The Railshake - Highland

Price per person: $20–30 Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5 Atmosphere: 5/5 Recommended dish: Fried Pickles

This restaurant/bar stands out from the typical local spots. It features a unique food menu that includes some classic bar staples. The beer selection is impressive, although the choices for spirits and whiskey could be better. Most of the bartenders I've encountered seem to also be wait staff who occasionally handle bar service. The prices for neat whiskey are reasonable, but if you order a double, be prepared to pay nearly the retail price for a bottle. Overall, expect to spend about $10–20 per person.

I visit this restaurant frequently with my friends, and we always enjoy the food menu. I particularly appreciate the variety of seafood and Cajun dishes, which is refreshing compared to other local establishments. The staff is incredibly friendly and courteous. Every visit I’ve had has been outstanding, with a perfect score for both food and service. Highly recommended! -Kate Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

Price per person: $20–30 Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5 Recommended dishes: Spinach Salad, Muffaleta, Salad, Fried Pickles, Catfish

Ordinarily I don’t leave highly critical reviews, but our experience last night warrants one. 1) My boyfriends draft beer was flat, but he didn’t have a chance to ask for a new one because our server didn’t return to the table for long enough that he decided to drink it before it was flat AND warm. 2) I ordered a salad as a side with my meal and it took 45 minutes to come out 3) It took another 20-30 minutes for our entrees to arrive, and my boyfriends burger was lukewarm. He asked for ketchup but it took so long for the server to return with ketchup that he decided to eat his food before it was cold. 4) When we finally got our bill we had been at the restaurant for nearly an hour and 45 minutes. We paid with a credit card and when the check came back to sign, the total was increased. After reading the fine print we discover it’s because there is a 3.5% fee when cards are used. Times are tough, we get it. But seriously? Independently, none of these issues would be worth mentioning. However, we have noticed over the past several months the quality of service and food portions have both diminished. It was clear that our server was stretched thin, as she had the entire bar area as well as tables on the patio, so I can’t fault her for poor staffing. However, there were multiple staff members (including the owners) sitting at the bar receiving much more prompt service. As patrons, when you see the owners of the establishment watching staff members drown while sitting at the bar drinking instead of jumping in to help, it says a lot. As a former service industry worker, I can say first hand that I am understanding of mistakes and service flaws. But this was too much.