David W.
Yelp
As someone who has walked through Rice Village many times, I'm surprised I haven't come across this place earlier. The Local Foods Market finds a way to hit a lot of the attractive qualities of a health conscious restaurant (locally sourced ingredients, tasty food, aesthetically pleasing building design, adequate parking/walking accessibility) without sacrificing affordability and portion size.
Chicken Shawarma Bowl: this is nothing like your local gyro restaurant. Its ingredients have been modified into a healthier theme, and comparing it to authentic chicken shawarma would be apples to oranges. Nevertheless, the dill yogurt and feta made the chicken very tasty. It also made the greens easy to eat. My favorite part of this dish was the brussels sprouts; crispy, well-seasoned, and felt like a cheat code for fiber.
Crunchy chicken sandwich - this was my friend's order and I only took one bite but man, I'm ordering this next time! I shied away because I had a fried chicken sandwich the day before, but the reason this sandwich is named "crunchy" is due to the pretzel bun, not the chicken. The buttermilk ranch is to die for, leaving a savory aftertaste afterwards.
If the weather permits it, I recommend sitting outside. The indoor seating is pretty too, but doesn't capture the urbanistic Midtown vibe as well as outdoors. Service is over the counter and you pick up the food yourself when it's ready. Support your local growers and give this place a try!