Closes at 8 pm yet plenty of flights are still awaiting departure. NO dining options here
EE Grimshaw
Some of the reviews for this place are pretty terrifying but by and large I think The Local is getting dinged for simply being a generic airport bar/restaurant; it's by no means an establishment I'd go out of my way to visit but it's there and could be a lot worse.
I unfortunately drew the short straw and just missed a potential flight back to Newark by a few minutes, so I had close to five or six hours until my official flight back (maybe if we'd known that beforehand, a trip to nearby downtown Norfolk would have been in order, but no matter). I was in Terminal B but the dining options there looked pretty bleak. An employee told me this one was slightly better so I did something I NEVER do and certainly wouldn't entertain if this were a busier airport - I walked back out past security, knowing I'd have to go through again in the near future, and made myself comfortable at a six-top near the bar.
My waitress was phenomenal and honestly one of the few selling points here - I THINK her name might have been Tori. She also bore an eerie resemblance to actress Valorie Curry, who I don't think I've seen on screen since The Following a decade ago. Anyway. Very nice and basically let me just hang out for several hours taking up space (which was probably an easy sell given that the restaurant wasn't particularly busy throughout my visit there). She had a ton of tables in the front section to visit and always found time to check in with me. As an aside, I was there long enough to see quite a few informal interactions amongst the staff, and there was a lot of good vibes there and co-workers who clearly enjoyed spending time with one another; definitely not a given but a positive for sure.
I wasn't insanely hungry off of two pretty hearty meals that morning and prior night, so I just got the crab dip to munch on, along with a glass of sauv blanc. Honestly, the crab dip itself was perfectly fine but in what I'd consider an unforced error, they've made the decision to coat the top of it with this rubbery layer of cheese. Mystifying. I was able to eat around it with minimal drama but that should 100% be removed from future crab dips - you're actually ruining the best part of the app. Otherwise, it was good though. It came with some pita crisps for dipping and a side of chips. If they removed that one annoying ingredient, this would be pretty legit.
The prices to me are way too high. Yes, I think you should expect some upcharge given that you're at an airport, but this is an airport that doesn't appear to have been upgraded since 1991 with minimal travelers. The glass of wine was $22, which is just insulting; I'd be mildly annoyed at that if I were in my home airport of Newark though would at least understand it to some extent. And having reasonable pricing would lessen the impact of the mediocre food. At least you'd be getting what you pay for.
Certainly not a full-throated endorsement here. I didn't sample any of the other sit-down restaurant options, and there's arguably a downside to picking one outside rather than inside security. But in defense of that decision, I was literally the only person at TSA both times and this wasn't terrible. It helped pass the time, and I think that's literally its primary purpose. So it checks off that box at least.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
DaKota MarQuette
Our group ordered The Local, the Chicken Quesadilla, and the Buffalo Wings - they were all delicious! The crab dip was the BEST of all of them!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Catt
Terrible service. We had an hour left before boarding and decided to catch a drink one hour before the restaurants posted closing. The bartender quickly let us know they were cleaning to close and no service was provided in spite of sitting down. So after waiting 20 minutes we decided to go next door for fast food where my entire family was served full meals and treated with kindness 10 minutes before BK closed.
Steve Sullivan
Food was uneatable! Not sure how they can stay in business serving foods like that. Had a caesar salad (dried out chicken, brown lettuce) then attempted the turkey club (luncheon meat was rancid and bread was stale). Service was ok. I cannot recommend this place
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Isabelle Mollien
NOT a very friendly or welcoming place!! Nobody even acknowledged us. Tried to order something online but app is buggy
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
Hiran Carrero
I just wanted a beer while i waited for my wife, but i had to flag someone down as they were talking and texting on their phone.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
Devin Bates
The food was mediocre, although adequate for airport food. The service, however, is worth reviewing. I was brought the wrong side item, and when I politely pointed it out, the server (Mana) responded with attitude instead of an apology. And rather than bringing the correct side, she served a cold hard side of nastiness. Mistakes happen, but rudeness is a choice—and this one made it loud and clear that customer care wasn’t on the menu. If you enjoy being treated like an inconvenience, this is your place. Otherwise, steer clear.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Theresa Costello
Bartender is so rude. It’s the only restaurant before you go into ticketing, so I guess that’s why she can be. There was a very kind employee that saw the rudeness as I was leaving and tried offer assistance. I chose to leave. There app, the only way to order, kept giving an ask the server prompt. Burger King was so kind though! Happy travels!
Stopped in for a drink before my flight and Debbie made me the most amazing drink! She is very nice and welcoming.
Love Asia Vann
Right before the security check point. The food was amazing! Deborah customer service was excellent. I have been flying in and out of Norfolk for years never tried the food. Glad I went there today was worth the cost and time.
Corey Eynaud
Couldnt even order anything; no one came and asked. Poor service.
Tricia H
Stopped here the first week of April while waiting for my flight. The bartender was my server, and she was clearly in over her head. They probably needed a little bit more staffing, but she could have just been a spazz. Either way, don't take it out on the guests or on your coworkers- in front of guests. Only some parts of the restaurant were open, but there was no signage indicating that (just said to seat yourself) and she was incredibly rude to people as they wandered in looking for a place to sit (there was no hostess). It took her a very long time to ask my drink order, and I had ordered my food already through the QR code that was affixed to the counter. The food was okay. Nothing special. It was difficult to get a second drink. The entire experience and atmosphere was ruined by the bartender though, as she kept slamming things around out of frustration, complaining to and about her coworkers, and generally not tending to her guests. Wouldn't recommend this place, they clearly don't have their stuff together.
JJ Christopher
Sat down scanned the menu and then order failed-said ask your server...could not get any of the servers to make eye contact. Left and went to Burger King...avoid this horrible place whenever you are at ORF and maybe it will be replaced with a restaurant that has servers that don't avoid the customers!!
Closes at 8 pm yet plenty of flights are still awaiting departure. NO dining options here
Some of the reviews for this place are pretty terrifying but by and large I think The Local is getting dinged for simply being a generic airport bar/restaurant; it's by no means an establishment I'd go out of my way to visit but it's there and could be a lot worse.
I unfortunately drew the short straw and just missed a potential flight back to Newark by a few minutes, so I had close to five or six hours until my official flight back (maybe if we'd known that beforehand, a trip to nearby downtown Norfolk would have been in order, but no matter). I was in Terminal B but the dining options there looked pretty bleak. An employee told me this one was slightly better so I did something I NEVER do and certainly wouldn't entertain if this were a busier airport - I walked back out past security, knowing I'd have to go through again in the near future, and made myself comfortable at a six-top near the bar.
My waitress was phenomenal and honestly one of the few selling points here - I THINK her name might have been Tori. She also bore an eerie resemblance to actress Valorie Curry, who I don't think I've seen on screen since The Following a decade ago. Anyway. Very nice and basically let me just hang out for several hours taking up space (which was probably an easy sell given that the restaurant wasn't particularly busy throughout my visit there). She had a ton of tables in the front section to visit and always found time to check in with me. As an aside, I was there long enough to see quite a few informal interactions amongst the staff, and there was a lot of good vibes there and co-workers who clearly enjoyed spending time with one another; definitely not a given but a positive for sure.
I wasn't insanely hungry off of two pretty hearty meals that morning and prior night, so I just got the crab dip to munch on, along with a glass of sauv blanc. Honestly, the crab dip itself was perfectly fine but in what I'd consider an unforced error, they've made the decision to coat the top of it with this rubbery layer of cheese. Mystifying. I was able to eat around it with minimal drama but that should 100% be removed from future crab dips - you're actually ruining the best part of the app. Otherwise, it was good though. It came with some pita crisps for dipping and a side of chips. If they removed that one annoying ingredient, this would be pretty legit.
The prices to me are way too high. Yes, I think you should expect some upcharge given that you're at an airport, but this is an airport that doesn't appear to have been upgraded since 1991 with minimal travelers. The glass of wine was $22, which is just insulting; I'd be mildly annoyed at that if I were in my home airport of Newark though would at least understand it to some extent. And having reasonable pricing would lessen the impact of the mediocre food. At least you'd be getting what you pay for.
Certainly not a full-throated endorsement here. I didn't sample any of the other sit-down restaurant options, and there's arguably a downside to picking one outside rather than inside security. But in defense of that decision, I was literally the only person at TSA both times and this wasn't terrible. It helped pass the time, and I think that's literally its primary purpose. So it checks off that box at least.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 4
Our group ordered The Local, the Chicken Quesadilla, and the Buffalo Wings - they were all delicious! The crab dip was the BEST of all of them!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Terrible service. We had an hour left before boarding and decided to catch a drink one hour before the restaurants posted closing. The bartender quickly let us know they were cleaning to close and no service was provided in spite of sitting down. So after waiting 20 minutes we decided to go next door for fast food where my entire family was served full meals and treated with kindness 10 minutes before BK closed.
Food was uneatable! Not sure how they can stay in business serving foods like that. Had a caesar salad (dried out chicken, brown lettuce) then attempted the turkey club (luncheon meat was rancid and bread was stale). Service was ok. I cannot recommend this place
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
NOT a very friendly or welcoming place!!
Nobody even acknowledged us. Tried to order something online but app is buggy
Atmosphere: 1
Service: 1
I just wanted a beer while i waited for my wife, but i had to flag someone down as they were talking and texting on their phone.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 1
The food was mediocre, although adequate for airport food. The service, however, is worth reviewing. I was brought the wrong side item, and when I politely pointed it out, the server (Mana) responded with attitude instead of an apology. And rather than bringing the correct side, she served a cold hard side of nastiness. Mistakes happen, but rudeness is a choice—and this one made it loud and clear that customer care wasn’t on the menu. If you enjoy being treated like an inconvenience, this is your place. Otherwise, steer clear.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 1
Bartender is so rude. It’s the only restaurant before you go into ticketing, so I guess that’s why she can be. There was a very kind employee that saw the rudeness as I was leaving and tried offer assistance. I chose to leave. There app, the only way to order, kept giving an ask the server prompt. Burger King was so kind though! Happy travels!
Service: 1
Slow service, if you get service at all.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 1
Restaurantji Recommends
Stopped in for a drink before my flight and Debbie made me the most amazing drink! She is very nice and welcoming.
Right before the security check point. The food was amazing! Deborah customer service was excellent. I have been flying in and out of Norfolk for years never tried the food. Glad I went there today was worth the cost and time.
Couldnt even order anything; no one came and asked. Poor service.
Stopped here the first week of April while waiting for my flight. The bartender was my server, and she was clearly in over her head. They probably needed a little bit more staffing, but she could have just been a spazz. Either way, don't take it out on the guests or on your coworkers- in front of guests.
Only some parts of the restaurant were open, but there was no signage indicating that (just said to seat yourself) and she was incredibly rude to people as they wandered in looking for a place to sit (there was no hostess). It took her a very long time to ask my drink order, and I had ordered my food already through the QR code that was affixed to the counter. The food was okay. Nothing special. It was difficult to get a second drink. The entire experience and atmosphere was ruined by the bartender though, as she kept slamming things around out of frustration, complaining to and about her coworkers, and generally not tending to her guests. Wouldn't recommend this place, they clearly don't have their stuff together.
Sat down scanned the menu and then order failed-said ask your server...could not get any of the servers to make eye contact. Left and went to Burger King...avoid this horrible place whenever you are at ORF and maybe it will be replaced with a restaurant that has servers that don't avoid the customers!!
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