If you are looking for a great place to grab a bite this weekend I would highly recommend The Local in downtown Minneapolis! Yesterday my sister Zoë and I had an adventure day with our mom. We went downtown Minneapolis for the Macy’s Flower Show and some lunch.

Once we got downtown we wandered around the streets for a little bit. We were very hungry but not sure where to go. The Nicollet Mall area has so many fun shops and restaurants it was hard to decide. I saw the sign for The Local and immediately made a beeline for their door. I had never been there but I have always heard amazing things and it has been on my list of places to try.


The three of us walked into the restaurant and were immediately impressed with its beautiful interior. The local has a very traditional pub style with glossy dark woods and brass fixtures. The walls were hung with antique looking paintings and the booths were walled off and very private feeling. There was amazing frosted glass designs everywhere you looked. If nothing else The Local definitely delivered visually.

No sooner do we get through the doors than a cheerful middle aged gentleman greets us and starts escorting us to a booth. He makes pleasant chit chat along the way asking what brings us in. When we start discussing the flower show his face lights up and his eyes crinkle in the corners. He starts talking about all the adorable ladies that have been in town for the show and all the amazing things he has heard. Soon after he leaves us at our secluded little booth our server comes over to take our drink order. We have come in during their happy hour which offers discounted appetizers and drinks. Ma and I tried their two red wines that were on special and Zoë ordered her usually vodka cranberry spritzer which she said they mixed perfectly. We also placed an order for their Baked Artichoke Dip (one of Zoë’s favorites).


Within ten minutes we had our drinks and appetizer. All three of our drinks were perfect and the Artichoke Dip was to die for. It was so creamy and had the most amazing smoky flavor from the roasted red peppers. Zoë almost always orders artichoke dip when we go out and she and Ma agreed that The Local made the best artichoke dip they ever had. When our server brought out our drinks and appetizer she took our lunch order. As soon as we glanced at the menu we knew immediately what we wanted, the only problem was committing to one thing since everything on the menu sounded delicious.

Just as we were finishing up our appetizer our food was brought out. Zoë ordered their Walleye Sandwich with sweet potato fries, Ma got their Pot Roast Sandwich with mashed potatoes and gravy and I ordered the The Local Burger with aged white cheddar and regular fries. I don’t think we could shove our food into our mouths fast enough everything was so good. We all shared bites of each others sandwiches. Zoë’s walleye was so light and flaky and every bite was a steamy little dream. Ma’s sandwich was so savory, the slow cooked pot roast, smoky peppers and creamy caramelized onions were the perfect combination of flavors in every bite. As good as their meals were they couldn’t hold a candle to the perfection that was my cheeseburger. It was cooked exactly right so that every bite was a juicy little piece of heaven. My burger came with aged white cheddar and a toasted brioche bun that gave my burger the perfect buttery crunch.

As we were slowing down the happy host came over to our table to talk about our meal. He was thrilled that my sister and I were having a special day with our mom. He was so cheerful and pleasant that it was contagious to anyone who came near him. Everyone he would talk to would be grinning from ear to ear and he was so sincerely excited to talk to everyone. The entire experience was amazing but he was the cherry on top.

I would absolutely recommend The Local to anyone and everyone. The service is amazing, the food is to die for and the atmosphere is mesmerizing. I had such a wonderful time there and I can not wait to go back again! If you would like more information on The Local visit their website at: www.the-local.com you can also follow them on Facebook, Instagram and Twitter!