The Local

First and last visit for me. Ordered the fish and chips — $ 18. I got what I estimate to be about 6 oz. of fish, if that. One single small piece of fish. I rarely complain about portions, but this was ridiculous.
The fish batter was advertised as semolina. Maybe, but that was all: I couldn’t detect any seasoning, even salt and pepper. It was slightly overcooked as well. The coleslaw had an interesting flavor, tarragon maybe (not sure), but it was swimming in mayonnaise so I couldn’t eat it. The fries were all over the place; some were cooked perfectly, others under fried. They were pretty uniform in size, so I don’t know how they managed that. There was like a pound of them, so I could fish out some that were reasonably done among the greasy underdone ones.
Head to Paddy’s around the corner. Fish and chips are $ 11 and better prepared. Plus you get at least two good sized pieces of fish.

Attentive and friendly staff. Great food-​the Mac and cheese was delicious. I added roasted mushrooms and grilled shrimp to mines. Drinks were tasty too. We will be returning here in the future.

Very good place to go after work for drinks and food. Good place to meet friends. The bar has a good vibe, the staff is always friendly.

My favorite place to go after work. I’ve come here countless times over the last year for these reasons:
1. A bunch of delicious food options to choose from, and everything is always cooked perfectly
2. A wide array of drinks as well, both wine and beer and interesting mixed drinks – everyone can find something they like
3. A nice place to spend time with a ton of seating available
4. Great service – everyone has a sense of humor
5. Not overly expensive
Park in the Cherry St. lot.

The wife ordered some complicated salad (it had hazelnuts) and tomato soup. Apparently the soup was so good, she gave me ‘the look’ when I tried to take a 2^nd taste try. This means of course that it was very delicious. I got the bacon special flatbread, The waitress explained that they prepare the meat at Local, but they then take it to Blue Ribbon BBQ next door to smoke the meat. I just think its so awesome that local businesses are working together. The pizza was super delicious. Also they have half pint beers, which is pretty rare.

Long story short, offering to put a fried egg on my cheeseburger is the way to my heart. Even on a day where we were gathering to bid adieu too soon to a coworker, this was a good place for laughter and raucous beer drinking over war stories straight past the usual back-to-work-o’clock. Better still that they have good beers like Mayflower Porter to work with. But: really solid food, a really great burger and fries, which maybe isn’t so special, but goodness knows i’ve paid more for far inferior ones, so there. The staff is friendly and accommodating (admittedly, lunch was not so busy), and i’m sure we’ll be back to slack off another day soon.

I am not a fan of restaurants that won’t seat you until your party is completely complete. I wanted to chill with a laptop and some bites and a beer or two while waiting for my friends, but nope. Well, Local, I took my laptop and my wallet down the street for about two hours. Sorry not sorry, boop. Four stars.
When my friends did arrive, we were promptly seen to a table in a ¾ filled restaurant. Service at that point was excellent. We got some fried pickles to start (slices, not spears) and a drink or two.
I had the spicy stir fried noodles with chicken. Lots of flavor and spicy, but really not all that hot at all. Tasty, but no real bite.
For dessert, we split the chocolate lava cake which was insane rich with a nice sized scoop of ice cream.
So be prepared for good food, just make sure everyone’s with you.

I am blown away to find a place like this. Several decades ago, I lived in Boston for a few years, and the food was pretty limited. Few ethnic choices (except Italian and Chinese), no spices, not much that was fresh except the seafood. Nothing innovative.
This is about the food, right? The Local has one of the best kitchens I have ever encountered, in a fine locale with great staff. Some high points… the kale salad was unexpected and outstanding. Seared Tuna, ditto. I had Chinese-​style noodles with chicken, and it was delicious. The subtlety of the kale was really what grabbed my attention, as the blend of kale, cheese, very mild white raisins, toasted chickpeas and very light dressing was unlike any dish I’ve ever had. And I’m a San Francisco foodie, I’m spoiled by great cooking. This is friggin’ world class.
Décor is a nice combination of warm wood and industrial, understated accents. Service was personal and timely and knowledgeable. The wine list is great. Lighting and table arrangement creates intimate space if you want it, group connection if you are feeling social. The bar looked fun, though I didn’t venture over there. Comfortable seating. I cannot find anything to criticize in any way, except perhaps they could add more sound dampening, if possible.
It’s a busy place, and justifiably so. It was packed on a Sunday evening. Arrive early. It’s worth it.

The food tastes good but it’s a little too overpriced considering the quality. The last time I went I was seated by the window with the sun beating down on my mom and I. They need to get blinds or curtains or something. There were also flies flying around which wasn’t very appetizing. Don’t think I’ll be going back

This place continues to be one of our absolute favorites — everyone is so nice and thoughtful and the food is incredibly delicious and creative!
A big shout out to Maya for really making this place the reason why we go – she always asks us how we are doing and makes the times that we come to eat at the Local for special events very meaningful — tonight we were celebrating our 4 year anniversary and she came by our table to wish us a happy anniversary and see how our food was – which obviously it was delicious!
So if you haven’t gone yet – GO – you will be glad you did!

TAKE OUT REVIEW ONLY
There is a scarcity of truly good restaurants in the West Newton Area. The Local aspires to be the best price/​quality option. While The Local generally has good quality food, it makes errors on take out orders all too frequently. I have a large family with young kids, so having a sit down dinner at The Local isn’t typically doable (loud atmosphere, tight table arrangements). When we decide to order out, we often use The Local. For the price of their food, there should be no errors, but I estimate a good 20% of the time —they make a mistake. Although they are generally good about corrective action (refund for introduced items) — who wants to have to take these steps? Get it right the first time.
I also wish they could change up their menu or get more creative with their specials.
However, it is important to note that the quality of the ingredients and resulting food is quite high.
10÷3÷15. Happened again. They got the order wrong, but took good corrective action. Still wish they would just get it right the first time.

I went there at 1030pm to grab some food. They say it’s open till midnight. I walked in the manager said they are closed. The manager was very nasty and would not give me the time of day. When they advertise they are open till midnight.
Would never go back

My friend and I wanted to try something new so we headed over to West Newton and tried The Local! We were very excited to see a menu that had a unique but comfortable take on traditional dishes. Our server was excellent. I had the JP’s Blackberry Smash– perfection. We shared a small dish of hummus which was wonderful. For entrees I had the Local Stuffed Squash (sans blue cheese) with tofu and it was delicious. A pleasant blend of sweet and spicy. It was nice to see quinoa being used in such a creative way. He had the Short Ribs and was very happy saying the Brussels sprouts were the best he’d ever had (I’ll try not to be too offended as I’ve made them for him on countless occasions). Atmosphere was clean, cozy, and comfortable. We will be back!

Dined here for the first time today for lunch. The restaurant is very nice and clean and the service was excellent. I had the Local Burger with fries and I was happy with my dish. The burger was cooked perfectly and the hand-​cut fries were amazing. Actually, I think the fries were my favorite part!
I think the prices are a little high, but then again, it is Newton. My burger and fries was $ 12 (plus another $ 2 for the added bacon). While I found the food to be delicious, I don’t know that the price justifies it. However, I had a positive experience overall.

Just your typical modern American pub with some fusion menu options. Food was not great, but it wasn’t terrible. Best dish of the night was probably their Mac n’ cheese with mushrooms and truffle oil.
Overall the place was okay, but probably won’t be coming back very often.

Four of us had a very enjoyable lunch here today.
The Local is pretty big –it has a good sized dining room on the left, a big bar with lots of seating, and a downright huge dining room on the right.
Everything was right on point– the atmosphere, the food, and the service. Our server Jennifer was absolutely terrific, full of smiles, very attentive and polite, but never hovering or intrusive.
We started with some of the Small Plates — Roasted Garlic Hummus with Garden Vegetables, olive oil, and grilled pita wedges for $ 9 and Pan Roasted Brussels Sprouts with Smoked Bacon, Dijon, and toasted garlic crumbs for $ 8. They both were great choices! I loved the pita and hummus and the Brussels Sprouts were excellent.
Our entrees were a Caesar with chicken ($ 11), Stuffed Squash ($ 16), Lobster Mac and Cheese ($ 17), and a Sausage Flatbread ($ 14).
I cannot possibly describe how happy I was with the Stuffed Squash. It was absolutely terrific. Half a squash was stuffed with a huge mound of quinoa, blue cheese, spinach, and topped with a spicy sweet maple drizzle. I didn’t add chicken or shrimp, and I really didn’t need to. The dish was freaking terrific just by itself.
I sampled the Lobster Mac and saw it had a lot of lobster in there. I ogled the very meaty sausage flatbread and saw it had a lot of meat on it.
Our food bill ran $ 75 and it was worth every penny.

Atmosphere was good and the place was packed but the food was subpar. I’m not sure if this is normal routine at a restaurant but they would not sit two people at any four tops. We had to wait for a table to open while there were four top tables sitting empty. They would sit groups of three before the groups of two who had been waiting longer.
My wife ordered the crispy Brussel sprouts and they were good! However, the rest of the meal was underwhelming. The caesar salad was a little warm and the dressing didn’t have much flavor. The Cajun salmon was cooked well but there wasn’t enough of the Cajun seasoning to offset the really sour apple/​lime topping. The corn risotto wasn’t creamy and not really a «corn risotto» it was more of a rice dish with random pieces of corn mixed in. The steak tips were well seasoned but undercooked and a little too stringy. The side order of fries were really good!
Overall, I’m not sure we would come back unless it is for a drink at the bar.

I enjoyed this place. Parking was ok, menu was pretty diverse, food was yummy and fresh, place had a good atmosphere, service was a little good and a little bad… some were pleasant and others were a bit offputting… overall a good experience. yummy food. nice variety on the menu.

If you want to go out to get a nice drink and some good food go here!
I’ve been to the Local a few times, my last time only being about two weeks ago. We came on a Friday night around 7:30 pm. The wait was not long (about 15 minutes for two) and we got a drink while we waited.
The local is very impressive when it comes to cocktails and beers. They have over 20 beers just on tap and many more in bottle form. I really really really like the bar here, but I’ve never been able to sit at it! From 5:00 pm and later the bar area is always packed! I do not recommend sitting in the bar area if you are sensitive to noise or cannot hear well. It can get very loud in that area during peak times.
The past three times I’ve been to the Local I’ve always been seated at tables in the back rooms. Although these tables are on the smaller side, I do like that the area is quiet so you can have a conversation with your party and not have to scream.
The food at the Local is pretty good bar food. I really enjoy their appetizers as well as their specials. Last time we went we got the fried ravioli special as an appetizer and then I got the mustard chicken special. Everything was excellent and we left full. The staff at the Local from the hostesses, bartenders and waitresses are excellent. Each time I come in here I am impressed with the service and how nice everyone who works here is!
One thing that prevents me from coming here more often is the parking situation. Parking is very limited and hard to find after 5pm. With the crazy amount of snow we recently had, parking is just so much more limited. We had to drive around a few times (damn you Mass Pike!) but did find a spot a few blocks down the street. There is a little parking lot across from the Local, I’ve never been lucky enough to get a spot.

I recently returned home from a 2 week trip to Massachusetts… Newton was one of the places I’ve stayed and HANDS DOWN The Local stole my heart! (And stomach and soul) LOL!
I literally ate here everyday after my first taste and EVERYTHING I ordered was off the damn chain! (Pics will be included) My first trip I ordered the Short Rib Grilled Cheese-​RIDICULOUS! I’m salivating at the thought now! It came with hand-​cut fries and I got a cup of roasted/​stewed tomato soup… best tomato soup I’ve ever eaten. I’d also like to note that I paid less for all that than I did a sandwhich & large iced tea from Panerea Bread!
Next trip I had the lobster hand roll… pretty sure that’s an entire lobster on that sandwich and delicious! Then I had the marinated steak tips & roasted brussel sprouts… PERFECT! The demi glacé was delicious. Same with the short rib & stone ground grits… pure perfection! I also had their blackened tuna sashimi and it was 100% sushi grade and I’d eat the building if I could LOLOL! Clearly I can go on for days cuz this place is down right delicious!
The Local can have allllll my money! #Pimpin I’ll be back in a few months!

El Local
En Boston hay muchos restaurantes. Es mi restaurante favorito y está en Boston. Este restaurante se llama el Local. La comida en Local es la más deliciosa de muchos restaurantes en Boston. El Local es el mejor restaurante de todos. El tipo de comida es americano. Los ingrediantes son carnes, pescados, mariscos, y verduras. La especialidad es el bistec con las papas. Los platos son tan grandes como un elaphante. El chef es muy simpático. El nombre es Irv. Irv es de Estados Unidos. En Local el camerero es tan rápido como un cheetah! Mi camarero favorito es Dylan. Dylan es muy simpático y cómico. Dylan es tan alto como yo. La semana pasada Dylan trae la diario especialidad. Fue el jamón con pan tostado con mayonesa y papa fritas. Yo comí el sandwhich en cinco minutos! El camarero me lo serví. Yo recomendi el sandwhich a mi amigo. Después de comer el sandwhich yo, pedí un café con azúcar y leche. Yo escogí la sopa de arveja. La sopa es tan caliente como el sol! La semana pasada yo probé el atún… no me gustó el pescado. Me puse muy enfermo después. El precio es bueno. El precio para el plato de pollo es el mejor precio de todos otros, y el pollo es también el mejor de todos otros. El ambiente es muy ocupado y fuerte. La gente es comica y loco. La favorita bebida de la gente es cerveza. Después dos y tres cervezas la gente de pone desordenada. Yo meriendo en los chips y la salsa. Yo escogí el resfresco pepsi en un dia calunoso. Yo como la pizza con mi familia. Es muy grande para mí. Yo camino al Local en la noche. A las ocho y media el Local esta muy preocupado. Yo hablo a Dylan cuando yo camino en el restaurante. Este restaurante es muy bueno!