The Local Restaurant & Catering

lf. She was a dream to work with and made all of our ideas come to life and made them even more spectacular than we were envisioning! She’s so easy to work with and welcoming that it instantly feels like you’re working with one of your close friends. The food… AMAZING! We had the salmon, steak, and seasonal squash as our plated meal options and they were all delicious! Our guests are still raving about the food and saying it’s the best they’ve ever had at a wedding! If you’re looking for a caterer for any event in the Charlottesville area, look no further, The Local is the best out there! P.S. get the scalloped potatoes as one of your sides! They’re to die for! :)

as fantastic and was a highlight for many of our guests. Book them - you won’t regret it!

, we absolutely loved that they offer catering and wedding planning services, which made our day that much more seamless since they all collaborate together. We could not have found a better company to make our day as perfect as they did!

e. The Local team set up the reception beautifully and we received SO many compliments on the food!

job and helped our day flow smoothly!

rganized, creative, warm and enthusiastic. She brought SO much calm into our lives the day of the wedding, and also the weeks before when we wanted to tie up all loose ends. The fact that Eleanore has a great deal of wedding experience was essential in planning my daughter's wedding. She gave sage advice, knew the timing of/how things should flow, and was able to describe various ways of doing things. She allowed my daughter to make the final choices from the options she gave, and got excited with us as the day approached. On the day of the wedding, as we were trying to enjoy each moment, having Eleanore by our side reassured us that everything would go smoothly. She was the liaison with all the vendors, coordinating decorations, cakes, and timing of each transition so incredibly. I can't stress enough how helpful she was. When it came time to begin to put things away, she worked quickly and quietly with her team, packing all our fragile items with great care. Eleanore was a Top Tier wedding coordinator, and now, a friend!! When it came to dealing with all the catering details that the Local took care of for the wedding, we truly appreciated the speedy and informative way they answered our emails. Their website, which shows all the menu options, was clear and accurate. We referred back to the menus on the website many times as we made our choices. The Virginian Chicken and Beans, and the Pasta Bolognese were absolutely DELICIOUS, as were the passed appetizers that we chose. The quality and taste, as well as portion size, were out of this world. The Local did an amazing job of helping us stay within our budget but still have an incredible meal. They also brought plenty of polite, hard working employees so that no one had to wait for long. Set up and tear down was done efficiently and with perfection. A huge thank you to the Local and to Eleanore Orcutt for how perfectly the wedding turned out!! 10/10 recommend.

eceived so many compliments on the food the day of our wedding. Even when an issue arose with a few of the dishes the day of, the Local had a backup plan in place to communicate the issue to the affected guests and seamlessly continue the dinner service with a substitute. The level of professionalism was unmatched, especially when an unforeseen issue required us to switch planners between the tasting and the day of. We did the "partial planning" option which was an absolute godsend. Our planner, Eleanore, was incredibly responsive to all of our inquires, and did a great job involving us when needed and coordinating on our behalf for items she could handle alone. The planner and the team made the entire process seamless from start to finish, and we felt so comfortable with them and trusted their ability to carry out our vision. We are so grateful for the team at The Local for giving us our dream wedding!

mp and grits and the short rib dishes. The Local works with a nearby rental vendor for table cloths, dishes, etc., making it easy for billing purposes. Considering the quality and amount of the food, the bill for services, food, full bar, and rentals were not bad.

ood was incredible!!! So many of our guests told us it was the best wedding food they’ve ever had (large portion sizes too — no one went hungry)! They also took the time to work with us on special requests, including making beignets (a nod to the grooms Nola family) and helping us come up with cute specialty cocktail recipes (which were very reasonably priced!). A big thank you to Eleanore and her team — they were truly amazing and we feel so lucky to have gotten to work with them!

s very down to earth, took time to get to know us as a couple and what was most important to us on our wedding day, and always made us feel like a priority. She thought of every single detail, big and small, and ensured nothing was overlooked. She asked thoughtful questions that we had not even considered which made our wedding turn out phenomenal. Her professionalism throughout the entire process made all the difference, especially on the big day. She helped us make countless decisions- managing our budget, deciding where to place items, and optimising which staircase servers should use. She had a plan in place and executed it flawlessly, which allowed us to fully enjoy every moment without stress. Our wedding day went off without a hitch, and it was more magical than we could have ever imagined. We highly recommend her to anyone looking for an incredible wedding planner! We are so very grateful for Eleanore!!

clear, and professional, making the planning process seamless and stress-free. The food was absolutely outstanding—beautifully presented, perfectly cooked, and enjoyed by every single guest. Their team did a phenomenal job tailoring the menu to our preferences, ensuring a dining experience that was both memorable and personalized. The service on the day of the wedding was equally impressive. Their day-of coordination (Eleanore Orcutt) was flawless, handling all the details so we could fully enjoy the celebration. The staff was attentive, friendly, and efficient, making sure that everything ran smoothly. We cannot recommend The Local highly enough. If you want a vendor who delivers excellence in every aspect of catering, look no further!

staff did an amazing job day of.

e many times before, which contributed to our reception going over so well. She was super friendly and easy to work with. She worked very well with our day-of coordinator, and her team was very well-prepared, competent, and professional throughout the night. Outside of just Helen, the rest of the catering staff was all very friendly and hard-working. They were constantly asking if we had everything we wanted, and did a great job of packing some food up for us to take with at the end of the night. Even early-on in the process when we were still getting estimates for the catering from multiple places, we were impressed by how thorough The Local was with their cost breakdowns. It was very helpful for us to see what costs were going where, since we really had no experience in this realm beforehand. Additionally, the whole catering team was very helpful when it came to accommodating our guests with dietary issues. Cheese crumbles came on the side of the salad for those who didn't like cheese, and vegan plates were specifically prepared for the couple of vegan guests that we had in attendance. Aside from all of the excellent service that I've mentioned, the food was absolutely delicious. Everything that we decided on during our tasting with the Local tasted just as good the night of the wedding. The guests loved it as well - we received multiple comments during the night and after about how good the food was. I've got to stop somewhere, but I cannot say enough good things about Helen, the rest of the catering team, and The Local. Would definitely recommend them to anybody! We will definitely be stopping back by their restaurant for dinner the next time we are in Charlottesville!

recipe for The Local's truffle mushroom pasta (the resounding favorite from all of our guests, and for good reason). The other favorite (especially from my husband) was their apple crisp. It's common knowledge that the bride and groom don't get a ton of time to eat on the wedding day. We'd built out a private dinner right after cocktail hour but before sunset photos, and we got to eat a little bit of everything. Let me tell you -- I'm still thinking about the scalloped potatoes I had. I could have had an entire plate of those and still have been happy. We also had the chicken and green beans, and it's an understatement to say everything was incredible. Every dish was high quality, remained hot through the buffet, and were filling but didn't make you feel too heavy/sleepy to dance all night afterwards. Not only was the food amazing, but working with Helen and her team through our engagement was so easy. The Local is very thorough and sends over clear paperwork, including a contract with all items and payments broken down, and they were really responsive with any questions we had along the way. They even had a specific food option for those with allergies or dietary restrictions. Their team also helped set up and take down everything, and really made our dreams come true with the place settings and floorplan. It was absolutely beautiful. Overall, we could not recommend them more, and are hoping we get to attend a wedding where they're the vendor so we can eat more of their food! Thank goodness they're also a restaurant; we'll definitely be going there to relive our wedding dinner yet again :)

September 2024 wedding and could not recommend their services enough. We ended up working with The Local for every aspect of the wedding, including cocktail hour, bar, day of coordination, and reception needs. The Local was actually a preferred vendor from our venue and I realized that my husband and I ate there a few years ago for a New Years trip, which made me all the more excited to reach out to them. From the start, Helen was incredibly organized and attentive. She listened to my vision and brought it to life, ensuring every detail was perfect. Her expertise and calm demeanor made the planning process enjoyable rather than stressful. From the weeks before the wedding to the actual day, Helen was on top of everything. I am not a huge planner myself, so her expertise was imperative. Not only is Helen a wonderful person and provides great energy to be around, but she has a plan for anything and everything. For example, the zipper track of my wedding dress broke in the middle of the reception, and before I could even blink, Helen was right behind me with a needle and thread saving the day. That is just one of the many things Helen did to ensure our day was perfect. If there was anyone in the world who could write a blueprint for being the perfect wedding coordinator, it would hands down be Helen. The catering by The Local was outstanding. The food was not only delicious but beautifully presented. Our guests are still raving about the food from cocktail hour to the reception dinner. They also accommodated dietary restrictions seamlessly, which we really appreciated. Overall, the combination of Helen’s planning skills and The Local’s culinary talents made our wedding day unforgettable. I highly recommend both for anyone looking to create a memorable event!

remely responsive, organized and shared valuable insight from her vast experience for my daughter and her fiance to consider as they finalized their plans. Eleanore's presence and guidance allowed the bride and groom to truly enjoy their wedding day as Eleanore prepared for every detail and relieved the bride of any worry as she managed the delivery of every vendor and coordinated the day from sunrise through the grand exit flawlessly and always with a calm and professional demeanor. The food was delicious and exactly as presented in the tasting session and the presentation was elegant with first class service. We offer our highest recommendation for the Local to serve as the caterer for any wedding and Eleanore as a wedding planner was indispensable in creating the wedding the bride and groom dreamed of.

edding – the catering. We were a long-distance couple and she was so accommodating. She helped us create an excellent menu that our guests loved. We also had some specific guest dietary restrictions that she helped us navigate and execute. She was an excellent communicator throughout the entire process. Our wedding day food was absolutely excellent. Each dish was beautifully presented and packed with flavor. The service was impeccable. The day of catering team was incredibly professional, attentive, and friendly, ensuring that everything ran smoothly and that our guests were well taken care of. They were able to quickly pivot when we needed to move our ceremony indoors as well. We couldn’t have asked for a better catering experience. If you’re looking for a caterer who delivers exquisite food, exceptional service, and a truly memorable dining experience, The Local is the way to go.

lute best!! She was so calm all day, handled obstacles so well and made sure everything looked perfect! The food was also amazing and we got so many compliments!!

e do not live in the area. However, Samantha Clarke and her team eased all worries and were so fantastic to work with. Not only was the food absolutely delicious (we had multiple people tell us this was the best wedding food they have ever had) but the team was exceptional and I did not need to worry about one thing come wedding day. There just truly is not a way to put my gratitude into words but if you are looking for a caterer and an amazing coordinator to work with, I cannot recommend The Local enough. We will now be visiting every chance we get to the restaurant!

l. Made to perfection. The staff took care of everything and they left the kitchen cleaner then when they arrived. I would highly recommend this company!

nd our budget, and answered any and all questions in a timely fashion. After we booked, they coordinated our tasting as well as our meeting with the rental company. It was a seamless and easy process. We also opted to hire their day of wedding coordinator, which was the BEST decision we made throughout our whole planning process. Our coordinator, Eleanore, was the MVP of the wedding, both in the months leading up to the day, and the weekend of the wedding. We had a number of phone calls with her on a frequent basis and she kept us on track with our to-do list. We truly felt at ease knowing she had every detail covered, and that made the day of nearly stress free! She was with us for the rehearsal as well which was extremely helpful for the next day. We also had a VERY hot wedding weekend and Eleanore walked us through a weather plan to ensure our guests were cared for and comfortable. As for the wedding day, everything went smoothly and the catering team was on point. A number of guests commented on the quality of the food, and they absolutely brought my table decor vision to life. Overall we absolutely recommend booking with The Local- they’re professional and excellent at what they do!

seamlessly organized day! From the planning stages, Eleanore was prompt with emails, so kind, and very professional when explaining every part of their menu to help us curate the perfect items for our day. Every guest was raving about the food, even our pickiest of eaters! We heard from so many people that it was the best wedding food they had ever had! We especially loved the mixed vegetables and salmon, but truly everything was wonderful! The staff went out of their way to check in on us and our family and get us anything we needed throughout the wedding. Also, they were incredibly accommodating to our guests with food allergies. It was such a wonderful experience and I highly recommend using the Local! They are truly such a delight to work with and will make your day even more special with their attention to detail and the yummiest of food!

ts from our guests that the food was the best they had ever had at a wedding (and we agree!). Everyone was served fast and efficiently. The servers and bartenders were all so pleasant, efficient, professional and friendly. The staff worked well with the other vendors. We could not have asked for anything more.

ure everything ran smoothly. I can honestly say we had the most fun, stress-free day thanks to her! Also, the food and drinks were DELICIOUS! Our guests couldn’t stop raving about how polite the servers were, and how tasty every meal was! You won’t regret working with The Local for your wedding day - and work with Eleanore! She’s THE BEST!

for recipes! We had the privilege of working closely with Eleanore, who was nothing short of perfect. She went above and beyond from beginning to end and made the process seamless and stress free. The entire staff were pleasant, kind, and left a lasting impression on us, our guests, and received compliments from other vendors working along side as well. I highly recommend hiring them for your event. It will be the best decision you can make.

nized, understood everything we needed (before we knew we needed it), and was always positive! I would have been lost without her. We had a great experience with The Local!

l until we were asked to shelter in place until a storm passed. 15 minutes later, when the owners of the venue said we could restart, The Local staff had started to clean up and refused to restart the party. Our daughter’s wedding ended at 9:45 instead of 11. The staff at the Local were unresponsive to our requests to talk and not empathetic. They gave us no real explanation. We found the catering staff immature. They refuse to discuss compensation and just mailed our daughter a check, much less then we felt we deserved. We wrote the owners and as of now, have never heard back. If you are planning a wedding with The Local in an outdoor venue, we cannot recommend using them.

edgeable, helped walk us through the whole process, is extremely organized, and made me feel less stressed. Day of, Helen really knocked it out of the park. She was somehow everywhere at once and made everything run smoothly. She really made our vision for our wedding day come to life. She's very talented at calligraphy and helped with some day-of decor. The food was amazing. Our guests are still talking about how tasty everything was--the short rib was tender, the mac n cheese is delicious, and we had plenty of food for all of our guests. Helen worked amazingly with all of our other vendors, and the whole staff at the Local were friendly and professional.

ds. We did family style, and even the meat eaters LOVED the squash entrée (we also served the beef tenderloin and salmon which were delicious, the beef was SO TENDER!!). The grilled cheese and tomato soup shooters were also a huge hit for our winter wedding! We also paid for partial planning services, and Eleanore was our planner. She was absolutely phenomenal and truly went above and beyond on our wedding day. In the months leading up to our day, she was responsive, helped me stay organized with several planning calls and a google sheet, she helped us at our rental meeting, and she incorporated my many changes throughout the planning process, from our specialty cocktail (a recipe we came up with ourselves that they were so excited to make), menu changes, and rental changes. She even tried to help me find a company to rent trees as decor! We went from planning an outdoor ceremony, to a ceremony under a covered patio, ultimately to an indoor ceremony on the morning of our wedding because of weather and she made sure everything went off without an issue. On the day of the wedding, she was doing everything for everyone. She got my mom pantyhose at the last minute. My sister's dress strap broke, she helped her fix it more than once. When I first took my dress out of the garment bag, there were dirt marks all over the train, and she got a ton of Shout pads and scrubbed away. Even with all this happening, she helped me remain calm and still have the absolute best day of my life. I couldn't ask for anything more. I scour reviews before booking anything and I am here to tell you, don't overthink it and just hire The Local.

er Helen and that was the best decision we could have made for our wedding. She handled everything so there was no stress the day of. I could not recommend her or The Local enough!

NT! I cannot recommend the caterer more than anyone else. Food was well worth the price we paid for everything. Eleanore was very prompt and always made sure we had the information needed to make the decisions we needed. We provided our own alcohol for the event and it was a very easy process by just sending them an Excel spreadsheet on what we were providing. Overall, 10/10 experience and we will be going back to the restaurant eventually for more. Thank you so much The Local and keep killing it with that food!!

rental company MS Events, take down and clean up. The appetizers and dinner were exceptional. ALL staff members were professional and amazing at anticipating every need of our guests. Eleanore, was our coordinator and words cannot adequately express our gratitude to her. She was professional, kind, patient and on top of or ahead of every little detail. She carried herself with a confidence and grace that transcended out providing an unexplainable calmness to the bride, her wedding party and family. If you are waffling at all on a caterer or coordinator, you should definitely choose The Local and request Eleanore as your coordinator. They are both "worth their weight in gold".

eat things to say. They also went above and beyond for our tasting with them enough. Lastly, I cannot say enough great things about Eleanore!! If you’re able to use The Local for their month of coordinating services, ask for her!! She is sooo sweet and calm. She went above and beyond for us to make sure we were happy. I got married at an outdoor venue and it was raining the morning of our wedding. I had to make the call at noon on whether or not I wanted to move to ceremony in the tent. Eleanore supported my decision to keep it outside and was so calm and encouraging. And thank goodness we kept it outside because the sun came out just in time for our wedding!! Eleanore was also able to use her catering team to help with any of our needs. If we asked her about something on our wedding she, she got it done immediately. She knew my exact vision and executed it perfectly. Could not recommend the local and Eleanore enough!!

ll things food, drink, linens, china, etc,. We secured our spot with The Local early on in our wedding planning journey and learned so much with them throughout the planning process. They helped us make decisions based on our wants and used their experience to help ensure that we got the looks and outcomes that we were hoping for! Our guests RAVED about our food and our mixed drinks(YUM!!)! We also opted for the signature cocktails during our cocktail hour and they did not disappoint! We have several friends getting married in the next year or two who have already secured their spots with The Local because of their experience with our wedding. We are so thankful for y’all and your team!!

od was delicious and looked beautiful. I received many compliments from guests stating that the food was the best the ever had at a wedding! We had Kelly McCauley as our day of coordinator and I literally can not say enough good things about her. I am someone who has a very hard time delegating, but the second I met Kelly, I knew I was in good hands. She put me at ease immediately and took a huge weight off me, because I knew she had things handled. She has a tremendous amount of experience and brings a lot to the table in ensuring your day goes smoothly. Our day exceeded my expectations and there's no doubt in my mind that is all thanks to Kelly and her incredibly hard work!

r!! She was so quick to respond to every phone call or email over every little question we had. She has so much experience and had great advice when we were trying to finalize the smallest details. She was also the sweetest and our whole wedding party raved about working with her as well! It was sooo helpful to have her as the point of contact for all of our vendors and it took a ton of stress off my husband and I leading up to the big day. Another huge benefit of The Local is that they provide everything you could need besides the coordination- rentals, food and alcohol. We came to Charlottesville for a day and planned all of the meetings back to back, and it was so much fun and so easy to do everything all at once! The food is INCREDIBLE- we had so many compliments from our guests that it was the best wedding food they'd ever had. We even had a few vegetarian guests that we were able to get additional entrees for with no extra charge! From the appetizers to the entrees to the sides, everything was phenomenal. We definitely recommend the truffle Mac and cheese :) They even packed up two boxes of leftovers for my husband and I to take to our hotel that night! Coordinating our alcohol through The Local was extremely painless as well and all of the bartenders and servers were great! We had two signature cocktails which were so easy to get set up, we just sent them the recipes and ingredients we wanted. The rentals were a super simple process as well and went well beyond just dishes and glassware! We were able to get wine barrels, a welcome sign, and some other decor through them that were absolutely stunning. The entire process of working with The Local was so personalized and I truly felt like they cared about making the day as special as possible for us, and they absolutely delivered. If we could give them more than 5 stars we would!!

0 wedding. The wedding was rescheduled for 2022 due to covid and they required us to sign a new contract (which I understood because prices had risen). Where I had the problem was with the fact that they refused to apply the $1000.00 deposit we’d made from the original contract towards the new contract and just kept it. They are the only vendor we dealt with that did anything like this. There are a lot of fabulous caterers in Charlottesville and I will definitely give one of them a try when planning my next daughter’s wedding next year.

ions. They were very communicative all the way up to our wedding. On a separate note, planning a wedding during COVID came with uncertainty about what happens if government regulations would prevent us from having our wedding, and the Local staff talked us through how they've balanced staying financially afloat with providing a very fair and reassuring policy with how they've treated their clients. Legal language and all (my husband would argue, fairly protects their business from financial hemmorhage), after some time on the phone with their team, we were more than comfortable contracting them. To give an idea of what logistics they had to deal with on the wedding day - We had an indoor wedding space, where the ceremony space was curtained off from where they would store tables and chairs. Following the ceremony, they had an hour to flip the entire room and take the dividing curtains down, setting up tables, chairs, etc. We've heard horror stories of this going south for previous weddings, and we can't say for sure whether there were any hiccups, but if there were, we definitely did not know about them. We were completely hands off, and had absolutely zero worries! Their food was incredible - people raved about the passed shrimp hors d'oeuvres, the mac and cheese served with dinner; we personally loved the red wine sauce that paired with their steak. Our wedding planner worked with their catering team to set up to go boxes for our vendors who left early, and to set aside plates for ourselves to give us time to eat. Their bartenders were professional and attentive, especially as my husband went to fetch drinks for me (lol). We were able to provide our own beer and liquor (rather than using their alcohol package), and they were very easy to work with to sort out how that would work (ABC banquet license, what they would provide, what they needed from us, etc.). This could read as a very dry review, but long story short, we cannot recommend the Local enough. Their experience with several popular wedding venues in Charlottesville shows through. Thank you, Kristin and team!

d envision the wedding and made sure everything ran extremely smoothly so all we did was bounce around in a cloud of happiness. Her knowledge of all things wedding is encyclopedic and we feel so lucky to have gotten work with her and the rest of the team at The Local!

r three main entrees for the wedding. At our tasting we asked if the pasta could be served with penne noodles instead of fettuccine so that people did not have to eat messy long noodle pasta in wedding clothes - and so that I didn't have to eat messy pasta in a white wedding dress. The Local immediately agreed and this decision was reflected in our proposal and contract. When we got to the wedding, they instead served the pasta with fettuccine. When I asked for a spoon to try to twirl the pasta (and go with the flow), I was told I couldn't have a spoon because we didn't order spoons. Of course, this was a very frustrating answer because we also didn't order fettuccine. Then, when we emailed the restaurant after the wedding to tell them about this issue, we were told the chef's "vision" for the dish was long noodles, even though our contract reflected penne. As compensation for this issue, they only gave us $250, which was approximately 1% of our bill for catering and rentals and barely even covers the cost of dry cleaning the sauce out of my dress. Overall, we were really disappointed with both the fact that we were served a pasta we didn't order and more importantly, the way the restaurant handled it after the fact.

. Seriously -- the guests all LOVED it. I highly, HIGHLY recommend the truffled mushroom ragout. Everyone was freaking out about it haha. I also had a guest with a serious onion and garlic allergy and he went up to the buffet to see what he could eat and the staff immediately knew who he was. He said it is rare for him to have special food made for him that actually tastes good. Another thing that was awesome is they had full plates ready for me and my now husband when we sat down. The servers were also SO kind. They made sure to keep us fed while we ran around doing photos. There were only two snags that happened that I would just address if you plan on having a wedding on a hot day. The servers poured ice water at the tables 1.5 hours before the guests were going to be seated (in 80 degree weather) so when everyone sat down there was water all over the tables from the ice melting. The second thing was we requested plated salad and they served that about 45 minutes before guests sat down and it had bleu cheese so it was all luke warm when we went to eat (the salad was still delicious though). Other than that, we were totally happy and if we had to do it again, we would absolutely go with the Local.

d up a bunch of leftovers for us to take home. My only problem was throughout Covid and the rescheduling process, we had some communication issues where they wanted to keep our deposit when they were not available to cater our first postponement date, which was not in the contract. Luckily, when we rescheduled again (and again after that!) they were available and we did not have that issue. They did charge us a $1,000 postponement fee which was unclear what it was for- hopefully they paid staffers who would have otherwise been working that day, but that was not disclosed to us. We would absolutely recommend the Local to cater your wedding, just make sure you understand what your contract says about rescheduling, deposits, and extra fees.

a menu to choose our dishes to pick up for dinner. I was a little nervous because I wasn't going to have a chance to taste anything (due to my own last minute planning), but oh my god. As soon as I opened the boxes and placed the hors d'oeuvres on the counter, I knew I made the right choice! It was absolutely beautiful and my guests were so impressed, by not only the presentation, but the flavors. The vegetables & fruits were fresh, the dips were phenomenal, & our personal favorite was the baked brie. Dinner was pre-plated for us in hotboxes (we picked up our meals as our event was an hour away, so they couldn't drop off & serve) and both dishes were absolutely delicious, even after an hour drive. I would without a doubt hire them again in a heartbeat. Amazing food, friendly staff, and a super simple process all in all. They really saved the day!! Thanks guys!