Local Kitchen & Beer Bar

We had a disappointing experience last evening. Our salads contained extremely wilted lettuce. The French fries were cold. My burger was overcooked.

The food is decent and the previous times I’ve been here the service has been okay. This evening the service was exceptionally bad and the place wasn’t busy at all.
Long story short: decent food. The service is a crapshoot.

We are new to Norwalk and are so happy to have found Local. We love the burgers and happy hour beers. Termaine is the best server. The kitchen can be hit or miss but the management and Termaine always take care of you.

I have been to the Local a number of times in both Fairfield and Sono and have never been overly impressed but never extremely upset either.
Well let me tell you, this occasion was different. Maybe it was an off night, but I can assure you I will not be coming back.
My friend and I were first greeted by a nice young hostess who informed us there would be a 45 min wait (understandable as it was a Friday night right around 7). She told us to feel free to head to the back bar (because the front was full) and grab a drink. We did and she said she would come get us when the table was ready. After about an hour, I started to get antsy, and annoyed that the bartender appeared to be judging our choice to have a 2^nd drink. The young girl was nowhere to be found and there was an older hostess now who said «so sorry, they must have forgotten about you back there, your table has been ready for a half an hour now» BUT she then said that we should have informed the hostess we were heading to the back bar (acting like it was our fault) even tho we were instructed to sit back there. OKAY.
I wish this was the end of mishaps for the night.
I ordered the gnocchi. Gnocchi has been a favorite of mine since I could walk. We waited about 40 minutes for it to come out. This gnocchi was almost completely raw on the inside. I have NEVER complained to a waitress about my food EVER even when it really wasn’t good. But this was beyond horrible. I explained it was raw and she acted like I didn’t know what gnocchi was. «well ma’am gnocchi is supposed to be soft like that». It wasn’t just soft. It was raw. So now that I am annoyed that she insulted my intelligence, instead of saying «so sorry let me take that off the bill for you» she ASKED me «Should I have the manager take it off the bill?». Now I feel stupid AND cheap. Thank you Local Kitchen.
On a (sort of) positive note, my friends burger came out great minus the fact that they forgot to remove the bun and she has a gluten allergy.

Fun restaurant/​pub with a great variety of food. I had the DBG Chimichanga and it was fantastic!

Great food. Greater service.
They accommodated our large group at lunch and even helped move us to a larger space when one became available. Super friendly service. The food was awesome too. We had the grilled cheese and tomato bisque which was awesome. Our table also us Mac n cheese and a lobster dip. All of it was perfect. Definitely coming back.

Went to local on friday night with my friend leo. We had the on mark drink which was great we also order the buttermilk crunch which was amazing. Our waitress tara was awesome she was very friendly n personable which gave us awesome experience we will definitely be back!

I often come to Norwalk/​South Northwalk, both places seem to have a variety of things to do. Anyways, I would recommend this bar. They have a wide variety of beer selection. I stayed by the bar. The bartender was friendly, she even gave me sample drinks, I tend to be indecisive. Good time, good night!

Have been here multiple times. Excellent place to go with friends. Multiple choices of small plates– all have been delicious. Great food, drinks and atmosphere. Highly recommended! Will definitely keep coming back.

So glad we found this place on good old Unilocal.We sat at the bar and ordered some wine and appetizers. The bartender let me sample a few of the wines. I didn’t like any of them but chose a Pinot Grigio. The crab artichoke cheese dip was amazing and so original from the basic dips at most places. Then we ordered a sautéed veggie bowl. Looooooved this. Seasoned just right. Had Bok Choy in it. My favorite vegetable ever. the waitstaff was very kind and the only reason I took a star away was because they might want to consider better wines

Went to Local for dinner. Great service atmosphere and food. Friendly staff and overall great establishment. Recommended
The chef knows what is good !

While we were in Norwalk, we intentionally tried a different restaurant for every meal. We stuck to this plan until we tried Local Kitchen and Beer Bar in the South Norwalk (SONO) neighborhood right near the SONO Railroad Bridge. After stopping in once and sampling a variety of menu items, we just had to go back again the next day before we headed out of town. We mainly dined on their small plates all of which are available in two sizes, little and lots. Offering small plates/​appetizers in 2 sizes is something I wish more restaurants did. Sometimes you want to sample a bunch of stuff, other times you just want a single appetizer for yourself or to share. Our two favorites were the Thai Popcorn Chicken and the Crab & Artichoke Fondue. With bacon, smoked gouda and a little sriracha, the fondue is something that I’d buy by the gallon if I could!
On both visits we had a seat by the windows which allowed for people watching on the pedestrian heavy Washington Street and a fun view of the railroad bridge.
While I’m not a beer drinker, they obviously have quite a beer selection as well. Their «bourbon room» is definitely something that might be worth a visit at a later date.

Love to come here on the rare occasions when we eat meat. Love the burgers. I usually get the Local Burger. It does not disappoint!

The food is great but on this Sunday. The service was slow. The place was freezing and the bathroom had no hand soap. A little disappointing

I have been here for lunch many times and have been pleased with the service and food every time. Yesterday My group sat next to the fireplace and enjoyed the extra warmth as it was a cold day. The rail tresses inside and out made for a very nice juxtaposition of real and make believe. A great selection of craft beers to enjoy as well.

I went through a lot to find this place but it was well worth it. Entrance to restaurant is deceiving as it appears to be on the side of building. Dark, cozy, warm atmosphere on a dreary afternoon seemed fitting and I was comfortable immediately. The vibe was good. I hit this place for a late afternoon lunch on a Saturday (4:00ish) and place was barely full. It became very busy closer to 5.
Interesting, varied, menu with something for everyone. Im not a beer drinker but there was a massive selection of micro brews and whiskey. Crab and artichoke fondue was tasty served with fried Chinese type chips. Popcorn chicken was super crunchy served atop a delicious Thai peanut slaw w/​sesame seeds. very good!!!
Hubby got a burger and exclaimed «i think this is the best burger I’ve ever had!» It was large and juicy with a great grilled smell. I had a grilled cheese on nice thick bread with a side of tomato soup (ehhh).
Parking can be annoying in SoNo but if you come late afternoon it wasn’t so bad and yes you better put $$ in meter!

Visited here for Sunday brunch today.
Bottomless mimosas and pork belly will have me come back for sure!
Love the industrial décor and it’s a great location. You won’t be disappointed.

A delight. Picture this: the sky is tinted with the yellow light of the approaching autumn sun, and the air is filled with the salty smell of Long Island sound. What better to do than gorge yourself on Instagram-​worthy beef and cheese and an impressive spread of beer and bourbon?
The literal personification of Drake lyrics in beer bar form. Like Shia LeBeouf says, «Just do it!»

Checked out The Local with a coworker while we we were visiting historic south Norwalk.
Nice main bar with a really big selection of craft beers. If you like beer, this is your place. The Baxter Tarnation (lager) and the Two Roads Via Cordis (Abbey Blonde) are both really good beers.
Ordered some appetizers. I had the carne asada tacos and the dirty chicken wings. Tacos were good — meat was tender but seemed a little under-​marinated for carne asada. Chicken wings were spot on — highly recommended.
If bourbon is your thing, you need to wander through this place and get to the bourbon bar in the back. Here you will find a dimly lit but cozy bar with flat panel TVs and a selection of about 64 bourbons/​rye whiskeys. I had a glass of Rock Hill Farms which I would highly recommend.
There is a lot of social activity at the main bar. The food is good and the craft beer and bourbon section is phenomenal. No service issues to report on my visit. Give The Local a try!

My new place for drinks and food. Enough said.
All my years in this town and I had never visited this place until today. This place hit the spot dead on. Seats at the bar, knowledgable bartenders, and food was great. I ordered a drink from one bartender and another bartender stated it wasn’t a drink-​drink but more of a sippy drink and recommended another one. I tried the sample and he was right. The bartender also gave me a lesson in the different type of beers which was great. I listened and ordered a couple more. The Local Burger was to my likings – bacon, medium done, and plent of fries. Overall, my new place for drinks and food myself.