Highland Creole

I’ve driven by Highland Creole in the Prospect Hill neighborhood of Somerville many times, but only recently tried them for dinner. I was expecting New Orleans style food like jambalaya and gumbo, but realized when I looked at the menu that it was an authentic Haitian restaurant. Never having tried Haitian food, I was excited at the chance to experience something completely different. This place did not disappoint!

We ordered the creole chicken, creole fried fish, beans and rice, and fried plantains for two people to share. When we asked our server about the portion size there was a little bit of a language barrier, but we were completely satisfied with the food and service. The meals each came with a salad, beans and rice, and plantains (we ordered one of each side, received brought two, and weren’t charged for either).  We ended up with plenty of leftovers, and our server packed everything carefully at our table including extra sides of sauce.  

The chicken dish included three drumsticks, which were falling off the bone tender. The fish was a white fish served whole with crispy skin. Both were topped with onions and a spicy creole sauce; they were delicious but almost identical in preparation, and I wished we’d ordered a different style of either just for the sake of variety. The sides were also very tasty. I’ve only ever had fried plantains in Jamaican restaurants where they’ve been served in thick slices, marinated in syrup, and incredibly sweet. These were unlike any I’ve had; they were sliced thin and looked almost like a potato chip. They were seasoned with a little bit of black pepper, tasted more savory than sweet, and complemented the dish perfectly.

Creole Chicken

Creole Fish

Beans and Rice

Not having tried Haitian food before I have nothing to compare it to, but I really enjoyed my meal. A quick yelp search indicated that Highland Creole is one of the only places in the area for this type of food, and people seemed to find it authentic and gave it high ratings.