The Local Pub & Grill, a popular Santa Clarita restaurant, has been named as one of Yelp’s Top 100 Family-Friendly Restaurants for 2025.

The Local was named No. 31 in Yelp’s 2025 list of Top 100 Family-Friendly Restaurants. The list highlights eateries that have a welcoming atmosphere for the whole family, with many locations featuring entertainment for children in the form of crayons or games.

In The Local’s case, the restaurant provides an extensive children’s menu with food cut and cooked in sizes suited for small hands, as well as board games and cards for every age group, encouraging visitors to sit down and stay a while.

Owners Steve and Mendy Cruse opened The Local in 2017,  and are delighted by the news that their business is loved enough by guests for them to take the time to leave a review. Even still, Steve noted that being named on the Top 100 list came as a surprise.

The Cruses are always looking for ways to give back to the community, keeping the restaurant’s focus truly “local.” This month, 10% of each sale of a pint of Local Charity Ale, Charity Burger, and Charity Cocktail sold will go to SOAR Santa Clarita, benefitting local youth track clubs.

“When we started this place I went, ‘what can we do different?’ The giving back was the first thought I had,” Cruse said. “We’re very proud of what we offer, a chance to get the mind off phones and focus on family.”

Besides board games, The Local also offers more classic pub games like giant Jenga, and even a highly popular Trivia Night every Tuesday, regularly hosting around 100 guests.

A seasonal addition to The Local’s allure is a family of great horned owls that has been nesting in Westridge Village shopping center on The Old Road, just a few dozen yards from the patio seating area. Visitors have come from all over southern California to get a glimpse of the growing owlets.

“The mother owl decided to make camp on our patio two weeks ago like she was waiting to be served,” Cruse said. “Little did I know that owl would not move for 12 hours.”

A City of Santa Clarita employee who happened to visit The Local that day ended up calling an expert to “politely” encourage the mother owl back to her nest.

The Cruse’s take great pride in living up to the name of their restaurant by creating a place that is truly “local,” as well as the everyday efforts of their staff, both front and back of house.

“Its an incredible experience, rom the time you walk into the door until the time you leave. And hopefully you walk out happier than when you walked in,” Cruse said.

The Local is open 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sundays through Wednesdays, 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Thursdays, and later on the weekends.

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