Restaurant and bar design specialists are tasked with balancing flow and function in a space’s layout, so who better to reveal the best seat in the house than these pros? Graham Reese Design Group has been designing restaurants and related hospitality projects for over 22 years, so they truly have the inside track to some of the best seats in Memphis. If they tell you, for instance, where you’ll find the best seats at Local on the Square, then you know you won’t be disappointed if you head right to the ground-floor bar the next time you visit.

Local’s first-floor bar is not simply a waiting room where you pass the time until your table is ready elsewhere. It is the place for folks who want to Eat and Drink Like a Local in Memphis to see and be seen. Views of the room and patio and a community table located nearby make the seats at the bar the house’s choicest spots.

The easily-accessible U-shaped bar provides an excellent vantage point for people-watching as well as engaging with other patrons. There are no corners, just an organic flow that has stood the test of time in barroom design. The wrap-around bar provides customers the opportunity to watch their bartender in action; likewise the customers are always front-and-center as the bartender never has his or her back to anyone while working within the U. Patrons who wish for less interaction with fellow tipplers might choose a seat at either end of the U. If you enjoy getting to know your neighbors, a spot in the middle enables interaction left and right and naturally facilitates conversations, if you are so inclined.

Head upstairs if you are looking for a more cozy spot to sip and socialize. The comfy lounge chairs by the fireplace provide an excellent view of Madison Avenue and Overton Square, as well as a great position from which to watch the game of the day on television. Score one of these premiere spots and Happy Hour just got a whole lot happier.

Generally speaking, the best spots in a bar or restaurant are a matter of personal preference. But interior architecture is deliberate, so trust the experts at Graham Reese Design Group and belly up to bar or claim a lounge chair upstairs the next time you head to Local’s Midtown location.