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    Ballston Local

    4.2 (166 reviews)
    Closed 12:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

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    BALLSTON LOCAL ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Trendy
    Live music
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Ballston Local

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    Ray S.

    I'm in Virginia for the first time and I was walking down the street looking for a place to eat and this place the way it was lit up the people were inside outside just drew me to it. I walked in the place with lively all the people not full but it was a good place to be at that here where I am anyway. Service is great they meet you at the door you know it'll take your own seat but as soon as it down my server was there so far great experience. Man they have so many menus out they have now the new Cinco de Mayo menu it's not a large one but it serves its purpose. I wish they had frozen margaritas but they don't but they do have margaritas. So I ordered the barbecue bacon burger medium with some short fries with Parmesan we'll see how that goes. Going to the restroom to wash up little bit restrooms really nice really clean paper towel dispenser wasn't working but sometimes that happens. I'd order an old fashioned but it was a little bit too sweet for my taste. It tasted like candy. They may be another one and this one taste much better. Oh by the way did I tell you the music coming from the building or jukebox is amazing they have at least 15 TVs here I'm a food is here the barbecue and busted Burger in case you really really good,. This burger is so good every bite has juices flowing from the burger through my fingertips oh yeah I have to wipe my face each time I take a bite. And the parmesan fries are okay I've had a lot of better ones but they're okay. I must repeat the service here is amazing the people look out for you and take care of you got to come I would definitely give him another chance who was good service is great just some things they need to tweak l.

    Brittanie M.

    We were in town doing a beauty school visit at Aveda and decided to stop at Ballston Local for a quick lunch before heading back to the Woodbridge area. The establishment was large and were told we could sit wherever we wanted. We chose a table all the way in the back which we regretted. Due to that section of the restaurant, it was VERY cold. The rest of the dining area did feel warmer so it was our fault lol. Our server was friendly and attentive and we really enjoyed our food. I forgot to take pictures of the fried cheese curds but they were tasty. Pictured: Slice of cheese & veggie pizza Chicken Gyro Rigatoni Vodka w/ side chicken caesar salad

    Evangeline L.

    Came here around 9:30 pm on a weeknight, looking for open restaurants in the Ballston area. The kitchen was about to close, and we got a pasta and sub. Overall, the food was decent, but come here for the vibes, not food :)

    Short Rib Poutine
    Ailun H.

    My friend and I stopped by Ballston Local a couple Wednesdays ago for an early dinner. Fortunately, we were able to snag the happy hour deal! SHORT RIB POUTINE (HH) - 7 Normally, it's $13, so I expected a much smaller portion. However, we were shocked to see a large portion with lots of gravy, cheese, and fries. Flavor was fine, too salty though. Not a lot of short rib, but for $7 I can't complain. Overall, this was pretty tasty and a good sharable but very dense. The two of us gave up after eating about 60% of it, but I'd recommend sharing this with a bigger group. CARNE - 5.50 This is one of 5 options we could order a single slice -- the more niche flavors require us to order a whole pie, which we did not want. Lots of oil/grease, but that can easily be dabbed off if you're not down for it. Solid slice, with lots of different meats. My friend and I were pretty satisfied after killing this. Pretty good steal for the price. I've heard people rave about the NYC slice here and I can see why. So definitely give Ballston Local a try if you are craving a slice! My friend and I can agree that this was the cheapest dinner out in awhile.

    Chicken gyro and Waffle Fries
    Grace K.

    It's fine for what it is. It's basically a bar with bar food. The chicken gyro tasted good but was overdressed and a tad soggy. Lighten the dressing and it's a much better dish. The waffle fries were yummy- crispy and not stale and perfectly salted. The aperol spritz I got was too sweet. The place has all high tops and lots of tvs everywhere. Very casual and fine for what it is. Parking not great as it's in the heart of Arlington. Server was friendly.

    Storefront
    Ritvik N.

    Food was good here. Good vibes and quiet ambiance with indoor seating. I got either the Baller Double or Classic Double. I don't remember, but it was likely the Baller Double. Bluemont Burger also looks really nice -- if I were to come again, I'd try that. I got a side of Caesar salad. It was pretty good and hit the spot. Overall, great service and quiet, interesting ambiance in outdoor seating. Food was pretty decent here.

    Trying Spa Day
    Pam S.

    Great location that has outdoor seating. The bar inside had a live band that was pretty loud in a small space so we decided to sit outside to talk easier. The drink menu has a few good choices on mixed cocktails and a lot of choices for beers. I had the spa day with sparkling edible glitter. Pretty & light tasting. We ordered a slice of pizza made on thin crust with fresh meat and cheese toppings that hit the spot for a fourth meal. We enjoyed the atmosphere. Our waitstaff was very informative, helpful & tentative.

    Chicken Parm Pizza
    Will M.

    Good place to grab a beer and a pizza pie. Pizza was very good especially for a place that doesn't call itself a pizzeria. Very fresh pieces of chicken. Could have been a little bit crispier in the middle of the pie. Not sure if getting a slice from the counter would be as good. Fries were crispy and the shredded meat / sauce was flavorful. Not the most comfortable bar stools.

    Shawn A.

    These burgers were fantastic! Everything about them was good, but the flavor of the beef made the entire burger what it was. I could have had just the burger and bun and been satisfied and I can't think of a time that was my only thought. The fries were good, the Parm was a pleasant surprise. The Bang Bang Shrimp app was fine as was the Short Rib Poutine (I think is would have been better if I had eaten it quicker, but we were sharing apps).

    Great TVs
    Doug B.

    Simple burger, pizza joint. Good tvs. Decent location with street and other garage parking. Easy walk from Ballston metro. Great service (5*). I tried the bacon cheeseburger. The bun fell apart. Tasty patty. I had them add tomato and lettuce. Fries come with a sprinkling of cheese and herbs. So that was nice. Overall, solid 3*, could have been better without the collapsing bun. Cool vibe with good TVs. Would be a nice sports venue.

    "Carne Slice"
    Joshua P.

    $12.12 for a veggie and "carne" slice. No drink no sides. The veggie was fine but floppy. At least it was the slice of the packaging. The image shows the underwhelming carne slice. Didn't have any ricotta like the menu says and obviously undersized as it looks like it's missing a third of the slice. The audacity. The slice itself wasn't special. The crust was above average but the sauce, cheese, and toppings were just okay. They also don't open until 130pm on Tuesday's and til 4pm on Mondays. Don't really understand how you can operate a pizza shop in Arlington and miss out on lunch rush 2/5 weekdays.

    Short Rib Poutine
    Evan L.

    Really liked it here! It's a fun, spacious environment with numerous TVs and plenty of seating, which becomes important for their trivia nights, which I definitely recommend. They're one of the few places in the area that do trivia on Mondays (nice to have that option), and they do it well- it's a fun format and good user experience as everything is done via phone. As for the food, I'd say it's pretty high quality bar food for a fair price. They have lots of pizza options, as well as burgers, sandwiches, pasta, and more. I ordered the Short Rib Poutine and Meatball Hero, which were both delicious (the Hero was huge- I was extremely full and satisfied after eating). I also had a bite of my girlfriend's pizza and it was a really solid thin-crust, NY-style slice. And of course, they have great drinks too. I recommend the Drunken Arnold Palmer (it's exactly what you think it is- a refreshing Arnold Palmer with a kick of alcohol, very tasty). Will definitely be coming back.

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    Got my flight canceled. Airliner gave me a bad voucher for $12 and the manager covered it for me. Great service!

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    1 year ago

    Good food, great bartenders, great cocktails! Had a dirty vodka martini (excellent) and a burger (very good!)

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    2 years ago

    Great place for a drink and play trivia! Service was fantastic also! We had so much fun playing trivia we came back next time that week.

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    Ask the Community - Ballston Local

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    First Down Sports Bar & Grill

    First Down Sports Bar & Grill

    3.8
    (428 reviews)
    0.3 mi
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    It's World Cup season, and a VA resident asked me where he should watch the game. I had not been…read morehere in years, but I usually remembered all of the TVs around and those epic wings and cocktails. He took my advice, and we decide to make it a full outing. We showed up an hour and a half before the game started and got the last table in the entire bar. If you know this place, you know it is huge. I knew it was a good option for watching the game, but I didn't realize everybody else knew too . Since my last visit years ago, they have switched to QR code orders -- unless you are sitting at the bar I'm guessing. As I said, the place was absolutely full, but there was never a long wait time between ordering and receiving food and drinks. They had a fun 20 wing platter for $25.99 with some unique flavors representing different countries... USA (Buffalo Garlic), Spain (pollo asado), South Korea (SPICY), and Mexico (Creamy Cilantro)... I think I got those right, but wow what a feast! Yeah, I didn't take a pic, I'm sorry lol. The cheapest cocktails were $6, but others ranged from $8-12, so not bad at all. Everyone had a great time and I forgot how fun it is. But my special someone is a 5 minute walk away, so I ought to be returning more regularly :). Oh, the only thing was that we had to ask for water and it wasn't brought otherwise. It was a hot day, and there were 6 of us, so we needed a lot of water haha. But a simple ask and it was brought out quickly. In my opinion, they should do it automatically though!

    We arrived at our hotel fairly late and the hotel restaurant was already closed. This place was…read morelocated directly across the street and was open super late. Perfect. I did not want to eat fried or super unhealthy food since it was late but this place looked like the best option. We decided to sit at the bar area right by the entrance since it was empty. It did not take long for the bartender to approach us and offered drinks. Hubs and I both ordered beers on tap, which were delivered not too long after we ordered. I was in the mood for wings and decided to go for the boneless option since hubs only likes those and I definitely was not going to finish. I also wanted a veggie option so I went with the veggie wrap. Hubs ordered the Tex-Mex eggrolls. Our food arrived at an appropriate time and was correct. The food was okay but not out of this world, which we were expecting. We both enjoyed the veggie wrap though. This place is a good option for watching sports and if they're open late. The place is also big in size.

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    3 of 6 TVs at the bar and 12 of 20 taps
    3 of 6 TVs at the bar and 12 of 20 taps
    First Down Sports Bar & Grill
    First Down Sports Bar & Grill

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    The Liberty Tavern

    The Liberty Tavern

    3.9
    (1.6k reviews)
    1.1 mi
    $$

    What a gem of a place to go to on a really hot July 3rd. The A/C was working fabulous I came as…read morepart of a party of 10. We made our reservation a day or two in advance and when we got there the hostess led us to the second floor. The brunch menu has a myriad of pizza and salad and classic breakfast menu items to choose from. I remember when I was there there was a lunch special offer where you could have a half order of a salad with a side of your choice for a discounted rate so that was cool. I ordered the Tavern salad with a side of creamy potato salad and liked it.

    TLDR happy hour is only at the bar and the food is good but service isn't…read more Came on mother's day and came early, before they were busy. When we made the reservation in advance, we called to ask if happy hour was everywhere or just at the bar; they said everywhere, so we booked a table. Plot twist, it's only at the bar / downstairs :))) We arrived 15 minutes early, so while they got our table ready, we ordered at the bar. 5 stars for the bartender. If I could review her, the host, and the happy hour prices in isolation, I would! They moved us upstairs, we sat down, and immediately saw the menus were different. We asked the gentleman bringing waters about happy hour and he sent the waiter over. The waiter, with about 2% helpfulness, shared that happy hour is only downstairs. I mentioned that we had called in advance to ask. We asked if it would be possible to have that menu or perhaps move. The conversation felt like pulling teeth. He said, with much dismissiveness, it was up to the host downstairs to move and if they had availability and left. (Fair, we move, he doesn't get his tip. An alternative? Give us the happy hour menu, still get your tip. Better yet, just be slightly helpful?) The host downstairs found us a table but shared it was booked at 6:15 so we needed to be in and out. It was no problem because we had arrived before 5 (early, remember?). Although, it took 15 minutes (I timed it!) for anyone to come bring waters or address us as their table. A little hard to operate with urgency when no one takes your order!! I got up, told the host stand, and they sent a server over, and he proceeded to come back all of three times. We also had to flag him down to get our check, while we sat with empty waters that were never once refilled. We had pizza, cod sliders, and half orders of aglio e olio pasta. The cod sliders were more breadding than fish, but the flavor was decent. The pasta was delicious. No five star Italian meal, but it hit the spot and the portion was plentiful. I didn't try the pizza but it was 12 inches, piping hot, and the two eating it couldn't finish it. The food came out quickly and hot. I think we spent under or just about $100 for four folks to have dinner + drinks, so the prices are really solid. Perhaps you get what you pay for though? Both of our male servers seemed annoyed to be dealing with us and mostly unhelpful. Noteworthy mention: there was a female server who was kind enough to bring us a brown paper bag for our to go box. She was running around and her tables seemed well cared for. Disappointed in my experience and the customer service.

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    The Liberty Tavern
    Salmon & risotto; delish!
    Salmon & risotto; delish!
    The Liberty Tavern Burger with side of fries, very tasty

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    The Liberty Tavern Burger with side of fries, very tasty
    The Board Room

    The Board Room

    3.7
    (233 reviews)
    1.2 mi
    $$

    Devastated to hear that The Board Room closed recently! It was one of the first places I visited…read moreafter I moved to Arlington. With an extensive drink menu and plenty of board games it was a chill spot if you wanted to socially drink with friends and unwind after a long day.

    Parking was PERFECT. public parking garage underneath, and the elevator in the corner takes you up…read moreright to the front door of the restaurant. Could not ask for a better parking situation. Ordering was almost seamless. We got there at 1 o'clock, middle of the day on 4/18, plenty of empty tables. We went up to the bartender to take our order, and then gave them our table number and they delivered it. The QR code on the table only shows you the menu. It is not used for ordering, which was odd these days. Chill and super awesome bartender with the mother of all hickeys. Good pours. No Skrewball :-( I had the special, two hot dogs with tater tots. When it said double, I wasn't sure if that meant double the tater tots, but that meant actually two hot dogs. Really good. I also had the other special, the two pancakes. I meant to get the sausage, but they gave me the bacon instead. It was great. Well worth it. I thought that was the better value of the meals. They got a lot of board and card games. Very laid-back atmosphere, 90s and early 2000s pop on the music, comfortable seating, and good food. The prices were reasonable. This is one area that I think we are just going to have to deal with for quite some time. The give-and-take of prices,. Smothered tater tots, pancakes, two hotdogs with some tater tots, and three drinks came out to ~$55. NOT. BAD. Was it worth it? If this had been just a normal restaurant, I would've said no. It would've been more worth it if it had been about $40. But... nobody made us pay to use the board games, or the card games, and we sat there for three hours and had a really good time. So based on that, the fact they provide a venue for playing these games and hanging out for a few hours makes it all worth it. Really strange thing was that there was this balding guy with a beard that randomly showed up as a waiter. We had been dealing with a bartender, so this guy, kind of rude came on to us and we weren't sure what to do with him. He kind of blocked me from paying the bartender. Rude. Not a hangout spot every day, but certainly once a week, maybe once a month or more, definitely a place to meet up if you got a group. I was really surprised by the diversity of the people that were there. A lot of chess players, a whole table of middle-aged women, lots of different people playing games. I would give them five stars, but not quite perfect. The rude guy at the end was so odd. Otherwise, great location, great parking, the food was good, good value, and fun.

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    Owner stopped by forever a table visit
    Owner stopped by forever a table visit
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    Games, Games, Games!

    Ballston Local - burgers - Updated August 2026

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