The LOCAL Kitchen & Drinks Waltham

We (2 adults and 2 kids) came here on New Year's Eve around 530pm. There's tons of parking. There was no wait. The restaurant is very beautiful with a modern design. My kids had chocolate milks (not included with kids' meals), my boyfriend had one beer on draft, and I stuck with water. Everything came out very quickly. We started with the Brussel sprouts and they were so good. The pairing of the cheese with the sauce was amazing. We could not finish it because it was so big. I had a "bowl" of clam chowder, which was tasty (I didn't even need to add salt or pepper), but really only the size of a cup. My kids had the kids' cheeseburger and kids grilled cheese. Their fries were very good. I didn't try their sandwiches but they liked them and finished their meals. My boyfriend got the Tuesday seafood rigatoni special, which boasts 3 kinda of seafood. The flavor was great but only had one kind of seafood in it (calamari) and the garlic bread was just okay. I ordered the short ribs because I just love short ribs and they were kind of a letdown. They were just okay, the mashed potatoes were very good I thought, but the spinach was very wet and tasteless. I had to drain the water off my plate at one point and add a ton of salt and pepper. For dessert, the kids had kids ice cream sundaes. My boyfriend and I shared the cookie skillet, which was very hot but definitely could have used more time cooking. The service was amazing and we could not have been happier with the staff. The total before tax was $127 or so.

First time at this LOCAL location. It was packed and busy, but they got us seated pronto. Staff was super nice and helpful, but clearly insanely busy. A popular Mexican spot in the same strip mall was closed that night, which apparently drove diners next door. It was loud as a result, and rather chaotic with quite a number of large (8-16) parties. They did a great job with the chaos. My steak tips salad was quite yummy. The fries were less impressive - not crispy at all. Cocktail was mediocre. I'd visit again, but won't rush to.

This place is very clean and spacious. The food is excellent. They give you cornbread when you are seated and it was probably one of the better corn breads I've ever had. We got the burrata to start and it was really good with balsamic and fried garlic. Then we had their brunch burger and it was so juicy and flavorful. We will have to go back to try the rest of the menu. Our waitress was really nice and on point!

First time to eat here. Walked over half a mile to get here, but the food was definitely worth it. I had the fried pickles as an appetizer. They were thin and crispy, and the bourbon sauce was great. I had the Smashburger, and it was pretty good. A big portion of fries were crispy and well seasoned. I definitely recommend it. The half mile walk back to the hotel was rough due to a very full belly.

Walked in without a reservation on a busy Tuesday night. Got seated right away. Server was friendly and prompt to the table to take our order and then with drinks and dinner. A quick 3 minute walk from the Westin across the street. Both salads were large and had plenty of chicken. A great place with a very large whiskey selection. They have a large patio for dining as well. I'd definitely return.

We ate outside. The music was incredibly loud. I couldn’t have a decent conversation with my friend. I asked our server if she could lower the volume. She said she would ask her boss. She came back later and said that the owner likes the music loud. I ordered the Cajun chicken sandwich. I really didn’t like it. All in all – never going back

This was our first time here. The parking was very easy. The restaurant is handicapped accessible. The atmosphere was very plain. Our server was very efficient. The menu prices seemed reasonable. I have to say that my wife and I both ordered hamburgers and they were the biggest hamburgers I’ve had in my life. The waitress said that they were 8 ounce burgers, but I believe they were more like 10. They were cooked perfectly. They have a well-stocked bar that sits about 20 people. They had a nice little area to sit outside and watch the main street. It was cold the day that we went so we could not sit outside, but I would imagine sitting outside, having a beer on their porch on a nice summer day with a view of this cute little town would’ve been a wonderful treat.

I never expected such a great surprise from this restaurant! The Honey Asian Salad is absolutely delicious—perfect for me. My kids can’t get enough of the Buffalo Tenders, and the Energy Bowl makes an amazing lunch. Highly recommend!

"Zeitgeist of the sprawling expanse, deftly translated for the dining class." -Das E. Welcome to the fifth stop on my "Eat the Distance!" tour! Not only, but this is also my very first official review as a member of Yelp's elite Elite! Not sure what daring do has arrived us here, but alas. The Local. What you find here is not merely generic, but the "generic expected", hewn and polished to a state of perfect presentation. You have already visited this glitzie pub a hundred times or more, and everything you've already imagined obtains. The steak tacos were as good as expected, as well as were the nachos and "pork buns" (though these were fried real special like). I was happy to spot a prosecco rosé by the glass, though espresso martinis have apparently become quite the boisson au choix among today's after-hours busy-beavers. Ambience and feel again generic to the level of a term of art, with no expectation exceeded nor unmet, no surprises left lurking around any corner booth, nothing at all under the sun. Could be in any town this side of Long Island, that no-place that is everywhere, that brutalism-on-the-palate timelessness which sets The Local Kitchen & Drinks centrally in relation to the thousands of others in its class. Well done! A rousing success! Loved by millions!

Had lunch today here with 4 friends and my husband. We had a good meal here where we ate indoors but there is outdoor seating if you want to be there too. We had two different appetizers which we all shared and then some of us had the specials that were available. Our server did a nice job being able to do separate checks between all of us and making sure we had enough to drink and that our food came out when it was ready. The area we sat had good lighting and we all felt mostly comfortable though the air conditioning felt like it was up a little too high. I felt that this place was enjoyable to visit again but I will bring a long sleeved shirt with me on a hot day.

Christmas is over but I'd like one more festive cocktail. Emily our server to the rescue with a Winter Berry cocktail, crushed candy cane rim. Yup, that will get me through to Christmas 2025. I have a favorite lunch item that luckily has stayed on the menu for years.... Butternut Squash with goat cheese and cranberries. It never disappoints. One more thing.... I love walking around and seeing all the framed vintage scenes of Waltham And.... I asked the hostess for a quiet location. She walked us to the furthest corner and said " this is our most quiet booth". It was quiet

Food yummy and fresh, service excellent, atmosphere great, clean and modern restaurant. Excellent!

I had the steak tips really were a 10 out of ten the mash potatoes and even the broccoli was delicious paired with a cotton candy IPA , the only down side was the bartender put too much ice in my old fashioned, I would highly recommend and make a reservation

Yes we would recommend this place . The food was good and so was the service . We had the chicken Milanese and the Caesar salad . Both were tasty.

Walked in without a reservation on a busy Tuesday night. Got seated right away. Server was friendly and prompt to the table to take our order and then with drinks and dinner. Both salads were large and had plenty of chicken. A great place with a very large whiskey selection. They have a large patio for dining as well. I'd definitely return.

Had a relaxing lunch to catch up with a friend. Service was friendly and attentive. My friend had the fish tacos which she enjoyed- and she raved about the rice that came with it. Seasoned perfectly and flavorful. I had the French Dip with a side Caesar option. (Instead of fries). I wasn't excited about the gravy- it was some reddish brown thickened version that was not the au jus that I prefer/expect. But I would order again because the sandwich was delicious- it's made with short rib. We both enjoyed wine from the list that had many good options. Plenty of free parking.

Food was fine. Not amazing. Wife had chicken bowl (chicken was breaded and there was some sort of dressing.) i had the steak tacos, which were good but sort of average. Came with scoop of rice. Sort of boring presentation. Waitress was efficient and quite pleasant. Beer selection decent. Wife likes Truly and they don't have Truly. Not sure why. That is the best seltzer out there.

Amazing food and service! Brendan was an amazing, attentive server! I got the classic cheeseburger and it was amazing, especially the fries!

Nachos- good love them would order again Burger with parm fries- love the fries burger was so so Salads: good but way too overdressed, makes everything soggy Overall it's good American food but there's definitely room for improvement

During doctor appointments local to The Local, (lol) we swing in here for lunch often enough and find it to be wonderful inside, the servers are always so kind and attentive, and when I get the tuna poke bowl without the grain (double seaweed), they don't have an issue accommodating. It's worth nothing the extra lemon in my soda water wasn't skimpy too :) wish there was a closer location to me, but it's really great there & we hope to enjoy again soon! Their business is doing such an awesome job!

AMAZING. I got the honey Asian chicken salad. Legitimately so delicious and such a generous portion. The inside of The Local is nice and modern, maybe a little bit fancier than just your regular casual spot. Our waiter was very kind and attentive. Great experience!

Two friends and I visited the local kitchen & drinks for dinner. The ambiance was very relaxed and modern. We ordered the truffled gnocchi, twin crab cakes, and New England clam chowder. The crab cakes had generous portions of crab and was very flavorful. The gnocchi was my favorite dish - it was very savory and rich. The clam chowder was very rich and creamy as well. Our waitress was very attentive, though our food did take a while to come out. Overall we had a great experience and will return next time we're in the area.

They never answer the phone and take forever for takeout. Not ideal if you're a business man and always on the go

Always have great food and drinks here. Allison the bartender was awesome and Maricio our server was awesome as six of us celebrated a Bentley University basketball last second shot win. Extra tips to the cook staff for their work. Place feels like home and we have never had a bad meal. Espresso martini on point.

Amazing service! Loved their lobster soup and fish tacos. Great selection of local beers . When working in the area, will come again.

Anne, our server arranged keto meals for us Wed Aug 21. She made us welcome and was kind, attentive, and efficient making our dining experience wonderful. I got to have the spare ribs. Thanks to Chef for the "no added carbs" sauce as well. Confidant we could have done full on carnivore if we preferred due to Anne and Chef's attention to our dietary need Watched a thunderstorm and stayed dry on their excellent patio

The server Marcello really made the night so much better!! He has a great personality and was very attentive and helpful. Our two meals were also amazing, and I like the lighting and the vibe in the space :) I definitely will be going back!

Business lunch today. Lovely ambience, attentive service, and the jambalaya was a bit salty but pretty good. They make a great French 75. Not a bad Margarita either.

The food is ok but the price is not. Never got refills of our tea & soda. The waiter took the order bought the food and then the ticket. It's just burger, smash burger and wings. Nothing special. Maybe I should've ordered wine, beer or whiskeys then the food would've been something? No thanks.

The food here is amazing. They have the best pasta and the truffle fries are the best. Our server, Brendan, was always right there whenever we needed something. There is plenty of parking. We will definitely be back!

Had a Xmas lunch here. Food was ok, nothing special. They needed more help to take care of the busy place. The place was fine, modern look.

Pleasantly surprised. The place looks pretty average, which is how I expected the food to be but I am happy to report my expectations were exceeded! My husband and I met some friends here for lunch. We ordered the dumplings to start which I was surprised (and excited) to see that they came with chopsticks! Who doesn't love chopsticks?! Anyways, the dumplings and dipping sauce were delicious. Then for my entree, I ordered the burger. HOLY MOLY. This thing is huge!! I can see why they call it "legendary" on the menu. It came out to a perfect medium-rare just as ordered, which is surprisingly rare to find. I ate every last bite - it was SO GOOD. The fries were also delicious; handcut from real potatoes. All of our meals came with fries and everyone at the table commented on how good they were. I would absolutely come back here again for this burger!

I came here for a work lunch today and it was packed! Totally seems like the place to be in Waltham. I was impressed with the extensive menu that had a ton of vegetarian-friendly items on it. I went for the stuffed acorn squash with tofu and it was AMAZING!! The service was great, ambiance wonderful, and outstanding food. I would recommend making a reservation as it seems as though this place fills up quickly. I will definitely be back soon!

This restaurant use to be my go to for steak tips and French fries. I was disappointed when they changed away from their hand cut fries, but dealt with it. Last night I ordered the steak tips and was extremely surprised that not only did the price increase and the portion size decrease but they changed the steak tips entirely. The server mentioned a new distributor. The steak tips were what seemed like a teriyaki sweet marinade with small pieces versus what I had become use to. Needless to say, the meal did not meet my expectations and sadly I will not be coming back.

Disappointed in their courtesy. We had lunch there today, which was fine, no complaints about the lunch. However, we only ate half our lunches, the remainder was boxed and bagged to take home. In less than five minutes we were back at the restaurant when we realized we had forgotten the bag. The meals had already been thrown out. I told them at the desk that I thought that was pretty crummy that obvious forgotten bags could not have been set aside for 5 minutes in case we came back. I was still disgruntled when I came home so I phoned and spoke to a manager. He said he would speak to his staff about future situations, and I do hope that happens, because if it does not, be aware and hope you can make it to the door and back to your table if forgotten and hope your food was not already tossed. I can understand restaurant rules, protocols, etc. for throwing away food, but really, can't put it aside for a few minutes in case the person comes back. An expensive reminder for me to not leave things behind because people are not always nice and considerate.

Wonderful place to gather with friends. We had Jen tonight and she was stellar. A party of 5 , and we didn't feel rushed at all . Jen was amazing and food was delish. Thank you for a great night . Only negative comment, was it was way too hot inside .

Holy smokes this spot is AMAZING! Still thinking about the stuffed squash!!! Friendly service, everything delicious

Absolutely the worst meal I've had in quite sometime. Steak tacos . Meat was disgusting. Never again....

Ate here twice in one week. I rated it 3 stars because the food is pretty good. However, both time the service was terrible. On visit#1 we had a pleasant and talkative female but she spent more time talking than listening. It took several tries to get what we asked for. On visit#2 we had a surly male who decided we weren't worth his time when only one of us ordered alcohol. Even though we had made a reservation 2 weeks prior they tried to seat us at a high top table in the middle of the bar. ( 3 ladies over 65) I don't think we'll be going for a third strike.

Surprised to see the overall reviews for this eatery. This was my first time eating here and I thoroughly enjoyed my visit and meal. My friend and I split the beat salad which was flavorful and delicious. We both chose the baked haddock entry. The fish was cooked perfectly as where the sides. Prices are reasonable and service efficient and friendly. Enjoy!

In town for work (usually here every few months) and decided to try this place. It was a Monday night after 7 so no line and we were seated right away. The atmosphere is nice and comfortable. My coworker and I shared the homemade chips and dip as an app and they were warm and the dip was excellent- perfect blend on the onion and dill. I had the truffle gnocchi and the portion was decent- so much that I was unable to finish which is rare because I love gnocchi. My companion had the halibut and a side Greek. The fish was perfectly cooked and seasoned pretty well but he did need to add a bit of salt. The service was attentive. Overall I would recommend this place and will come again in future office trips to the area.

Great food and service. Get the French Dip! Also had the warm chips and guac plus the cookie at the end. Great meal!

Solid drinks and good food in noisy, but fun atmosphere. Server (Ricardo) was unpleasant and not attentive. Would have stayed for another round of drinks after dinner, but nobody in our party of 5 wanted to deal with Ricardo again (oh, and he got some of the cocktails wrong and never apologized). Would give a much higher star rating if service was good.

The food was average. Love Brussel sprouts and order them every time. The were disappointing. They really needed to be more crispy and have more flavor. The truffle fries were a bit soggy. We were brought bread and dipping sauce. Looked great. I ask the person who brought us the bread if they had gluten-free bread (I can't eat gluten) and she said The bread she brought was gluten-free. It was questionable to me so when the waitress came back to the table I asked her and she corrected the person who brought the bread and said that no the bread was not gluten-free. My husband then had a stuffed squash that was actually fabulous and he really enjoyed it the service was very good and everyone was very nice. It was also a very nice atmosphere. We will definitely give it another go in the future.

Although my wife and I come here regularly as the food is really good and the ambiance is awesome, we held a bereavement luncheon at the Local yesterday for our mother. Tara made reserving the private function room easy. We had a total of 47 people and we picked buffet style. We picked Chicken Parm w/ raviolis, fresh garden salad, baked haddock, rice, sautéed string beans and broccoli. Everything was cooked to perfection and served steaming hot. The two servers who took care of us were on point, and never was there an empty glass. Every person there was super impressed by the professionalism of everyone involved. Thank you for making such a sad day so much better!

[1041] 11/2019 We visited this local lunch spot since it's near the office. Parking is tight but seems there is parking around back. This a cool place to visit with tons of good food. We tried the pretzels appetizers which were not on the menu but luckily my team tried them before. They were very tasty. We also had fries which were good. For lunch I had the power lunch salad with chicken. It was large so I was plenty to take home for later. Our server was friendly. I loved the ambiance of the restaurant. We will definitely be back.

Went here for lunch after my mom got out of the hospital across the way. We came in and we're greeted by a severely underdressed host who lacked basic hygiene. Then greeted by our waiter, wearing a brazil pin, who was standoffish and grumpy the whole time we were there. Drinks were underwhelming at best, food was unacceptably bad. Smash patty was dryer than the sahara, the french dip made my mom go back to the hospital. Avoid this place like the plague.

A friend and I made out way to The Local the other night. Inside is very modern and cute. Our server was really kind and patient with us. We started off with two Gingerbread mules (drink specials) and they were amazing, we ended up ordering ourselves another round. For starters we ordered, the pork dumplings and pan roasted mussels. The dumplings were so tasty! My friend was skeptical of the mussels, as they aren't something she usually would order, but she was in love (ended up rating them the best thing from the entire night.) For our entrees, I went with the seafood casserole and my friend ordered the Tw's Hand Cut Steak Tip - medium. I loved my seafood casserole, I should've said no to the blistered tomatoes as they were a bit much. Also for my leftover lovers, it tasted even better the next day in bed! I also loved the side creamy polenta! It was delicious and so soft. Unfortunately, my friend wasn't a fan of her Steak Tips. She believed it was a little too charred for her liking. Reason why I said our server was really patient is because, she didn't make a fuss when we asked to switch out the tips for the Pan Seared Haddock instead. Though, the haddock didn't look like it did on the website, my friend was satisfied. Originally, we were debating where to go for dinner but reviewing the menu online sold us with the Warm Skillet Cookie! It was sad to find out that by the time we arrived, they were already out of it. We were craving something sweet and weren't sure what to get. The server recommended against the beignets (dessert special) but we didn't listen. Big Mistake, they were more so cinnamon sugary donuts with a weird inner texture. We were not a fan. But all in all, this was a good trip and would recommend!

This place is the WORST. Absolutely mortified by the service here. Came here at 3:00 pm on a Monday after Christmas with a large group after a funeral. The funeral was also for a former restaurant owner! Granted we were a large group, the restaurant that could have fit 300 people could not handle the group we brought in even tho they only have 4 current tables lol. Coming from an experienced bartender/server of 10+ years working in extremely high volume venues in Boston, whoever manages that place needs to be fired immediately. He was extremely rude, not sympathetic to the circumstance, and did not have a handle on absolutely anything (he continued to hide in the back). They had about 5 servers on for the 4 tables they had and were unable to bus two tables after 30 minutes had passed (which is just plain disgusting). They claimed they didn't have a busser, but any decent restaurant employee knows when to step up and help out. Not to mention we had a reservation on top of that for 30 people which I don't think they could've handled regardless. They turned away THOUSANDS of dollars and a great tip. Bottom line, that restaurant screamed "we are lazy! this is too much hard work!". Makes sense considering the absolute idiot they had running the place. Shame on you. Please do not support this business and put that manager in a cubicle where he can hide all day and suck at his job.

The place is big and airy and modern and clean. They let us pick our seats which was really nice. Our waiter was laid back, always there when we needed him but not hovering., I was torn between two things so I asked him what I wanted, he didn't hem and haw, he picked one easily. The food was delicious, cooked, seasoned and plated very well. The green beans were a tad bit undercooked. The short rib was sooo good, fall apart with a spoon, and it wasn't fatty. We need one of these in my area.

Sylvia was extremely rude. She did not come over for about 25 minutes and when she did she was incredibly rude and did not wait until I was finished asking a question to say what she had to say. it was a shame. she treated us like we did not belong here and we were extremely disrespected. others around us specifically asked not to have her as a server.

Unremarkable food. Poor service if you don't order appetizers and drinks. If you go, you are paying for ambiance.

Last day in Boston and I hadn't had my lobster roll. Boo Hoo. The web menu said that they had them here but alas, the seasonal menu had just gone out of season. So I had another bowl of chowder and this bowl was delicious. Thick and creamy with bacon and onions. Throw in a side of truffle fries with a really super nice waiter who had to listen to us bitch about no lobster rolls and it was a perfect storm. Not too crowded at lunch on a weekday. Right around the corner from work, Nice atmosphere. Good solid food.

On a warm Sunday evening, we decided to try a local establishment called "The Local Kitchen & Drinks" in Waltham right off I95/128. With nicer weather finally here, we opted for outside seating to enjoy our drinks and meal. The food was very good; not exceptional, but probably better than we both anticipated for our first ever visit. The baked haddock was served in a very hot dish from the oven and was buttery and moist. Served with grilled green beans and a small sweet potato, this made for a healthier meal that other menu options (e.g., burgers, steak tips, tacos, pizza, butternut squash ravioli). I also started with a small garden salad which had a nice dressing which wasn't overly drenched with a hint of heat with the cool greens. The power salad with grilled chicken was packed with greens, kale, avocado, quinoa, tomatoes and other fresh ingredients. Both meals are recommended. As positive as the food was, the service was less than stellar. While extremely slow in terms of patrons inside the restaurant or on the patio, trips to the outside patio were slower than they should have been. . Before ordering, we asked clarification on the "Atlantic Salmon" being farmed or caught, and the waiter replied 'I think farmed." A more confident answer should be expected from the staff. Also, the power salad was asked to have the dressing on the side, but it came with the dressing on it. Questioning the waiter he said "they are so slow back there they are just rushing". What? It would make more sense to say "it is so busy here that they are trying to get meals out as fast as they can and missed the custom request." At one point our waiter even apologized although stopped short of admitting he got caught talking in the back. I would have liked to give the Local 4 stars based on the food, but the service just pulled that back into a solid 3 star review for me. Hopefully next time both aspects of the experience will live up to better expectations.

We go to the location in Sudbury all the time and like it, so we were expecting the same from the Waltham location. The ambience and food were fine, but we had the WORST waitress (Anne I think it was?) we have ever encountered. We were a party of 4 with 3 adults and one child. We're pretty laid back and easy going and are always very friendly with our waiters/waitresses. When we checked in with the hostess we were told they were out of children's menus but were printing more and would bring one over to us after we sat down. No problem. After we had ordered drinks and appetizers we still hadn't gotten the children's menu, so we asked our waitress if she could get one for us. She acted like this was a major inconvenience, and said something to the effect of "Oh, we have the usual kids stuff" and then rattled off like 10-15 items in the span of like 5 seconds......like our 11 year old was going to remember all of that. When it came time to order our meals we again asked our waitress if they had finished printing the children's menus, and she acted insulted "I already told you what we have". Well yeah, but my child would like to SEE the menu so they can decide what they want. She left in a huff and eventually came back with a copy of the children's menu. Of course, some of the things she rattled off they did NOT serve, and she omitted several things they DID serve, which is why we wanted to see the menu in the first place, but whatever, let's move on. Fast forward to after the meal and the waitress asked our child what dessert they wanted that came with their meal. Our child wasn't interested in any of the desserts and we said we'll pass on the children's dessert, thanks. The waitress could not comprehend this for some reason, and then proceeded to try to pressure my 70 year old mother into deciding which of the children's desserts she wanted, because obviously someone HAD to eat the children's dessert. We politely kept telling her we were not interested in the children's dessert....you can still charge us for it, it's not about the money, we just don't want the damn dessert! Then when we were ordering dessert for the grown ups and to go boxes, she kept cutting everybody off mid-sentence and being extremely rude for some reason, which of course led to us having to re-ask things to confirm that she heard us in the first place "....and can I get a to-go container for my...." "YEAH, I already got that!" she snapped back to my mother. Of course when she came back with dessert and to go boxes she only brought one and missed the other. Look, I get it: sometimes its really busy or you're having a bad day. But we did absolutely NOTHING to deserve how we were treated by this lady. Every little interaction made it seem as if we were a major inconvenience or we were being jerks to her, which we certainly were NOT. Suffice it to say, we will NOT be back.

Had a surprisingly outstanding lunch at The Local The fried brussel sprouts appetizer was very tasty We had a beet salad which was excellent. The french dip sandwich was very meaty, juicy and one of the best we've had Wish they had these in CA

The service was good. My wife's chicken rice bowl: rice was not completely cooked and the chicken was tough, with a heavy batter. The food was terrible. I had a greasy hamburger. Go early, parking is very limited and fills up quickly.