High Street Grill Turns Out The Lights


High Street Grill, the bar/restaurant that’s brought serious craft beer and celebrated pairing dinners to Mt. Holly’s worn main street for the past ten years, is closing tonight. Co-owner Nancy McDevitt, whose husband and business partner, John, served as chef until the couple moved to Central California two years ago, posted the news on the eatery’s Facebook page on Monday.

Since leaving for wine and kitchen careers on the left coast, the McDevitts have tried to manage the restaurant from afar. But they’ve been unable to keep a manager and general staff turnover has been high. Additionally, the food quality suffered without direct leadership from the academically trained chef.

John flew back to his native New Jersey last week after his latest manager quit; shortly after, his wife posted the emotional announcement: “We thank each of you for your support over the years. The memories are countless. Many of you have been there through good times, and some have shared those times when things got rough. It hasn’t always been easy in the previous year’s economy. Freakish hot weather, thigh-high snowstorms, loss of power, loss of POS systems. We’ve seen it all. And you were there every step of the way.”

High Street’s closing early this evening deals a blow to Mt. Holly’s much-anticipated emergence as a concentrated craft beer destination: A few doors away, the less-than-year-old Village Idiot Brewing Co. serves as a defacto tavern that sends hungry patrons to High Street for food, and this past Saturday, the much larger Spellbound Brewing Co. soft-opened its tasting room in an industrial park nearby. The couple is hoping to sell the two-story business, located in a 200-year-old former shoe factory.

High Street Grill [Facebook]