Frequently Asked Questions

General Questions

Where is Local Foods?

Just off Elston, north of North Avenue, where Willow heads northeast. If you know landmarks better than street names: we’re near both Hideout and Home Depot.

What does “local” actually mean to Local Foods?

In almost every case, it means anything we can bring you that comes from within a day’s drive of Chicago. All products’ place of origin are marked, as are distances. We carry a few things the Midwest can’t grow—like avocados—which are clearly marked “beyond local.”

Here’s more about how we source products.

What is Butcher & Larder?

It’s Chicago’s first whole-animal butcher shop where you’re able to buy cuts from animals responsibly raised on small, Midwest family farms. We provide meats that are free of hormones, antibiotics, and corporate interest.

Is Local Foods Café open?

Local Foods Café closed at the beginning of the COVID-19 Pandemic and there are currently no plans to re-open it.

Can I request Local Foods carry a product?

Absolutely. Please contact us here.

I’d like to work at Local Foods; are there any open positions?

We post open positions here, please contact us! We’re always looking for team members.

What is Handcut Foods?

Handcut Foods is one of our partner businesses, specializing in superior food, service and managment. They build custom menus around seasonal ingredients, from small farms whenever possible, bringing the same quality of food we sell at Local Foods to schools, events, companies… anything requiring larger-scale food-wrangling.

What is Mightyvine?

Mightyvine is one of our partner businesses, using next-generation farming techniques to produce fresh premium tomatoes, year-round, from right here in Chicago.

I produce a product I’d like Local Foods to carry or distribute, can I contact you?

Absolutely. Please contact us here.

Butcher & Larder

Are the sausages gluten free?

All the ingredients are on the name tags. There are no hidden ingredients, fillers or additives.

If I don’t cook this today, do I need to freeze it?

Nope. We recommend a 3–4 day shelf life on raw meat. After that, it can go in the freezer.

Is the meat pasture raised?

Yes. All our meat spends time on pasture. Anything they eat that isn’t out in the fields is grown on the farm by the same folks that raise the animals. It is organically grown, non-GMO grasses and corn and hay. The animals love it!

Can I get a whole chicken cut up?

Yes! We’ll cut it any way you like.

Do you sell game/exotic meats?

We can get Duck, Squab, Goat and occasionally Pheasant. It is illegal for us to get wild game that hasn’t been federally inspected. Sometimes one of our farmers will offer us Venison, but farmed Venison doesn’t taste like wild and it is very expensive.