Highlands Grill
As I wake up on this lazy Saturday, I begin to look at my cellphone to see if I had any missed calls or emails. Low and behold no one has attempted to contact me in the last 12 hours. I am officially a loser. However, not all was lost in my trip down cellphone lane.
While screwing around with the phone, I came across some pictures that I took last weekend at a local Grill near my house. I had completely forgotten about the Philly I ate that evening. So, here I am with yet another entry on my everlong journey to find the Greater Atlanta Area’s WORLD’S greatest Philly Cheese Steak.
The Highlands Grill is a popular sports bar amongst the KSU (Kennesaw State) crowd for all their gameday antics. I actually visited it on the first game day of the season, but there was an obvious lack of attendees for the season opener. I don’t know if it was because there were no good games on at this time or if the Grill had fallen from its once popular status. Either way I could care less. Fuck sports. (Except for Baseball, Trivia, and Competitive Sex)
Anyway, I open the menu and the first thing I spot is the Highland Cheese Steak. So, I ask my waitress for it and her best French fries. Naturally, she looks at me like I’m a retard and says “Sir, we only have one type of fries.” To which I respond by putting a gun in my mouth and blowing my brains out……..
The sandwich itself was only $7.50, so not too terribly pricey, but I’m always skeptical when it comes to local establishments like the Highlands. You can never tell how big the portion sizes are until you actually get it, and then it’s just tough shit if it’s not enough. Sometimes you might be surprised, like I was when I visited Smith’s Olde Bar, but sometimes you can be doubly surprised when that giant size sandwich still tastes like shit. Bottom line: It’s a crap shoot.
Initial reaction to my selection was in fact disappointment due to the meager size of the sandwich and fries. I literally had to ask my waitress if this was my sandwich and not two small burritos. (It was an easy mistake to make considering the sandwich was wrapped in tin foil and was the size of a small burrito.) However, my waitress turned the plate around and I watched as the two burritos turned into one small sandwich cut in half. I Was Pissed…..and I hadn’t even taken a single bit of it yet. My roll of the Philly dice had left me with a sour taste in my mouth.
Yet, my inner pessimism quickly subsided as I actually tasted the sandwich. The tiny steak sandwich in front of me possessed such a great flavor that I had to forget about its size, if just for a moment. The steak mixed perfectly with the sandwich’s cheese, peppers, onions, and spices. I was suddenly impressed. However, this impression lasted only momentarily as I was quickly finished with my lunch. Once again, I was brought back to the size of the sandwich.
I have to admit. I loved this sandwich. If it were a little bigger I would give it an 8 or a 9, but I can’t in good conscious give it any more than a 5 due to the price and the amount you get for the money. If you have a little money to waste and fill up fairly easy then the Highlands Grill’s Cheese Steak is probably for you. But considering I have neither money to waste nor a tiny stomach to fill, one would not be surprised by my disdain for such a situation.
I give the Highlands Grill’s Cheese Steak a 5 out 0f 10 (5/10)
Visit Highlands Grill @ 2615 George Busbee Pkwy NW 28 Kennesaw, GA 30144
Exterior Photo by John Bickford
