The Local's Eatery - Niceville

LJ Schooner's, The Wharf, and Boathouse Landing are all galaxies better than this place.My wife and I finally got around to trying this place, we had only heard good things and the pictures/reviews on Google looked great. Unfortunately, the food here didn't live up to the hype.We dined outside, so the aesthetic of the water and boats was very serene and nice. Our service was also very good. However, the food was quite poor.I got the pork belly burnt ends and smoked chicken wings. The chicken was fine, it was just lacking in crisp. The skin was just wet and loose, but overall it taste good and was just fine. The pork belly was bad. It looked good, but upon first bite it was obviously cooked all wrong. The meat was tough and dry, the fat wasn't rendered well, and the pork skin had no crackling. Just a floppy, yet hard, shell.My wife got the Caesar Salad and the meat loaf. The dressing on the salad was mayo, not even close to an actual Caesar dressing. The meat loaf tasted like what I would imagine dog food tastes like. The mashed potatoes were fine, but just barely. Hard to mess up mashed potatoes I guess.And the worst offense: This place is way overpriced, the food was maybe worth a quarter of what I paid.

The sandwich was just bland, chicken, sauce, bread all didn't really taste like anything. Fries lacked salt.Food: 2/5

Had fresh caught red snapper caught by my friend, cooked at The Locals. Oh my gosh!! Best food ever. Service was incredible. We had an amazing lunch. It's a great location. Recommend 100%Food: 5/5

Excellent spot at the marina...nice views and even nicer staff! Fried green tomato appetizer was loaded with crabmeat! Grilled fish needed a bit more flavor but was cooked well, not overdone. The drinks were the best part! Try the Bayou Tea!Food: 4/5

Enjoyable experience. Fast friendly service. Good drinks food. Look forward to going back.Food: 4/5