales cutoff
Alcohol sales end at the close of the third quarter during Hornets games, or earlier at management's discretion.
Applies to: Charlotte Hornets games
- Purchasers must be at least 21 with legal identification and may buy no more than two alcoholic drinks at once.
- Cheapest food
- $6
- Cheapest drink
- $5
- Menu items
- 34
Spectrum Center offers solid Southern-inspired arena food at prices that are reasonable by NBA standards. Inside, you'll find Carolina BBQ, classic arena fare, and local craft beer from Charlotte's thriving brewery scene. The concessions have improved in recent years with more local vendor partnerships. Outside the arena, Uptown Charlotte's restaurant scene is walkable and excellent, especially the craft brewery taprooms in South End.
Tips & Fan Reports
The Flight Deck has probably the best food in the arena at $40 per person plus tip. Validate your parking at the BOA parking deck and the price is about the same as a regular garage.
Mobile ordering is available via the Hornets app for faster pickup.
The lower-level concourse has more food variety than the upper level.
Carolina BBQ (vinegar-based, not tomato-based) is the must-try regional food at the arena.
NoDa Brewing and Olde Mecklenburg craft beers are available throughout. Try a Charlotte-brewed beer.
Mert's Heart & Soul is a Charlotte culinary institution. Go before the game if you can.
Pregame at Uptown restaurants is a much better value than arena prices.
On-Site Selections
Everything sold inside the arena, listed under the stand that sells it.
Prices are researched typical rates for the 2026-27 NBA Season.
Rice Bowls Cart
Section 104Rice Bowls
Not published
Crown & Craft
Section 104Craft Beer
Not published
Lunazul North District Bar
Section 105Lunazul Tequila Cocktails
Not published
Brixx Pizza
Sections 105, 203 and 218Brixx Wood-Fired Pizza
Not published
Queen City Cravings
Section 105Queen City Comfort Food
Not published
Biscuit & Butcher Cart
Section 106Biscuit Sandwiches
Not published
North District Eats
Section 106Arena Classics
Not published
Buzz City Kernels
Sections 107 and 210Popcorn
Not published
704 Kitchen
Section 108704 Kitchen Plates
Not published
Baseline Bar
Section 109Bar Service at Baseline Bar
Not published
East Side Market
Section 110Grab-and-Go Market
Not published
Noda Cantina
Section 110Cantina Nachos
Not published
Bread & Cheez
Section 112Grilled Cheese
Not published
Swarm & Salt
Section 113Soft Pretzels
Not published
Carolina Quesadillas
Section 114Quesadillas
Not published
Piedmont Pit
Section 114Carolina Barbecue
Not published
Chick-Fil-A
Section 114Chick-fil-A Sandwich
Not published
South District Bar
Section 114Bar Service at South District Bar
Not published
Cobbler & Cream
Section 115Cobbler and Ice Cream
Not published
Sideline Pizza Co.
Section 115Pizza by the Slice
Not published
Trade St. Pour Bar Cart
Sections 116, 205 and 224Draft Beer
Not published
Trade St. Tacos
Section 116Street Tacos
Not published
My Story Café
Section 201Coffee
Not published
Corona Beach House Bar
Section 202Corona
Not published
Freddy's
Section 203Freddy's Steakburgers
Not publishedFrozen Custard
Not published
Fastbreak Market
Sections 208 and 226Packaged Snacks
Not published
Trade St. Pour House
Section 209Wine
Not published
Draft & Trade
Section 214Local Draft Beer
Not published
Chick-Fil-A Express
Section 215Chick-fil-A Nuggets
Not published
Uptown Grill
Section 216Hot Dogs
Not publishedBurgers
Not published
Dr Pepper Pavilion Bar
Section 217Soft Drinks
Not published
Caldwell Street Sweets
Section 222Candy
Not published
Typical game-day prices, shown where we have one.
Cheapest Way to Eat
Spectrum Center publishes a value menu, so unlike the prices above these figures come straight from the venue. Items from $2.
Charlotte Hornets Drinkware
Tumblers, koozies, and Charlotte Hornets glassware for the pregame and the ride home.
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Report a Price We Missed
Something not on the list, or a ticket or parking price? Tell us what you paid and we will check it.
How We Checked This Page
Every section below names the source it was read from and the day it was read. Where we could not reach a published figure, the page says so rather than presenting an estimate as a checked fact.
- Concession menu
Spectrum Center's Food & Beverage page, which lists every stand with its section on the Main and Uptown Concourses. Levy Restaurants runs the program. spectrumcentercharlotte.com is unreachable from here, so this was read from the Internet Archive's capture of 2026-05-20, with the served timestamp verified. An older 2025-01-21 capture was compared and rejected: A&J Winery Bar, Casamigos Bar, Center City Bar, Center City Grill, Old Armor Beer Company Bar, The Hive, Wicked Weed Brewing Cart and the Buzz City Zippin market are all gone, replaced by Crown & Craft, Queen City Cravings, 704 Kitchen, Bread & Cheez, Swarm & Salt, Piedmont Pit, Trade St. Tacos, My Story Café and Freddy's. The page lists stands and sections only — no item lists and no prices — so each stand carries one entry for what its name denotes, the treatment Prudential Center and Grand Casino Arena get for the same reason.
- Nearby restaurants
Google Places API (New) Nearby Search
- Value menu
Spectrum Center Hugo's Hive Menu: five fan-favourite items at $2 each, introduced after the $245m arena renovation
- Venue policies
Current Spectrum Center A-Z and dining guidance plus official Charlotte Hornets visitor, sensory, concessions, and parking pages reviewed for Hornets game-day policies.
Not yet checked against a published source
These figures are estimates. Most venues no longer publish the numbers behind them — concession and ticket pricing moved to dynamic marketplaces — so we hold them as estimates rather than dating them as verified.
- Food prices — Team Marketing Report Fan Cost Index + venue research
- Drink prices — Team Marketing Report Fan Cost Index + venue research