We love McDowell Local! They source from local farms and you can tell! So delicious and such a gem in Marion.

Quality local food that was tasty and with prompt and friendly service. Housemade pizza with 00 Italian flour distinguishes McDowell Local from most competition anywhere. I could even eat it as gluten sensitive. Fresh and delicious salad with lots of house made dressings and marinated toppings. If you are a cheese lover, recommend you customize your pizza. read more

I was in town for work and this place was highly suggested to me by multiple people. They were right! The food is delicious and they serve good portions. We came in for lunch and most of us got sandwiches and burgers - they were really really good. Get the tots. I would also highly suggest getting a cupcake because we got a few for the table and they were a perfect ending to a really good lunch. Highly suggest! read more

I hadn't eaten here till this year. Hate I waited. Love their food. Burgers are cooked to order and although I haven't tasted the pizza kids love it. Use of local food sources makes it that much better. read more

After stopping by Mica Town Brewery for a cold beer, the staff recommended McDowell Local for a good meal. I walked up the street and sat at the bar. The staff provided average service. The barbecue sandwich was great. The tater tots were hot and fresh. They have a limited selection of beers on tap but a few decent beers in the bottle. Pretty good meal for a first-time visitor. read more

Great food and service! I highly recommend the pork rinds & pimento cheese appetizer! The burger was awesome too! read more

McDowell Local - American Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

I have eaten at the previous location before, this one is bigger and nicer. Food is still good, and staff is nice however, they were severely understaffed!! Tables remained unbussed for over 30 minutes, we were given plastic forks because they had no dishwasher and therefore they ran out of silverware!! Had to scavenge my own napkins and ketchup also. After they hire enough staff I can recommend this place. read more

Fun local place! We loved that food was sourced locally, made in house , and tasted great! Lots of options on the menu. Portions were generous. Wait staff was pleasant and helpful. Cool atmosphere. Convenient hours, we were there in the middle of the afternoon. Loved the location downtown. We ordered the small plate sampler platter, poutine, The Tesla salad, pizza, build your own burger, chicken tenders.. all tasted good. The fries were delicious and they brought out multiple dipping sauces that were all made in house. read more

McDowell Local - Rose - American Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

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Great experience here! Friendly and quick service, and excellent, reasonably priced food! I got the "Main Street" with a black bean burger instead of beef. SO yummy and filling. Would definitely go again. read more

McDowell Local - American Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

The Marion Hot with tempeh is one of my favorite things I've ever eaten. I usually eat out just once a month (if that) but I eat this sandwich almost weekly now. The tempeh is spicy and hearty, the pickles and jalapeños impart the perfect amount of vinegar and spice, and the creamy dressing and soft bun round things out perfectly. Highly recommend. So happy to have some vegetarian/vegan options in Marion! read more

A really great neighborhood burger joint. The menu was small, yes, but it did cater to meat eaters, vegetarians (available tempeh and house veggie burgers in place of beef), beer drinkers (very well-priced draughts) and daily specials (a 30 oz porterhouse? hello beef). The fries are hand-cut and spot on. The atmosphere is small-town chic, with schoolhouse chairs and various paraphernalia on the walls. I loved the vibe, even if it was quiet by 8pm on a Saturday. Oh and the burger was terrific: juicy, well-topped, and nestled between pillowy pretzel buns. read more

McDowell Local - The Local. I know, everyone says get a burger. It's true though! - American Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

Went here after hiking Mt Mitchell. Burgers were good (I had the Local, my wife had the classic). House cut fries were yummy. I splurged for the poutine fries, it was ok. If given a second chance, I would have just gotten the regular fries. Good local beer selection, I would recommend! read more

McDowell Local - Local burger, poutine fries, Boone Creek Blonde Ale - American Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

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The bad: limited menu, burger was way over cooked (was asked how I wanted it, medium rare, came to me very well done) and barely any cheese. The good: fast courteous service, food came quick. Cheese curds are outstanding. Everything is fresh and local including the soda (Cheerwine and RC Cola (not a fan of either)). Even though I'm not a fan of this place, I will be fair and suggest anyone to give it a try. The food wasn't bad, I'm just picky on what I think a good burger should be... it was certainly better than fast food (McDonalds) and has a fair price. read more

We loved our experience here. The food was delicious. Our waitress was excellent. We will be back soon!!

It was ok nothing to right mom about. Had the liver mush sandwich which could of been better without the mustard. Pork rind with pimiento cheese was good. Chicken tenders were crunchy but no flavor. Waitstaff was pretty awesome she gave us great service & gave us a military discount. Will I come back no. read more

Three strikes out. I have tried to support local owner. I have been here several times over few years. This year has been going downhill. For example. Grilled trout sandwich. At my forth bites I couldn't taste trout except just cheese and toast. I opened sandwich. There were just very very little trout dip. I called waiter. All she said. Oh it mixed in cheese. Later waiter filled water and asked how was everything. We said not really okay. She said oh good glad it okay and quickly walked off. So this time will not come back. read more

Very good. Love the Pork Rinds with Pimento Cheese and the Titan Burger. The Italian Margarita the other night was delicious. Nice casual atmosphere. read more

Nice little burger joint right in the middle of downtown Marion. They had a nice selection of small plates and other apps, but the burgers really caught my eye. There were some unique toppings on some of the burgers (pickled okra), but I decided to go with the standard, medium, with poutine fries! I have to say the poutine fries stole the show, I could have ate a plateful! The burger was good, great toppings, but it was a little overcooked and I'm not a fan of pretzel buns, but all in all a good burger. Everyone in our party had clean plates! read more

McDowell Local - The classic with poutine fries!! Delicious - American Near Me - Marion, North Carolina

My wife and I ate lunch there today and ordered two burgers with fries. It took over an hour before we got our food. The fries were hot but the burgers were very small, not cook to our specifications and only room temperature. The waitress was very nice and seemed to be hustling. For the money, I do not recommend this restaurant. read more

Great local place!! We stumbled upon it our first night in town and was one of the only places open! food was delicious and the staff was super friendly and knowledgeable. Lots of local fare to enjoy!! read more

We made the trip to Marion after seeing the Local mentioned in an article in Our State magazine. The article went a bit far and built lofty expectations. The food was very good, but not the extreme experience described in the article. I had the Marion hot -- essentially a Buffalo chicken sandwich -- and my wife had the patty melt. The made-in-house salad dressings stand out. The beer selection is pretty good. It is a place we probably will visit again. read more

First time eating here. A real gem. All of the employees are super nice and food was fantastic. Will come back down the mountain from Asheville to eat here again! read more

Local is amazing! We had the sampler to start. Delicious! 3 kinds of cheese (one was goat). Pickled peppers and onions. And pita. All from local farms. Then came hamburgers - juicy and tender. Bun was toasty. And the list of toppings went on and on. We had salad with the burgers. Lovely greens and the dressing was out of this world. Staff was so friendly and helpful. What a gem. We'll be back! read more

Found this on google maps and thought we'd try it. They have tables spaced well out, servers are wearing masks and super friendly. I got the Titan burger single and it was perfectly cooked, with bacon, a fried egg and some cheese. The fries were cooked so good. Shyanne was an amazing, personal waitress and even made fresh coffee for my parents. read more

We really enjoyed the classic smash burger, the bacon cheddar burger, and the fries. Best burgers we've had in a good while. The pickles on the burger tasted so fresh - loved them! And the Sasquatch Sour was also a hit. Staff is very welcoming. Would definitely come back on a non-Bigfoot Festival weekend to try other menu items. read more

My family's favorite restaurant! Great food and beverage options and wonderful service!!! I love how they incorporate locally sourced products for their food and beverages. Will not disappoint! Great atmosphere and I love the vintage decor! Sometimes we go to the brewery behind it(Mica Town) and order food to-go and eat at the brewery! read more

We really wanted to like this place, but the food was average. The buffalo chicken sandwich was a good flavor, but so full of rubbery tendons I had to leave a large portion uneaten on my plate. The gravy on poutine fries had very little flavor. The woodstock pizza was overwhelmed by the powdered parmesan, so none of the other flavors could be found. The wood-fired crust was good, so if I were to return, I would likely stick to a basic pizza. read more

Great off-the-beaten path location. Poutine is not to be missed! As are all the local ingredients!

Had lunch at the McDowell Eatery for the first time was skeptical of the restaurant being it as change several owners with several different names had to tighten hamburger which is to 5 oz hamburgers an egg and mayonnaise with lettuce hamburger was not that bad was cooked fresh french fries for little overcooked but it may be just the brand of fries they use service was okay for the time of day that we had service could have been better but it may have been because there was a festival going on so they were a little busier than usual I will recommend McDowell Eatery since I look forward to going back a second time to try something different read more

Love the tesla salad with grilled chicken and onion vinaigrette. It was so good and fresh, great selection of local craft beers although only one on tap. Definitely will come here again during our week in Marion, Nc read more

We stopped for a quick lunch in Marion--and lucked out to find this gem. Interesting and unique menu, fresh ingredients, excellent service. We had the fried green tomato BLT and a side salad with house dressing. Outstanding. read more

Outstanding! Order the pimento cheese and pork rinds. They are made to order and come to the table still popping. Everything is made with delicious local products, and they really care about the food. Every element on the plate is executed perfectly. Casual easy atmosphere and great prices. Worth a drive to Marion if you're not already in town. read more

We randomly selected this restaurant for a late lunch on our way back from Emerald Village and were very pleased with our choice. My 7 year old granddaughter took one bite of her grilled cheese and proclaimed "this is quality cheese!". Her 10 year old sister said it was the best hamburger she had ever had! My sister and I indulged in a Carolina Burger! It's an easy drive down from crowded Asheville and you can visit Black Mountain, too. read more

Sometimes, when traveling and we're in small towns, I wonder what we will find to eat as vegetarians. Meat and iceberg lettuce are far too familiar. But then you stumbled into a place like McDowell's, with fresh food...spring salad mix, a great black bean burger, yummy string French fries, hot and salted just right, local ciders, and you realize all is well in the world. Friendly service and good pricing rounds out the "I'll be back" attitude businesses should be shooting read more

The food here is always very delicious. However, I purchased a glass of wine, expecting it to be pricey despite no prices on the menu. I get the wine, it's maybe 1/4 of the way full, not even kidding...and I'm charged 7$ for it. I was expecting to pay 5$, which is the same price of their high end beers, but 7$ for not even a third of glass of wine...definitely felt like a bit of a rip off. read more

This place is FANTASTIC. Their gluten free selection is awesome, the food is unbelievably delicious, and the staff is great too. I definitely plan to come back! read more

Excellent food and great service. Locally sourced and delicious! Place is super clean and building is cute. Guessing the limited tables is due to Covid but was an all around great experience! read more

Waited 45 minutes or more just to be served an overcooked hamburger! The grilled chicken sandwich was difficult to chew and french fries were overcooked and obviously weren't cooked for our meal. The tater tots were good and he wait staff was friendly. read more

Great place to enjoy a hamburger and local beer if you are doing the blue ridge parkway! I've got a local option burger & an AMB Spoaty Oaty pale ale. Great! read more

Best burger in McDowell County! Everything is fresh, locally sourced, and cooked to order. They even make their own pickled accoutrements. Best American style cuisine on Main Street. Also offering amazing sweet treats from Carolina Baking Company! read more