Local Yocal BBQ & Grill — Restaurant in McKinney

I was invited to Local Yocal for a friend's birthday dinner. There were 5 of us. First off, the food is always good. I have been to this restaurant over 12 times. And the bartenders ALWAYS take good care of us too. As the dinner moved along, things got weird. I ordered a bottle of wine with dinner (ordered before the food came). 10 minutes after our food arrived, still no wine. Not a big deal, but when I inquired about it, the waiter blamed the bar staff; stating they were really backed up. I found that strange since it was an entire bottle of wine. There's a reason I tell you this. THEN...someone in our group brought a birthday cake for the birthday girl. And the restaurant charged us $2 a person to hand over some plates and a fork. I cut the cake myself; no serving utensils were offered. I figured for $2 a head, we would at least get the cake served to us. We happily shared our cake with the waiter. He loved it so much he ate the entire chunk in the back of the restaurant (while we were still there). He said it was "so good". BUT CHARGED US TO BRING IT IN. A little part of me was like "wait...you just charged me to serve YOU cake?". Moving along... We pay our tabs, but 2 of us are still finishing the bottle of wine. We are just enjoying the company and conversation after stuffing ourselves and finishing up our wine (that was late to the table I might add). HERE IS THE STRANGEST PART...Our waiter comes up to us and says "hi ladies. I hate to do this, but we have a party of 15 that is about to arrive so we need your table". UMMM WHAT?????? Our reservations were at 6:30. They sat us at 6:40. At 8:25 is when he made that comment to us. So it isn't like we were "taking up space" for 3 hours. Here's why that bothered me. At a restaurant where they charge $55 for a filet, this kind of behavior is uncalled for. It's called greed. If you want to be greedy, rush your customers, and charge them to serve their own cake, maybe lower your prices and serve bar food. Higher ticket menu items calls for higher end service. It calls for "bend over backwards" to accommodate your patrons; NOT nickel and dime them, have them serve their own cake, AND rush them out so you can turn tables. With all the places to go in Collin County, I probably won't be back to this restaurant. If you want good food, this is definitely the place, but if you want a dining experience to match the prices, go...

Local Yocal sure is not what it use to be any more. Since it opened this has been on of my favorite spots and the food has always been great! The BBQ has always been a little hit or miss but the rest was always great. This afternoon we went to a play in downtown and headed to Local Yocal after with the family. We ordered 3 appetizers with one being the smoked onion dip which has always been a favorite. I asked the waitress if they had changed the recipe and she said no. It tasted like they dumped sour cream in bowl and garnished it and sent it out. The waitress said she would let the kitchen know. The other apps were ok but not like they use to be. The corn bread was the best thing that hit the table.

When the meal came out it also has not flavor and The two Hamiltonian sandwiches and the two burgers were all over cooked. I asked mine to be medium and it was well done and dry. It is like the kitchen just forgot how to cook the same things that have been on their menu since day one.

The manger came by the table and asked how everything was. I said it was very disappointing and the worst experience we have ever had there. He asked what was going on and I told him and gave examples. I told him the running joke at the table was why did they ask why they wanted out meat cooked if they were just going to cook it well done. I took out my patty and showed it to him and asked him how it was cooked and he said well done and asked what I requested and I said medium. It then said OK and walked away. We finished eating and picking at the chip’s because they were ok and then about 15 mins later waitress came over and asked if we needed and we said just a check as we were done. She brought us a bill and paid. She said sorry that we did not like it and we left. Little shocked the manager did not even apologize or come back and try and make anything better. This was probably one of the worst restaurant experiences I have ever had.

One of the kids suggested we get Whataburger before we went to Local Yocal and all I know is it would have actually had some flavor and would have been a better burger. Tons of great places in Downtown McKinney but Local Yocal is not one of them any more.

The manager must just be for show and not really want to know how...

This was hands down one of the best bbq experiences of my life. The place is super clean and comfortable. The staff is extremely friendly and willing to answer questions. They truly want you to have a great experience, which brings me to the best part of this restaurant - THE FOOD. I was genuinely blown away. First we ordered the mac-n-cheese, which was mind-meltingly creamy and flavorful. They use high quality ingredients in everything and it shows. Next came the brisket and ribs platter, which let me tell you, was the star of the show. The brisket was melt-in-your-mouth tender. I've had the brisket at Franklin's - which I've always considered to be the Platonic form of bbq - and Local Yocal's brisket is on par with that. Seriously, it's THAT good. (Plus you don't have to stand in line for two hours in the Texas heat just to taste some.) I also loved the homemade bbq sauce - sweet and smokey with a little kick of spice - and the way it's served in a miniature bottle is a nice touch. The attention to detail is appreciated. But I'm not done yet. Just for fun I ordered the side salad, and to be perfectly honest with you, it was one of the best salads I've ever had! How does a bbq place manage to make a salad so crisp, dynamic, and flavorful? I asked and it turns out that they source their salad ingredients from a local hydroponics farm so that it's served super fresh. Another perk of this place is the bar, which cranks out amazing hand-crafted cocktails. I ordered the Cask Reserve which was excellent. Highly recommend. Making quality drinks is labor-intensive and they don't cut corners. The drink came with a large ice cube (so it doesn't melt too quickly) with the Local Yocal logo embossed in the ice, which was another nice touch. All these little moments added up to a fantastic experience that truly impressed me, which is why I'm taking the time to write up this detailed review. Thanks for the great bbq! I'm definitely...