I came here again for my birthday meal. I think God was in the kitchen cooking.

This has become one of my daughters favorite restaurants since moving to Somerville. I went for the first time last night and I can easily see why she likes it. The food...oh my goodness! It was delicious. There were 4 of us and we got to taste each other's entree. They were all wonderful. Now let's talk about the service. I can honestly say I have never had better service than what we had last night. They anticipated our every need. The staff was friendly and efficient. And I loved the upbeat atmosphere. read more

So fun! Wednesday nights are karaoke night!! Great setup and environment, came with a group of 7 expecting a huge wait but we scored again and were seated within 15 minutes. Service is awesome. Ask for the goat stew to be spicy. Liver toast was very tasty, brusselsprouts of course delicious. The chicken and parpadelle pasta were the winners for us this time although the jumbalaya and goat stew were great. Keep loving coming back every time! read more

Came here upon suggestion of a friend. We ordered many appetizers and had not much room left for a main course so I ordered a soup of the day which was a chilled summer squash soup and was quite tasty. The appetizers ordered included ricotta fritters, buffalo brussels sprouts, gnocchi in short rib ragout and fried calamari. I don't really like ricotta or brussels sprouts but the way these were prepared were delicious. The only item that i was a bit disappointed in were the calamari--a little chewier than i like. The service was excellent. read more

Went early for dinner and drinks. Vibe: hipster but pleasant. Food: excellent. From the octopus and Brussels sprouts to the goat stew and Po'boy everything was unique and delicious. Drinks were strong and inventive. Service was friendly and efficient. We mentioned we were new and would be coming back and to welcome us we got a dessert to take home. Now that makes me feel wanted and happy. BTW portions were pretty generous and nit unreasonable in terms of price read more

Best brunch in Somerville! Super tasty and lots of energy. Make sure to get there before they open, as there will be a line out the door.

A fun place to visit. Great southern themed food. The bar staff is especially wonderful. I recommend the fried green tomatoes and the buffalo Brussel sprouts! read more

I have changed my Highland Kitchen tune! Food was great, service was MUCH better than before. A waiter dropped a half eaten plate of fish and chips on my huz's head (I am not exaggerating). We were not mad-I actually could not stop laughing about it, but the management brought out five glasses of Muscato for us and three EXCELLENT desserts. How cool? The one less star comes from said fish and chips-the beer batter was tough to eat-like a pancake wrapped around a piece of cod. read more

Okay Boston-type pub food. Good service. Okay drink selection. Fairly priced.

Okay so I've been to this joint a number of times now with my friends because they dig it, and in full disclosure this review will largely reflect the visit I had there the other day. First things first: I don't care how many fancy types of whiskey you stock, or how "i watch Top Chef" cool and alternative your food is, or how good you are at being indifferent and wearing the most expensive shirt you could find at the thrift store... there is never a good reason for the hipper-than-though, resentful attitude some of the folks here cop. I'm speaking mostly of the bar-staff. Some might say that their attitudes are part of the charm but those people are suckers. Most of the people that work here are cool, even half the people that work at the bar are cool but a anus of an bartender goes a loooong way towards making a place suck. And such is the case here. Do you really hate working at a bar so much you can't hand someone a coffee without slamming it down? Well there are plenty of jobs in dark dingy filing cabinet-lined offices out there that need miserable jerks like you to join their ranks. Okay so... If you're going out to eat this place isn't bad. Some of their food is awesome but some of it is only okay. In general, it's overpriced and you're paying for the "vibe" as much as you are the french fries. The bacon grits thing is really good, as are a few of the brunch items. This place tends to get crowded and when it is crowded, its definitely NOT worth the wait. Hostesses and waitresses all seem to be pretty friendly. There is live bluegrass music on sundays, which is awesome. Sometimes they have music at night too. Try and catch the Coachmen if you can. Final thoughts: I'm a little pissed right now and it's clouding my judgement. The joint isn't bad and I've had some fine times there, but a couple of the bartenders need to get dick-punched by Mike Tyson. If you go make sure to wear a funky winter hat from an Eastern European nation, a belt made out of tooth-floss and a t-shirt that reads "Girl Scout and lovin' it". read more

They recently added buffalo fried brussel sprouts to the menu - delightful. Their blue cheese dressing is homemade and possibly some of the best I've ever tasted. read more

I've driven past Highland Kitchen for over a year and thought it was nothing but a local dive. I'm happy I took 3 separate friend recommendations and gave it a try. We walked in and put or names in for a table. The lovely hostess said it would be about 30-35mins. No problem, they have a full bar. Ordered a round of Winter Warmers and was happily surprised when the hostess came over 15mins later to let us know our table was ready. The menu is small but who cares, started with the fried plantains and ordered up a cheddar burger. If you haven't had fried plantains, experiment here and you won't be disappointed. The burger was great, served with bread-n-butter pickles which topped it off nicely. The staff was overly nice and so weren't the other patrons. You wouldn't think you'd see kids here but we saw our fair share. Goes to show how welcoming Highland Kitchen is. read more

I've been here a few times and I really like it here. It's a little bit pricey for what it is (comfort food), but I've never been disappointed in what I've tried. Everything is tasty and tastes like it's cooked with love (I'm serious!). It's kind of a cozy restaurant, and it fills up quickly, so we usually get there right when it opens (5pm). They do have a bar, so you can always hang out there if there is a wait. The wait is usually not as long as they say it is - they usually overestimate the wait time (which I actually don't mind). Pros: The staff is friendly and attentive. Even though the place does get busy, I never feel like I am being rushed (but it's not like I sit there and lolligag...). Also, I once ordered an alcoholic drink which I didn't like. I only had a sip, and then it just sat there. My server noticed, and asked me if I wanted to exchange it for something else. The dishes are good sizes. My boyfriend and I usually share two appetizers and an entree, and we leave stuffed (and sometimes with leftovers). The devils-on-horseback! These are dates wrapped with bacon and stuffed with cheese. My boyfriend actually ordered this, and I wasn't so sure about it, because dates are usually a hit or miss for me, but this little snack was delicious! I would definitely order again. They have specials everyday (items not on the regular menu). Some I've had include the scallops and lamb, on separate occasions. The scallops were cooked just right (not overcooked!) and the lamb was tender. I recommend these dishes and would order them again. Actually, I would order everything I've had here again, but I want to go through the entire menu first! The chili is bean-less. Yayy to bean-less chili. It has a smoky flavor. Although it is not my favorite chili, it is still pretty good. Cons: None as of yet - hope I don't jinx it! read more

Right now, this is my favorite place to eat. There is a line around the block most nights and for brunch for a reason. The Dirty Bird with it's layers of southern style biscuits, fried chicken breast, thick bacon, fried egg AND sausage gravy will cure any hangover. The coffee is appropriately strong. The beignets are puffs of fried delight. As are the ricotta and mozzarella fritters. Every cocktail I've ever had here (any margarita, Mark and Stormy, and some twist on the Negroni) was perfectly crafted. The ginger beer is made in house. How impressive is that? I know what: I ordered just the ginger beer while waiting for our table for brunch. As I was standing by the bart chatting with my friends, the bartender yelled over to me asking, "Hey, is that ginger beer too strong? Can I make it better?" He noticed that I was sipping it very slowly and was concerned that I wasn't enjoying it. This was during one of the busiest times/days of the week (11:30 am at brunch time) and it was crazy crowded. Service is the best in the Somerville, hell, Boston, everyone wears plaid, everyone who works their is uber friendly and efficient in a good way. Oh, yeah, best deviled eggs ever and I still dream about the banana bread pudding. P.S. I really, really like this place. read more

Best fried chicken and biscuit brunch place- ever! Loved it. Worth the long line in the cold winter days.

Loud and crowded even on a Monday, but well worth it! My fiance and I went here for dinner this evening, because he'd been craving fried chicken, and heard theirs (a Monday night special) was delicious. We started out with drinks. I got the Mulberry Street: sort of like a riff on a Manhattan with Bulleit Rye, Carpana Antica, Cynar, and orange bitters. It was bittersweet with a touch of fruit, and delicious. My fiance got a Left Hand Sawtooth Ale on a nitrogen push. It was a nicely balanced beer with a creamy head. He ordered the fried chicken, and I ordered the pan roasted chicken. The server advised us that the roast chicken would take a while, so we elected to get an appetizer of smoked salmon dip with what looked like house-made potato chips. It was creamy and tasty, and the chips were nicely brown and crisp, a far cry from the pathetic things in the supermarket. When the entrees came out, they did not disappoint. The pan roasted chicken was moist and tender, with a fabulously crispy skin. The gravy on it was heavily flavored with sage and black pepper. For some people, the amount of pepper might have been excessive: it was spicier than one would expect most gravy to be. I enjoyed the flavor, though. The sweet potato "hash" wasn't very hash-like, but instead tasted like roasted cubed sweet potatoes. Hard to go wrong there, though--sweet potatoes are always good in my book. The broccoli raab was perfect, its bitterness accented with a generous amount of garlic, and not overcooked. The fried chicken, according to my fiance, was delicious, though he thought the breading might have been a bit crisper. He loved the bacon-laden collard greens (and the bite I had sure was good), and seemed to enjoy the mashed potatoes. He said that the rather dense biscuit was the least impressive thing on the plate, but he still ate it all. For dessert, he got the beignets, which were crisp and slightly eggy, like the bastard offspring of a yeast donut and a popover. I got the hot fudge brownie sundae, which was decadent and yummy, not excessively sweet. In spite of being somewhat hipster-y, this was a nice, informal place with quality food, and a place I'd gladly visit again. read more

Just wanted to post a more recent review. Nothing specific to update, but wanted to say we have been here numerous times, and Highland Kitchen never ceases to amaze us. We don't have a single complaint about this place - the food, drinks, and service are all top notch! read more

I'm dying to go back here. My boyfriend and I went once to celebrate and the food was delicious. One of three things happened: I had a special, my entree isn't on the menu anymore (since I didn't recognize any), or I just have horrific memory. Either way, I remember the food being great, and that's all that matters. I do remember that we started with the fritters, and my boyfriend had the goat stew and really enjoyed it. For drinks, I had the Dorchester, and he had the Mark n' Stormy (which he said was a bit spicy, but good). We got there early enough to be seated, but the place fills up quickly, so I'd recommend doing the same. read more

Amazing place! I live right around the corner and have never had a bad meal here. Great staff, great food, great drinks, and great atmosphere! Check them out! read more

This is the type of place I love to find when I am out of town. Lou Mustachio sent me here. All the food was great and I couldn't find room for all the good food I wanted to eat. The calamari was great. Service was good. read more

Overall, Highland Kitchen for the win. Cool vibes. Juke box. Great drink menu. Very tasty food (favorites: buffalo brussel sprouts, blackened catfish & barley risotto). Excellent service. Down side? If you're on a date, the two stop situation is less than ideal. It's basically a community table in the middle of the restaurant given that you're sitting less than 2 inches next to the couple beside you. If you're trying to work on being less of an eavesdropper and more present with the company you keep, you may be in trouble here. read more

The reason for my 5 star review is because there is really nothing wrong with this place. It's really a perfect neighborhood bar and restaurant. Sometimes it can be hard to get a bar stool, and there is often a wait for a table, but those are symptoms of the joint's popularity, which is well earned. I've been here maybe a couple dozen times over the last year and have sampled numerous menu items and they were all superb. I've had the steak, the fried chicken on Mondays, Dale's Pale Ale, the pulled pork, the Reuben, BBC's Steel Rail Pale Ale, the friggin' buffalo brussel sprouts (strongly recommended), and the oysters, among many other things. The service is tremendous. That's all. read more

Excellent variety in menu and drinks, well prepared and homemade all around excellence. Always busy there, often have to wait for a seat at the bar. Enjoyable and I'm always interested in coming back for more. read more

Buffalo Brussel Sprouts! Please let me meet the genius that dreamed up this heavenly concoction. The food is consistently great. The servers are friendly and the drinks are delicious. I'll admit, there is always a wait.... but it's worth it. read more

The drinks were really good, but me and my party didn't enjoy the food. We went for brunch on a weekend. We ordered the beignets and about half of the order was under cooked (wet dough in the center). I ordered the fish and grits. The grits were bland and the fish was ok. One friend got the catfish po' boy and he said he would give it a 3 or 4 out of five. I think I was comparing this place to similar places I've been to both in the Southern U.S., New York, DC, and San Francisco/Oakland. But with all the hype I thought this place was going to live up to my expectations (especially after an hour long wait). The customer service was great. Our waiter was very attentive despite it being incredibly busy. read more

Fun atmosphere, decent food. Yummy apps. Buffalo brussel sprouts was good

Fine kitchen. Solid knowledgeable bar staff. I'm a big fan. A great place for an unpretentious solid meal and cocktail during the week. Brunch is very strong but very popular so come early. Moderately priced so it can become a habit when in Somerville. Very casual. Highly recommended. read more

I've revisited several times since my initial review. The food has been good until this last visit on a Wednesday evening. The pulled pork sandwich was essentially solid vinegar masquerading as meat. I've had Carolina style BBQ sauce and that ain't it. The wait staff are friendly and efficient. My biggest complaint continues to be the INCREDIBLE NOISE LEVEL. Everyone must shout; it is nearly impossible to carry on a conversation. Perhaps that's part of the Highland Kitchen business plan - order, eat fast because one can't talk and linger, and get out - better table turn over that way. I've given up. I won't be back. read more

I had been DYING to come here and was finally given a gift card which was the catalyst to visiting! I had such a wonderful experience! The food was AMAZING: we got the goat stew which was awesome (and TOTALLY not something I would typically order), the oysters were good (but nothing to write home about), we got a tuna tostada which was very good and finally we got the purpled bolognese which was out of control. I would definitely come here again but fair warning: there will be a wait. We just grabbed a drink at the bar and it was not a big deal. read more

Came here on St. Patrick's Day and the food/service were incredible! We ordered two appetizers - blue cakes with mango sauce & the "gordita." Both were excellent. For dinner, I had the jambalaya and my boyfriend ordered corned beef. We loved both of these!! I also appreciate their extensive cocktail list. Will definitely be back. read more

Mmmmm...we went on a Saturday night and waited about 40 minutes for bar seats. It's a really fun setting and the wait is probably always long but there's space to wait and have drinks, you can even order an appetizer while you're waiting. We had the calamari to start which was delicious, and the steak for entrees. Mind bogglingly good. Do yourself a solid and go. read more

Guess we had bad luck? Went last night with my girlfriend and we did not have a good time at all. If you are going to put us 2 inches from the table next to us, I hope the food is good. We felt the service first and foremost was poor. Upon walking in we were not greeted, did not know where to go in the crowded small restaurant. After 30 mins we got seated and were ignored for another 20 mins... finally the waiter introduced himself! We obviously put in our order ASAP - the special, braised rabbit fettuccini, some bar snacks and sharing the jambalaya. The rabbit dish lacked flavor significantly, bar snacks tasted old (pickled veg) and devils horseback were burnt. Once I put salt on things it was better but not worth the price or wait. Jambalaya on the other hand was very good minus the burnt corn bread we got. Much better places in the area for upscale southern food. read more

Having poorly planned (or not planned) our likely last date night before my very pregnant wife becomes decidedly less pregnant, we were not terribly surprised to find that our first dinner choices for 8pm on a Saturday night all had large waiting lists. So I recommended HK, which the wife was hesitant about because she used to live across the street and vividly remembers the space as a dive bar she would never go into. From the moment we walked in, we were treated wonderfully by all the staff. There was a small waiting list, but the hostess cheated a little to move us up, probably anticipating the vibe changer that a woman going into labor while waiting for a table would cause. Her dinner (veggie burger with yummy fries) and his (chicken with fingerlings) were both prepared perfectly, and a return visit was guaranteed by the insanely tasty banana bread dessert with custard and ice cream. Man, I will dream about that dessert. So we will return. On a weeknight. Insanely early for dinner. Because next time we'll be 3. read more

As far as neighborhood bars go, this is the best place to have in my 'hood. When I moved to Somerville, I wanted to find my 'neighborhood bar.' I live near Porter Square, so there are plenty to choose from. Highland Kitchen's atmosphere is super cozy. It's great for dates, meeting up with friends, a late-night rendez-vous, group get-togethers. The drinks can get a little pricey, especially the specials (but they're really good and imaginative!), but a good selection. The food is also not that cheap, but also excellent. Do not, however, order any late-night snacks (mixed nuts for $4?!?! They used to give them for free!). Good for any night of the week, any time of night, with almost any crowd. It's best attribute is the atmosphere. read more

Been to Highland Kitchen a couple of times; it's one of the better restaurants in my immediate area. First time I was there they had a stripped bass on special and it was to die for! Down side was it was also the most expensive thing on the menu, something like 25 - 30$, but totally worth it! There drinks are also really good, but I found their dessert menu leaves something to be desired.... Second time around I went for a classic cheeseburger with fries. It was also really good, very juicy, borderline too juicy, but cooked how I wanted (med). It was also a good size, so luckily I brought my appetite. All around a good place to enjoy dinner, either with someone or as a group and I never had crazy long wait times; but even if you do, the bar is right there! read more

I feel better after leaving this restaurant, always. Food is yummy- try goat stew if you want your eyes to water, shrimp and grits for comfort, and catfish po boy sandwich if you are really hungry. The drinks are fun and the beer selection never disappoints (Jack D'Or). Where else can you feel cool spelling words in front of a crowd? (I believe they are the only place in Boston that has an adult Spelling Bee). This place has every ounce of a restaurant that I want... dreaming of biking there in the summer :) read more

I LOVE this place. It's definitely my go to spot for really well made food in a fun, if not slightly rowdy, atmosphere. Great drinks, scratch made food, intelligent and friendly service. If it weren't for the scale, I'd go here every week. read more

I liked this place for the vibe, good beer list, and solid food. We arrived at 6:30 on a Thursday, which was good because the place filled up quickly! I had the scallop special and broccoli rabe. The rabe was a bit stringy, and the scallops were good, but not out of this world. I would go back, I liked the vibe and food selection, but I wouldn't rave as much as other reviewers. read more

This is in my top 3 restaurants along with Hungry Mother and East Coast Grill. I so desperately wish a cool place like this would come to my neighborhood, but alas I think the only answer is for me to move closer to Somerville/Cambridge. If you like spicy food, their goat stew (with a curry based broth) is absolutely TO DIE FOR. I say all the time that this would be my last meal if I had to choose one before dying! Even if you think you don't like goat, it's worth a try! The only other entree I've tried is the catfish po' boy which is excellent. I always end up ordering the stew. Their mussels and crab/shrimp cakes are great choices for apps. Great beer selection and drink menu. The food is always fresh and the staff are always friendly and great, but beware this place is busy the second it opens at 5pm. On a weekend, you can wait on average 90 minutes for a table (they don't take reservations). It's well worth the wait though, especially if you can finagle a spot at the bar! read more

Time for my now-annual update of Highland Kitchen! I still live around the corner, I still love this place, and I still go there way too often (at least, where my wallet is concerned). This last wouldn't be a problem if I could just call it a night after one drink and an appetizer, but the food is so tempting I can't seem to help myself! In addition to everything I rec'ed in my review last year, I'd like to recommend the mussels, which come in some sort of delicious coconut-cilantro broth. (Don't be embarrassed to ask for more bread to sop up the broth once the mussels are all gone. They are used to fielding these requests by now!) Their specials are always great, and include a lot of in-season, local ingredients (including, right now, grilled baby artichoke hearts...mmmm!). Two other things I'm coming to appreciate more and more: 1. The incredibly knowledgeable and generally all-around awesome bar staff. I've gone to fancy schmancy bars in Boston and ordered vintage cocktails and just gotten a blank stare (a vieux carre, specifically). That never happens at Highland. (Score one for Somerville!) You can also be indecisive and tell them you're not sure what you want, and they'll make suggestions based on what you like. (Please just tip them extra for their time/effort -- they're good people, and it's good karma.) 2. The great crowd of people who congregate there. People knock the location on Yelp -- "it's in the middle of nowhere!" -- but that just means that 95% of the people there have come either because they live around the corner, or because they really want to be there. It's easy to walk in by yourself, grab a seat at the bar, and strike up a friendly conversation with someone interesting doing the same thing. read more