Labor Day after 9pm in Hudson County-and many restaurants and their kitchens had already closed…read moreearly for the holiday. But three friends, craving yummy eats, strong drinks, and fun vibes, refused to call it a night. Luckily, The Highwood was still open until midnight-just what we needed to kick off our late night yap~
This is an elevated sports bar with waterfront views of Midtown Manhattan, directly across the street from the Port Imperial Ferry Terminal. Metered street parking is limited in the area, but there's a garage attached to the building.
Even though it's a few steps above your typical divey sports bar, the overall atmosphere is still pretty casual. There's plenty of seating, whether you want to sit at the main bar, in leather booths, at high tops, or outside on the patio. With over 30 TVs, this is a hot spot to catch a game, from football and UFC fights to the World Cup. You definitely don't have to come dressed to impress, but there's a dress code. It's nothing too serious, more like "stylish sportswear or casual sophistication". Interpret that as you will lol.
The restaurant wasn't busy, so we were able to sit wherever we wanted. We chose the outdoor patio, where we had a view of that iconic NYC skyline that we never get tired of having in our backyard.
The menu mixes classic pub grub with more upscale dishes-pizza, wings, burgers, sushi, steak, seafood, and more.
We started off with some drinky drinks and, of course, took full advantage of the $8 Martini Monday deal... DUH ;) We got lychee & espresso martinis, which were *chef's kiss* I loved the balance of vodka and lychee in mine--sweet and strong! They brew their espresso in-house, so no pre-made mix nonsense here.
For our main dishes, we ordered:
*Highwood Burger $24 (smashed double patty, aged cheddar cheese, bacon, lettuce, tomatoes, onions, dill pickles, and burger sauce on a brioche bun) with side of sweet potato fries
*Buttermilk Fried Chicken Sandwich $23 (Southern fried chicken thigh, pecanwood smoked bacon, maple chipotle sauce, lettuce, and dill pickles on a sesame brioche bun) with side of fries
*Bluefin Tuna Tartare $22 (diced bluefin tuna, scallions, avocado, mango, sesame seeds, furikake, yuzu ponzu, and rice-nori chips)
No major complaints-everything was generally on point. My friends enjoyed the fried chicken sandwich and tuna; both were tasty and good quality. I just wish my burger patties were juicier!
Service was friendly and quick. Since it was a quiet night, I appreciated that the staff didn't rush us out even though we closed the place down LOL. Shoutout to the management and staff for working and staying open late on a holiday!
Final thoughts... Honestly, there are other bars in the area with better food, but The Highwood is still a solid option. The food didn't blow me away, but it's a great choice if you want a mix of bar grub and elevated dishes. There are still plenty of reasons to come back-game days, weekend brunch, late-night DJs, and drinks with a view. Why not all of the above?
Highwood... you passed the vibe check! This was the perfect way to cap off the holiday weekend with friends! Now I'm curious to see what this place is like when the crowd and energy are turned ALLLLLLLL the way up!