The LOCAL College Park — Restaurant in Orlando

I stopped by during a bike ride. The bartender was busy, but I’m patient so I waited until I was noticed. I can’t be sure, but I believe the bartender was the only staff member. The kitchen was closed early, but I didn’t require food, so I ordered a beer.

I had planned to pay my tab, ask the staff if they ever had live music and see if Wednesday evening was a good day for our weekly bike ride group to have a pit stop. After that, I had planned to ride home.

My Credit Card Was Given to Another Customer. • Another customer’s tab was place on my card. Nothing of what I ordered was put on my card. • My card was given to the other customer. He left with my card. • A customer, or staff member, or manager, or owner, or “concerned Customer” or whomever came around from the other side of the bar Interjecting himself without introduction into the conversation I was having with the bartender about my card. Very unnerving. • Both Bartender and “concerned Customer” said they knew the guy and that he will be back. I waited. He never returned. • Both Bartender and “concerned Customer” gaslighting me saying that it’s not a big deal and they will get it sorted when the customer that has my card returns. • Both Bartender and “concerned Customer” threw cash at me out of the blue. Even more unnerving. I said I don’t want cash – I have cash, another card, paypal, ca$happ, venmo. I also have my company cards on me. I can pay for my tab, but I’m not giving up another card. • The other customer’s card was given to me freely by the bartender and was in my procession for about 10 min before I gave it back. The bartender gave me the other customer’s card. “Here you can have his card”. REALLY!? What was I going to do with someone else’s card? I would have been in trouble if I had kept it. • My card was a different color and not weighted like the other customer's card, I think it had metal that made the card heavier which should have been noticed. • As I was talking to the bartender, “concerned Customer” kept interrupting with his opinion of the situation … my situation – a stranger that didn’t introduce himself as staff, manger, owner, “concerned customer”, or whatever. I was told not to worry about it and that it wasn’t intentional. I continued to state that I’m not mad and that if I get my car back, no harm – no foul. • There was this continuation of trying to calm me down when I wasn’t upset. Trying to calm me down when I’m not upset only starts to make me upset. Being gaslighted that it’s no big deal, they know the person and the situation would get handled. • They continued gaslighting me, it was off-putting, and I started to get upset. Something was off. Why is this stranger so worried about my card? So, I locked my card via the app. • No call back from staff or owner.

Yeah, that’s bad. Here is everything else that I didn’t have any intention of writing about either. • Bartender alone. Needed help. Service suffered. • Bartender having lengthy conversations with “locals”, ignoring other customers. [THIS IS A PROBLEM AT A LOT A PLACES POST PANDEMIC – STAFF TALKING TO CUSTOMERS OR EVEN OTHER STAFF WITHOUT LOOKING UP OR OVER AT THE CUSTOMERS. WE CAN FORGIVE SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUES, BUT SERVICE IS NOT A SUPPLY CHAIN ISSUE] • The bartender playfully placed my credit card in her bra. The “locals” must like it. Kinda gross. • Glassware all over the bar. The kitchen was closed early so I’m guessing no kitchen staff / Busboy. The bartender had to wash my pint glass in front of me. A cursory cleaning at best with bare hands and who knows how long the water was in those sinks. Kinda gross. • The pool table required the bartender to fix it multiple times while I was there. The only problems you get with pool tables are money or balls getting stuck. Close the table & call a repairman. You could open it up for free until it’s fixed. The bartender should not have to spend that much time with the pool table. The bartender had customers waiting,...

Updated review: I initially intended to completely cross the LOCAL off of my list of go-to sports bars, but the owner Pat turned my experience around. He followed up with me to find out more about my visit. He went above and beyond to provide a much better experience by explaining what went wrong with the food, apologizing for how his staff acted, and even went as far as to personally deliver whatever my fiancée and I wanted to order. The food was a million times better this time! I don't know what happened personally with each individual the 2 days that I had to interact with the staff of the LOCAL(maybe they were having a bad day), but I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt because of Pat's genuine concern and kindness. Business owners that go above and beyond to make sure their customers are well taken care of and happy are rare. Thank you, Pat, for being one of a kind!

My initial review: THE WORST PLACE EVER, and they should be ashamed of how they treat customers! They don't even deserve 1 star. No one came in begging for favors, but apparently, that's how they treat customers when you need to have something fixed. I ordered something, didn't get what I ordered, and the food that we got was overloaded with salt and disgusting. So disgusting that my toddler threw it between the couch, mind you that boy is obsessed with fries. This place has some rude, hoggish, disgustingly unprofessional employees. When you advertise a service, STAND ON THAT SERVICE! If there's an issue with the service provided, correct it and move along. I was offered a refund as a solution to rectifying my issue. A solution that I did not ask for nor did I rudely demand, but somehow, I get yelled at and talked down to when I come back to get my refund.

My fiancée and I were planning to make this place a regular spot for football, pool and drinks but after the nightmare of a first visit I had at this place I would never go back to The LOCAL even if it was the...

Just left THE LOCAL for the third time. I have to say, I did my best to give this place a chance as we live only .5 miles away, however all three attempts have each earned a less than one star perception. Unfortunately, google does not allow me to rate below one star so this is the lowest I can rate.

To begin, the food is certainly below marginal. Meaning it does not even compete with “the average” food establishments nearby. Soggy fries and over cooked burgers will become your reality as soon as you wait 20 minutes to place your order...

Now that we have fully reviewed the eatery expectations of this establishment, let’s discuss the “local crowd” that they attract. I recently just left The Local after someone backed their car into my motorcycle in the parking lot. The person who damaged my motorcycle was quickly grabbing a takeout order, however another “regular patron” of the bar decided it was her duty to berate me for asking someone who damaged my motorcycle to show me their insurance card and actually SMACKED MY CELL PHONE OUT OF MY HAND WHILE TRYING TO OBTAIN EVIDENCE AFTER THE FACT! Meanwhile, the entire patio of the bar was chanting in support of this lunatic who ASSAULTED ME in the parking lot!! I’m not trying to be a baby about this, just pointing out that these people are intensely rude and I only want to help folks who might consider this place for a “family meal” and actually go somewhere that attempts to earn their business, ABSOLUTELY EAT AT OLLIES ACROSS THE STREET INSTEAD!!!!

Oh, by the way, attached is the license plate of the NUT JOB who smacked my phone out of my hands.. Watch out for this “Local” (Plate #GXEGO2 Red Hyundai hatchback), sorry I can’t...