Michael B.
Yelp
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.