The Local Restaurant and Catering Reviews
Reviews
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![Juliana]()
Juliana Sent on 01/30/2024Deliciously Exceptional Wedding Catering
The Local gave us an incredible experience from start to finish. After having eaten at their restaurant multiple times (including for our first date), my husband & I knew we wanted to have them as our caterer, and they exceeded our expectations.
From the very beginning, they were consistently prompt in their communication and flexible with what we wanted in our contract. The food packages they offer are generous for the price with endless options to customize everything to our liking. The quality and portion sizes at the actual event were exceptional - exactly like in our tasting - and we are still getting compliments on our food months afterwards. We also were able to provide our own alcohol (except wine, as per our venue's rule) that they used for bartending purposes, which helped with cost. Their staff even helped set up desserts we purchased from other companies.
I also really appreciated their contracting services through MS Rentals, which was included in our price. When we first started planning, we hadn't even considered where to find linens and flatware, but luckily we didn't have to. The MS Rentals team helped us piece together our table settings with little more than a color palette to start with, and they were more than accommodating with any changes we decided to make before the event.
Cost is a big part of catering, so I can't emphasize enough how mindful of our budget The Local was throughout the planning process. It's easy to get nickel-and-dime-d when deciding on vendors, but we had the complete opposite experience with them. The contract they provide is very clear about the cost of each item and kept up to date, there are no hidden fees, and they even provided helpful suggestions for various items based on our guest count that ultimately decreased the final bill (which they didn't have to do).
All in all, this company provided excellent catering & dinner service for our event while supporting us throughout the entire planning process. We feel extremely valued and satisfied as clients and can't wait to go eat at The Local again soon! -
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![Julia]()
Julia Sent on 06/05/2026The best caterers and planners!
We worked with The Local for our full catering and coordination services for our wedding. We cannot say enough good things about their entire team! Helen, our coordinator, went above and beyond to make our wedding everything we hoped for and more. She was incredibly responsive and helpful, and managed all our vendors, requests, and the wedding day all so seamlessly and professionally. She put all our stresses and concerns at rest, and we felt like we could truly relax and be present at our wedding, knowing that she had everything planned and managed. My only wish is that we hired her for full service wedding planning! The catering team was awesome as well! We enjoyed all the food and drinks, and we receive many compliments from our guests. They easily accommodated our "breakfast-for-dinner" menu, tailoring all our food choices to what we asked for. We would recommend Helen and The Local for any event! -
![Danielle]()
Danielle Sent on 05/09/2026Delicious food and perfect day!
Using the Local was an amazing decision for our wedding! We got so many compliments on the food and the passed foods at cocktail hour was amazing! People were asking to know who we used so that they could get more! The local also handled our rentals for us and everything went perfectly! -
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![Lauren]()
Lauren Sent on 01/22/2026100/10 Recommend!!
We loved working with The Local Catering for our wedding! We also used their day-of-planning services and Kelly & Meridyth were absolutely amazing! The food was incredible and whenever we say we got married near Charlottesville and mention we had the Local cater, everyone says it is their favorite restaurant in the area. The tasting we did with our parents was amazing and everything was just as good on wedding day. Kelly & Meridyth were so helpful with coordinating our rentals and everything on wedding day went so smoothly! We couldn't recommend them enough! -
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![Dylan]()
Dylan Sent on 12/12/2025Look no further than The Local Catering Team!
We cannot recommend The Local - both the restaurant and their catering team - highly enough! We got married on November 1 at Eastwood Farm and Winery in Charlottesville. The Local's catering services were exceptional from start to finish and truly elevated our entire wedding experience.
I had no idea how complex the catering process for a wedding could be, but The Local guided us through every step with ease. We opted for a sit-down dinner with grilled chicken, fried chicken, or steak, served with green beans and fingerling potatoes. The food was delicious, beautifully prepared, and perfectly warm when served, even on a chilly fall day!
Our catering coordinator, Eleanore, was absolutely fantastic. From our tasting, to helping us select rentals through MS Events, to the final walkthrough at the venue, and being on-site the day of, she was thoughtful, organized, energetic, and genuinely fun to work with. Her experience showed in everything she did. Knowing that The Local had worked many weddings at Eastwood also gave us so much peace of mind. They knew exactly how the day should flow, and it showed, and they worked cohesively with our planner and venue staff.
Eleanore and the entire team went above and beyond in every way. If you’re considering The Local for your event or wedding, do it. They’re an absolute standout. -
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![Ryan]()
Ryan Sent on 11/10/2024The Local is Excellent!
We worked primarily with Helen as our catering coordinator, and she was amazing every step of the way. She was very knowledgeable about our venue, having catered there 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!The Local Restaurant and Catering's reply:
Congratulations Ryan and Molly, we absolutely loved working with you and adored all the special touches you and your family hand made for your big day! Thank you so much for having us on your team to celebrate you! -
Nicole Sent on 11/03/2024
We're still getting compliments on our wedding food!
It's been weeks since our wedding, and we're still getting an insane amount of compliments and questions on our wedding dinner! One of my bridesmaids even asked if I could get the 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 :)The Local Restaurant and Catering's reply:
Hi Nicole, Congratulations again! While we're happy to share our recipes, the secret ingredient was all the love in the air while we were cooking on site :) Thank you for trusting us to be on your team for your big day, we can't wait to serve you again! -
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![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 09/16/2024Choose The Local!
We are so glad we used The Local as our caterer for our wedding! We are also glad that we got to work with Helen exclusively. She guided us through the most stressful part of the wedding – 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.The Local Restaurant and Catering's reply:
Sarah and Josiah, it was such a pleasure working with you both! I am so glad I got to know you throughout the planning journey and what a journey you had! I loved that we were able to highlight some of your favorite cocktails as part of your wedding details as well, what a beautiful day! Congratulations again!
Sincerely,
Helen and The Local Catering Team -
Loretta Sent on 07/11/2024
All my expectations were met
A wonderfully successful rehearsal dinner - from initial contact through to the very end. I could not have been happier with the planning process, setup and food. We received so many compliments of how delicious everything was (very tender beef and delicious crab cakes) so my hats off to your kitchen and staff.
Nichole, thank you for being there Friday to help with my setup requests and prompt follow through. Bar staff was pleasant and I never noticed people waiting around for a cocktail. What more can I say - everything was perfect! Thank you! -
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Lauren Sent on 11/29/2023
Great food, better people
We first saw The Local as one of our venue’s preferred vendors and they were actually recommended to us based on our budget. My fiancé and I decided to try out their restaurant, just to see. When we told them why we were there they were so pleasant and welcoming and we talked with Jeff at length about all of our options and who we should connect with about details. He even gave us a tour of the restaurant after dinner. We worked mostly with Samantha Clarke who was ON TOP OF IT!!! She was so kind and patient with us throughout the whole process. She was responsive and always ready with answers to our questions especially when parents and outside opinions got involved haha. The process was so smooth and gosh darn their food is SO FREAKING GOOD! Food (quantity and quality) was a huge priority for us and wow did the Local seriously deliver. Our guests were raving about how delicious all the food was and how generous the portion sizes were. This was such an easy decision for us and we love that we can still visit their restaurant whenever we want! 10/10 highly recommend, would chocolate them over and over again. -
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Lisa Sent on 06/27/2023
Incredible vendor!
Eleanore is incredible, she ensured that our wedding was easy, seamless and amazing! The food was delicious, loved our tasting (which was after we signed our contract, but we had eaten at the Local restaurant before). She worked well with our planner, and made sure that all details were attended to (food allergies, etc). The servers were wonderful, we had many compliments on our signature drinks and food (especially appetizers, late night snacks). She made sure all rentals were ordered as needed, and matched our wedding day needs, we are lucky that she worked with us. The Local took care of all labor and was very efficient in setting up/taking down wedding day rentals, even when it rained briefly before our ceremony, it was no issue. The only thing (which may have been related to our own oversight/miscommunication with King Family), was the Croze wine was served with ice, would have specified chilled or ordered more ice buckets/fridges to keep them chilled for guests. -
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![Caroline]()
Caroline Sent on 12/06/2022Absolutely phenomenal
Contracting The Local for our wedding was one of the best things that we did and I would recommend them to everyone. Kelly was the most amazing planner and we loved working with her!! 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!! -
![Tina]()
Tina Sent on 11/03/2022Highly recommend!
As we reflect on our wedding day, we are abundantly certain that Samantha and the team from The Local were the all-stars!
When we first reached out, we appreciated how accommodating and informative they were. All of our questions and concerns were immediately answered with an extremely detailed proposal and breakdown of each cost/line item. In the back-and-forth stages of developing our menu to finalizing our guest count and meals, Samantha and the team’s responsiveness, positivity, and professionalism always had us feeling like we were in good hands. From setting up the perfect atmosphere to serving an amazing dinner to keeping everyone well-'hydrated' throughout the night, we are greatly appreciative of everything they did. Our signature drinks, passed canapés, and entrees (highly recommend the Maryland-style crab cakes) were a hit with our guests. I also appreciated that they packed up our meals at the end of the night and gave us some extras when we didn’t have a chance to eat throughout the night.
I can’t say this enough, but we highly recommend The Local as your caterer - whether it be for your wedding day or any special events. You will not be disappointed :) -
Hannah Sent on 05/27/2022
Thank you, Kristin and team!
We contracted the Local to cater our wedding of ~100 people, working with Kristin Sclater. As UVA grads, how could we not love the Local? Their catering team surpassed our expectations.
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. -
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![Devin]()
Devin Sent on 05/08/2022Excellent wedding caterer
Highly recommend The Local for wedding catering! Their food was amazing, very easy to work with, competitive prices, and excellent service. -
![Jamie]()
Jamie Sent on 04/20/2022The best decision we made!!
I could not be happier with The Local!! My husband and I booked The Local to cater our 15-guest anniversary dinner. With only a few weeks notice, Kelly got back to me quickly with 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! -
![Irene]()
Irene Sent on 11/22/2021Super flexible and accommodating
We had a distinct vision for the food at our wedding, where we wanted to bring together elements from each of our family's cultural heritages. The Local completely understood our vision and designed two separate stations, including one that is not typically in their set menus. The chef even learned my mom's recipe for my favorite childhood food for one of our appetizers. Our guests had an amazing time sampling everything, and we have heard so many compliments. Helen was also super responsive in the weeks immediately leading up to our wedding and easily dealt with my thousands of questions! -
![Zarah]()
Zarah Sent on 11/16/2021Hire The Local!
The Local was stellar and I would hire them again and again. We have had countless compliments on the food at our wedding. From booking, to the two tastings we had, countless emails with Kelly and Helen, and finally to wedding day, they were stellar. They delivered quality service that kept the evening on time. They also clean up so well! We had a great time planning out our menu for our wedding with them as food was so important to us. Also had stellar bartenders! I'll be singing the highest praises for the Local to anyone getting married in and around the Charlottesville area. Thank you so much! -
![Maggie]()
Maggie Sent on 11/16/2021Book them!!!
The Local was amazing. Everyone was raving about our appetizers, especially the grilled cheese and tomato soup shooters and the bacon wrapped dates. Our meals ended up being so much food!! We did red wine braised short ribs and crispy local Virginia trout with old bay spiked hollandaise. So freaking good. They boxed up brand new meals for Matt and I to eat later! So thoughtful. And I cannot say enough good things about The Local’s event coordinator Helen Aker. Helen, THANK YOU SO MUCH. We had the time of our lives. It was worth the wait and we appreciate you so, so much. -
![Sarah]()
Sarah Sent on 10/26/2021Amazing from start to finish.
The Local was a huge part of what made our wedding day such a success. First off, the food is delicious. Appetizers, main course, the drinks - they did it all and well. But more importantly, we had the best experience with our partial and day-of planner, Helen. I don’t know how she balances everything on her plate. She made the wedding day come together so smoothly that everyone I look back I remember a new detail that she thought of that was just taken care of or done so well that she made it look easy (which I’m sure it was not!). I would recommend her to any bride looking to work with someone who is genuinely so kind, responsive and helpful. Thank you so much Helen! -
![Nicole]()
Nicole Sent on 10/23/2021Not your average restaurant venue!
What’s that? You want a wedding venue in the heart of Charlottesville with incredible food? But the venue space should have a speakeasy, eclectic charm? Maybe a balcony with a view of the cutest little bakery? Wouldn’t it be a dream if the on-site event coordinator had connections with a local rental company?
Well look no further! The Local knocked it out of the park! Our coordinator worked with us from the very beginning and then made sure everything was set up and ready when we arrived - table settings, florals, etc. I was truly blindsided by the support. And then the food, of course, was the star of the show. Wow!
I HIGHLY recommend The Local, not just for catering services - but the excellent venue and organized staff. -
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![Lea]()
Lea C. Sent on 10/18/2021Great experience!
The Local was a preferred vendor for our venue, and we were so pleased with how everything turned out!
Not only was the food delicious (which we were expecting since we love The Local restaurant already), but our dinner servings were HUGE. It was a big talking point of the night.
On top of that, we had to postpone our wedding by a year due to COVID and The Local was totally flexible in postponing. Helen is extremely organized can kept us informed along the way — it ended up being a totally stress-free experience!
Would definitely recommend to anyone looking for a great caterer in the area. -
![Pamela]()
Pam P. Sent on 10/14/2021Great Food & Service!
The food and service at The Local is phenomenal. The dinner service was well executed and we got tons of compliments on how yummy the food was. Everyone was great to work with and really responsive on the catering team. We even got extra meals for the bride & groom to take home! And, if you're looking for a wedding coordinator, we can't recommend Emily enough! She helped us through postponing (due to Covid) and was a joy to work with. So helpful and so responsive! -
![Caroline]()
Caroline Sent on 09/29/2021Great Caterer!
The Local was our caterer for our August 2021 wedding in Lexington, VA. Our top priorities for our wedding were good food, a full bar, and a killer band so were pretty specific about the kind of caterer we wanted and the types of food we wanted to offer. The folks that we worked with at The Local were a pleasure to work with, responsive, flexible, accomodating, and they delivered a great product. We've received many compliments since the wedding about how good the food was. They made our signature drink (Aperol spritz) beautifully. The late-night chicken sandwiches were *so good.* Don't sleep on those because they're killer. Overall, The Local is a great caterer to work with and I highly recommend them. -
Allison Sent on 09/27/2021
Fabulous event venue
The Local provided us our ideal wedding venue. It’s intimate feeling, has incredible food, and the people who work there are awesome. We had great interactions with Michelle, Mark, John and the entire staff. Michelle was so on top of everything with planning. She truly went above and beyond for me. John was the day of contact and he and his team - knocked everyone’s socks off. The food and drinks were incredible and the event went off without a hitch. We loved our wedding at The Local and wouldn’t have done it anywhere else!! -
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![Eliza]()
Eliza Sent on 08/02/2021Stop what you're doing and hire The Local now!
I can't say enough good things about The Local. My husband and I would go there for special occasions when were students at UVA so we already loved their food (and our meals on the wedding day were even better than what we had at our tasting which was already amazing to begin with). But what really made our experience working with them so wonderful was their team. We hired The Local for partial planning and worked with three different individuals from their team to book, plan our April 2021 wedding, and then ultimately execute our postponed July 2021 celebration. Everyone we worked with was kind, professional, communicative, and flexible. They made hard things easier (whether it was deciding to postpone or picking out our rentals), were always reliable, and made the wedding planning process more enjoyable. I have to give a special shoutout to Kelly who executed our wedding day to perfection. I felt so at ease the entire wedding and didn't have to worry about a single thing thanks to her. I knew we were in good hands with Kelly and that's true of anyone at The Local. Picking a caterer and coordinator is one of the most important vendor decisions you'll make and my husband and I can't recommend The Local highly enough. -
![Diana]()
Diana Sent on 07/11/2021Excellent!
We chose the Local Catering for our catering and day of coordinator services for our wedding in March 2021. The food was a hit and we received compliments regarding the food and also about our day of coordinator Helen all night. The day wouldn't have gone as smooth as it did without Helen there every step of the way. She is extremely organized, attentive, and flexible. I highly recommend Helen as a day of wedding coordinator and the Local Catering overall for their professionalism and awesome food! Thank you all so much for being a big part of our big day! -
![Heddy]()
Heddy Sent on 06/02/2021More Than Just a Caterer
The Local catered my wedding the past weekend (05/29/2021) and they went beyond and above our expectations. For being a destination wedding (we live another in another state) they were extremely accommodating to fit our schedule when we happened to be in town for tastings, walk throughs or finalizing details. Our guests raved about the food, the caesar salad and Virginia chicken main dish in particular. The bartenders were friendly and extremely organized. Helen is amazing, not only was she great about communicating but she actually bustled my dress during the reception and made it so I could have a great time out on the dance floor. We're looking forward to coming back and enjoying dinner at the restaurant in the near future. -
![Elisa]()
Elisa Sent on 12/09/2020Superb Service!
Our experience with The Local was honestly flawless. We were so impressed from the beginning, especially in the midst of a global pandemic (COVID-19). They were flexible, caring, and did everything to make this day perfect. -
![Allison]()
Allison Sent on 07/24/2020The perfect caterer.
The Local's team was so accommodating with our summer 2020 wedding! They were great to work with, did a beautiful job helping set-up, and the food was amazing. -
![Melinda]()
Melinda Sent on 07/22/2020A Dream Wedding!
The Local did a fabulous job creating our dream wedding! Emily was on top of all of the details leading up to our wedding day, and each member of The Local staff executed everything beautifully! Our guests could not stop talking about how beautiful the day turned out to be! We would definitely recommend The Local to anyone planning a wedding in the VA area! -
![Eric]()
Eric Sent on 03/30/2020Excellent Service
The Local provided excellent service to our guest at our wedding. They catered to our every need, even before we realized what we needed! The servers were very friendly and accommodating to several of our guests’ dietary restrictions. The food was so flavorful, and the portions were filling.
The communication between us and the staff at The Local was on-point and attentive. They also did a wonderful job of setting each and every table with the appropriate number of silverwares, plates, and glasses. The Local helped our wedding day go off without a hitch, while getting hitched!
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![Shannon]()
Shannon Sent on 11/21/2019I'm biased- but best wedding food I've ever had!
Ok, so I know I'm biased because this was MY wedding- but this is the best wedding food I've ever had. And the whole experience with the Local team was perfect from start to finish. At the tasting, we were able to bring my husband's parents with us at no charge. We had a private dining experience and were able to leave with the leftovers from our meal, huge hunks of brisket and pork. The food was absolutely to die for and they worked with us to create a cohesive menu. I was worried that it may not be as good when prepared in large quantities but it was somehow better at the wedding itself. Guests were returning for seconds and talking about how good the food was. The Local also takes pride in their presentation. Instead of the tired old chaffing dishes used by most companies, the food was displayed in cast iron pots, giving it a more styled feel. The Local made a plate for my husband and I to make sure we got a chance to eat. We also purchased the bar package from the Local which was extremely reasonably priced compared to other vendors and offered top shelf selections. I was also surprised to see how involved the Local was with all aspects of the day. They essentially served as a second planner, ensuring that our day ran smoothly and everything was perfectly coordinated with other vendors. They were nice enough to set up and replenish cookies and pizza I got from outside vendors. This was a stand-up team that my day delicious! I will certainly be making it a tradition to drive to Charlottesville to get some of their incredible food and thank them again for helping me have the most perfect wedding day! -
![Katie]()
Katie Sent on 11/10/2019Perfect Wedding Dinner
We would highly recommend to anyone looking for a place to hold a wedding reception to choose The Local. Not only was the food amazing, the staff was phenomenal. Michelle was great to deal with, she was knowledgeable, friendly, and prompt to answer any and all of our questions. There were only a couple of dates my husband and I could meet with Michelle together and she made it work. That meant so much to us that we could both be present. Michelle worked with us when we had last minute changes to our bar selection and decided to provide our guests with a late night food option. The three men that worked our party went above and beyond to provide for us. When we realized, after dinner was served, that one of our guests was a vegan, they did not hesitate to rush to the kitchen and within ten minutes our guest had an entire vegan meal. He was so grateful and could not stop talking about how delicious it was. We were able to bring in our own wedding cake and our plan was to have one of our guests do the serving. When one of the staff members noticed what was happening he did not hesitate to take over so our guest could enjoy the party. After dinner they moved tables out of the area so we could have a dance floor. They were so efficient I do not recall that even happening. Thanks to Michelle, the three spectacular men, and The Local our wedding reception was perfect. We could not have found a more professional, efficient, and fun group of people anywhere else. -
![emily]()
Emily Sent on 11/06/2019Catering and Coordination
I worked with Helen as my coordinator and she was just simply amazing! The food was phenomenal, we got SO MANY compliments on how amazing everything was! -
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Jenna Sent on 11/03/2019
Stop Looking. Hire The Local.
We got married at King Family Vineyards this past August and were given a pretty extensive list of approved caterers to work with. We took the time to contact each and every one of them, and ultimately decided to go with The Local. When we originally contact them, Emily responded at lightning speed and provided several different quotations at our request. Once we had sort of finalized the direction in which we wanted to go, we were assigned to Ashley as our final POC. My family is Greek and loud, and Ashley was so patient with us throughout the entire process. We deemed my dad as "Dadzilla" during our year of planning, and Ashley was always able to stay a beat ahead of him (and his obsession with cocktail shrimp!). Our tasting was great, and our guests continue to rave about our wedding dinner. We ended up going with three stations and it really was such an easy process for everyone. Our rentals were also through MS Events and it was so wonderful that Ashley handled all of that, too. The Local works hand in hand with them and the setup with rentals is entirely taken care of. We highly recommend The Local, regardless of where you're getting married/having an event. The food is superb, and we still visit the restaurant when we're in the Charlottesville area! -
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Kristin Sent on 11/01/2019
We had the time of our lives! Everyone told me it was a WONDERFUL celebration!
The Local Catering was delicious and fairly priced. Everything went smoothly because our wedding coordinator, Emily Holter from The Local, knew exactly what she was doing! She was easy to communicate with, new how to answer my zillions of questions and did so with patience and professionalism. I would do the wedding ALL OVER AGAIN! -
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Patrick Sent on 08/01/2019Can't say enough about the incredible job the Local did!
Our guests could not stop telling us how amazing the food was all night (especially the cheesy scalloped potatoes). The Local could not have been better to work with throughout the entire planning process. We decided to put an emphasis on dinner at our wedding and provide a multi-course menu with wine pairings from the venue. We were concerned that the abnormal-extended service with a mix of plated and family style along with wine pairings for each course would stress the caterers, but the Local could not have handled the dinner service better! The staff was seriously incredible and we attribute a huge amount of the day to them.
The Local also coordinated with MS Events for all rentals (Tables, flatware, glassware, decorations, etc.) which really helped bring everything together and ensure that they had everything they needed for themselves and our guests.
The Local came highly recommended to us and we are gladly passing the recommendation on to anybody getting married or hosting an event in the Cville area! -
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Stacy Sent on 06/03/2019LOVE The Local!
My husband and I cannot recommend The Local enough. From our very first e-mail conversation, their team was very responsive and a blast to work with. We chose our wedding planner through The Local as well, and working with Ashley Trone was amazing. She made every process a breeze, and I was so happy to have her with us on our wedding day. We had so many compliments on the food and service. We could not be happier. :) -
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Alissa Sent on 05/28/2019Best Wedding Food EVER
I had so many of my guests tell me that they had the best wedding food they'd ever been to.
We did a charcuterie tray with local cheeses, honey, fruit & nuts ... and if that's all we had served our guests and myself would've been completely satisfied. It was the best damn goat cheese & strawberries I've ever eaten and my only wish was that I had gotten some of that to take home.
We also did a raw bar -- scallops to die for... A pork loin and short ribs. I actually had the vegetarian option brought to me because it was just that damn good.
You won't be disappointed. -
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Mike Sent on 06/06/2017We used our venue's preferred vendor list to select The Local. We were able to quickly schedule a tasting and the food was amazing! We set the menu immediately and worked with Courtney to make adjustments. She was very accommodating and open to our requests, even helping us locate/select local craft beers for our bar.
The catering staff was fabulous on our big day. When the weather didn't cooperate, they set up both indoor and outdoor ceremony spaces and were able to quickly "flip" our space for the reception. The space looked amazing and completely put together. Everyone raved about the food! The bar staff was fantastic and our guests quickly asked if we could tip them for their services. We were provided with tons of "to-go" food (a blessing when you don't really get to eat!) and the staff completely tore down our space, boxing everything and putting it in our vehicles for us. -
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Caryn Sent on 10/20/2016The Local not only has amazing food but the service the staff provides second to none. They made sure that my husband and I as well as our guests had whatever we needed during the cocktail hour and wedding reception.
We also used Helen from The Local as our day of wedding coordinator. She was extremely helpful throughout the process and made the entire experience stress free. We truly enjoyed working with her and it was bittersweet saying goodbye to her after the wedding. I highly recommend The Local they are worth every penny!
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Abby Sent on 01/18/2016The Local catered our rehearsal dinner at the Paramount Theater and wedding at Mount Ida Farm. We also used them for wedding weekend coordinating services and I cannot state how integral Courtney Hildebrand from The Local was to our wedding. She helped us choose a menu, plan for deliveries and decor and work with a dozen vendors over the course of months of planning. She also took over scheduling and overseeing things on the wedding weekend allowing us to enjoy the moment. We cannot thank her enough.
We had booked The Local before choosing the venue. We chose high quality ingredients and a top-shelf drink package with craft cocktails, local beers and wines and The Local delivered it all to perfection at both events. It has now been a over a year since our wedding and people still mention to us how amazing the catering was, not only in general terms, but also by mentioning many of the specific things they ate and drank. We highly recommend The Local and look forward to going to dinner there when we visit Charlottesville.
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