50 Local

Overall, a pretty decent place. Décor was odd, but okay. Service was great. Food was a hit or miss.
Décor: The lighting was dark enough to be a romantic type setting, but the atmosphere had more of an after work business casual type feel. The metal chairs gave me a somewhat sterile impression, but tabletops seemed warm and cozy. It’s nice how they have a chalkboard with all the different local farms from which they get their food.
Service: Overall, no complaints. The waiters were attentive enough where I don’t remember anything negative about it.
Food: We got the mac and cheese with truffle oil and the crab cakes as appetizers. Both were delicious and amazing. If we only had that, I think this place would’ve gotten fourstars, but the entrees really fell flat for us. The fish stew, which got pretty good reviews, was less of a stew and more of a seafood-​with-​tomato-​sauce dish and too salty for me. They were out of lobster too, which I was really hoping to get, but they substituted with more of the other seafood. The other entrée we got was the steak frites, which wasn’t particularly memorable for me either…
If I only had the entrees, I would’ve given this place 2 stars; if I’d only had the apps, I would’ve given it a 4. Thus, I’m splitting the difference and giving it a 3.

I really wanted to like this place.
I started off with their special margarita with grapefruit juice and a peppered rim. It just tasted like a normal margarita.
The restaurant is so dark you can’t see the food. I think they might do this for a reason. I started off with the calamari. It was very good. There were chiles tossed with the calamari but it was to dark to see them. It would have been better if I could have had a chile every once and a while to break up the fried food.
For the main course I ordered the fish and chips. I saw a picture of this dish on Unilocal and it looked really good. It was the worst haddock I have ever had in Maine. It was one large piece of fish with a very thick coating on it. I know it was fresh but it reminded me of a frozen fish filet. The fries were thick cut wedges that were not crisp at all. I would have complained but the was an older couple sitting next to me that also ordered the fish and chips. I don’t think they liked it either. I did not want to get them involved if I said something.
Service was also poor. It felt like the servers just keep saying the same thing to every table. My server said that she liked the conversation we had. We never had a conversation. I have no idea what she was talking about. I might give them another try. Maybe I just ordered the wrong thing.
This came from the owner
Brian-​Did these other guests tell you they didnt like them? Not sure how other guests affect your experience or why you even need to include this with your review… I am truly sorry you did not enjoy your meal. You have taken it upon yourself to go to every review site to let everyone know. I hope this makes you feel better as these reviews directly affect our business. You can sleep better tonight knowing you have hurt our business that supports our family of four and many employees working hard everyday. My husband & I try very hard to ensure that everyone enjoys themselves when they come in. We source most of our product locally and only buy fish/​seafood sourced responsibly. We feel pretty good about the product we serve and support our staff knowing they take great pride in what they do. Next time you open a restaurant, let me know, I would be happy to review it for you.
I won’t be going back. And yes I do own a restaurant.

The food is high quality and you can tell they use good ingredients. I would recommend sticking to seafood rather than spaghetti/​pasta dishes, as I had the pasta and it was a large bowl of noodles with a fairly flat sauce. I saw more complexity in the seafood dishes and felt they were better value for money.
Restaurant has nice décor and feels modern and comfortable though it is a bit darker at night than is preferable. The service was a tad slow and we had to spend a long time getting our bill. 3.5 for the food, 3 for the service.
Lastly, one thing to note is that their online menu is a sample. They do not always have the same food in store — don’t come in expecting everything you see online! We were disappointed by that and I wouldn’t want others to have the same experience.

Steak Frites… awesome. Moscow Mule was prepared to perfection.
Ambiance is very conducive to conversation and enjoyable dining. We sat at the bar for drinks and tapas and had a wonderful experience.

My husband and I ate here last night and had an amazing experience. We are in Kennebunk celebrating my birthday and the manager James made sure we had a great night. When we arrived we were their last customers of the evening but they didn’t make us feel rushed at all. We started with some oysters which were delicious and crispy farm egg salad which was also amazing. They had a nice wine list also that wasn’t outrageously priced. For our entrees we shared the burger and the homemade pasta with pork and mushrooms. So so good! At the end of dinner we weren’t going to have dessert because we didn’t want to keep them any later but they actually sent us out two amazing desserts! The fried beignets with crème anglaise were absolutely out of this world and a brownie with ice cream and a blue berry sauce which was also delicious!
I have to say we were so happy that we chose to come here it was a great experience and we will definitely be back!

Dined here recently and while the food was good and clearly high quality, we had many issues with the service that ultimately left us feeling very underwhelmed.
We went at 5:30 on a Saturday because we had a 1-​year old with us, and wanted to go when the restaurant was not quite as crowded and so we could be out at early as possible. Great theory, but dinner took two hours! It was nearly 30 – 40 minutes before we could even place our order, despite asking several people if we could place an order. Food took another 40 minutes to come out. Everyone agreed that the food was good, and I love that they use all local ingredients whenever possible, but it was almost unbearably slow. Additionally, there were no vegetarian options on the menu when we went, everything had fish or meat in it.
We also had an issue with a couple seated nearby. The infant with us was very well behaved, but of course made a few «baby noises» as all babies do. An elderly gentleman (who was several martinis deep) seated at the next table yelled at the baby to be quiet, and continued to make rude comments about the baby and our table. I know this isn’t the fault of the restaurant; however, I feel like most restaurants are on top of things like this and are quick to move a table if there’s some friction. Several other patrons of the restaurant came up to us and apologized for the man’s behavior and commented on ridiculous the situation was. It was only after another patron had called our waiter over and told her what had happened that anyone from the restaurant acknowledged what had happened (and by this time the other table was gone).
Between the extremely slow service and the lack of control over the dining room, we were truly disappointed in the evening and likely will not be coming back.

Soooooo, it was the blizzard of St. Valentines and hubby told me to get dressed; we were going some place local. Well, duh… I knew what that meant so I immediately envisioned the seafood stew. I savored the halibut the whole ride from Sanford to Kennebunk. I white knuckled it bc I hate driving in the snow at night, but I knew it would be worth the minimal anxiety. We arrived at 50 Local and it wasn’t packed, clearly available seating, made reservations and yet the hostess had to ask before seating us. Whatevs. we were seated, felt sexy in love and ready to eat, Well. Started with the fried calamari and hubby had the spring rolls. Both perfect. Then, we each ordered the seafood stew. I dream of this stew weeks after; it’s that good. The service is polite, attentive and unobtrusive. I will return, again and again. I don’t care where I’m seated. This is good food, well prepared and evokes memories of small, NYC bistros that dot restaurant row. Thank you and good night.

We went to 50 Local on a very snowy night, not expecting the top tier service that they are known for — we were, after all, in the midst of getting 20+ inches of snow. We got there around 8P, and there were just a few tables with folks — understandable, due to the storm — and were promptly seated at a great window seat so we could watch the kids skating across the street at the new pavilion.
To start off with, we ordered the calamari. My wife wasn’t a huge fan, as they appear to be baked, and use a cornmeal coating. I, however, thought they were amazing, and while different than your regular preparation method, still had a crispy and crunchy mouth-​feel. While Local has a fairly «regular» list of dishes, you must ask about the specials. My wife had their (on the list) Fish Stew — this was absolutely incredible. I may go so far as to say that it was the best I’ve ever eaten. My dinner choice was a swordfish steak, which was cooked to melt-​in-​your-​mouth perfection.
Throughout the meal, the waitstaff were very attentive. One thing that I found out on this trip was that while you have one person «assigned» to your table, all of them work together to ensure you”re taken care of, including the bartender and host. In addition, they all share your tips, so there’s no pressure to tab out when moving from the bar to your table or back.
Speaking of the bar… If you stick to your regular drink, you’re going to miss one of the greatest things about Local. On this outing, I had a Ghost of Mary (conceptual bloody Mary using tomato water instead of tomato juice), and a Jam Jar. These were some of the tastiest twists on cocktails I’ve ever had.
50 Local is amazing. We’ll be back.

Very nice and varied menu. All farm fresh. Our options last night ranged from grass fed beef to fish stew to pastas. The squash soup looked outstanding, the salads were good and beautifully presented. Good service.

The service was very very poor, waiter acted as though we were an intrusion on his time spent chatting with the bartender. Couldn’t or wouldn’t answer questions about items on the menu. Took over an hour for our entrees to arrive and the place was only half full. Caesar had almost no dressing, pasta for carbonara was badly under cooked. Very disappointing experience.

My husband and I came to 50 Local for our first anniversary and had a great experience. The basil lime gimlet was a delicious drink, and we really enjoyed the ricotta appetizer which was served on crostini and came with 4 pieces perfect for sharing. My husband loved the fish and chips with handcut fries, and I enjoyed the lobster carbonara. The one downside might be that they appeared to have lost our reservation (which was made via email with the owner), so this could have been very disappointing if we couldn’t get a seat, since the place was packed all night!

Great food — farm to table. Leisure dining experience. Great ambience enhanced by fresh, hand crafted meals. Unique cocktails.

Had dinner here on Friday night and it was perfect! We started with some oysters and mussels frites (both oh so good) then my husband had the fish and chips (fried but somehow light and tasty) and I had the fish stew– it was one of the best dishes I have ever had! So much seafood and so flavorful. I couldn’t finish mine so my husband helped– it was that good he left his dinner and finished mine. I would make the trip just for that dish! Our waitress was superb, always attentive but not obtrusive. Our glasses were never empty and she had a very pleasant demeanor. You get so used to bad service that when you find good service it is shocking and pleasurable. Kudos to 50 Local– great food, relaxed but polished atmosphere. I would not hesitate to return. Well done!

Spectacular. Fish stew. Halibut.

I love the space! I want to move in! Haha. The food was delicious. Everything locally sourced is such a plus. The homemade bread with ricotta and 4 different toppings was amazing.
Very stylish and cozy atmosphere with friendly service. Plus Gruner & mussels. What more could you need? Awesome!

Nice place with a modern feel. Staff was great. Drinks were strong.
Regarding the food, I was with a large group therefore I was able to try:
Fish tacos
Mussel’s
Meatballs
Bruschetta
All were very tasty but when I got to my entrée it was okay. Ordered the snapper and so did 3 other people. You would have never guessed that we all ordered the same thing. Mine was dry and the one next to me was cooked perfectly. Nobody was overly impressed with their entrees. Not sure if the large group had anything to do with it but the place was empty besides us. Maybe they felt rushed with all the entrees they had to make. The only people that were pleased with their entrée was the two that ordered fish n chips.
If there’s a next time I may stick to the small plate menu which was very affordable. The entrée was rather expensive for what was served.

Went to Kennebunkport on a whim and spent the night.
I understand that season just started but really doesn’t get into gear until the Summer.
Read reviews and website for Local 50… we were intrigued and looking forward to a well prepared meal sourced from local purveyors.
The service was warm, friendly and professional. Too bad that this good feeling did not translate to the kitchen.
We ordered two fish tacos and curry mussels to start. The mussels were very fresh, plump and tender. The sauce was very mild, nearly bland. We were served just one taco… guess the kitchen misinterpreted the order… no biggie… these things happen and our waitress quickly brought us the second taco. What a waste of nice ingredients. The tortilla was delicious, the fish was nicely fried but flavorless… perhaps grilling the fish would be a better option. The spicy mayo sauce was way too mild… the taco could use some salt, cilantro, some spice.
She ordered the sole with gnocchi served on a bed so steamed veggies. Here too the fish was bland, the gnocchi were flavorless as we’re the vegetables. Worse yet was that the veggies and gnocchi were not properly drained resulting in a dish filled with water.
I ordered the sirloin… asked for medium rare. It came medium well, no searing, just over baked in the oven. The steak was covered in a thick layer of what tasted like Progresso bread crumbs. Served with potatoes and veggies… both of which were again, boring and bland.
Our server kindly and properly addressed this issue by offering to replace the steak. I refused because I have a real problem with wasting food. If I over cook a steak at home, I eat it and will do the same in a restaurant. Just can’t stand knowing that food will be tossed.
They offered desert, but by this point we were wary of the fare… although I did not ask they kindly removed the steak from the bill… thank you.
Overall I believe this restaurant is more hype than substance. Beautiful local ingredients are being mishandled by unimaginative, soulless, dull hands that don’t care about flavor.
This isn’t about portions or cost… this is about flavor and creativity. Two aspects which are woefully lacking.
You only get one shot to make a first impression.

Four of us went to 50 Local tonight and it was really nice. Our server was really good and everyone’s food was cooked perfectly. Even the bread was amazing. The restaurant is clean and modern with quite a few vegetarian options on the menu. I loved it and I’m sure we’ll be back.
The problems were small but worth mentioning. First are the cold, hard, noisy metal chairs. They just don’t work, especially in the winter. Aside from that, my only complaints are that the restaurant was too dark to easily read the menu and too loud for reasonable conversations. I think the loudness was due to the relatively sleek and modern interior which was acoustically very «live».
I saw people there of all ages and unlike another reviewer, I didn’t get the feeling that the servers had a problem with anyone’s age. Despite all the hype about this being a farm to table restaurant, I was expecting more of the menu items to be locally sourced. There wasn’t much on the menu about where much of the food came from and local breweries weren’t well represented at all.
But wherever it comes from, the food is all fresh, the chef knows how to cook, and the servers make sure nothing goes wrong. Maybe next time I’ll try to go on a weeknight when it should be a little quieter. And if they replace the chairs or at least put some good looking cushions on them, I’ll be a really happy guy.

Love that most of the ingredients are locally sourced. The mussels frites are consistently very good, as is the fish stew. The gnocchi was less successful, being a little heavy and having a strange texture. They offer unique «crafted» cocktails, and the offerings change frequently, they are delicious but very pricey ($ 10 — $ 13). I generally like the restaurant’s clean, modern design, but find it very curious that a restaurant in Maine chose to use metal chairs, which are literally cold during the winter months and not very comfortable.

This place is a breath of fresh air in the midst of the same old boring seafood fare. How many clam shacks and lobster shanties does one town need?
50 Local serves new American cuisine made with local produce and meats. The steak frites were melt-​in-​my-​mouth delicious and my husband’s lobster carbonara was also quite pleasant.
We followed dinner up with a whole plate of desserts for our table of 5 to share. Although I was fit to burst, I tried each and every item. I believe my favorite was a profiterole-​like pastry with blueberries. (or maybe they were two separate desserts and I just put them together.)
The ambiance was modern and comfortable, although it was a bit chilly. I really like the chalkboard pillars. And the service was excellent. (Thank you, James!)
Next time I’m up Maine way, I’ll have to stop back in again.