The Local

This is bougie Mexican food. It’s technically a taco but is it? I say this with the most love. The food was absolutely delicious. The service was phenomenal and it seemed a drink magically appeared before I even had a chance to drink most of the current one. My one and only complaint is that if you’re willing to pay $16 for 3 tacos you should be able to pick from any taco column.

10/10 WOULD RECOMMEND! The Local is seriously one of the best places to have an amazing dinner experience in Abilene, TX! The location is downtown and the environment and decor is super cute with a great vibe! We go here occasionally for date nights and always have a great experience! Tonight we were seated upstairs. We started with asada fries and they were SO AMAZING! And A LOT of food for the $12 price tag! We were both impressed! We each ordered the 3/$15 tacos that came with two sides. My husband got the fish and shrimp tacos, and I ordered the asada. He got a double side of the cilantro rice and I ordered the jalapeño grits and street corn. Every single thing we ordered tasted amazing! Not only the food — but the drinks as well! I got a dirty martini and I PROMISE YOU this will be the best martini you have had! From the price, the quality and serving size, location and friendly staff.. I feel like The Local deserves all the credit! Thinking of trying it? DO IT! YOU WONT REGRET IT!

I visited The Local with suspicion this afternoon for lunch with a friend. I have only lived in Abilene for three weeks, and whenever someone recommended me, this place would say, "it is an overpriced Mexican restaurant." I am Mexican and know of all those Mexican wannabe restaurants out there. But, today, my white-American friend wanted to go there, and I accepted. He said he would pay, so I decided to try the overpriced Mexican restaurant for free!

I love pizza and found a "Carne Asada Pizza with Beans on The Local menu. Of course, Italians would find that disgusting, but for some strange reason, I felt compelled to order that pizza. To my surprise, I was not disappointed. The dough's texture was on point, and the meat was fresh. The beans gave the pizza an authentic Mexican flavor. Who would have thought I would find a delicious pizza in an overpriced Mexican restaurant?

So far, I give this place five stars. I agree it is a little expensive, but the site is aesthetically pleasing and has a good vibe.

We stopped here after the state powerlifting meet because they didn't close until midnight. This was our first time in Abilene and this gem was a great find. Drinks and food were awesome and a great price. Service was also good. And they have THE BEST grits you will ever taste. I'm not even a grit eater but they were sooo good.

The highlight of our time at The Local was definitely the carne asada fries. The carne asada was really good. But everything after that was downhill. The tacos were way too salty and the cilantro lime rice was way under cooked. The chicken on the taco looked like it came out of a can; literally. Also our server was very terse and unfriendly and acted like she didn't know what to do. We had to tell her we wanted to order our meal. Too many missed steps to think this is a place I will remember.

Great place to sit and relax in downtown Abilene. Great food, unfortunately, didnt get to try some of the drinks but everything we tried out was great, thank you

Very nice spot in downtown Abilene. The ambiance has a fine dining vibe, and the staff was dressed for Halloween. We started off with the the chips & queso and some wonton tacos. The queso had lots of flavor and the breakfast sausage really set it apart from other quests. The wonton tacos were a treat and shouldn’t be passed up! For the entree, I enjoy The Cody taco and an albondiga taco. The Cody had very flavorful carne asada, and the meatball taco was delicious. I highly recommend this restaurant to any fine dining purveyors.

*added the most recent version of their 2022 menu*
"Nice place, delicious food and good atmosphere."
I really like this place. it looks nice both inside and outside. I love their decoration.
there is a variety of food. Price is a little higher than other restaurants but it's worth every $. Food is super duper delicious. Do NOT miss their wonton. it's damn good.
Service is fantastic. The staffs are nice. Location is good and easy to find.

We are visiting from Phoenix, AZ. My son highly recommended this place. We enjoyed several drinks and delicious food. Wonderful experience. Too bad we live so far away.

Wonderful and Exquisite Food. Great presentation and really good food it best to come on a weekday because it’s calm and quite.