The Local on 17 USDA PRIME STEAKS — Restaurant in Richmond Hill

Bullet points are at the bottom.

Took the Mrs out to dinner here for the first time on Tuesday and was blown away. The initial wait was way less than expected and we were seated promptly.

Travis was our server (fist bump Travis) and made the evening painless from start to finish. Attentive but not hovering luke chain restaurants and definitely seal the experience.

We ordered the lobster mac which was hot and perfect. Not super salty, fresh lobster taste, excellent texture pasta. The Mrs ordered the Surf and Turf (steak and scallop) and I had the Cowboy Ribeye, Loaded Baked, and sautéed green beans.

The LobMac arrived quickly after our bread while we waited a bit for our meals. The wait would be considered longer than normal for people who are used to trashy fast food and not quality so keep that in mind when ordering large steaks. As I understand via Travis they're hand cut and there's a process your steak must go through to arrive perfect.

Our meals arrived hot and the quality was stellar. The steaks were rare to perfection, the scallop was tender and fresh, and the potato/green beans were not tough as one would normally find in a chain steakhouse.

Dessert was Creme Brulet in a ceramic dish (not to go ready. I told Travis I'd totally bring it back and left a card 😆) and was excellent quality per the Mrs.

I saved a bit of my steak and used the next morning for breakfast, still epic. A quick rub across hot cast iron and right onto the plate.

We will totally be back.

Some notes for the picky/whiny. -no steak is cooked above medium but there is a gas station next door if you'd like to order steak jerky. -meat is seasoned before and after so if you'd like less salt open your mouth and say so instead of complaining about it later. Use your adult words. -good steak takes time to prep, if you're in a hurry McDonald's is down the street on the right. Order a shareable and chill out with your date. -Seating stops at like 8:15 (20:15) so if it's after that, sorry for your loss. -Mask or don't, no one is going to say anything. Who cares. Mind your own self. -If you're looking for cheap steaks like you'll find at chain restaurants I suggest you bypass the Local and take the 95 to Savannah for your budget. You get what you pay for here and it's well worth it. Our date was about $150 plus tip and I'd...

Stopped in Richmond Hill for the night on a road trip. All of the produce stands we'd stopped at since leaving Tampa had me craving fried green tomatoes and my travel companion was in the mood for a steak. Found this place with a quick Google search and, with so many great reviews, it having what we were looking for, and it being practically next door to our hotel, we decided on The Local on 17. I was all smiles when we walked in the busy restaurant. No wait, pleasant hostesses, lovely ambiance, and a talented pianist greeted us! Our server, Forrest was great. It seemed we were one of many tables he was tending to but he was perfectly attentive, without being overbearing. He was helpful in accommodating a special request, making excellent suggestions, and even telling us a bit about Richmond Hill and things we may enjoy seeing while in town. A+ FOR SERVICE! THANK YOU, FORREST! Now the food. I'm a professional chef and a huge foodie. My fellow foodie friend ordered the petit filet mignon with two sides. This is one of the best steaks I've ever had in a restaurant and it wasn't even priced very high. Perfect med rare, perfect seasoning, melted in the mouth, literally reminding us of a5 Wagyu. Obviously it wasn't, but that insanely rich, melty mouthfeel was incredible. The whipped potatoes were smooth and perfectly seasoned. The green beans were just a tad soft for my taste but still good. Now, to the fried green tomatoes. I've made/ordered/eaten more than the average person, I'd assume. I don't know that I've ever had any that I don't like BUT I think these may have been the best I've ever had. Perfectly paired with the aioli, corn salsa, and feta. With every bite, I had something to say about them. I opted to add the blackened shrimp which were, not to be redundant , perfectly cooked and seasoned and Forrest hooked me up with a big ol' scallop, which was not offered a la carte. We opted out of desserts Forrest offered because we were more than satisfied with the plates that we devoured. Both of us fed and sated for $55! ( Before tip) What a deal for a steakhouse that we will be talking about for forever. This will be a definite stop every time we make this trip. So pleasant surprised. Thanks y'all. From...

While traveling north on Interstate 95, we had the opportunity to dine at the only upscale restaurant located at that particular exit. We were filled with anticipation as we looked forward to experiencing their culinary offerings. The bartender provided exceptional service, treating us with great warmth and friendliness.

However, upon being seated for dinner, our waiter exhibited a condescending and controlling demeanor. He dismissed every question we posed as irrelevant, leaving us feeling disheartened. To our dismay, when our orders of NY Strip arrived, we discovered that they were prepared with bone-in sirloin, which was never mentioned in the menu description. When we brought this to the waiter's attention, he casually mentioned that it was at the butcher's discretion to include the bone, as many people prefer their NY Strip with bone-in. It was perplexing to encounter such a practice, as we had never heard of such a thing before. Furthermore, despite emphasizing my desire for a piping hot baked potato with butter, the butter failed to melt, leaving me quite disappointed.

The prices for wines served by the glass were exorbitant, especially considering the brand. They offered a choice between a 5 oz or 8 oz pour, with prices starting at $15 and reaching up to $22 for nothing particularly exceptional. Typically, one would expect a choice between a 6 oz or 9 oz pour. We found both the food and wine to be overpriced, leaving us with the impression that the establishment was taking advantage of its customers. Having frequented various steak houses in the Naples area of Florida, such as Capitol Grill, Ruth Chris, and Flemings, we can confidently state that these establishments offer better value for the quality of their food and wine.

In hindsight, we believe our dining experience would have been more enjoyable had we opted for a burger at one of the chain restaurants. The atmosphere and quality of food at the upscale restaurant failed to justify the inflated prices...