The Local

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Address:
824 Hinton Ave
Charlottesville, VA 22902

Neighborhood:
Charlottesville

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Cuisine:
Contemporary American

Price: $30 and under

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The Local Details

Dining Style: Casual Elegant
Website: http://www.thelocal-cville.com
Phone: (434) 984-9749
Hours of Operation: Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:30pm - 10:00pm, Friday & Saturday: 5:30pm - 11:00pm
Payment Options: AMEX, MasterCard, Visa
Cuisine: Contemporary American, Comfort Food
Dress Code: Smart Casual
Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes

Getting there

Parking: Public Lot

A word from The Local

Come visit and experience The Local! We believe everyone should experience meals that feature delicately prepared fresh local ingredients in a great atmosphere. In our corner of the world, everyone's a Local. EAT, DRINK, & BE LOCAL

Foodspotting photos

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Awards voted by OpenTable diners

Diners' Choice WinnerFit for Foodies
Diners' Choice WinnerNeighborhood Gem
Diners' Choice WinnerRomantic

The Local - Best Restaurants in Charlottesville

Diner Reviews

"We went to The Local on a Saturday evening around 7:30 in the summer. Parking in the Belmont neighborhood was not easy (to be expected). In terms of ambience, The Local is cozy on the bottom floor with indoor seating and a bar. When we arrived, several groups waiting for seating were crammed in the entry-way. The upstairs deck is open and airy. Our waiter was attentive, given how busy she was, and our drinks and food arrived at a decent pace. However, the food was highly disappointing that night. My burger (ordered medium) was rare - almost undercooked. The other dish we ordered was a mushroom/pasta dish, and the taste wasn't right. Overall, I liked the atmosphere, but the meals were disappointing."
Dined on 7/19/2014
"My husband ordered the crab soup, but was served the melon soup. I waited to eat my appetizer until we could find a server to change to his selection. As a result, we took longer than the kitchen had allotted, and when we were only 1/2 way through this course, our entree arrived, which we sent back. As a result it was later served luke warm and dried out. We did not stay for dessert. Since our reservation was at 7:30 and the push of diners had passed, there was no need to rush anyone through their dinner, and there were plenty of empty tables when we left. There is a noisy bar scene which prevented normal conversation. This is a good place for the "20-somethings" to drink and socialize, but not for mature people to enjoy dinner."
Dined on 7/19/2014
"Food was great, service was poor. The hostess did not smile once; the waiter warmed up a little toward the end of the meal. Probably won't return because of the service. The atmosphere, on the other hand, was fantastic! I ordered the trout and it was cooked perfectly."
Dined on 7/19/2014
"My wife and I came here for a nice dinner out before a concert. Drinks were excellent, food was delicious. I got the beef short rib in a incredible red wine sauce. My wife got the roasted squash which was also excellent."
Dined on 7/12/2014
"The food here is amazing. They're not necessarily the friendliest people but the food surely makes up for it!"
Dined on 7/11/2014
"The Local came highly recommended by friends for its food and atmosphere. We had a hard time selecting the main course because everything looked amazing. I had the roasted squash with quinoa and tomato sauce and my husband had the filet. We both thoroughly enjoyed our meals and dessert was scrumptious. Make plans to hit The Local if you are in Charlottesville. You will not be disappointed."
Dined on 7/11/2014
"Very much enjoyed my squash with quinoa dish and husband enjoyed the pasta with mushrooms. The fried green tomato appetizer was also delicious. My only complaint is that my water was not refilled as often as I would have liked."
Dined on 7/6/2014
"I have always enjoyed the Local and their food is great, but my most recent experience there certainly left something to be desired in the service provided. Though we had a reservation, we had to wait in a line (almost everyone in the line also had a reservation) for about 15 minutes to even see the hostess. Because they were re-finishing the floors on the bottom level, no servers or hosts/hostesses seemed to be at the check in booth on the bottom floor, leaving everyone waiting. When a hostess did come and spoke to the first people in line, who had a reservation, she then took them upstairs, ignoring everyone else in line, and didn't come back for at least 5 minutes. Eventually, we got in. However, our waitress was very inattentive."
Dined on 7/5/2014
"This is still my favorite spot in C'ville. The gnocchi is a favorite, along with the short ribs."
Dined on 7/1/2014
"My husband and I celebrated our 11 year anniversary, and we have decided to come here for future anniversaries. The food is some of the best in Charlottesville!"
Dined on 6/28/2014
"We've been coming to The Local since moving to the area a few years ago. It's never disappointed. We love to bring out of town guests and they always seem to enjoy it. We especially like the locally produced food, and make it a point to buy from the same farmers and artisans that they proudly list in their menu."
Dined on 6/27/2014
"The only criticism I've ever had of The Local is the length of time it takes to get your food. It usually takes longer than other comparable restaurants. But the food is always good. Always. The ambience is awesome. It has tons of character. On my most recent trip to The Local the food came out in record breaking time."
Dined on 6/26/2014
"Excellent food, excellent wine, quiet outdoor setting upstairs. Live music on a Monday night. A pleasant surprise."
Dined on 6/23/2014
"We love taking our out of town guests here and coming for special occasions. We're vegan/vegetarian and while the options on the menu are limited what they do have is amazing. The mushroom pasta and seasonal squash dishes are excellent. Just went on a Sunday evening for the first time and it was really mellow and great atmosphere with the sun setting and the windows all opened up on their upstairs deck."
Dined on 6/22/2014
"We sat outside on the balcony on a beautiful June evening. The neighborhood is up and coming and it was fun to eat outside but not at street level! The food was consistent and good. The service was terrific, we had a very enjoyable evening!"
Dined on 6/22/2014
"This restaurant never disappoints. Great food sourced from local farms!"
Dined on 6/21/2014
"We got several recommendations to eat at The Local on our visit, and we are very glad that we did. The food was excellent, and the whole experience was just really nice. We were late for our reservation, due to bad traffic, and the hostess was gracious enough to seat us as soon as she could. I would definitely recommend The Local!"
Dined on 6/20/2014
"We were required to sit outside. This wouldn't be too bad, except that we were right on the street with lots of foot and car traffic. Lucky that the weather wasn't too hot. The food was good overall, but not great. One flub was the blackberry cobbler for desert - the dough wasn't cooked. They apologized and didn't charge, offered a replacement. Service was good. The experience didn't make me feel inclined to go back."
Dined on 6/20/2014
"Wonderful find via Open Table in old Charlottesville neighborhood. Salmon and pork entres were VG. Affordable Wine selection. Haley provided excellent service. Highly Recommend."
Dined on 6/18/2014
"This is one of my husbands and my favorite restaurants. We celebrated out one year anniversary here and were not disappointed in anyway! Service was fantastic, food was delicious, and local beer on tap was the icing on the cake. Highly recommend to anyway in the Charlottesville area!"
Dined on 6/15/2014
"We go to the local about once a month for date night. We've always had excellent service, the food has been great every time, we love the atmosphere, and we recommend it to all of our friends who need a night out. We usually sit upstairs on the deck, which we love, but have also eaten at the bar downstairs and still enjoyed our experience. "
Dined on 6/6/2014
"The local is consistent in providing stellar service, excellent food and a good drink selection. Our waiter Patrick was attentive yet not intrusive. The Local is my go to place for comfort food and something that will always make you go yumm."
Dined on 6/6/2014
"The Local has several different dining areas, each with a different vibe: outside patio, inside downstairs, and upstair on one of two patios. I have eaten there several times and had a great experience each time. The food is consistent, and always delicious."
Dined on 5/31/2014
"We made reservations for dinner. When we knew we were going to be a little late we called. No one answered the phone so we left a message. When we go there they didn't have a record of our call and asked us to wait at the bar. We waited and waited. Another couple came in and they were waiting at the bar too. Finally I asked the hostess when we would be seated and she looked surprised, like she had totally forgotten about us! Finally they seated us. The other couple never got seated and left in disgust. When the waitress took our order, she forgot to write down our appetizers so we never got them. They did give us free dessert which was nice."
Dined on 5/26/2014
"The beef short ribs were the worst I have ever tried in any restaurant. I love short ribs and order them often, and I generally find that they are very hard to mess up. Somehow The Local did it. The ribs had a vinegar flavor that ruined the flavor of the meet. They were not particularly tender either, and the vinegar flavor also ruined the mashed potatoes. We also tried the gnocchi, which was OK, but I definitely would not order it again. If you can make a better meal at home without even much effort, why spend the money on restaurant dining? A really disappointing dining experience. The place itself is very cute with a nice atmosphere. We were not given the option to sit on the rooftop, I'm not sure why."
Dined on 5/24/2014
"food was great service was great did not enjoy looking at a dirty back bar set up upstairs wall was filthy and stained "
Dined on 5/23/2014
"3 of our 4 meals were delicious. The 4th order, the duck, originally came presented nearly raw. My guest brought it to the attention of the server, who took it back to the kitchen. The replacement was cooked more, but still had undercooked areas. Neither the server nor anyone in management came over to ask to see if it had been resolved. My guest only got to eat 40% of her protein. Perhaps we should have been more vocal, but that is not our style. Also the noise level up in the concourse area grew--- I had requested a quieter area for conversation on my inline reservation. Not impressed, and not coming back because of no system or apparent care about resolving a basic issue."
Dined on 5/21/2014
"Our party of 4 reserved a table online for busy Graduation Day, it was confirmed with a return call with additional information about the special menu offered that day. The food was, as always, fantastic ( the perfectly cooked beef tenderloin was incomparable!) , I have never been disappointed here. The staff was on top of things, friendly, courteous, efficient, and most importantly, not intrusive. We were even offered a choice of tables, as our table was outside and the hostess said "it's a bit chilly, you can switch to inside if you care to". The ambiance was warm yet professional. We sat on the balcony and had a nice street view of Belmont. Everything about the meal and experience was stellar, I highly recommend The Local! "
Dined on 5/18/2014
"My experience at The Local was great. Everything we ordered was delicious! The atmosphere was equally enjoyable. "
Dined on 5/11/2014
"Great food for everyone! I had my parents and my kids (10 & 13 yrs) - 6 people. Plenty of room on the first floor - service was wonderful. We really had a great evening. Thank you!"
Dined on 5/10/2014
"This restaurant has such a wonderful neighborhood feel to it, yet the cuisine and the wine list were very impressive. We sat outdoors on the 2nd floor balcony- it was fabulous. Our entrees were wonderful but the desserts were the highlight of the evening, especially the blackberry cobbler! "
Dined on 5/4/2014
"We found "The Local" through OpenTable. What a great find it was. The food was excellent and the service was friendly and timely. We were a party of 6 and to a person we were all pleased. Unfortunately, we live on the west coast so a revisit is highly unlikely...sadly, sadly..."
Dined on 5/4/2014
"Came in with reservation, and hostess asked one of our party if we'd like an outside table (which he said "yes"). Well, 5 minutes after we were seated, the women decided it was too cold to be outside. Even though they were packed and running slightly behind on reservation times, they reseated our party of four indoors without any hassle or frowns. Service was friendly and prompt, even though it was a Saturday night and they were very busy. Food was excellent - we'll all be back!"
Dined on 5/3/2014
"We had reservations for Saturday night, which is absolutely required. The Local is a nice place, but it was so crowded and loud downstairs that we could barely talk, and the service as well as the food quality suffered. I would recommend going on a week-night and getting patio seating."
Dined on 5/3/2014
"Terrible. I have written to the restaurant directly. "
Dined on 5/3/2014
"This was my first visit to The Local and I had a very pleasant experience. I made a reservation through Open Table for Sunday evening but arrived earlier and was seated immediately in the downstairs area, which I chose. Very pleasant hostess and server. Ordered Virginia Peanut Soup for appetizer which was very nice. Entree was chili-rubbed grilled pork chop with on a bed of mashed potatoes and topped with sweet potato shoestring fries. A lot of potatoes but the combination worked well. The pork chop was grilled nicely with a pink center and tasted delicious. Paired with a good Pinot Noir. This was on a fairly quiet Sunday and early enough before it got too crowded, as I'm it is normally. "
Dined on 4/27/2014
"An early reservation, so there weren't many people there yet. Had the cheese plate, which is always a good start, and then only had appetizers for our meal. Everything was amazing and I cannot wait to go back. "
Dined on 4/27/2014
"We just ordered a few appetizers and a bottle of sparkling wine but each dish was amazing. I definitely recommend trying their chorizo macaroni and cheese as well as their fried tomato caprese. We also had the frogs legs which were interesting but the best part of the dish was probably the small side salad of watermelon, beets, goat cheese and cucumbers. I have been here a few times and am always impressed with the atmosphere, wait staff, food and wine options"
Dined on 4/26/2014
"I brought a group of students and colleagues to the Local and we had really, really good food. I feel it is one of the top restaurants in Charlottesville for food, and I have been to a lot of restaurants here. The appetizers and main dishes were perfect. Every member of my group loved their food and we raved about it afterwards. We did not have desserts, though they looked just as good. The only issue we had was that the music was much to loud for us to engage in anything resembling a conversation. I can understand having the music up during late night, but a 5:30 dinner shouldn't be drowned out by blaring music. "
Dined on 4/24/2014
"Came into town with my girlfriend and checked out a few restaurants online -- reviews were shaky on service but we thought to try it out yesterday. How happy were we!?! The burger was delicious. High quality meat. The tenderloin special was well cooked and the sides of mashed potatoes and asparagus were brilliantly seasoned. Yum!! Service was okay -- waiter was attentive but not overly in our space. Don't be afraid to leave downtown mall for this farm to table gem!"
Dined on 4/20/2014

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