Sometimes, at the end of the worst kind of Boston day—after wading through three feet of snow, falling into sidewalk cracks, or simply navigating the nightmare of the MBTA—the last thing you want is to fight for a seat in a trendy restaurant to eat fancy small plates. Instead, we downtrodden Bostonians need to cozy up in a warm booth with a stiff cocktail literally called a Corpse Reviver and eat a big plate of juicy meat ASAP.

This is why neighborhood restaurants exist, and why Highland Kitchen thrives as a reliable respite from the world. And let’s not equate reliable with boring; this is the kind of food you’d travel for and the kind of food you’d be happy to eat again and again, the kind of place where the burger impresses both your food-snobby friend and your beef-loving American Dad. Even slightly adventurous dishes (think goat stew and fried Brussels sprouts slathered in Buffalo sauce) yield more than enough of that warm, rounded flavor to satisfy our cravings.

While the Spring Hill location might be out of the way for non-locals (necessitating a bus ride or—gasp—an uphill walk from any direction), that doesn’t mean it’s a breeze to get a table. Count on a wait here any night of the week, as well as at Sunday morning brunch. In the meantime, crowd around the bar, peruse the sprawling (and affordable) cocktail list, browse the jukebox, and enjoy the friendly service. We’re all just here to warm up, fill up, and escape the stress that never ceases in our messy city outside.