Eat Local

I had eat local cater an event for me over the summer. The food was a little over-​priced which is why they only get 4 stars from me, but working with Heloise was just a joy. The food is amazing I had several of my guests say they absolutely loved everything. We had pulled pork sliders, cheesecake, and many other goodies. If you are looking for a locally sourced caterer I would definitely check them out, just be prepared to pay top dollar for their fare.

I’m surprised this place has such high reviews, but maybe my experience was just particularly bad.
I stopped into this store because the words «gluten free’ were painted on the store, and I figured it was a place I’d never been — why not see their gluten free selection? Unfortunately, I didn’t get to spend my time looking around uninhibited.
I was the only one in the store (very open layout) but the owner (I assume by how she spoke) would not take her eyes off of me for a single moment. When someone called, she went and answered it and came to stand right by the back refrigerator and literally just stared at me the entire time. When I got close to her, I asked her if she could show me the gluten free section — she said there was none, that I had to look for the letters ‘GF’ circled on the prepackaged meals. Well, I had already spent so much time on my lunch break in this store, so I went around again and tried to find something. With no gluten free section it’s hard to find what you want WITHOUT walking all over the store — as far as gluten free goes, honestly, not a huge selection. I picked chili (usually gluten free anyway, nothing to write home about) and a salad from the back refrigerator.
By this time, a friendly guy had come in and he stood next to me looking at the fridge with the salads (there were multiple so I was trying to choose) before he grabbed a drink and went to pay. Before doing his transaction, the woman excused herself, walked straight over to where the refrigerator was and stared straight at me before turning back around and helping the man with his transaction.
It could have been anything… Maybe the way I was dressed (J. Crew jacket, sleek, black dress pants — not like I was dressed in a manner that would make her think I was some punk, is my point) or maybe it was the fact that I am young — either way — my end review of this place, after having their food, is that it isn’t worth ANY part of the trip. The meatballs in the chili were very dry and the salad that I got actually had spoiled dressing in it — so I spent like $ 8 on a salad that shouldn’t even have been for sale and ended up being thrown away anyway.
Maybe for non gluten free people who need a fast meal, this place might be worthwhile, but as far as I’m concerned — it wasn’t worth the money spent nor the burden of having the owner eye me like a hawk the entire time. I have never had anyone show such blatant disrespect, and frankly, lady, the food isn’t good enough to get you a pass on your behavior at all — two stars.
²⁰⁄₂₀ hindsight — maybe your store was completely empty for the 10 minutes I was there (aside from the one guy) because you’re not welcoming at all. Really disappointing.

I always love juice on a hot day! But when it comes to the match up of eat local and there juice bar in the back, there customer service is horrible. They do not know how to keep any of there orders in order. I went in and paid for a shot and a spicy sunrise. Not only were they busy but the gentleman behind the counter could not careless about it. My total of my bill was $ 11.99. Exactly. I’m waiting for my drink and the gal who is taking my order promptly and passes it back. I use my debit card to pay. Then a few more people walk in to order there stuff and I had already been waiting awhile for my drink and shot. It turns out my order was skip over. As I watch a different customer who ordered after me to walk out with there juice. I had already waited 20mins by this time. I turned to them and just asked for a refund. Well they couldn’t place it back on my card but hand over $ 11.99. Absolutely horrible to be handed $.99. I would have rather just taken the $ 11. They kept apologizing like a capital hill hipster snob. Try to support the local companies, and turns out they are a joke. Poor management. Ended up giving my $.99 to Starbucks. Horrible customer service. Won’t be using there juice bar ever again.

Summary: It’s always a struggle to get a quality, healthy (and tasty) dinner on the table on week nights. Not to mention having to come up with something to pack for my lunch for work. I try and eat clean and am very particular about what I put in my body – especially since I suffer from an autoimmune condition. Fast food isn’t an option for me and I am particular about the types of restaurants that I eat at. All this makes it hard to get clean food fast without me having to spend my life in the kitchen. I have resorted to hitting the Whole Foods hot bar at at least two times a week but it seems Eat Local has given me another option. The food was good. The cost was higher but lets face it, you have to pay for convenience. the service was friendly.
Detailed review below:
I was running errands downtown and was in need of a green juice. I checked Unilocal and found Eat Local by accident. The staff was super-​duper friendly. I was offered a sample of the meatballs but I tend to avoid meat so I declined. The store was neat and minimalist – which I liked. There were some nice local prepackaged items like chocolate, chips, bars etc… There was a juice and smoothie bar in the back and kombucha on tap. There was also a microwave and seating outside – buy, heat and eat on the spot! As others have pointed out, the place was mostly full of bins of frozen food – their main thing.
I asked about GMO’s and was told they avoid GMO ingredients – but I have noted some argument to that claim in a couple of the other reviews below. I didn’t see any official certifications for organic or non-​gmo verified. I just hope that they are genuine in their claims. And for conscious meat-​eaters, they also claim to use certified humane meats.
I was impressed with the selection of food that they offered – there was something for everyone, even pizza. With the sides and mains and single serves, you can craft your own meal depending on your mood. There was also a nice selection of sweets and they even had a vegan cake option. Their labeling system made it easier to figure out what was veggie, poultry, or red meat at a glance.
I decided to pick up a few of their single-​serve meals – Indonesian Veggie Curry, Roasted veggie and chickpea curry, Roasted Veggie lasagna. I also grabbed a roasted cauliflower side. Both the curries were good. The Indonesian was super tasty and I liked that one the best out of the two curries. The chickpea curry was a little more like my attempt at making it at home – good (I’m a good cook, I swear!) but doesn’t have the intensity that you’d get from an Indian place. I haven’t tried the lasagna or cauliflower yet but I’m sure they’ll be tasty too.
All in all, I plan to go back and buy some stuff to keep in fridge for work and for easy dinners. So far, the place seems to be a winner to me.

I’ve given this place a try now probably 10 times since moving 2 blocks away. Most things are OK but I’d rather cook for better quality or pay slightly more to eat out. The idea is good & the employees are friendly but the food quality isn’t great and I doubt I’ll go back at this point.

Looking for a quick, healthy bite in downtown… this is your place. They have freezer meals to go — look like the perfect thing to take home for an easy dinner. The smoothies they make are out of this world — definitely recommend!

This review is for the Blended smoothie section. The rest of the shop looks cool, like heaven to a woman who likes good takeout and cute, local shops that use local ingredients, but I didn’t get anything from it.
We enjoyed our smoothies – refreshing and tasty. They offer unusual concoctions that I’ve not seen at other smoothie places. I thought the options were a bit limited, and only a couple of flavors appealed to me, but I liked what we both ordered and would order either one again.
The service was so friendly, from the cashier and the smoothie-​maker. I feel like their pleasantness added a nice touch to the store.

Stopped for a healthy lunch. We all had different salads and soup. Delicious, fresh, organic and healthy. I’m absolutely in love with the Marion-​berry yogurt. Yum!!!

Have you noticed how expensive fast food is getting? Do you throw away lots of leftovers at the end of the week? I stopped in to see what this establishment had to offer, and I was pleasantly surprised. I can pull out these entrees for a healthier option for my family when the schedule gets crazy, or when I’m tempted to order another pizza or pick up the fast food. In order to get my $$$ per serving to a manageable price, I can supplement with easy sides like rice, pasta, and steamed vegetables that are pretty easy for me to make. It’s the meat dishes that I don’t like to mess up on. I also don’t like to cook in the microwave since I can honestly taste the difference in some foods that are microwave prepared, so it’s nice that these entrees can be popped in the oven, too.
The staff at Eat Local were knowledgeable, polite, and sincere. There was a nice variety of entrees, even for someone as picky as I am. I sampled the chicken korma. It was delicious. In order not to make any mistakes, I will probably have to sample an item before I buy.

Be aware that eat local doesn’t use all local and organic ingredients. It’s also ran by people out of touch with what customers want. The food is expensive and bland. All around unpleasant.

Organic. Fresh. Local. IN! Had two juices. Super healthy. Watched them make it in front of me. I like not guessing about juices. Pressed right on spot. The décor is fitting and awesome. They let me tastes some of the organic ice creams which I loved. Loved that they have a good variety of other things like different chocolates and other snacks. This is a place which needs support and deserves it. Wish I was a local and could sample the frozen food offerings. You could eat here reasonably and never go food shopping. Awesome place.

I come here to stock my fridges with local and organic frozen foods. The facility is spacious, clean and the products are always plentiful.
Today we sampled the meatballs (newly added dish) and it was amazing! Other dishes that I’m very fond of are the cauliflower gratin (vegan) and mushroom linguine (hand made noodles).
I also ordered a super food smoothie which was very creamy and flavorful.

I wandered in by accident. I was looking for a quick, decent lunch downtown. I thought, erroneously, they were a café. They aren’t. As everyone else know, they are basically a place that sells frozen, pre-​made, organic meals, which you take home to eat. They also have a juice bar.
However, they are staffed by friendly people eager to make a sale. They gave me a free sample and explained anything could be microwaved easily right there. So I had cottage pie and a fresh kale juice mix. The cottage pie was modest in size and the microwave was as good as any microwave — maybe one bite or two bites out of a total of twenty was cold. It was very good, not great. The fresh kale juice was as expected, though they were out of ginger and substituted turmeric.
Very friendly employees. The juice lady recommended a running route for the next morning.
The value proposition is acceptable but not great. $ 20 and change for the food and the drink (larger size). I got a bag of potato chips across the street to fill me.

I like the idea behind Eat Local: organic, restaurant-​quality meals that you can keep in your freezer and prepare at your convenience. In practice, though, this seems like one of those «conveniences» that’s actually a lot more work (and just as much $$) as restaurant takeout would be.
The downtown store is large, spacious, and nice-​looking; it’s basically just aisles of large freezer chests piled full of their frozen meals. There are single-​serving, two-​serving, and family-​size entrees, which generally do not include side dishes. Veggies and starches are a la carte sides, and they also carry frozen desserts, wine, and snacks to finish off your meal. A grocery section up front has locally made chocolate, honey, baked goods, and other treats.
I got the shepherd’s pie, bacon mac & cheese, and roasted carrots. Surprisingly, many of the veggie sides were just plain steamed veggies — why not just buy a $ 1 bag of frozen veggies from the supermarket instead? The single-​serving portions were adequate, but at $ 8 – 15 per entrée, plus sides, it really adds up shockingly fast. When you consider that you have to fire up your oven and bake these for 40 minutes at home, it all starts to look a lot less appealing vs. your local Thai takeout.
Honestly, I probably wouldn’t have gone in there at all had I not had a BOGO coupon from the Chinook Book. With the coupon, you can actually get a couple of reasonably priced meals, even with the obligatory extra-thing-you-have-to-buy-so-you-don’t-look-like-a-total-cheapskate (in my case, veggie sides). Otherwise, it’s pricey enough that I really wouldn’t bother buying regular meals there.
However, if you’re limited to downtown Seattle and looking to pick up fancy artisanal locally made sweets and treats for souvenirs and gifts, it’s actually got a pretty decent selection and comparable prices. Eat Local? Nah. Shop Local… maybe.

Organic, healthy meals are always up my alley, and Eat Local seems to have a pretty cool concept. They mostly offer prepared, frozen meals, but go all the way to the back and you’ll find a juice bar and acai bowl station.
I splurged and ordered a berry acai bowl ($ 8.75) and a green juice ($ 7). For $ 17, this hearty and healthy breakfast kept me full and feeling great throughout the day — and I only ate about half of it.
Their granola has LOTS of nuts and seeds, so you’ve got to be a nut fan in order to enjoy this. Personally, it was a little too nutty for my taste, but I did enjoy the shaved coconut and goji berries. In retrospect I probably should have gone for the banana and cacao bowl. Next time.
Check it out if you’re looking for a unique breakfast in downtown Seattle, or want to stock up on healthy eats.

This review only applies to those concerned with animal welfare and false/​naïve advertising by businesses. It is not based upon this particular location, or my experience eating their food.
I tried Eat Local a few years ago, and was excited that they had a new downtown location. I received a flier from Eat Local and read that their chicken meals are «made with humanely raised and processed free-​range organic chicken. These free-​range birds roam from yard to barn, are vegetarian fed and free of hormones, antibiotics, fillers, and preservatives». I don’t eat meat unless I know that it is 100% all-​of-​the-​above, so I emailed Eat Local, asking where they source their chicken from, with which they responded (promptly and politely), Draper Valley Farms.
However, I am disappointed with Eat Local for advertising their chicken as quoted above and hiding false information with phrases that they know will sell. Perhaps, to give them the benefit of the doubt, they developed a relationship with Draper Valley thinking they were getting the «happiest» chickens out there, but if they were truly concerned with being conscious consumers and animal welfare, further research would reveal that Draper Valley is known to be sketchy. It’s not all happy-​go-​lucky as their website would lead you to believe. Draper Valley’s main product is conventionally raised chicken. They do offer the antibiotic-​free chicken, yet «free range» is quite a loose term and only applies to some of their chickens. They also feed the chickens corn and soy meal (not GMO or organic). They have disregarded my emails (and others:
) about their raise and kill practices. Red flag, indicating that they have something to hide. Sure Draper Valley is a step up from McDonalds chicken, but for those of us concerned with animal welfare, that step is very miniscule.
Eat Local may have good food, and I appreciate their concept, but false (or naïve) advertising is the fastest way to lose me as a customer. I would love to see them source from a more trustworthy, reputable, and less mass-​produced source. I didn’t look into their other meat sources.

Yet another update:
Took advantage of the gift card received as part of resolution to a dispute to have a fast and easy dinner at home one night last week. Had three entrees and a pint of ice cream.
Clear highlight was the Chicken & Goat Cheese Lasagna. It makes me want to try to duplicate it, which is something, considering how little I care for lasagna traditionally. EASILY the best thing we had, and something I’d recommend anyone to go out of their way to try. Nicey done.
Because my one-​year-​old son reacts poorly to dairy, I snagged the Hungarian Goulash with Polenta, primarily for him. He wouldn’t touch it, and I couldn’t blame him. It was incredibly bland. Salt and Pepper didn’t do much to alter that one.
Third item was a Shepherd’s Pie. I can’t remember the title, for sure, but that’s what it was. I’d say it was slightly above-​average a version of the standard. Wouldn’t necessarily get it again, but wouldn’t avoid it either. But I love me some mashed potatoes atop meaty filling.
Finally, the Empire Salted Caramel ice cream. In short, it tasted as if some element of the ice cream was made using equipment that had been earlier used to caramelize onions and wasn’t entirely cleaned afterwards. Unless you really, really love onions in your dessert, I’d steer clear of this one. It was shockingly unpleasant.
The convenience of not having to cook, plus the knowledge of good sourcing of ingredients, is the true value with this business. The pricing for portion size makes it a bit too pricey for us for anything more than a rare splurge.
Update: Management stepped-​in to address my concerns directly. I cannot say that I am convinced the policy is just, but I suppose if there is effort on their end to at least inform customers of how it is, then it’s a ‘buyer beware’ situation.
I generally believe in the mission of a company like Eat Local with their goals of sustainability and use of organic/​natural ingredients. Hence, I am glad action was taken to rectify the situation and making it possible for me to continue to patronize them in the future.
From what I remember, the food was good enough and certainly a convenient way to have dinner, though it’s clearly overpriced, especially when you tack-​on their non-​refundable security deposit on their glassware.
Eat Local requires a ($ 7.50!) deposit on the glassware containing their larger-​sized meals. Upon returning the glassware, even with a receipt, their «policy» is to refund the deposit as store credit, rather than the cash paid. I can’t find information that would explicitly spell this out as illegal, but it’s definitely unethical, particularly as they do not warn you of this up front, when someone who doesn’t like that sort of trickery would then simply walk away from doing business with them.
Upon complaining about this to the business through their Facebook page, I was told to take the gift card I was given to the store to have the matter rectified. When I did, their employee was very condescending and essentially accused me of lying to him about being told to make the exchange or, perhaps, even of being some sort of scam artist, «Anyone could come in here demanding money.»
I suppose if you’re willing to overpay for small portions of mediocre food and get a nice dash of condescension with it, this might be the place for you. I cannot imagine any series of circumstances that would get me to open my wallet to them ever again.

I was so excited to hear Eat Local was opening a downtown location. I have never been to one of their stores prior, but love the concept. From their website «prepared foods are made with Northwest farmed, organic produce, 100% grass-​fed and finished organic beef & free-​range organic chicken. Everything on our menu is hand-​made in our kitchen, from scratch, using traditional methods & house-​made stocks».
Living & working downtown along with being quite busy to make a good dinner, I knew this store was going to be my new best friend. I visited the week they opened. The store was clean with lots of freezers packed full of food. They have paper & glass containers, both contain the same content and size. If you purchase the glass container, you just pay a $ 7 (and some change) deposit that once returned can be used to purchase something else. They have a special on all their portion sizes (single serving entrée, 2 serving entrée, and sides) in which you get a $$ amount off when you buy 3 dishes in the same size. The staff was very friendly and helpful while I shopped
The gentleman working there offered me a sample of their McGraw Street Nut Loaf, which I appreciated because I don’t think it’s something I would try on my own. Oh my, it is one of the most delicious things I have ever ate, I’m actually eating a single serving I bought while I type. Boistfort Valley organic carrots, organic walnuts, organic brown rice, organic sunflower seeds, organic lentils, oil, Eat Local ketchup (organic brown rice syrup, organic garlic, water, oil, tomato, organic paprika, organic oregano, kosher salt, organic black pepper).
It was very hard not to buy up the whole store. Though frozen, everything looked so good. They also have such a huge selection, meat entrees, poultry entrees, seafood entrees, vegi entrees, pasta entrees, lots of sides, pizzas, dessert, ice cream… the list can go on. They also have other food items not made by them such as pickles (which I bought a jar of), crackers, jams, honeys, wine, beer, ect. Along with the Nut loaf, I also purchased their Decadent Beef Bourguignon (which is their beef bourguignon but with mashed potatoes), mild macaroni and cheese, and creamy polenta. It’s taking all my strength not to just heat them up and eat!
I am super excited to try everything this store has to offer. It feels good to have a healthy full meal that tastes amazing. Single entrees cost from $ 8-​$ 12. The fact that they are organic and don’t taste frozen, makes me feel the price is reasonable.