Crossed our fingers and decided to try the Local despite the reviews of "good food and bad service", though that's pretty much the experience we had at the beginning of our visit. We'd be at 3.5 stars, but our server, Lauren, bucked the bad service trend and brought it up once we were seated. Walking in without a reservation the hostess was less than welcoming, and the bartender downright condescending when we asked for a Riesling for a member of our party while we waited. Tables in the dining room apparently designated for reservations sat empty throughout the time we dined. After being seated, we needed to get our own silverware from one of those empty tables. Once Lauren took over the process smoothed out- she answered our questions and was even empathetic and shared our disappointment that she had to agree with the other reviewers' opinion the "local" breaded tenderloin was closer to the thickness of a pork chop. We 86'd that and ordered Nashville Hot Chicken, the Cubano, the Old Smokey Burger and Fish and Chips. The Hot Chicken, with blue cheese sprinkles added, was very good and lightly breaded, and fulfilled the menu warning-HOT in red letters. The Cubano was as expected, and so was the burger done medium. The Fish and Chips was tasty, and pretty heavy on the breading, my wife picked most of it off and laid it aside as a matter of personal taste. Based on positive feedback we ordered the tater tots as an appetizer with Cajun spice added, really neither that remarkable, nor spicy. Without Lauren we would have been left with the same as others, good food with lots of room to improve on service. read more

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Ate here for the first time today and enjoyed it. The food was good. The waitstaff was great. The tenderloin was good, but the breading gets soggy for the house sauce. The tots are pretty good. read more

Local Eatery & Pub - Pubs Near Me - Westfield, Indiana

Ordered takeout and had an awesome gyro and chicken wrap. Was bummed out they didn't have any pork tenderloins (even though it was on the menu) but the food was awesome! Reasonably priced, ready quickly & filled our bellies. Next time we want to dine in! Going in the summer & sewing families come on golf carts totally gave me the summer feel. read more

We just moved from Southern California to Indy and this was our first stop. I ordered the hamburger and my boyfriend ordered the BBQ pulled sandwich! They both were so good! The meat from the burger was SO fresh! The only thing I didn't like was the bun got soggy fairly quick (but not a big deal). I deducted a star due to service. Our waitress didn't come by very often so we had to flag her down when we needed anything. Otherwise, food and beer was really good! read more

Local Eatery & Pub - Hamburger with fries, and BBQ pulled sandwich with Cajun fries! - Pubs Near Me - Westfield, Indiana

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This is definitely one of those restaurants I forget about, but I always enjoy when I go. The menu is pretty straightforward - bar food with a couple surprises! On the downside, the service is not up to par. I have waited way too long for someone to greet me & take my drink order. My food usually comes out in a timely manner, which is a positive. The restaurant isn't super big. The indoor & outdoor spaces are not huge, but I usually don't have to wait to be seated. The Local is a fine restaurant for once & a while - it changes up my "usual" places. read more

Great place for families with small children. This is one of our favorite restaurants. Love the menu changes every few weeks. Great food - farm to table and so fresh! read more

Food and drink are both 5 stars as is the bar side. The family side plays second fiddle to the bar side. Be prepared to get served fast then have the wait staff forget about you or any refills on drinks. Unless you happen to go at an off time, you'll be frustrated. read more

I'm a city boy so this was a trek to an area north of the boarder. I was pleasantly surprised. Went with a friend who recommended it and was not disappointed. The Nashville Chicken sandwich was spot on. The server warned me it was hot and I was bring it on. Very tasty and a nice piece of chicken. And then there were the tater tots. I haven't been in that heaven since grade school. Wouldn't make a special trip but if I'm in the area...... read more

Pros- The food was pretty good. Cons- I don't love the bar area for a sit down meal, but it'd be fun to sit at the bar and have some drinks/snacks. I would definitely go back, especially for the fun trivias and happy hour deals. read more

I am a local regular. They have a nice bar, tv, food choices are inventive but not so that they become oddities. Staff is wonderful. Try ribeye sandwich for lunch. Would like to see more development on where local products come from. Quality of food is very high. read more

Welcome to the latest edition of "Trendy North Side Restaurants that are Located in Strip Malls." Tonight we'll talk about how poor service can tank your score. I'll start with the first impression. This place doesn't have much ambiance. It's a typical shell building and the interior is bare concrete, some booths and tables, and an exposed ceiling painted black. This sounds rather run of the mill, but in general it was loud inside. On to the menu. There are a lot of interesting, unique local offerings and I really enjoyed the Cajun seasoning on the fries. Unfortunately that's basically all I enjoyed of my meal. I was at a table of eight and I ordered the BBQ Burger but substituted their Bison meat patty in place of the hamburger. What came to the table was the Bison burger with blue cheese, lettuce, and then bacon and cheddar cheese. It was a sort of half and half experience. I explained the issue to my server (as I can't really stomach blue cheese) and he whisked it back to the kitchen for around 5 minutes. The remainder of my table tucked into their food and everyone seemed to be enjoying the food. Five minutes pass and my server returns to me, with the exact same plate he had carried back to the kitchen. He sets it down in front of me and says "They put your burger on his plate," while pointing at another guest at our table. That guest was half way through the burger. I then looked at my server to be shocked that he was thinking he had absolved himself of his duties. I politely insisted that I still wanted the burger I ordered so again he took the plate with him. This time he was gone less than 90 seconds. And he returned with the same plate. Again. Cleverly they had put new fries on the plate and put a measly 1-2 tablespoons of BBQ sauce on the burger. That had forgot, however, to give me a new bun and they had forgot to remove the blue cheese that was still covering the lettuce.. At this point most of my table was almost finished, my server was nowhere to be found, and I decided to just scrape off the blue cheese, toss the lettuce, and eat it anyway. Really enjoyable to discover, as well, that the meat patty wasn't Bison. As an extra fun kicker when the bill came I had been charged for two burgers and two fries. That took another 10 minutes of back and forth. First they "comped" the second burger. Then I had to explain that they still had 2 orders of fries listed on my bill. Finally we were done. At least the Cajun seasoning on the fries was good. They get bonus negative points for poor beer selection as well. Not a good experience, will not return, and would not recommend to anyone else. read more

How have I not reviewed this place yet?! As a true local (I lived down the street from this spot for almost 20 years...long before it existed!), I love The Local. It brings a wonderful place to eat to a very residential area of town. The menu is a great combination of eclectic and comfort food. Most is sourced locally and they are happy to share which farms they get their ingredients from. Their mac and cheese is to die for!! So creamy and yummy. For a main dish, I love the chicken gyro (no onion...unless you like that sort of thing), but the veggie burger is another good option. For a side dish, pretty much everyone gets the famous tots...yup, the tater tots you know you have craved since you left elementary school! They have plain and "Cajun" tots (sprinkled with spices). Word to the uninitiated: The Local is often crowded. They recently deactivated their OpenTable subscription (), but you can still call and make reservations...and you usually need to for weekend evenings. It also can get pretty loud at times...it is very family friendly and has high, open ceilings so the sound just seems to bounce around. Overall, I love The Local as a nice, casual go-to spot! read more

We had read a great deal about this restaurant, including shine really good reviews. E ere excited about trying it out and we had the opportunity recently. It did not live up to the hype. The atmosphere was okay, though not great. There were 4 of us, including my wife and I who had not been there. It started off with a bottle of wine. The wine was served at room temp which was surprising based on their reviews and wine list. When the food arrived, I realized that room temperature was a common theme, as the fries and wrap were also about room temperature, though the chicken on the wrap had been burned before they wrapped it in the unwarmed tortilla. Their tenderloin was okay, but nothing to go back for. They service was not something that would bring me back either, even if they improved to average food. read more

If you want REAL food come to the local. All their sourcing is from local Indiana farms. It can't get any healthier than that! Also... their menu is constantly changing based on the season. I'm obsessed with the avocado veggie burger right now. This place is great for kids too! read more

Local Eatery & Pub - A look at what farms The Local gets their meat from. - Pubs Near Me - Westfield, Indiana

I would like to come more often than I do - it's one of my favorite places to eat and great for the kids too. Their Cajun tots (appetizer) is a family favorite while the beignet offering for dessert tops the list for the kids. Their local sources for food are great and the Local Folks Food products for sale are great to take home, especially the spaghetti sauce. read more

We initially went to check this place out for Northside Nights, but none of us ended up getting anything from the NN menu. This restaurant is located in a plane-Jane strip mall, blending in brilliantly with its suburban environment. The inside is interesting; it has a very minimalist feel to it: cement floors, a mixture of tables and booths, a very high ceiling, and random pieces of art dotting the walls. It had a modern feel to it, accompanied by the ability to draw in crayon on the paper tablecloth. This place is a bit pricey for what it ultimately is. One of the couples ordered the Baked Goat Cheese appetizer, made up of goat cheese, roasted garlic, and olive oil, served with roasted bread for $10.50. I ordered the Duck Burger done medium with a side of Cajun-seasoned tatertots for around $14, an extra 75 cents for the Cajun seasoning. The burger was delicious--made of duck, cherry chutney, three peppercorn pisto, fennel slaw, and pickled shallots. The flavors blended together beautifully and it tasted great. The cherry chutney really stood out to me. I recommend getting your fries or tots Cajun-style. Others ordered the Local Muffaletta made up of ham, salamis, asiago cheese, chipotle aioli, arugula, and olive tapenade, and he enjoyed it a lot. He also ordered the Cajun seasoning. Another ordered the Lamb Burger made of lamb, feta basil mousse, arugula, cabernet onions, and tomato jam and was pleased. Two others ordered the Bacon Fat Braised Octopus created by braising octopus in bacon reduction then grilled, served with confit tomatoes, grilled leeks, and a celery root puree. The octopus sounded great, but it was a wildly tiny portion for $20. Neither people seemed overjoyed with that selection. The beer selection is okay--I had a Boulevard Single-wide IPA and a Schlafly Kolsch, both $5. Overall, the place has interesting, quality food, and it's a bit overpriced, but I understand what they're attempting to do. It's worth checking out for the experience. read more

Goat Cheese Cheesecake! Yes, I said Goat cheese cheesecake. If you go for no other reason, go for the goat cheese. There are plenty of other reasons to go to The Local. I have now been twice and have been pleased with my food both times. The burger was very good. The pork tenderloin rocked. The pork tenderloin was nicely breaded, and it was still thick enough to actually be able to taste the pork, not just the breading. However, it was thin enough to eat in a sandwich. There are many things on the menu that I still wish to try. The white cheddar mac and cheese with lardons (large bacon bites) sounds delicious. The service has been friendly both times I've been, but the last time the server originally thought I ordered the pulled pork and not the pork tenderloin. Thankfully, we realized the issue before the meal came out. Then she never brought me the house salad I ordered. I'm sure they would have brought it if I had asked, but the meal was already there and I decided that with the size of the sandwich I probably didn't really need the salad too. We also had to ask for water twice before she brought it. As others have said, I also really like that they are locally owned and try to use as much locally sourced products as they can. read more

Great atmosphere. That's the first thing I'll say about this place -- which I had not heard of until very recently. I went out with a few friends and was told they had great food and even better service. I ordered fish and chips (an all time favorite) and it was splendid. So fishy. The fishier the better, right? Topped off with a bottle of wine to share at the table -- it was a delightful evening. I'm always excited to learn of new places on the north side. I tend to venture to downtown Indy quite often, but I'm trying to reach out to the Carmel area a bit more. As I've done so, I've been able to find so many great places/restaurants/events/etc. One minor thing The Local did do that was kind of a drag. We ordered a bottle of wine but did not end up finishing -- so we asked if it was alright to take the bottle home. We were quickly denied. Joy kill. But, the wine was worth it - so we stayed and finished the bottle anyway. ha If you're in the Carmel area and want to bring friends to a great local place (with everything locally grown) - suggest this spot. read more

We haven't been here for years and decided to order carry out tonight. The hamburger looked like it had been a frozen patty and was raw in the middle and cold. The chicken 'gyros' had dried out grilled chicken with soggy pita bread. Sadly the best part of the meal were the tater tots, and those weren't all that great. We really just threw money down the drain - neither of us could eat our meal and threw them both down the garbage disposal. read more

I will be back - for the tater tots, specifically. I ordered the fish and chips (aka - substitute Cajun tater tots) and was not disappointed. First of they were extremely crunchy and crispy and perfectly spiced (not too spicy but with just enough kick). Paired with ketchup or their housemade ranch and both dipping sauces were spectacular. Our waitress was extremely helpful, polite and on top of our drinks. I love that. We definitely outstayed our welcome, as my best friend and I haven't seen each other in about 6 months! But she happily re-filled our iced teas and didn't rush us by even bringing our bill. Impressive service. Luckily they were not that busy (though...I am not sure why!). There are an array of HD televisions to entice any sports fan (though I suppose only the British Open was on today) and the atmosphere is garage style chic. I enjoyed it. It's family friendly with a bar twist. Definitely somewhere I plan to go back to b/c there were many menu items that were enticing me, but I was MORE than happy to indulge in my fried food, which makes the baby in my belly kick with giddiness. Congrats to another Carmel gem. This town gets a little better with each meal. read more

I have been here several times both with and without my kids. We like that the menu changes seasonally but they will still have selections on there all the time of customer favorites. First off I love that their kids menu has more selections than the average kids menu. My kids get bored with the same 4 or 5 selections that EVERY place has, so this is a nice change for them. On our most recent trip we went with a friend from out of state. To start we shared the hummus plate. Which was more than large enough for the 6 of us.It came with a nice selection of toppings to go with the pita bread and hummus, they will even bring you more bread if you request it. Draw back, everything is touching everything else on the platter. Which is only a problem if you're a weirdo like me and don't like having EBTs(evil black things, a.k.a. black olives) touching the food you do want to eat lol. Hubby and I shared our orders of food like we usually do. He got the sweet potato grilled cheese. Which sounds a little odd but was AMAZING! The sweet potato was cooked just enough leaving it still firm and the goat cheese was creamy and tart making for a wonderful contrast. I got the mole braised pork cheek ragout. It was so good I almost didn't want to share it! The meat was wonderfully tender, the sauce was flavorful without being over powering and the fresh pasta was different. Almost a gnocci texture. Only draw back to this place is sometimes the portions on the seasonal specialty menus can be a little small for the price. read more

The Local's food is wonderful! I have the problem of trying to decide what I'm going to pick to eat each time we are in to dine. I've tried different items off the menu and can't decide which one is my favorite...the chicken wrap? the Bento? the Sirloin sandwich? the fish & chips? I just keep trying a new item each time we go in and haven't been disappointed yet. The wait staff was inexperienced in the beginning but have definitely learned a lot and are doing a great job now. Taylor and Amanda are my two favorites ... but then I haven't had any bad experiences with any of the waitstaff nor messed up orders; even though I'm sure it happens. We will definitely be regulars at "The Local". I do need to correct Caleb C's review. LocalFolks Foods and Homestead Growers are suppliers of "The Local" but are not owners of the restaurant. . read more

For being in a suburban strip mall in what I remember to be a cornfield, this place was really great! I was meeting my pop for lunch and was looking for a restaurant that serves actual food.. I had the Chef's Snack and a beer.. I want breakfast food all the time, so this worked out perfect. If and when I'm in the area again, I'll definitely stop back in. read more

(Disclosure: I was one of the very lucky Elites that were treated to a Northside Nights dinner! But thoughts are all my own!) I have professed my love for all things local ingredients all over Yelp so The Local and I are a match made in heaven. The Northside Nights menu was well balanced. I had the endive and radicchio salad, the herb gnocchi, and the chocolate torte. Nothing was too rich, everything was perfectly prepared and I genuinely enjoyed eating it and was sad when I finished. The flavor was perfection. I highly recommend for a date, for a family dinner or even to take a group as the service was top notch even with a group of 12. Food: 5/5 Service: 5/5 Location: 5/5 read more

I really liked this place, the waitress said the menu was 70% local and will be 90% local in the summer months. I personally would like to see some more local beers, normally i wouldn't comment on that, but since "pub" is in their name, I will go ahead and say that. Priced seemed on par for local food, they have a huge chalkboard as mentioned by a previous reviewer that lists the local farm suppliers. The overall ambiance was good, clean, modern yet rural in some odd way. I look forward to returning soon! read more

There isn't a thing I don't like about this place. The food is fantastic, and it is pretty much entirely locally sourced. So not only am I enjoying the flavor of every bite, I can feel good knowing it's helping local Hoosier farmers while I'm eating. Even the kids meals are delicious! We ordered my son some chicken tenders. You can tell by looking at them that they are freshly pulled chicken breasts - straight off the bone and breaded. And the breading is simply amazing. The cocktails are unique and just the right balance of flavorful and strong. Next time I'm trying dessert too - I was too full this time! read more

I went with a group of Yelp Elites for a great dinner. I had: 1) Endive and radicchio salad. Very nice. Salad was very fresh and the dressing was flavorful yet not overwhelming. 2) Short ribs with risotto. Excellent. Very tender without being excessively fatty like short ribs can easily be. There was a touch of some dried berries (cranberries?) in the sauce, which enhanced the flavor. 3) The chocolate torte. I'm not a huge dessert guy but the other people at the table seemed to like it. The vanilla ice cream was great. The service was attentive and the atmosphere was energetic. The location doesn't do this place any favors. I live three miles from it and have driven by the intersection (146th + Gray) probably 100+ times and did not know about it until the Yelp event. But it seems like word is getting around because when I got there at 7:15pm on a Thursday night, I had to park in the parking lot next door because the lot at The Local was completely full. read more

UPDATE ... Was a Great go to place. Been here many times and can always depend on friendly good service and solid food options. They're regular menu is reliable and tasty but we go there for their specials which change every 2 weeks. They are also very interested and open to critiques of they're customers. The crowd is a profession type there to enjoy the experience and light social interaction. I'm editing my review because the Local is sliding on food offerings for quality. Sometimes you can be a little to creative which misses the mark. Too bad because we always had the Local as a regular bar side stop. Now it's become an exploration trip hoping they get back to where they were. read more

Full disclosure: I am a regular here...as in probably 80 meals eaten here in the 16 months since moving to metro Indy. So, my review is cumulative in nature. If you are looking for a family friendly establishment using the freshest ingredients and a creative menu, this IS it. Craig really has the "farm to table" concept nailed. If you stick to Craig's weekly specials, you will not be disappointed. My only gripe is the Bell jar beer glasses. read more

Was very excited to try this establishment close to our home. Love the farm to table concept and changing menu. Unfortunately, the experience did not exceed or even meet expectations. We ordered the warm corn bread which came with a series of spreads and was decent. Then my wife and I decided to share the 20 gauge pot pie. I was very excited to find Rabbit on a menu here in Indy and actually planned on ordering this dish even before we arrived. When the entrée got here it was a decent portion but rather unappealing in presentation. The pastry was overcooked and almost rubbery, however the most alarming part was the MULTIPLE small bones and other pieces of cartlidge. When we asked the server about the bones she seemed shocked and took one to show the manager. This is where our biggest concern came: The manager did nothing. We continued to eat and found many more bones and as we finished, pointed out the small pile to the server who once again brought this to the attention of the manager. Once again, he did nothing and simply told her to tell us it must have come from the rabbit..no kidding!? Shortly after this we requested our bill which had no compensation for this problem and the manager never even came out and apologized, gave an explanation himself, etc. This is a HUGE health risk and truly a law suit waiting to happen! I write this to warn others to BEWARE OF BONES, small splinter-like ones, if getting this dish. I also write this as a message to the proprietor that if you look to continue to thrive you cannot maintain managers that seem to have no interest in their customers. (I have now seen we are not the first to be affected by bad management here at The Local). I do want to say our server, Taylor was very pleasant and very apologetic for this problem. I would like to think that mainly because of her and our wanting to like this place we MAY give it another chance, but only time will tell. read more

Local Eatery & Pub - Bones that were unexpectedly in the Pot Pie! - Pubs Near Me - Westfield, Indiana

Went here for the first time last week for lunch. The inside is very minimal converted-warehouse looking, which I loved, but some of the women I was with did not. I really liked the muted colors and the TVs throughout. The food is all locally sourced, with the names of the farms written on the chalkboard walls. I had a head cheese sandwich (yes, head cheese, which has nothing to do with cheese and everything to do with cow meat from everywhere EXCEPT where they make steak and burgers). It was something I had never had before, and was very interested to try. It seemed to be a slab of head cheese, cooked like a hamburger, served on a bun with an egg on top, onion straws, and mustard, and it was great. They also have tater tots as a side, which I love! The service was a little slow, but I think our waitress might have been the only one working, and she had a lot on her hands! Otherwise I loved it. The menu is a little small, but the things they do have (pork belly sandwich, flat bread pizzas, salads) all looked amazing. read more

Creative, locally sourced eatery with cool local art on the walls. My kind of spot. I ended up eating here twice in 48 hours. For dinner on Friday we had venison with risotto and wild mushrooms. And, we also tried the walleye crusted in Parmesan. Both were delicious and cooked perfectly. The fish could have used a little more acid. We requested a lemon wedge for that. The next visit was for lunch. The lamb burger was really flavorful. So fresh tasting! Great fries and the other sandos looked great. Great beer selection too. This is the best restaurant I've experienced while visiting my family here in Indy. read more

Overall I'd say the experience was above average, but left much to be desired. As this is the closest bar and pub to my parents' house and I am here during the Holidays without a car, I had to opt for something within walking distance that didn't involve me freezing my keister off (I live in Tucson, anything below 70 is cold). From the name I thought "The Local...must mean they have all local fare". Unfortunately this was about as true as anything Donald Trump says. There were minimal local beers. Indiana has a vast array of award winning breweries, including Three Floyds, Upland, and Sun King. I managed to get a Sun King Cream Ale which was delicious. But where are the other local representatives? Lagunitas? Seriously? We don't even drink that much of it out in the Southwest and I'm 3 hours from California. Typical Carmel/Westfield/Hamilton County prices. I may be back because there's not much other choice, but it's more like dialing that person you shouldn't dial after throwing back a few too many: you don't want to, but desperate times call for desperate measures. I'll be glad to be back in the land of Ballast Point, Ale Smith, Stone, Mission, Four Peaks, etc. At least our "local" named establishments out there keep it local. read more

Good place to get a drink, but not a good restaurant. Cool atmosphere, but we have been three times and the food is always below average. Pretzel is hard, overcooked and only comes with mustard...YELLOW mustard, not ok. Appetizer selection is very limited. Meatloaf is bad, potatoes are worse and the gravy is inedible. The ranch chicken wrap my wife had was undercooked with pink chicken, it came out nearly cold, and the "bbq" sauce was bad. Other than the beer and the kids menu, this place needs some major improvement. Start from scratch with a new menu and try harder. read more

I've been to The Local several times since they opened, and my experiences have varied. I think the food is amazing, but chances are your server will be a grumpy hipster that is going to avoid you more than take care of you. Also, when I walk into an establishment I expect to be greeted by the hostess...staff...anyone! Friendliness is definitely not their strong suite. I'm sure I'll go back because I LOVE eating local. However, if I have any more unfriendly dining experiences, I will probably not return. Tater tots and breaded tenderloin are on point read more

I was really excited to be on the northside and try this place but it was kind of a disappointment. The atmosphere was great and I love the decor but my food was mediocre. It's really great to find a bison burger on the menu but I found it to be pretty bland. I am looking forward to going back and giving it another try. Hopefully it's better next time... read more

Local Eatery & Pub - Pubs Near Me - Westfield, Indiana

We really wanted to like it, and there were very good things (my brisket sandwich, the beignets) and good service, but my wife's lamb dish was very unbalanced - very little lamb - and the lamb it had was very, very fatty. That was, understandably, hard for her to get over. I'd try it again, but I'm not sure she will. read more

Been eating here since the place opened years ago and the place has been getting too fancy for its own good... Back in the day, the place was great.. Great food, great drinks.. Just great.. Tonight, the tap water comes in a fancy bottle... The menu has changed to fancy items... Even have on there that substitutions are no longer allowed... The veggie burger my wife got looked good... Nothing special... Big issue, it came with 1 measly slice of avocado.. Really, 1 little slice. For the money you pay for the burger, you would get 4 full avocados. The steak sandwich I got, again it was good... But for the money you should be getting sliced fillet... The amount of steak on the sandwich is disappointing. Best part... The tots still rock... read more

Don't get the salmon patty sandwich. Service was terrible, bartender more concerned with her phone than her guests. We've given this place way too many chances - never again. read more

Local Eatery & Pub - disgusting salmon patty sandwich - Pubs Near Me - Westfield, Indiana

I have now come to The Local three times and have been disappointed 2/3. The first time I had meatloaf which was amazing. The second time I had the Nashville hot chicken sandwich. I was expecting some heat but it was way hotter than expected. The third and worst time I had the duck confit. The duck tasted like it had been cooked on a salt block and it was served over a bed of bland Lima beans. I will not be returning. read more