The Local Eatery & Pub - Mt. Holly, NJ

After a visit to some local breweries, a proper trip to find some pretty good food and a decent list of beers is always a tough thing to do on the fly. Thankfully, with a little bit of research and some blind faith, you'll be able to find spots like The Local Eatery & Pub in Mt Holly, NJ. If you're ever visiting Spellbound Brewing or Village Idiot and are in dire need of some good eats while sipping on some quality brews, then you should take the quick side trip over to The Local.

Formerly known as High Street, it's been remodeled and open since September of 2016 to the eatery and pub located in downtown Mt Holly. The bar area is small,  but quaint and feels cozy enough. The bar is well stocked with a separate dining area towards the back. I got there around 5:30 and the place began to fill up soon after, not a bad way to spend a Saturday night.

Half of the bar area, tap list is already looking promising...

If you're coming here for delicious craft beer, The Local has you covered. If you're coming here for mixed drinks, they have one for you. I witnessed a group in the corner of the bar consistently having wonderful, made up concoctions brought over to them. It's always great to see people trust their bartenders, which leads me to believe there is already an established reputation and rapport. Some of the drinks looked fantastic and people did seem to enjoy them. Me... I tend to stick with what I know when the options are bountiful for beer and if there might be 1 or 2 I've never had before, I can't turn them down. Just know, that whether it's beer or a mixed drink to enhance your dining or drinking experience, you won't be disappointed.

...oh yeah, tap list looks really good.

Just looking at the list, you'll notice there are offerings from New Jersey breweries not entirely from the immediate, local area. There are taps from nearby local breweries like Spellbound, Double Nickel, and Tonewood... as well as some not so nearby New Jersey breweries like Jughandle, Carton, and Kane. A thorough analysis of the list brought me to the conclusion that the list is carefully thought out and different styles are very well represented. If various types of beer are what you want, then you are definitely in luck at The Local.

Pro-tip: They are on beermenus.com, so feel free to give them a visit first in case you want to see something that catches your eye. Give them a quick click here: (The Local Eatery & Pub) and you're there! From what I see, they update regularly and have updated since my visit. Prices are very reasonable here compared to some other establishments I've visited in the past, so it's a little lighter on your wallet for delicious beer.

Tonewood Brewing's Fuego IPA

For this visit I was able to try Tonewood Brewing's Fuego IPA. I didn't know much about Tonewood Brewing, but this beer has definitely put them on my radar. It was a nice, juicy beer full of wonderful aromas and delicious hops. At 6.2% ABV it comes in relatively light enough to enjoy with your meal and is not going to overwhelm your palate. I paired this up with the pork belly tacos and the combination was delicious. It looks like The Local currently has Chief on tap, which might be a toned down version of Fuego - so I'd recommend giving that a try if you visit soon. So far, it looks like they do a pretty good job of rotating taps with an emphasis on local breweries, which is always a welcome sight.

Huge mozzarella sticks! Good too!

Having ordered the mozzarella sticks, I didn't expect an upscale version of them to be coming out. It was a pleasant surprise. Don't let the shot deceive you though, these are easily portioned into about 4 - 6 bite-sized portions. They are lightly breaded so it's pretty much all cheese in there, and with the dipping sauce, it's definitely going to be a crowd pleaser when it comes to a shareable appetizer. I'd recommend these, for sure.

Pork belly tacos - delicious.

My obsession with tacos might be pretty well-documented by now. There's nothing better than simplicity within a tortilla brought together by fresh ingredients and sauces to add layers of complexity. The pork belly tacos from The Local were no different. There isn't much to them in the way of ingredients, but there was tons of flavor. Just visually, it's pretty easy to see that thick slab of pork belly and pickled vegetables along with a nice dose of sauce inside. They were a decent size, but the pork belly was fantastic. It's cooked to an almost bacon-like quality to give you that perfect crunch on the outside without being completely cooked on the inside. The sauce brought the balance between the pork belly and the pickled vegetables to a perfect harmony. If you want to dine on the lighter side, go for these.

Nice bar area, with tons of promise! Come visit!

Blogger disclaimer here: One more item was ordered, The Local Burger. Because of the hunger and the rush to try it out, pictures were not taken. I know... I know. But for $14, there's a well seasoned burger patty cooked to temperature with cheddar cheese, bacon, and a fried egg on top. I'm not exactly sure when this became a thing, but I'm glad it has. The burger here is very well crafted. So I apologize for the lack of a picture, but take my word for it... it is worth ordering if you want a burger to go with your craft beer.

I'd recommend a visit to The Local regardless of a brewery visit, but since that is the aim of this website, let me give you a quick list of breweries within the vicinity:

• Village Idiot: Right down the street from The Local
• Spellbound Brewing: 5 minutes (driving)
• Third State Brewing: 16 minutes (driving)
• Forgotten Boardwalk: 22 minutes (driving)
• Double Nickel: 25 minutes (driving)

So there are a few options if you want to do a mini-area tour and end up somewhere with a decent sized bar and great food selection. Chances are that if you check Beer Menus, you'll also find that The Local Eatery & Pub might have one or two of those breweries on tap as well. I definitely want to return since there are other breweries in the area that I'd love to visit, and hopefully next time I won't forget to take a picture of the burger... Salud!

PS: The Local Beerfest happens on Saturday, March 4th. If you want more information on the event just click... here!