Auction House Food Hall‘s concept is fun and perfect for its Fletcher, NC location at 29 Fanning Bridge Road. That said, I’m going to sum up my two visits as, first visit – “don’t need to ever go back”. Second visit – “okay, I’ll give them another try after this one”. See why I went back after that first visit and the gallery below for more details.
First visit take: love the concept, super creative fun decor, love that they included a pass through bar to lots of fun outdoor seating and stage area, still deciding on exterior only for going from one floor to the other (it was raining this day), hated the dry & chewy Fish Camp Twenty Five Fried Cod Sandwich I ordered, and liked the Crab Hush Puppies. My friend’s KO Burger burger, ordered with katchup, was impossible to pick up and eat because there was so much katchup on it, everything else slid out into a big katchupy mess.
Second visit take a few days later with two other friends that wanted to give them a try: The Chicken Tinga Quesadilla from Mercado Cantina had plenty of chicken in it and was tasty. Even though three of us liked and shared the zesty Blue Collar Bourbon Social Fried Brussels Sprouts, there were plenty left to take home. We didn’t order a Burger this time, but DID see one waiting for pickup and it looked 100% better!
Overview: There’s plenty of seating throughout. Ordering at Mercado Cantina on the main, street level, is fine. Ordering from Fish Camp, KO Burger, and Blue Collar is all done at Blue Collar, and is less than fine. That wasn’t a problem during the first visit because there weren’t very many people there. It WAS a problem on the second visit because there were a lot of people there and everyone was in one long line to order. It took quite a while to get up to the counter to place our order. We went back up to the main floor with our pagers and then back down again to pick up our food. All lower level food pickups are done at the center window between KO Burger and Fish Camp.
Spaces: Weather permitting, I will always choose dining and hanging out in the outdoor space out back. Next, I’d choose the upper level because it feels open with lots of windows, airy, kind of energized. There are also a few tables that look good for seating on a narrow upper level deck, overlooking the outdoor seating below. Finally, downstairs seating.
Parking: Is plentiful and easy in the huge parking lot they put in behind the building. Lower access is quick and easy. Upper level access from the lot is either up exterior stairs on the far side of the building, or up a long accesible ramp on the near side.
Bottom Line: Give them a try. If it’s not the best on your first visit, go back again, giving them another chance. I’m really glad I did!
