Having been to Miami many times, I pretty much figured that all of my good meals would be coming from some tiny Cuban hole in the wall where nobody spoke English OR I would have to pay an arm and a leg to get some type of service.
The Local House surpasses ALL of my expectations. Actually let me rephrase that I had no expectations when going to the Local House because my gaggle of bridesmaids took me to the restaurant without telling me anything. As a girl who works for Yelp for a living this both frightened and excited me.
I am happy to report that my girls DONE RIGHT. Everything from the ambiance, food and service was absolutely dead on amazing...and I'm a picky girl!
Here is the low down of what I tried:
Complimentary champagne - Before I even had a chance to take a look at the menu, the waiters were already popping bottles of champagne for our entire group. It could have been Andre for all I cared (it wasn't!) but what a wonderful touch.
Complimentary bread and eggplant tapanade - Thick, crusty, buttery bread with the best eggplant dip I've ever had in my life. I would have ordered this as my meal if I could have!
Smoke gouda mac and cheese - Shells FTW! This is my favorite type of pasta because the cheese gets stuck in the inside crevices and lordy, lordy was this good.
Black seafood risotto - (Read this next line in the Kool Aid Man voice) OHHHH YEAHHHHH! The combination of squid ink, citrus burst, cheese, and whatever type of black magic they put in their was Flavor-i-cious. Did I just invent a new word? Why yes I did but it was THAT GOOD.
Pan seared Branzino - Wow, what a hefty piece of fish! Flaky and delicious and note a bone on it at all. I'm definitely adding branzino to my favorite fish list.
Complimentary chocolate cake - As if they couldn't made me feel more like a princess they topped it off with a wonderful chocolatey, velvety smooth cake. So rich and indulgent.
The upscale beach house ambiance peppered with images of vintage Barbies is perfect for taking group images with your girlfriends (because really, isnt' that all we want at the end of the day?).
Awesome cocktails. Great photos. Great food. Great service. I quite honestly don't think I've ever liked a restaurant as much as I like this one. I would give this place six stars if I could.
After spending hours (HOURS!) looking for a fab restaurant for our Yelp-loving bride, we stumbled upon this gem. Â As is evidenced below, the bride was in love. Â But we ALL were. Â 12 girls with different style and tastes instantly fell in love with this charming, elegant, pretty restaurant. Â
The staff were so kind and brought complimentary champagne. Â I loved their bow ties! Â I also ordered a blood orange margarita, which was citrusy deliciousness.
The risotto was so flavorful and lush, coming from a girl who spent Sundays during childhood eating up plates of squid risotto-this was awesome.
The prices are unbeatable, and ladies-this is the perfect classy yet relaxed spot for a bachelorette, wedding shower, birthday meal or GNO.
With an oceanside feel to this casual brunch spot, it provides for an A-OK kind of establishment. Â All the folks that work here except the manager clearly exhibit years of service. Â Overall a great place to hang out and be the ones to soak in the locals.
This spot paints the perfect seashell white and turquoise/aquamarine color combination for an ultimate getaway or vacation.
This was our first time visiting the The Local House while on vacation in Miami Beach and we were so happy to find it! It's a small, clean and crisp restaurant past the touristy places on Ocean Drive. It was late on a Sunday night, so it wasn't crowded at all. Our food was delicious and at a reasonable price for Miami Beach (something very hard to come by)! Another score by searching Yelp!! Will definitely go back  if we're down there again!
Review Source:I chose to check out The Local House a couple Sundays ago for Brunch with a friend in town after having read many fantastic reviews regarding the food, service, and price. I'm sorry to say that I did not have a pleasurable experience.
The restaurant itself is very nice and charming, and pleasantly understated for a Miami Beach place. I sat down with great expectations, but unfortunately my chair wasn't prepared for my 150lb frame, as it broke underneath my weight. No big deal; it was funny. My friend and I both ordered the eggs benedict, he the crab cakes and I the salmon. I had a bloody mary to drink and he had a couple negronis. The drinks were good, but unfortunately both of our eggs were completely and totally overcooked. After about 5 minutes of politely trying to get our waiter's attention, we finally had to raise our voices to call attention to ourselves. He took away our plates and after a few minutes brought us attempt number 2. The eggs were still a bit overcooked, but well within the acceptable range, so we ate without complaint.
In all fairness I should point out that the service offered by the young food runner, I believe he introduced himself to the table next to us as stefan, was top notch. Our waiter also brought us a complementary portion of potatoes without a word. After bringing us our food a second time, we never really saw our waiter again until I gave him my credit card on the way to the bathroom so we could pay our tab.
The thing that really brought me to write this review, other than the less than attentive service and the overcooked food, was the fact that we were charged above menu price for our drinks, and our check was gratted. Our waiter, clearly not content to let his less than stellar service and our overcooked food determine his tip, decided to add 18% gratuity to our $91 check. When I found the manager, seated and chatting with a table that was likely full of his friends in the corner of the porch, he claimed to have no idea that our food had been sent back or that our waiter had added gratuity to our check. Based on the overwhelmingly positive reviews here on yelp, I likely had an uncommon experience at The Local House. I, however, will not be returning.
The food at The Local House is really good, with great service and ambiance. Â I tried various items from their menu. Â My favorite, the smoked gouda Mac N' Cheese. Â Creamy, with a perfect crunchy topping. Â The calamari salad was fresh and light. Â Also loved the goat cheese croquettes with the spicy guava sauce. Â That sweetness with a little kick was fantastic. Â For dessert I tried the pineapple flan which was light and delicious, and the gluten-free chocolate cake. Â I had never had a gluten free cake and it was rich and just perfect. Â The service is very attentive and professional. Â Our server was Misty and she is fantastic! Â The Local House should hold on to her because there's not many servers like that in Miami!
Review Source:Cute little gem on Ocean Drive with great service and nice atmosphere. Â Came here on a Saturday night with my hubby, it was nice and cool so we sat outside so we could people watch. We couldn't really decide what to have so i opted for appetizers and he had an entree. Â I started with the calamari, dates, and pasta carbonara all 3 were delish and my hubby had the chicken with fried pasta ( very small portioned for the price.) Â To my surprise we actually got full with what we ordered. Â Â Definitely would like to try brunch some other time.
Review Source:The food was such an excellent surprise from the fare being offered at similar prices up the road on Ocean. The only off note was some awkwardness with the service. Maybe it was just the curse of being a solitary diner that you are treated slightly differently. In any case, the food is excellent and provided in a serene location.
Review Source:On the recommendation of Yelpers and some locals I met at a different restaurant, my friend and I had brunch at the Local House. This place is really quite good. We got bottomless mimosas that were very tasty (although I watched the bartender continuously diluting the solution with more OJ as we were there and did not ever open a second bottle of champagne, but it was still good). The place was (surprisingly) completely empty almost the entire time we were there, but the restaurant was beautifully decorated, with a blue ceiling and an upscale but homey decor.I loved that they had recipes for different cocktails all around the bar, very cute. Â For breakfast I had the eggs benedict with bacon and it was really delicious. My only complaint about it was that it didn't come with any fruit or potatoes or anything, so it really didn't keep me full for too long. The flavor and preparation was excellent. I would definitely recommend Local House for brunch.
Review Source:miami has really shitty food...unless you want to fork over  $ $ $ $ ....then you will have both great food and highly ritzy ambiance.  (think Barton G...and its food presentation).
The Local House is a refreshing restaurant that fits right in the middle... and is situated on Ocean Drive and underneath a boutique hotel. Â Miami needs more restaurants like this. Â Reasonably priced,fresh seafood, outdoor seating, and even if you don't want to get bit by mosquitos, the indoor decor is cute as hell....makes you feel as if you were eating right on the beach. Â very aquatic & serene indeed. Â
We went for brunch and were craving oysters. unfortunately, oysters was for dinner time only. Â Our last day in Miami, we decided to go balls out and add on the bottomless mimosa. Â
everything we ordered was spot on. from the ceviche to the crab Benedict.  the eggs were perfectly poached.  the hollandaise sauce  amazing.  i would come back here for dinner the next time i am in town and would highly recommend to others!
Really good burgers and drinks (mojitos). I like that it is far enough away from all the craziness on the touristy strip of Ocean. Sit outside on the sofas if it's a nice day, enjoy the breeze and privacy. Bottomless mimosas for $16. The banana pancakes sure looked amazing as well, didn't get to try them this time around, but possibly next time if in the area.
Review Source:I have never been to a restaurant with this caliber of service. Period. Everything about The Local House left me with the biggest smile across my face. The interior is simply gorgeous. Located just off of the beach at the southern tip of Ocean Drive, this place is an absolute hidden gem that a friend and I stumbled across. It is 10000% worth trekking past all of the gimmicky restaurants that aggressively and annoyingly try and suck you into sitting with them all along Ocean Drive. We came during their "sunset" dinner menu. But before tasting anything, the waitstaff and bartender are THE friendliest, most bubbly people we have met since being in Miami. Very professional, entertaining, warm, and hospitable. I felt as if I was being invited into someone's home for a wonderful dinner party...part of which is why the interior felt like a beautifully decorated beach home, with artful bookcases, a piano, guitar casually resting in the corner - chic decor! We felt like we were the center of attention, every employee regularly interacting with us...laughing and loving life...Gabrielle told us stories of his mother as he mixed our drinks. Misty was our server, extremely educated, has been in high-end food business for a long time - describes everything beautifully with rich and poetic detail. We talked all about food, region we've been to and that she has worked, chefs, everything. She was even cognizant of these Yelp reviews and commented to us about the one negative review we saw here on Yelp! Let's see another place try and serve a large private party - 65 people, in a 40 person capacity location without a grumpy customer tossed somewhere in there. Take a chill pill, person. Very engaging - the experience of mingling with the staff and meeting the chef significantly enhanced the experience. All were very in tune to satisfying the customer.
And all of this before the food came out! I had the smoked Gouda macaroni and cheese, my friend the pan seared branzino (pictures uploaded). Presentation was splendid - every bite was mouthwateringly scrumptious. We didn't want the plate to end - unfortunately it was dwindling down with every bite. So much flavor! We got the flour less chocolate cake for dessert (picture uploaded also) and again it was heavenly. Very rich - no corners cut ANYWHERE! And I mean it. Our waters never fell below 3/4 full. Our napkins always refolded upon returning from the washroom.
And they've only been here since 2 months ago or so. They're doing everything right. Keep it up, spread the word. Get tv shows over here ASAP.
And value? Such a BARGAIN!!! Every penny worth it without breaking the bank - just depends on how much food you want to keep ordering, because you will want to eat more and more and want to stay longer and longer for the people and ambiance.
A++++++++++++++ to all of you. Can't wait to see you soon and bring all of my friends here one at a time.
Misty, if you're reading this, thanks for taking my fedora off of the table and temporarily adding it to your bookcase (picture uploaded) - I almost wanted to leave it there because it fit in so well :)
Chao!
What an awful experience. I really thought I had experienced bottom of the barrel service living on Miami Beach until I went here. Â We had a party of nine. Â I understand that a table of this size for the meager minded autogratted server can be a problem so we were prepared to wait. Â However, there is no excuse for the lack of service or attention that we received. Â It was 35 minutes after we sat down before we even had water brought to us. Â Another twenty for the drink orders. We finally ordered about an hour after we had been there. Â We should have left before we ordered when another patron walked in and read the manager the riot act for the service they had received. Â However, the menu looked enticing and we wanted to give the place a chance. Â Mistake! Â After and hour of being told "your food will be out in 5 minutes", we decided to talk to one of the managers who decided to very loudly explain to us why we were waiting. Â Wow! What a lame excuse about being getting hit all at one time. Â Mind you being busy all at once is a 62 person establishment. I understand getting busy, but we had waited for 2 hours and we still didn't have our food. Â We got up, told them to cancel our order and left. The only thing they did right was not make us pay for any of our drinks and did not argue with us about leaving. Â I would NEVER recommend going there for any reason. Â You are simply wasting your time. Â Do not do it! Â You will regret it.
Review Source:The Local House is an absolute priceless gem in Miami. Just as it is written when you walk in the entrance: "Viva la Vita At Local House", Â you immediately know that you are not going in as a normal customer in an average restaurant. Â You are about to embark on a "Local House" moment by savoring an extraordinary experience in a very special place. Â
The service was impeccable from the very attentive server Misty, to the friendly manager Gabriel and warm & charming owner Ciro. They will ensure that you are being pampered & taken care of. Â I took my good friend to celebrate her 30th birthday here and she was utterly impressed by the A+++ experience.
The menu is simple, fresh and combines a concoction of all natural ingredients that together you would never imagine tasting so amazing. Â Highly recommended are the goat cheese croquettes which is accompanied by a SPICY GUAVA cream - yep I said Guava...to die for! Also absolutely unforgettable were the stuffed dates with bacon & cheese - they left me speechless. Â If you like truffle aioli, the smoked French fries are an absolute must. The calamari salad was fresh and an incredible explosion of the citrus flavors - so spectacular. Â
Apart from the delicious food and very warm and welcoming staff & management, the Local House is simply a very COOL place to hang out at for cocktails and good conversation. I will definitely be back again and bring an entourage of friends with me. Â If you live in Miami, the Local House should definitely be your regular go to spot. Â If you're coming as a visitor then a stop at this enticing spot is a MUST in order to live a full Miami experience!
We stayed at the hotel for a few days and went to the Local House several times. Food was delicious and the drinks and cocktails were amazing. Try the amazing fries and L'Imperatrice cocktail, delish! Gabriele, the Italian bartender, and dining room staff were friendly and very attentive. Prices are typical for South Beach. The restaurant does no have the overly rowdy and louche atmosphere of other eateries on South Beach. Decor is sophisticated and cozy. Highly recommended.
Review Source:We went here for dinner on the last night of our stay in Miami and I was so glad we did! Â This is such a cozy little place, my ideal setting to get away from the main stream craziness. Â We started out with some amazing cocktails made by Gabriel. Â We sat at an outside table as it was a lovely night and started off with some oysters and an order of the bacon wrapped dates. Â Let me start by saying we ended up getting another order of dates for dessert! Â The shrimp carbonara was our other favorite dish, it was creamy yet light, with great flavor. Â Tim the exec chef stopped outside to chat with us and I found out he is from where I grew up! Â Small world. Â He also so kindly sent us an amazing bread pudding dessert, which we graciously enjoyed despite gorging ourselves on the rest of the menu.
Overall, this place had great cocktails, food, service, and a lovely atmosphere, what more could you ask for??
When I come to Miami again I will most certainly be back. Â Thank you for a lovely night!
Loved this restaurant! Located just in front of our condo while in vacation in South Beach, we sat at the bar, got the best service and attention from the Italian staff!!! We felt like superstars. The food was excellent and the price was just normal for South Beach. Can't wait to go again!!! The bar tender made us a custom made pitcher of Sangria even if it was not on the menu and everything was made from scratch and fresh, makes all the difference!!
Review Source:Very quaint, in the mix of Miami tourist zone but feels like anything but. Enjoyed our dinner here, however the place was empty (one other table was full). Â Service was good considering the place was empty. Â The drinks we ordered from the bar were great. Â Goat cheese croquetas were tasty, we also had the melon salad (nothing special) and the black linguini.
Review Source:I loved this restaurant. Everything was excellent from the very beginning to the very end. The design of the place was beautiful, it reminded me a beach house. The wait stuff was very welcoming. Gabriel, our server, gave us some great recommendations on the menu, so we decided to go with Arugula and Strawberry salad, Grill Octopus and Double cut Hunger Steak--it was the best choice!!!! I highly recommend to try the Octopus it's out of this world!!! We finished our dinner with the dessert special--Cereal Panna Cotta, my boyfriend absolutely loved it, as a matter of fact nothing could take away his attention from the dessert.
Very special place!!!! Highly recommend it!!!!
This is a very cute spot with good oysters, service and ambience. I'm rating this lower because I thought the food was a little expensive. We had a tuna taco that was tasty, but way too small for the price. Luckily, we also got to take advantage of a Living Social voucher for the drinks and oysters.
Review Source:THE LOCAL HOUSE was an absolute treat. Both the Manager "Gabriel" and the Lead Waiter "JC" consistently came out to our table and explained to us the origin or the importance of the meal that was delivered. Everything was fresh, locally sourced or home-made. Decent portions and absolutely delicious. My favorites were all of the Ceviches, the Seafood Risotto (made with the ink of a squid), the Branzino fish fillet, the Arugula and Strawberry Salad, and for sure the Beef Carpaccio.
Both me and my girlfriend really enjoyed the drink menu as well. We had the "Blood Orange Margarita" originated from a bar tending couple from Berlin, It was perfection! Our interaction with the staff and great experience (and undoubtedly the amount of food we were ordering :) earned us a free Bread pudding desert. Needless to say it was fantastic.
Check these guys out. You will not regret it.
We had a pleasant meal at the Local House. Â I realized that they serve different food for dinner and for brunch, so we probably missed part of cuisine such as bacon wrapped dates. Â My favorite brunch dish is the fish sandwich - tender, tasty and rich in roasted vegetables. Â The ceviche and tuna tartar are both all right. Â The arugula salad is lovely but the portion is a bit small. Â I love the simplicity and modernity of the decor. Â Lovely spot within the Sense Hotel - beware of the mosquitos in the yard though (I got a few awful bites while attempting to use the hammock).
Review Source:I have had a great experience at The Local House as I can say I have been there several times and customer service has excelled my expectations every single time. Its service distinguishes itself with its distinct friendliness, welcoming and serviceable atmosphere from the front desk, to the waiters and waitresses to the bartender/manager to the general manager as well as the owner. As soon as you step in you feel welcomed and within a great, relaxed and laid back beach like ambiance with style, let's not forget that. It's not only an awesome cozy place to discover and hangout right across from the beach but they have excellent food, drinks, great prices and you will have the chance to meet and converse with diverse groups of people of different cultures from all over the world that hangout there as well as with locals, ultimately, making it an amazingly spectacular, special and unforgettable experience...location could not be more perfect! It's literally in the heart of South Beach:)
Just the other night, I met there with some friends and Gabriel (bartender/manager) gave us the best service ever. Not only was he so attentive to see if we needed more drinks as the night progressed but he was very social and interactive with not only our entire group but customers at other tables as well (It was a full house that night), extroverts are always great in settings like these. He didn't wait for our drinks to get dry, he came and offered us more as we were very pleased and delighted with his customer service skills, we all spoke about it. On top of his great service and friendliness on various occasions, his drinks always taste amazing! It's fascinating how he can change an entire drink with just a hint of another ingredient that meshes well when mixed! He makes the best mojitos ever! On a different night, he made more mojitos but decided to add an extra hint of raspberry which added to its excellence of exotic flavors. Other days, I have tried his martini as well as wine, great all around!:)
As far as the food, the first time that I had ever eaten there, there was a chef name Guily. The black seafood risotto which was one of her specialties was delicious. She came out of the kitchen to greet and meet the people located at our table, she explained her specialties in the menu, ultimately, recommending great choices for each and everyone of us which differed in taste. I've been to a vast number of various types and styles of restaurants and by far, the food here surpasses in overall quality in all of South Beach if you ask me. The taste and the presentation itself was top quality, therefore, I would highly recommend The Local House to anyone and everyone. Some of the exquisite dishes that we tried comprised of the chill shrimp, the goat cheese croquets, crispi steak calamari, Guily's crab cake, stuffed dates, oysters and other desserts....all I can say is simply and delicately amazing! Everything was extremely flavorful and delicious, can't really compare it to other restaurants within the vicinity...I felt as if I was eating in another country since food tends to be so much richer in flavor in other places of the world just as it was when I was eating here. I was really impressed!
Not to get off topic here but one last note on the more friendly staff topic, Sydney, from the front desk was so friendly and courteous as he is like that all the time. Always find him in a happy, positive mood and with a huge smile on his face that brights up the whole day. He has no problem helping guests and is always willing to attain whatever their necessities are for the day, from booking events, tours, getting them access to the hippest nightclubs in all of South Beach and much more...The general manager, Patricia, came to greet us, acknowledging the guests at the restaurant/bar, she is always so nice, courteous and polite, couldn't have anyone better as general manager. Ciro, the owner, also greeted all the guests acknowledging each and everyone of us which I thought was extremely thoughtful and courteous of his part making everyone feel welcomed and at home with his pleasant smile and personality! You really can't get better staff than this!:) The Local House is truly the greatest, most unique and fascinating gem of South Beach!
I am definitely a fan of this cozy little spot on the corner of 4th and Collins. We came in on a chilly Sunday afternoon for a late brunch and were seated promptly. The entire resturant fits into the boutique hotels front lobby with a bar, a few booths and tables outside. And surprisingly enough it was a peaceful little joint... almost like something you would expect in West Palm not in the middle of South Beach.
I didnt order anything special just egg whites, lox and toast. Not bad. My brunch buddy had the french toast which was very good and the chorizo dish which was just ok. Our order did take about an hour to arrive which for such a tiny resturant I expected it to come quicker. I had a very nice dry white wine and enjoyed the peaceful ambiance until our food finally came.
We used the yelp deal that worked out great especially for the auto grat which Im getting used to here on the beach. Service was fine, ambiance was great. We will definantly return and cant wait to come back for dinner.
This was just splendid. Â The service was so great. Â I really wished I remember our server's name - he was one of the best ones I have ever had in my life. Â Everything was delicious too and we got pretty much everything on the menu. Â The fries with truffle alioi was great, the stuffed dates, and the seafood risotto! Â It's made with squid ink which freaked me out at first know I am eating bodily fluids expelled as a defense mechanism, but it was AMAZIMG! Â
They had the best oysters too. Â They were Florida oysters so it was nice and sweet, unlike the ones from the west coast or Blue Point oysters. They get fresh shipments everyday,, so supplies do last. Â I would go earlier in the evening so you can reorder and reorder and reorder ;)
The only thing I do not like about this place is that it is way too fragrant.  I don't know it is candles or potpourri  or etc, but whatever it was did start to give me a crippling migraine.  But that can be fixed with outside seating ;)
Two stars for two reasons. First, our "waiter" was the bartender. He did not know the menu but why should he, he is the bartender. Any questions asked regarding the food he responded "one moment while I go ask the chef." Our water went empty numerous times and we had to pour our own wine. All because we did not have a waiter.
Second reason for two stars is because the Internet shut down & they lost all food orders and could not give customers their checks. We sat for 1.5 hours WITHOUT food after our order was placed. No explanation or apology. After realizing something was wrong we asked and they explained the computer system was shut down. There were A LOT of comped meal and some even left without paying. It was madness and not handled properly by the coward owner. However, the food was good. We got our meal for 50% off.
Very poor leadership. Hope they resolve the Internet issues or this place will not last long. Disappointing.
I started out going to Joe's, but they had a 3 hour wait!!!  I decided to leave, so I started walking and checking out  different places.  I came upon The Local House and the staff really made me feel at home.  I tried the seafood risotto, the bacon wrapped dates, the chocco beef, and the crab cake.  OMG!  talk about flavors exploding in your mouth!  One dish was as tasty as the next.  I eat out often and love it when I find a place that is just so tasteful.  I recommend it! Â
The chef even came out to talk to me and the 3 girls working made me feel like family. Â What a great find, you won't be disappointed. Â
Semper Fi,
Bismarck
We decided to go to The Local House last night. Â We'd been there before for dinner and loved food, the location (a beautiful hotel on Ocean Drive but away from the usual madness), the decor, and the ambiance. Â We had already eaten dinner at home but wanted someplace cozy and quiet for a quick drink. Â Then, after looking at the menu and remembering the delicious food we'd had before, we said "why not?" and ordered the shishito peppers to go with our martinis. Â Then, we ordered a dozen of the raw oysters to go with another shared martini. Â Finally, the very talented chef, offered us a taste of a new lamb ragu pasta which will be put on the menu shortly - it was outstanding. Â Another group of about six people were talking about the black risotto (which tempted me) but I didn't think I'd forgive myself if I ate another bite. Â
This place has everything: Â the food is innovative and delicious, the atmosphere is great, the bartender is talented, the service is helpful and unobtrusive. Â A gem in the South of Fifth neighborhood.
DO NOT leave south beach without eating at this little GEM. The food is amazing. The atmosphere is beach chic at it's best. Laid back, lovely with an amazing menu. If you appreciate great food prepared with great care, detail and creative flair without being too over the top, then The Local House is for you. The prices are very reasonable and for a "tapas" style the portions are generous. Absolutely a GREAT date spot, awesome after the beach grab a bite spot, and lovely for larger parties (tables of 12). Absolutely try the octopus carpaccio, the melon citrus salad, the ceviche (so fresh and perfectly prepared), stuffed dates, lamb sliders (omg TO DIE FOR) and the goat cheese croquets (with a twist because they are served with this magical heavenly guava cream. I'm a local and I recco this place to both locals and tourists.
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