Local Foods, High-Quality Sandwich Chain in Several Area Locations

[cjsadler]

Have seen the sandwich shop Local Foods show up on a few 'best in the country' lists for sandwiches lately.  They lived up to the hype.  If you need a lunch spot in Houston, this is it.  Great local beer selection too.

[Josh]

On 4/4/2014 at 4:00 PM, cjsadler said:

Have seen the sandwich shop Local Foods show up on a few 'best in the country' lists for sandwiches lately.  They lived up to the hype.  If you need a lunch spot in Houston, this is it.  Great local beer selection too.

After a long day of real estate-related activities, we were thirsty, starving, and in an unfamiliar part of town at a weird time (2:45).  Slowly driving down Kirby, craning our necks to see within the strip malls, the sign for "Local Foods" seemed like a beacon.

They serve in the "fast casual" style that seems to be the new "small plates" for restaurants at a particular price level.  Order at the counter, get a number, etc.  The menu reads as pretty virtuous, with sides like soba noodles, quinoa, and beets.  I went for the Veggie Burger (smoked quinoa/bean patty on a pretzel bun), and Cristina with the Gulf Shrimp and Blue Crab (green goddess, pickled red onion on ciabatta).  Both sandwiches were better than average, though I favored the veggie burger over the seafood (mainly due to the excellent pretzel bun).  Chips were fine, if a little on the thin side for homemade.  The sides of soba and kale were not life-changing, but solid, and a nice option to have.    The Mintade is a Frankenstein's monster of orange, lemon, lime, and grapefruit juice with mint, and is delicious.  Fill a glass 1/3 with the mintade and top with soda, and I'd bet you'd have a winner.  I'll try that next time.

(I wondered aloud if they had hot sauce for my burger, and Cristina replied, "Dude. This is Houston."  They did.  About 20 bottles full stacked at the drink station.)

[Josh]

Local Foods opened yesterday at the new Heights Mercantile development on Heights Blvd and 7th.  If tonight's crowd of young cool Millennial kids, still-hip Gen-Xers with their families, dogs, and decrepit Boomers is any indication, they are going to do very nicely here.^* I eat at LF more than any other place in Houston, so the fact that they've just opened within a 10 minute walk from my house does not bode well for my bank account.

^*Can you guess which demographic I'm in? 

 

[DonRocks]

4 hours ago, Josh said:

Local Foods opened yesterday at the new Heights Mercantile development on Heights Blvd and 7th.  If tonight's crowd of young cool Millennial kids, still-hip Gen-Xers with their families, dogs, and decrepit Boomers is any indication, they are going to do very nicely here.^* I eat at LF more than any other place in Houston, so the fact that they've just opened within a 10 minute walk from my house does not bode well for my bank account.

I kind of hate you for my having seen that picture at 3:15 AM on an empty stomach, and nary a crumb of food in the house.