This place has such a cool, laid-back atmosphere--kind of tucked away with that courtyard feel that makes you forget you're right in downtown Fairhope. It honestly feels a little like you stumbled into a hidden spot on vacation. The food was solid across the board. You can tell they actually care about what they're serving, everything tasted fresh, not heavy or overdone. The menu has a great mix, from burgers to pasta and seafood, so it's easy to find something no matter what you're in the mood for. The shrimp and grits and the pasta dishes are delicious , and even the appetizers were on point. Service was just as good, friendly, attentive, but not hovering. You don't feel rushed, which is rare these days. What really makes this place though is the vibe. Whether you sit inside or out, it's got that relaxed, slightly upscale but still comfortable feel. If you're in Fairhope and want somewhere that feels local (not touristy), this is it. Easy 5 stars. Will definitely go back!! read more

We were in Fairhope for the day and chose to eat lunch here after reading reviews. We were seated right away and all the staff are very friendly. It was a nice day so we sat outside in a cool little ally. We started with bruschetta which was great. Not what we think of but delicious. For entrees I went with the meatball sub wife went with the arugula pecan salad with ahi, son got Cesar with ahi and daughter got the flatbread which was a caprese. Everyone loved their entrees. The only negative was the meatballs were a little dry. Would definitely go back though. read more

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Prom night so not very busy on a Friday night at 6ish. We were seated in a room inside that was a pleasant temperature. Our waitress was friendly. We ordered beer and wine and then started with the meatball apppetizer, while it was tasty, $17 for two meatballs and sauce is a bit much imho. Next, she had the shrimp pasta and liked the meal but, the temperture it arrived at our table was not considered hot. I had the shrimp scampi, mine did arrive hot and was very tasty with the exception of the shrimp being slightly overcooked. Seems like an off night but, we will certainly go again. While the experience was a 3-1/2 stars, given our last experience, the 4 star rating will stay for this visit. read more

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Seated immediately with friendly service. Got the Bruschetta as an app it was amazing! Alfredo and added chicken was delicious and creamy! Will definitely go here again read more

Locals - Pasta Alfredo - New American Near Me - Fairhope, Alabama

We have been going to Locals for years and never had a poor experience. We went this Saturday evening and there was barely anyone there. We ordered the steak special- which is what we usually get. Our steaks were extremely overcooked- like tough to eat. We send them back and the new steaks were almost raw. They gave us some fries that were basically just the end pieces. At that point we just kept the steaks and tried to eat them. The table next to us also had to send their food back because it wasn't cooked correctly. Not sure if they have a new kitchen staff or what is going on- but we have never had any issues with this place. It may be why so few people were there. Hopefully the food quality will improve because this was one of our usual places for a good steak. read more

Came here during the Fairhope Art show looking for an early lunch. The streets were packing with people and coming in early was the move. We had no wait but later in the day, it was busy. The aesthetic of this restaurant is 10/10. I recommend sitting outside on the porch or heading around back for an outdoor garden feel. Here you can find a quick service bar. The menu was small, but I enjoyed the bruschetta & chicken sandwich. Overall, a good choice if in town. read more

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Hamburger and grouper were so overcooked we could not eat After all the hype. Big disappointment read more

The food was good. The waitress pushed the chicken pasta which we went with. It was $29 for a lunch special, for a very small dish of just pasta with a little chicken. Tasted great but $10 over every other item in the menu. We should have asked as we did not feel good about the restaurant after we left. read more

This place actually kind of reminded me of a cute venue in Athens at the Plaka. The lighting, the outdoor alleyway, the live music outside, and the sexy ambiance. It is just adorable here. We stayed for one drink and an appetizer, although the Valentine's Day menu looked great. The maple bourbon old fashioned was good, albeit a little sweet. Everyone near us at the bar was local and we really enjoyed talking to them and learning more about their amazing little town. Even the folks who live upstairs were there and they brought their sweet little doggy. read more

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Nice restaurant in the heart of Fairhope. We came for dinner one night right when they opened at 5 pm. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable of the menu and their current specials. The food was seasoned well and we were pleased with our selections! There is indoor and outdoor seating which is nice. The indoor seating area is relatively small so if you have a large group I would contact to make sure there are accommodations. read more

Absolutely loved my lamb burger with loaded fries. Didn't get any pics, but our server was awesome, the weather was nice - we sat outside, and the food was great. My mum had the special which was crab po'boy and fries. Everything was fresh and delicious. read more

Very overpriced. Do not get the stuffed mushrooms. The flavor came from a tomato sauce. Offered drinks filled at the end of the meal. read more

We had a table of 8 and everyone got their food accept one person who had ordered a burger. The burger FINALLY arrived after the rest of the group was more than half way through their meal and it arrived RAW. Burger should have been comped. Completely unacceptable! Will never be returning! read more

We ate there for the first time ever and wondered why we have never. Your shrimp and grits are the bomb ! The staff was wonderful and full of hospitality Alabama style! We will be back and are anxious to try other items on your menu. By the was why are your shrimp and grits the second best in the world? read more

Good burger and variety. Been living in Fairhope awhile and one of my favorite stops for a burger. read more

Locals - Buffalo fried cauliflower - New American Near Me - Fairhope, Alabama

While visiting Fairhope and window shopping, we stopped at Locals for some lunch. Due to the summer heat we ate inside where there was a little coolness. There are plenty of tables outside and also another building a little further down a walkway. I chose the Pecan Arugula salad, topped with goat cheese and dried cherries. This went excellently with the maple balsamic dressing! I added the chicken for some protein. Pretty large portion for a lunch, and reasonably priced. read more

Locals - Pecan Arugula Salad with Chicken - New American Near Me - Fairhope, Alabama

Very good. Got the bruschetta appetizer and loved it, but I wish it had more balsamic or came with a side of balsamic to dip. I loved that there was an option to have a bun less burger for build your own--you can do bunless or have a burger on a salad. My friend got the shrimp scampi pasta and it was like shrimp scampi and Alfredo had a baby. Service was good they checked on us a lot even though they were very busy. We loved the ambiance and enjoyed live music outside for lunch. read more

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Wonderful Italian food. Outdoor sitting. The waitress was very friendly and attentive.

Lovely location. Never been disappointed till today. Had a lunch portion of pasta and marinara. The sauce was dry, like it was cooked a few days ago. Also the portion was extremely small for $17. But here's the real disappointment. Got the flat bread. Very highly recommended by the staff. Maybe too much! The bread had a little crisp to it but the filling was mass quantity of cream cheese and spinach layered with mozzarella cheese. This was not cooked. It was cold. I asked the server to please ask chef if it was supposed to be cold. She tried to explain to me that it gets cooked after bread browns. She never talked to chef It was not good. It was over whelming and uneatable. I hate this but for no one to address my concerns gives me pause to return. read more

Waitress was kind and compassionate. Went with my 19 month old son, my friend and her 3 year old, non verbal daughter, and we sat outside. Everything was fine the first 25 minutes, ordered our food, then my friends daughter got upset because she wanted to run around, so she was trying to comfort and hold her to keep her from getting down and explain why she couldn't. The waitress brought her strawberries and was so understanding. After about 8 minutes of her being fussy, someone who worked there (not the waitress) came to my friend and whispered in her ear that another patron that was inside had complained and asked if she needed a box. & mind you our food was just placed on the table untouched. I would completely understand if it was a child free establishment and if we were inside and she was so loud it was interrupting everyone, but that is not the case and this is NOT a child free world.... Situation could have been handled way more graceful and alternative options could've been given; maybe "would you like to try inside or a different table", ANYTHING, besides how it was handled. I wish more people would be empathetic to the fact that young moms deal with a lot as it is, and choose to stay home most of the time, out of fear of these situations occurring. Felt very berating and completely without compassion. read more

One of the best places I've ever been!! 14 of us and not a single bad thing to say! Food was amazing, service was great, and the bloody Mary's were delicious! I got the pasta primavera .....AMAZING. Outside atmosphere was so fun with live music! read more

They have fantastic food in a beautiful setting. Friendly staff and always a great experience. We frequent a couple times per month Try the blackened fish sandwich for lunch! read more

My husband got take out pasta and shrimp. As usual, the best in food and service. We do take out almost every day for lunch. I had him also get a slice of cheese cake with a topping to try. It was really great. I need to find out what the topping was. read more

I love this restaurant! We especially enjoy the outdoor area which has a bit of a casual French ambiance. It's a fun place to meet up with friends for great food and drinks, friendly service, and they have a nice Happy Hour too. Sometimes there is live music outside in the alley which adds to the overall experience... always a good time at owner Ashley's Locals At The Alley. read more

very simple- don't serve the wilted, locally grown produce, and keep your prepared meats (meat balls) in a state whereby they are not overcooked, dry and reduced to the size of a marble. Fourth generation restaurant owner. read more

We went to Locals for the first time to celebrate my husband's birthday with friends. Everything was spot on. The food was all delicious and the service was superior. We enjoyed the bruschetta and stuffed mushrooms for appetizers. Then, we all enjoyed building our own burgers. The fresh hand-cut fries were amazing! We took our server's great advice and kept our two sauces for our burgers on the side to use as dips for our fries. So yummy!!! The ambiance was perfect. Since they weren't too busy, we were seated in another building in a room all by ourselves and it was awesome. We could be as loud as we wanted without disturbing anybody! We had so much fun!! read more

We're out of this and we're out of that...it's a holiday weekend and you didn't plan for this? Very poor service, poor planning, lots and lots of flies everywhere. They bring us a side dish about 5 minutes before all the meals. And then, the price strategy? Terribly overpriced, left hungry and just feels like it was a very bad choice...and it was. I love other great restaurants in Fairhope with nice quality, clean , and a good value for the price. This was not and we will never select a place like this again that until they change a lot. No excuses, just fix it! read more

I love eating at Locals in Fairhope. The menu is very diverse and I've never had a meal I didn't enjoy. Plus the atmosphere is unique and the service is great. read more

Some confusion within bar on happy hour specials The important thing is that they made it right Met other out of town era there Fun time with a splash of NOLA read more

Staff was completely rude. Came into town for the holiday weekend and Locals came recommended from many we saw online. We showed up. No one was outside. Some other customers and I were a little confused because no one was around. Went inside and a woman dressed all in black gave me an attitude saying the seating hostess is outside. I advised that there wasn't anyone outside, and was given a snarky comment about she was probably sitting someone. How the hell I am I supposed to know to that. First time this whole weekend we met someone so rude. Decided the hell with it, walked out, went around the corner to Thyme and was met with a friendly smile, great service, and amazing food. Considering the same issue happened earlier in exact same day, you think the staff would be even more courteous to customers. Will never walk into your establishment again. read more

Absolutely terrible experience! Booked a reservation months ago due to having a large party size. Despite confirming the reservation multiple times, we arrived to completely unprepared staff. The owner displayed truly horrible customer service. She was highly passive aggressive and continuously made excuses for the fact that we were not seated for an hour after our reservation time and then not served food for another 80+ minutes after we got seated. Food was mediocre at best and the subpar tomato soup certainly didn't make up for the fact that we didn't eat for nearly 2 and half hours after our scheduled dinner reservation. Wrong drinks and dishes were served. I feel truly sorry for her staff as the poor server was doing her best in a truly despicable work environment. I would NEVER trust the owner of this establishment and I hope to see it go back to how it was prior to her return. read more

Totally unorganized and unfriendly. Waitress threw napkins at us and said "I'll be taking care of you ". Literally threw. Everyone looked stressed out and pissed. Burger was pretty good. But the red carpet was definitely not rolled out. Must have been short staffed. read more

This is an interesting burger joint in Fairhope, AL located in a really beautiful space. This restaurant has become known for their gourmet burgers and locally sourced ingredients. They offer much more than burgers and I actually think it is a bit of a shame they are noted more for their burgers as their other food seems to be much more interesting. I also seem to be in the distinct minority as I really didn't find my burger experience to be all that amazing here as although lots of quality ingredients were used the burger meat simply wasn't giving me that juicy delicious flavor I crave in a burger. My burger also had less than optimal structural integrity as they do pile quite a bit of stuff on these burgers which can be both a good thing but also a challenging thing if the bun and beef can't support all that. My side of mashed potatoes were also quite lacking as for some reason no gravy was applied to them... I'm a firm believer mashed potatoes should ALWAYS come with beef gravy on top! I'm also a huge believer in avoiding mayonnaise and ketchup as my mandatory condiment is mustard... Creole mustard being my top choice with other types of spicy mustard being acceptable as well and sadly they just didn't have anything that measured up here as the "chef's mustard" was painfully lacking in flavor to my taste buds. I'm also a big advocate of real aioli and not that fake mayo concoction that so many American chefs tend to try and pass off as aioli... as real European style aioli has NO MAYO in it. Overall I found the space and ambiance here to be really amazing and I would certainly visit again to sample their other food items and I would even give the burgers another go as maybe I just had an exceptionally off experience here compared to other folks. So far out of the MANY burgers I've sampled in Lower Alabama my top choice for the best would still be in Orange Beach at The Keg. I keep hoping to find a joint that can trump that ranking as I'm always hoping for that next burger which will really amaze me! The one other big thing I had a hard time with here was that service was really quite slow and I went for long periods of time with no refill on my iced tea which at the price point of this establishment that really isn't acceptable (again I hope it was just an off day here). So I really, really, really want to love this place but my experience during my initial visit just didn't really work out so well as I had really high expectations so here is hoping for better experiences during future visits. My video review of Locals is here: https://youtu.be/YNMaZdL5hRU read more

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First time in Fairhope visiting family. Met them in the alley at Locals for a casual, quick meal and drinks. First of all, what a pretty alleyway! Such a beautiful area to have a meal. Ambiance was top-notch. Here's what we ate: VEGGIE BURGER I chose the "Ashley" version, which had Fenugreek cheese, mushrooms, sauteed peppers, and peppercorn mustard on focaccia. It was pretty good, although not as amazing as the description sounded. It was a big burger; the patty was nice and flavorful. I would order it again. PORK BURGER This was my husband's choice. He did a "Build Your Own" with sauteed onion and mushroom, red pepper aioli, garlic bleu cheese. He didn't really like it all that much despite the tasty ingredients. This surprises me as it's hard not to love a burger. ARRANCINI Three words: fried risotto balls. Pretty much all you need to know. They were TASTY. You get risotto (good), red pepper sauce (good), FRIED (gooooooooood) ... I loved them very much, what can I say? FRIES Now these were delicious! I love me a good hand cut french fry. Overall, this was a nice dining experience. The food was good, the atmosphere was beautiful - we would definitely come back to try something else non-burger-y. read more

Excellent food! Fantastic service. Great prices and easy parking.. it's so unique in it's decor and arrangement. The outside seating is absolutely beautiful but the inside is comfortable and quaint. We will definitely come here again when we are back in Fairhope. (Visiting from Texas.) read more

Locals - Beautiful outdoor dining. - New American Near Me - Fairhope, Alabama

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Was expecting a lot more due to the solid reviews. The atmosphere & service were wonderful (except for bringing a tablet to the table for payment with 25% tip preselected- incredibly tacky). However, the food is overpriced, uninspired & basic, so in a sense, I guess that makes this place a perfect reflection of modern Fairhope... Overpriced, uninspired, and basic. read more

Service is awesome, had the shrimp pasta the other nite, excellent. Love the summer evening atmosphere.

At 5:00 p.m. yesterday, two out of five of us have never been to Local's. Even before the food was ordered, one was clearly frustrated by the hostess' directions and she noticed the room was extremely warm. Menus arrived and we all noticed the dirt, the pages upside down from each other (the menus were a sign to come). I warned the frustrated friend that Local's has repeated been out of something - greens for salads, mushrooms, some protein. Sure enough, my frustrated friend ordered the pizza and was then told Local's was out. I ordered the arancini, my favorite. 10 minutes later, the server was back saying arancini was not on the menu (the menus had been outdated). Out of 4 tables (about the same amount of diners), us arriving first, our food was the last served. The meatball order was wrong and sent back. The frustrated friend immediately frowned about the so-small fried pasta and only ate 1/8th. My $12 ricotta dip was 5 3x3" pieces of skinny focaccia and a SMEAR of ricotta (where was the dip?). A skip the bun burger was served so unappetizing, looking naked by itself on a gigantic plate. Fries were greasy and over salted. Getting the bill paid was another ordeal with the server having to go back to figure out the new payment system. By then, the table's consensus was that overall Fairhope's dining scene has worsened - food and service - and not just based on this experience. Once outstanding, now Local's has fallen into that category. I've been there 6 times and won't be back. And certainly not my frustrated friend and most of my table. read more

First time to ever step foot in downtown fairhope Alabama and was told to try Locals. No hostess at stand so went inside and found a human working there and she looked super offended I interrupted her. She told me to go to hostess stand and I said oh nobody is there. Went back to hostess stand along w 2 other ladies who had shown up. She says she is going to seat me in the bar so we walk through this long alley that I didn't know was part of the restaurant and I said could I just sit outside? She said sure and I picked a table. This old man walks by and pours his drink out in the plant directly 2 inches behind me and turns out he's the musician/ singer in the alley. Who knew‍ I sat and reviewed the menu and watched people get served food and waters. I figured out what I wanted and k still sat w nobody saying a word. I made eye contact w 2 servers. Nothing. I got up and went to bar to ask who could serve me and he said "what do you need" and I said a server and he said he has this entire area inside at the bar but he's be there. I sat again. I stared and sat and stared and sat. Nobody ever came. I got up and went to front passing what seemed like happy customers in the alley but nobody helped me not one person. And I sat there a good 20 minutes or more. Pretty sad to be passed by servers , ask for help from the bartender and still nobody helped. I took my menu and my unwrapped silverware to the front and All the hostess could do was apologize. I even asked if there was a table inside where I could get service and she said no but I could pick any table by the door leading inside. maybe then I'd get seen and sever? Idk They were not that busy! What they are is under staffed ? and their staff they have is rude and they have zero customer skills! This is mainly a review for management that should know how their employees treat others at their establishment. Not good! Never ever should someone wanting to spend money at your establishment be treated this way or made to feel this way! read more

Came here while visiting family in Fairhope. The location and outdoor seating are perfect for an afternoon on the town. It was a particularly hot day so we sat in the back room outside, but I recommend if you stop by to sit outside (pending the weather). Ordered a walnut and cranberry salad with shrimp. Portions were decent and shrimp was tasty! Servers were friendly. Only recommendation is to add some music to the back room, since it was very quiet, but otherwise recommend. read more