Highland Grill — Restaurant in Saint Paul

I have been visiting this establishment since 2016 due to living within the area and have not really been back since moving away from the area in 2018. I made an effort in returning after all the COVID riffraff and I am happy to say that Highland Grill continues to have it together! When my partner and I used to visit back in 2016 and 2017, Kim, who was the manager during that time, was very courteous to us and would even take one plate off the bill everytime we visited! Unfortunately we do not see Kim around anymore this time returning, but it didn't stop us from having a wonderful experience.

The food continues to be good. I have had all the entrées from years ago like Steak & Pierogies, Lemongrass Thai Chicken, Beef Stroganoff, Seared Salmon, and more. They also used to have meatloaf which I loved. However, I do not recall them having Tuna Poke Bowl from back in the days, so I tried it this time. It was definitely a healthy version and not authentic, so I would advise whoever is looking for authenticity to avoid ordering it. However, I liked the combination of all the healthy stuff so I enjoyed it regardless, as a salad bowl rather than as a poke bowl.

Appetizers have always just been hitting different. The cheesecurds, the loaded tots, the pierogies, the brussels sprouts, everything tasted just like how they were 5-6 years ago and they were simply savory in the most positive way. I wouldn't change anything about any of those dishes.

I tried their beet salad this time as well, and I absolutely loved the combination of beets, goat cheese, carrots, and candied walnuts. I could see that they were trying to use alternative flavors to replace the earthy flavors from the beets and as much as I love beets personally, I appreciated the move. I thought they had an overall generous amount of beets included, which was a plus as well.

I love seeing Highland Grill thriving and I hope it continues to be like such. As I move from place to place, I love making an intentional effort to return to the Highland area just for...

Stopped in for the first time, on impulse. I found it clean, very well managed, and full of happy diners. I was particularly impressed with the wait staff, who worked together so well, that I complimented them. The kitchen seemed well managed, and everyone seemed happy to be working there, and working together. As a former waitress, I gotta say, this was a beauty to behold.

I ordered fish and chips, and was very happy with my choice. I had to ask for a food box, since I couldn't finish all 3 pieces, plus the fries, even after a day moving out of my apartment! This is a great restaurant! I worried about parking, but luckily found a spot out front. I was originally startled a tad at the prices, but the quality and quantity, plus pleasant surroundings eased my mind. Plus, I am outdated on restaurant prices, so I imagine prices were not out of line. The only thing that hit me wrong, was that they mentioned on the menu that they added a charge to every meal, now that they had to pay health insurance for their staff. I know that traditionally, they were not required to do so, so no one likes change. As a former waitress, I also know that they are most likely paying quite a bit below minimum wage, as is the norm, and people are not actually obligated to tip. The variability in income for waitstaff, from one week to the next, can be really hard to handle, and the damage to feet, knees, and hips working on hard tile will show up years after the job is done. This is a tough subject, and the owners are doing so many things right, enough that they have a happy crew, one of whom said it was the best job she ever had. So, I don't know, but I don't want to fault the owners, just note that it is a new, and seems odd to make note of. They are not the only ones. So, Go, eat their wonderful food, and absorb the...

My partner got the Holly & Hash which I tried and was really really good. I got a traditional breakfast and a side of French toast. French toast was good the traditional breakfast was just that. Nothing great nothing bad. We decided to go after 1pm to avoid the wait and the crowd and happy we did. Molly was our server and she started off with us really well, very friendly and attentive. I’m trying to understand what happened after she delivered our food though. Molly didn’t check on us once, the gentleman who seated us was the one who asked if he could take our plates and he was great. We also asked him for a box since he was there and our server had still not checked on us. . After maybe about another 5-10 minutes of waiting we asked him for the bill since Molly still did not check on us. He told us he would ask her in which he did. We still waited 10 minutes after that while I observed her not very busy and doing everything in her power to seem busy. She purposely was not waiting on us and I want to know why. Very upsetting the 2 men she helped that were next to us came after us and left way before us. I like the food here but It’s nothing I would go out of my way to have again. Especially after this. Molly was either upset about something or discriminating against us. Unsure, but I would absolutely love to know what her issue was. She didn’t even apologize for the wait or seem empathetic that we requested our bill over 10 minutes prior to her coming. I didn’t have any issue until I realized that she was purposely doing this. I saw her checking on others and waiting on others so I am genuinely confused and frustrated on what it is we did to upset her. No one deserves this treatment or to feel the way we do...