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ORGET EVERYTHING you thought you knew about food halls. These oncehumble hubs have undergone a dramatic transformation in the past few years.

Redesigned and rethought for a post-pandemic world, the new food halls are attracting some of today’s most exciting chefs, becoming foodie destinations in their own right and bustling gathering spaces that feed our craving for community.

There are more than 200 food halls scattered across the U.S., according to industry sources, and nearly as many more in development. The best and buzziest are packed with award-winning chefs and innovative culinary options like upscale twists on beloved street food. Case in point: At High Street Place, a new food hall in Boston, Bubble Bath wine bar pairs a vending machine selling single-serve bottles of Champagne with a bar serving gourmet hot dogs topped with caviar. The quirky combo reflects the signature high-low style of beloved James Beard–nominated Boston chef Tiffani Faison.

Across the country, Proper Eats in Las Vegas is the only place in the U.S. where guests can dine on an addictively crispy fried chicken that’s all the rage in London right now. And in Olly Olly Market in New York City, diners are lining up for the scallion pancake burritos at Forsyth Fire Escape, so named because its founders first served their signature Chinese/Thai/ Dominican fusion treat via a bucket lowered from a fire escape in Chinatown during the pandemic.

A far cry from the mall food court lined with national chains serving generic pizza and burgers, today’s top food halls showcase local chefs, dishes, and restaurants. A number are housed in unique buildings that have been renovated but retain a sense of place and history.

“Guests can really get a taste of all that Boston has to offer under one roof,” says Lauren Johnson, marketplace manager for High Street Place, which also houses local favorites like Mamaleh’s Delicatessen, burger champion Wheelhouse, and craft cocktail bar Daiquiris and Daisies.

That’s also the approach at Anaheim’s Packing House, situated in a historic citrus-packing plant that dates from 1919. Here, diners can find everything from Syrian food at Mangal to soul food at Georgia’s Kitchen, and even Cajun specialties at 206 BCE.

Looking east to Florida, Shoma Bazaar just outside Miami skips from Persian street food to Venezuelan arepas—options that befit a famously international city and give visitors a chance to do some culinary globe-trotting.

Food halls make it easy for friends and families to socialize over a meal because groups don’t have to agree on one particular restaurant to enjoy dinner or drinks together, notes Andy Masi, founder of Clique Hospitality, which operates Proper Eats, the celebrated Las Vegas food hall that replaced the buffet at Aria Resort and Casino this past December. Proper Eats boasts a showstopping array of dining options, from the only Wexler’s Deli outside Los Angeles to (soon) the hotly anticipated Seoul Bird.