Local No. 7 Opens on Main Street

The Local No. 7 opened in downtown Tucker on Thursday. The much-anticipated restaurant, located at the corner of Main Street and Railroad Avenue, features a variety of sandwiches and burgers, as well as entrees after 4 p.m. Desserts are provided by Southern Sweets bakery, and the restaurant features a full bar including seven beer taps, a variety of bottled beer, wine, and cocktails.

Burger selections include "Burgers We've Built" including the John Henry, which is made up of seven patties and seven slices of cheese, topped with bacon and a fried egg. Priced at $20, the menu heckles "Finish and you're on our wall of fame...Don't and it's the wall of shaaaaaame!!!" 

Other burgers are sized and priced a little more reasonably (half pound angus beef patties, chicken, or black bean burgers, all between $7.50 and $9.50 depending on toppings). The sandwiches include both hot and cold varieties ranging from $7 to $9. All burgers and sandwiches are served with fries or tots.

The entrees, available after 4 p.m., include roasted chicken, fish and chips, pulled pork, and steak frites (flatiron steak with fries and side salad). 

A kids menu is also available. Children have the choice of five entrees (slider, hot dog, corn dog, chicken fingers, and macaroni and cheese), each priced at $5.

When I went into the restaurant today, I was intending to snap a few photos, check out the menu, and report back, but not necessarily review. They've only been open for a day and a half, so it hardly seems fair to critique them just yet. But, I have to say I was quite impressed.  I ended up eating with four other Patch writers and editors, so we tried quite a variety of food.

The tot stack was a glorious mess of an appetizer with tater tots topped with Brunswick stew and cheddar cheese. Normally not my style at all, but I couldn't stop eating it. For entrees, we tried several different sandwiches including the BLT&A, the California, and the Garden Sandwich. Again, not much talking other than "this is really good," and "here, try a bite." The fries, which both our server and James Maggard, the owner, mentioned as being hand-cut and double fried, were perfect. 

I arrived just after opening at 11 a.m., hoping to chat with the staff and take a few pictures before it got too crowded. Good decision on my part, as the restaurant was packed with Tucker locals by noon. As one patron, Katherine Obarowski, said, "It was yummy. I ran into everybody and his brother there. I love that Tucker small-town feel!"

The staff, too, were talking about the vibe of the Tucker community and how excited they were to be there. As one other patron mentioned, "It's a great fit. It doesn't even feel new. It's just comfortable, like it's always been here." 

The Local No. 7 is owned by the same that brought the Matador Cantina to Oakhurst and Glenwood Park. A seasoned and successful professional, he was very present in the dining room during the lunch shift, taking the time to ask for honest feedback from customers. Service got a little backlogged right around noon, but I couldn't complain, as I sat around talking with friends and colleagues for over an hour before ordering my entree, so it was my own fault my order got stuck behind the nine-top. The friendliness and courtesy of the staff more than made up for the few extra minutes we waited for food, and the food was worth waiting for.

There was quite a backlog on Friday night too, and the staff was somewhat taken aback by the sheer number of people waiting to be served. 

And why "The Local No. 7?" Rumor has it the restaurant is named for CSX's seventh railroad stop in Tucker, as well as the original seven churches and seven schools that made up the community and the seven miles it took to reach the next municipalities. Not to mention seven is believed by many to be a lucky number.

In fairness to this brand new restaurant, Patch will conduct a full review following several more visits and after more time has elapsed. The vibe of both the restaurant itself and the people within indicates this may be the place that Tucker has been waiting for.