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    501 Local

    4.2 (163 reviews)
    Closed 11:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    501 LOCAL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Trendy
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - 501 Local

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    Short rib taco , Truffle Fries, Cesar side salad
    Aleesa G.

    Love a great brunch spot on Saturday . If you're in the winnetka area highly recommend this spot . Everything from the food and the space was calm and bright can't wait to come back and enjoy the rest of the menu . I believe our waitress was Santana or Savannah sorry if I got your name wrong but you were so sweet with your recommendations and energy .

    Ali C.

    Sorry I posted pictures of another restaurants food. We did have the mushroom burger with avocado and then we had the fries with truffle oil. I removed the wrong photos and reposted the photos.

    Alexis C.

    Amazing food! Love the dessert Service can improve Went in for business meeting. Would love to go back to try more items.

    A white plate contains a serving of cooked salmon, a mixed salad with lettuce and dressing, yellow corn kernels, halved cherry tomatoes, and a boiled egg. The plate is placed on a dark wood table with a white napkin, fork, and knife. In the background, there are French fries with ketchup, a drink in a martini glass, and a blurred setting suggesting a restaurant environment.
    Kesha B.

    Such a cute restaurant! I came by for lunch with a friend on a Monday. The restaurant is sort of tucked away on the street if you are not looking for it you may drive right past it. There is plenty of street parking outside and a parking lot across the way. Upon arrival to the restaurant they had so many doors it was hard to tell which one was the one to enter but once you get inside it's like a totally calming and warm environment. We were quickly say with a beautiful view of the outside. Looking through the menu, there's something for everyone. If you're looking for a yummy taco, or a burger, or even a salad. I opted for their cobb salad with salmon. It was delicious. The portioning was great, and everyone around us was beaming with excitement of how great the food was. I was also excited to see that they had a lavish mocktail menu as well. I got the Strawberry martini drink and it was refreshing for a spring day. All in all, we had a great experience. I am looking forward to coming back soon, maybe for happy hour, or even dinner!

    Grilled Angus Burger
    Sydney K.

    Had a pretty average meal at 501 local. We ordered the focaccia to start which was pretty dry but the flavors were nice. I got the tuna which was prepared well with good flavors but nothing too spectacular. My sister got the burger which she thought was alright. The service was good but a tad slow. The restaurant is very nice and clean but overall a little over budget for the quality.

    Hangar Steak - A white plate holds a serving of cooked hanger steak garnished with chopped herbs, accompanied by asparagus spears, a small salad with mixed greens, and a golden croquette. The background shows a dining setting with glasses and other dishes, indicating a restaurant environment.
    Brian D.

    When you step onto the outdoor patio at 501 Local on a clear summer evening you feel as if transported out of Illinois for a brief moment. It's a fantastic setup with a tree in the middle of the multi-level outdoor space. The ivy along the building wall opposite the table really sets the mood. It's quite charming. We were seated promptly and ordered drinks and the spring rolls to start. I have to say the spring rolls were perhaps the best I've ever had. Full of flavor and super fresh! When we were seated we had the upper deck to ourselves but this changed quickly as multiple tables were seated around us including one group of 4. There was a man in that group (we'll just call him the pontificator) who was extremely loud and would not stop talking. I'm kind of surprised no one in his own group said something but it was a mood killer. Either way I was excited for the main course. I ordered the Hangar Steak medium, it was cooked perfectly and the presentation was phenomenal with asparagus spears lining the top of the plate along with arancini. The pea and bacon filled rye crepe wasn't my favorite but I'll chalk that up to taste preference. Overall the food was outstanding. The service however wasn't great. Our waiter never checked on us after we got our food, so I wasn't able to order a drink with dinner and instead made the drink my desert. The pontificator at the nearby table kept him very busy, he probably made him take 4 separate trips just to order wine. Typically I'm fairly understanding but being a former server myself you do have to know when to walk away and attend to other guests. At one point the pontificator was showing him pictures of his garden on his cellphone. It was almost laughable. Regardless, we definitely enjoyed the food, however were disappointed in the attention we received from the server. So although I believe 501 Local deserves 5 stars for their food, I'm taking it down 1 star for service. I plan to be back though to enjoy the wonderful outdoor patio!

    Gabi W.

    501 local is a beautiful and open restaurant in Winnetka. I enjoyed a peach Bellini, the focaccia bread starter, and my main meal. I ordered a Brussel sprout salad with salmon as my protein. I additionally ordered a side of broccolini and sweet potato fries with barbecue sauce. It was all so amazing and I was truly sad when I finished my salad. The staff were very kind and helpful when I had questions about the menu. Overall, it was a positive and delicious experience and I am looking forward to return soon!

    Pet-friendly outdoor dining
    Celeste B.

    I was running some errands in the area and realized that I hadn't had lunch yet. Ended up coming here because I noticed that they were dog-friendly. It was already around 3 pm when I stopped in which was convenient for me because it was the start of Happy Hour. My brother and I ended up sharing the sliders and getting our own order of fries (we didn't realize they'd be a huge order) because my brother doesn't like truffles. The chili Paloma and their cocktails were half-priced for happy hour so it was a good excuse to have one. The food was delicious and the drinks were very refreshing. Lucy (my pup) had a great time and will definitely be back!

    Watermelon Cake - A slice of watermelon-themed cake with green sponge layers, pink filling, and white cream decorations is presented on a white plate. The cake is topped with watermelon balls, a small mint leaf, and dollops of cream. A glass of white wine and a spoon on a small white plate are visible nearby, set on a black metal table outdoors.
    Alex L.

    We celebrated Father's Day at 501 Local this year. It's the first time that we tried this restaurant that we found on Yelp. What caught our eyes was its beautiful patio. It is nice that their online booking system allows customers to choose seating from indoor or outdoor. That makes reservation of outdoor dining a breeze, and there's no need to depend on the "first come first served" system. The patio was surrounded by a lot of greens and there was a big tree toward the back of it. It was comfortable and relaxing. We were promptly seated as soon as we arrived. Our waitress Kate was very friendly and attentive. She did a great job in a busy evening like Father's Day! The food was good. I ordered the Hanger Steak, which was served with asparagus, arancini, pea and bacon-filled rye crepe, grilled corn, madeira port wine jus, and balsamic glaze. The presentation was good and it was cooked just right (exactly to my order of medium). My wife got the Lobster ravioli and she let me share one of them, which was filled with crab meat and delicious. Our daughter ordered the Seared Salmon that had a lot of yummy sides on the plate. We also shared an order of Pot Stickers that had a flavorful sauce on them. My wife shared a piece of Watermelon Cake with me. That was refreshing and had the right amount of sweetness. We all enjoyed the food and the ambience of the patio! It was interesting that almost all the other tables were ordering burgers with fries, and we heard that they finally ran out of fries (must be a very popular item). Their burgers and fries actually looked quite enticing; I might try them next time when we return!

    Patio umbrellas - Several large patio umbrellas are open outdoors, providing shade in a garden or patio area. The umbrellas are positioned near a brick wall covered with green ivy and surrounded by trees, creating a shaded outdoor space.

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    28 days ago

    The burger was juicy and flavorful. French fries were yummy. Great service and cocktails too!

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    9 months ago

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    10 months ago

    I had the worst caesar salad of my life here. Great patio, lovely staff, but the worst caesar salad ever.

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    2 years ago

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    2 years ago

    Great drinks and vibes! Loved our waiter, was so knowledgeable of the menu! Would absolutely go again!

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    Ask the Community - 501 Local

    Kid friendly/ high chair available for an early patio dinner?

    Yes. We do have high chairs available for kids.

    Is it dog friendly?

    Yes! Curbside tables available. They are wonderful.

    View All 4 Questions

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    This place was recommended by Diane at Lifetime Fitness as I'm always up for trying Mexican places…read moreespecially in the North Shore. I have to support el gente! Unfortunately they didn't support me. My son and I came here for lunch and we were really greeted as the bartender served as the host and a few other employees were doing stuff around the restaurant. We were seated and my son was hungry so I ordered his food right away which was Quesadillas con Queso. They came out quick but it would've been helpful to let me know the rice was a little spicy. If you need a high chair for someone at the table, you should probably let them know about the spice in the rice. Other than that, he ate the food. I asked for milk as well. I ordered the Carne Asada (yes a heavy my lunch order) but obvs I was hungry. It was very good and had some sort of marinade but couldn't figure out what it was. The rice and beans were bad as the rice didn't taste fresh and the beans were blah. Also I had to ask for more corn tortillas since I only got 3. The service was ok and I was never asked what I wanted to drink. My biggest beef was when other patrons (all Caucasian) walked into the restaurant, they were greeted immediately and made a hell of a lot more welcome than us. It was weird to hear how over accommodating that same person who was on his computer when we walked in, jumped off his seats for the other patrons walking in. The nicest person by far was a women who brought me more tortillas and actually engaged with my son. No need to come back here but cmon gente, get it together when fellow gente walk in.

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    I must have passed Carlos and Carlos hundreds of times on Green Bay Road, always wondered if it was…read morea Mexican restaurant. Found out it's Italian, so based on positive reviews, my wife and I went there early last night. To start they bring out a warm mini-loaf of crusty bread with a small serving of garlicky olive tapenade -- we knew right away we were gonna enjoy this place. The Bella salad had a huge amount of arugula, pear, figs and goat cheese, enough for two. My wife had a special: spinach stuffed ravioli, with a paper thin dough -- very light and buttery. I had the tasty vermicelli amatriciana -- a huge serving, the leftovers was my lunch today. What's interesting was the waitstaff tag-teamed us: Everyone could do everything from take our orders to bus dishes -- you could see they were pros, had worked together for a long time. The only negative (which I will not deduct a star for): There were two huge TV's playing with their sound off -- this did not add anything, were rather distracting. But the food and service won us over -- we will be back.

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    501 Local - newamerican - Updated May 2026

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