Burger and Bar Impressions: Local Post

Local Post, a pizzeria and burger bar in Columbia-Tusculum, was briefly called, "POP" (Post Office Place) a year ago, but thankfully that name didn't stick. It's fittingly located in a 1930s-era former post office. The restaurant sports an ample bar, exposed brick, a back deck and two floors of space devoted to dining and bar games.

My girlfriend and I stopped by for our first dinner visit one recent December evening. Alas, we happened to pick a day in which the bottom floor had been reserved for a company holiday party, assuring both the wait staff and the kitchen were more than overwhelmed with a backlog of orders.

Local Post's menu is divided into four sections: appetizers, salads, pizzas and "handhelds" (burgers and sandwiches). Diners can build their own pizza or choose from four signature pies. Featured are some compelling appetizers, including the Wisconsin cheddar cheese curds fried in local beer batter and served with sriracha aioli; seasoned chips dusted in various spices or bbq rubs; fried pickles dredged in cornmeal; and Cincinnati-inspired fries served with a slab of crispy goetta and topped with cheese, sriracha aioli and an over easy egg.

Vegetarians will appreciate the fact that their choices aren't relegated solely to the "salads" section; indeed, there are four appetizers, two pizzas and two sandwiches that would make even the most die-hard carnivore reconsider their selection.

We started off our long evening with an order of the cheese curds ($8). The considerable delay in receiving our first course gave us ample time to explore a central area of Local Post's dining room, which at the time was decorated with a holiday gingerbread house display behind which hung dozens of signed postcards. When the cheese curds finally arrived, we eagerly devoured the crispy, lightly battered nuggets of cheese in what could only be described as a desperate and ravenously instinctive fight for our very survival.

East End Burger

We endured another interminable wait for our entrees, glumly watching dish after dish leave the cook station only to see them be whisked away to the holiday party below. My girlfriend had ordered the falafel burger ($11), a hand-formed, spiced ground chick pea fritter topped with pickled cucumbers, red onions, lettuce, tomato and tzatziki sauce on doughy Sixteen Bricks challah bread. I chose the East End Burger ($11), a hefty beef patty with American cheese, strips of crispy bacon, red onion, lettuce, tomato, pickles and a garlic ailoi on challah bread, with two deep fried pickle slices on top. Sandwiches came standard with seasoned chips, which could be swapped out with fries or a salad for an upcharge.

Both sandwiches were well worth the wait. My monstrous burger was as tasty and juicy and cheesy as it was photogenic. There was a pleasing grilled char to the meat and a nice, garlicky zip to the aioli. I was disappointed with the two deep fried pickle toppers, as they tasted merely cold and greasy. But the crisp, seasoned chips were hard to stop eating.

Falafel Burger

My girlfriend equally enjoyed her falafel burger, despite any trepidation she may have had generally with her past dry experiences with chick pea preparations. This patty was refreshingly moist, with fresh bites of crispy lettuce and a welcome, zingy finish from the tzatziki sauce.

Local Post may have tested our patience given the holiday party that was out of their control, but we enjoyed our first experience overall and look forward to exploring more of their eclectic menu.