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The Local

3.8 (619 reviews)
Closed • 5:00 pm - 10:00 PM

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THE LOCAL ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - The Local

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Reviews With Photos

Bison tostada
Ute R.

Came here for our daughter's 25th birthday. we did have reservations and everything went smoothly. our server Claudia was very accommodating. We ordered as appetizers the Crab soup, Crispy Shrimp and the Bison tostada. The crab soup and the Shrimps were exquisite . The bison tostada was so so. For main course we ordered the Crab pasta , Bison short rib and the NY strip steak, all were excellent. for deserts we had the. bread pudding and the crème brûlée cheesecake. Once again everything was delicious..

Crispy Shrimp
Melody Y.

Crispy shrimp: crispy, lightly battered, paired well with a sweet crunchy seaweed salad. Meatloaf: this was really good. The waiter recommended it as one of the popular menu items and I was a little hesitant but it was packed with flavor. Fried chicken: has a little kick to it!

Bison short rib and New York strip
Nichole C.

My husband and I recently celebrated our wedding anniversary here. The food was top tier and staff were very helpful with recommendations. The short rib was fall of the bone tender, no knife needed. My husband was very pleased with the New York strip that was cooked to perfection. We look forward to our next visit!

The Local Resturant

Ambiance was welcoming and warm. Jeremy who was our server was excellent - attentive and pleasant without being overpowering. Food was first rate. Each plate was superb. Our two sons had smash burgers that they rated 10/10. Crispy shrimp appetizer was the best we've ever had. Tenderloin special was exceptional as was the salmon. Do not miss dessert! You will not be disappointed! Rarely do we find a restaurant with this level of consistency which makes for such an outstanding meal. Highly recommend "The Local"!

Berkshire Pork Chop
Cole M.

This was the most quintessential Charlottesville inspired upscale restaurant I have been too. Very fitting to be called the local. The food was solid, the drinks were great, and the service was good. The only reason I give this place a 4 stars rather than 5 is the price point. While not drastically overpriced the food I expected to blow me away. Maybe my expectations were too high and maybe I should give this another shot as many have told me great things about this place. I just walked away a little underwhelmed. Would try again.

Bison Local Buffalo Creek Beef Short Ribs
Glenn N.

I've been in town this past week visiting my daughter in Charlottesville. Last night was our last night in town so we stopped by the local place for dinner. The establishment is very rustic and is a skillful use of repurposed architecture. There were four of us so I fully expected to spend a few dollars. With that being said. I have high expectations and unfortunately they weren't met. The service was not very good we waited 15 minutes for our server to say hello and another 10 minutes for him to return. We placed our drink order and received weak cocktails that were junior size drinks. One would expect a premium drink for a premium price this was not the case. After our appetizers arrived our meal came out shortly afterwards. My wife and I each had the bison short ribs. The ribs were hot and tasty. The rest of the dish was not so much. In addition to the ribs, mashed potatoes, onions, and grilled carrots listed on the menu. I received two carrots mashed potatoes that were both hard and cold.and no onions. My wife received one carrot,1/2 onion and cold mashed potatoes. I'm not trying to split hairs, but if you're going to drop some coin on an expensive meal, you should get What you ordered. During dinner, it was very difficult to get our waiters attention so much so I had to get up and get my own salt. When it was time to settle up, we spent well over $200. The overall experience was disappointing, and I would be reticent to come back again. If you're going hold yourself up as being a fine dining establishment then act like one. One thing to mention not once during our visit did a manager or anyone else asked us how our food was. There are a lot of dining options in Charlottesville this one I won't be coming back to.

Gnocchi Bolognese de Chef Boyardee
Layne R.

Genuinely, Without Exaggeration, the Worst Restaurant in Charlottesville Go ahead and laugh! My track record in writing positive reviews speaks for itself. This place is horrific. I am upset that I'm spending any time at all talking about this abomination, but I care about the Cvillians who might consider sacrificing their stomachs and sanity to eat here. My family went here on Mother's Day. We arrived 8 minutes early for our reservation. We were greeted by a manager who immediately complained about us and other people being early for our reservation and how difficult that was for them. Strike 1. We sat down outside. Our waitress was friendly, but was responsible for nearly every table outside, and they were packed. At one point, she was reduced to tears from the stress. It appeared that off to the side, the manager was lecturing her for crying. Strike 2. I ordered She-crab soup. It came out and looked like vomit. There were no crab bits. It tasted bland. I waved down someone from the kitchen and asked to return it. They agreed that they don't even like it. Strike 3. My wife ordered a salad appetizer specifically as an entree. It came out 20 minutes before anybody else's meal. The croutons were stale. Strike 4. The manager came and apologized to tables for his rudeness. He said we can understand that sometimes, we have bad days. Strike 5. My gnocchi came out. It tasted like Chef Boyardee Ravioli. I ran to the bathroom and nearly vomited. Strike 6. Everyone else's meal was also terrible. Strike 7. My pregnant wife, my mom, and my grandmother were all unhappy. On Mother's Day. Strike 8. Go ahead. Ignore me. Pay $18 for canned meat and greasy noodles. I hope people wise up and avoid this place so that it can promptly go to Hell.

Goat cheese salad, crab soup Goat Cheese Salad Crab Soup
Two Lucky D.

This tiny spot is a hole in the wall in the best way -- serving the best food we had in Charlottesville. The dishes were fresh and fantastic, highlighting locally sourced ingredients and thoughtful seasonal flavors that stand out from the usual tourist fare. The atmosphere was cozy and authentic, making you feel like you're truly experiencing something unique. If you want a memorable meal that showcases Charlottesville's farm-to-table scene, this should be at the top of your list.

Beau A.

One of the best $30 steaks I ever ate. I had to stop in here on my way across Virginia to Petersburg because my family and I stopped in here on vacation two years ago. I got to sit at the exact same table. I ordered the New York strip, and it was exquisite just as I remember. They even had live music afterwards. Open mic Monday night!

NY Strip Steak
Grace B.

The service was fantastic. The vibe was so lovely and the bar area was so cool. We loved how all of the food was locally sourced. The cheese plate was fantastic as well! Oh and the crab soup! This strip steak was so yummy and the sauce on it was amazing!!

Cheesecake (front) Flourless Chocolate Cake (back)
Zoe G.

Went for restaurant week. Food was amazing. The cauliflower and Brussels sprouts were so good.

Meatloaf
Emma E.

Eh. Certainly not the worst dinner I've had but when the Local stacks up against other New American fare in Charlottesville it doesn't quite hold up in comparison. 3/5 TLDR the food is fine but not the best I've had here. If you're looking for ~$20 per person entrees for a decent night out you'll find it, but better and similar fare can be found at other spots around town. The service and the ambiance are both good, it's very cute inside and old wood and bricks. The building is historic and it's well curated with local art. Tables are far too close together we were basically sitting on top of the people behind us and that was uncomfortable. Dining room was way too cold in the winter -bring a jacket. The start we had a cheese and fruit plate. The cheese was pretty boring IMO - Brie, smoked Gouda, and then two white cheeses probably a cheddar and Parmesan. Fruit was grapes and apples. Good, but again kind of just meh. For entrees, we had two pasta dishes at our table and two meat entrees. I had the shrimp carbonara, my friend had the truffle mushroom linguine, my boyfriend had the meatloaf (recommended by our server) and my friends boyfriend had the steak. All of us felt very meh - there was no standout dish everything was kind of just meh. My shrimp carbonara was okay, the pasta was the star. It was perfectly cooked and the pasta tasted handmade. The shrimp half was tail on half was tail off and it felt cooked unevenly - some pieces were cooked too long and super curled and rubbery, some pieces were juicier. The sauce was a letdown - for a carbonara, this was like eating cheese water. Thin and very little flavor. I did not finish it and didn't bother taking more home. Not the best pasta in Charlottesville. This was the second dish our server recommended. My boyfriend had the first recommended dish by our server, the meatloaf. It was wrapped in bacon atop mashed potato's and green beans. He said the green beans were slightly undercooked without much flavor but the mashed potato's were good. Meatloaf was good but could've used more sauce. My friends mushroom pasta smelled delicious - she had similar takeaways about her pasta that I did of mine. Good pasta, but lacking in some flavor and thin sauce. Good, but not great. Her boyfriend ordered a medium steak and this was definitely a disappointment. Let's just be honest - this steak was rare. He said the sides were good but the steak being undercooked and under seasoned was a let down considering it was a pricier item. Beer was good, selection is decent. Dessert was good we had peanut butter brownie w ice cream and a pecan pie. Very average but still good. Overall I didn't feel like anything really stood out to me except the prices - C&O, Orzo and the Ridley, even Mockingbird all kinda have similar fare to the Local with some minor variations but all do a better job than the local with everything except price. Everywhere else charges about $30+ per person so I was happy we paid a little less but would've been willing to pay more for better food. Overall the local is good but not great - personally Charlottesville restaurant scene is so competitive I would probably look elsewhere in the future for New American fare.

Steak Frites

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5 years ago

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2 years ago

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1 year ago

Great service and great food! Their charcuterie platter is a meal unto itself! Filled with local cheeses and meats this is a must!

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2 years ago

Great food, service, staff. Comfortable, not too loud. Varied menu. It's been around since 2008 for good reason!

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1 year ago

Lily was amazing! We were nervous due to the reviews but completely enjoyed ourselves!

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5 years ago

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1 year ago

Do not get the sauce on the beef. Tastes like literal asshole. The service is very good.

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2 years ago

Waited too long at reception desk. Cauliflower and brussel sprout starter was delicious.

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Page 2 of 16

Ask the Community - The Local

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Tonic

4.2(97 reviews)
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High end creative food with a not pretentious vibe. The miso maple salmon and the grilled pork chop…read morewith hominy and crimini shrooms are my fav mains. Multiple layers of flavor and all the right textures. Visually appealing on the plate as well. Solid cocktail list here. I'm a big fan that they go old school with a hot toddy. The applejack brandy added to that is a nice touch. Service is excellent here. Prices reasonable given the quality of the dishes. Will be back the next time I'm in town for sure. Take out orders here https://orders.cake.net/11301553 Reservations via Resy.

Walking up this place has great ambiance, perfect for a first date. The indoor seating was closed…read morebut the outdoor seating was great. The menu was quite promising. Ordered a cucumber chamomile gin and tonic, which left something to be desired. We started with the blackberry salad which on the menu said it also included avocado but there was none on the salad-despite this the salad was great. Our mains were good but not great. The biggest issue I found here was despite our server being very nice while ordering she NEVER checked in on us after anything arrived, never refilled waters either. So although she was nice the service was not good as there were times we wanted to order something else and one of the entrees didn't arrive as it was ordered but our server never checked in. All things considered I think I would only come here to grab a salad or appetizer.

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Broadcloth - Jefferson red rice, buttered MD crab, seared okra, Jimmy Nardello peppers

Broadcloth

4.7(59 reviews)
1.1 mi

We had the absolute fortune of being served by Cecilia and had a wonderful four course meal!…read moreCecilia had great suggestions as this was our first time and everything was an absolute hit. There is an extensive beverage menu as well and Cecilia was very helpful for selecting a drink (highly recommend the sans-gria for any fellow N/A drinkers out there!). The European sized dishes came together for a very lovely dinner. The chefs know what they're doing, the front of house is fabulous, and the ambience is warm and cozy!

I don't live in the Charlottesville area, but if I did, I'd definitely be a regular at Broadcloth,…read morewhere Chef Tucker is really doing something special at the most unassuming building you can possibly imagine. Open only 4 days a week, the menu changes each week. If you sit in the lounge or at the bar, you can do a la carte, or there are options for multi-course tasting menus where you can choose your courses for most of them. We most recently visited for our anniversary weekend, sat at the bar with Michael, and everything was just excellent. Great portions, seasoning, protein temperatures, dish compositions...you name it, we enjoyed it. I also really, really appreciate their beverage program and wine list. Their wines by the glass list is pretty extensive, and they not only feature a really good selection from around the world, but also VA wines, especially the ones they feature from their own label, made by Joy Ting. I haven't had a wine of hers I haven't liked, but we chose our own adventure this time around by choosing different wines and splitting most dishes so we could try the majority of the menu. It's a 1-2x a year place for me just because we're not local, but it's definitely worth the drive.

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4.1(655 reviews)
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Gluten-free friendly
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Tried Burtons on the recommendation of the hotel we stayed at and had a wonderful experience that…read moreevening. My wife and I were warmly greeted and seated upon our arrival. Our server Elle was welcoming, friendly, knowledgeable on the menu and attentive throughout our stay. Restaurant features a full bar with seating as well as tables and booths behind the bar area with a relaxing stay at home ambiance. The food topped off the wonderful experience. I highly recommend the fried cauliflower which complimented my Sierra Nevada Oktoberfest glass of beer . Both the California Chicken Sandwich was juicy and well seasoned while The Prime Burger was cooked to perfection and well portioned. Topped off with a couple of cappuccinos to end the experience. Overall a great restaurant serving delicious, well portioned and reasonably priced food and staffed with exceptional customer service focused team members. Definitively with a visit.

We had an excellent experience at Burtons in Charlottesville!…read more Jessica was our server and was absolutely fantastic--friendly, attentive, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout our meal. She really made the experience enjoyable. I also want to recognize Lyndon, the manager. He was incredibly welcoming and clearly takes pride in making sure guests have a great experience. The combination of excellent service, great management, and delicious food made this visit stand out. Jessica and Lyndon are both a huge asset to the Burtons team. We'll definitely be back!

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The Local - newamerican - Updated October 2026

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