By the time you hear it, you’re already close – the clatter of plates, a swell of laughter, a fiddle warming up somewhere near the bar.
Step inside the Ugly Dog Pub and the message is immediate: this is where Highlands has gathered tonight.
Fifteen years after Thomas and Kay Craig opened the doors in 2010, the Ugly Dog feels established without ever feeling static. Equal parts neighborhood living room and town crossroads, it’s the rare place that works just as well for a spontaneous weeknight stop as it does for a fully committed Friday plan.
Locals treat it like a given. Visitors find it once and then build the rest of their stay around it.
The room buzzes because the food does what it’s supposed to do: make people happy. Smash burgers, flatbread pizzas, and salads anchor the lineup, while longtime favorites hold court. The wings are essential. The blue cheese coleslaw has achieved near-legend status. And the Ugly Dog dip – rich, comforting, and habit-forming – has likely launched a thousand repeat visits. Daily lunch and dinner specials keep regulars on their toes, and Friday steak night remains the week’s unofficial finale, drawing a loyal crowd that treats it as tradition.
Behind the bar, the pace quickens and the standards stay high. The bartenders pour with confidence – real Margaritas, properly built Old-Fashioneds, and house favorites like the El Camino that regulars order by name. Seasonal cocktails rotate four times a year, built with fresh juices and house-made simple syrups that keep flavors bright and intentional. It’s the kind of bar where “one more” feels less like a decision than a natural progression.
Will Towery, Kay Craig, and Lori Hopper
Music has always been part of the Ugly Dog’s DNA. Bluegrass Wednesdays have been a fixture since opening day, with Charles Wood consistently bringing in standout regional talent that turns midweek nights into something special. Sundays shift the mood with music bingo hosted by DJ Mox at 6:30 P.M., where singalongs and friendly competition take over the room. During the season, Friday nights lean fully into fun with karaoke at 9:30 P.M., courtesy of DJ Real Bill, when the crowd decides it’s time to take the mic.
What makes it all feel effortless is the staff. Many have been here more than five years, and it shows in the way they know the guests – remembered orders, familiar greetings, easy conversations that pick up where they left off. Regulars come as much for those connections as they do for the food and music, and newcomers are quickly folded into the mix.
As Kay Craig puts it, they’re all people she and Thomas would happily sit down to dinner with – high praise in a place built on hospitality.
The Ugly Dog Pub also welcomes private parties and rehearsal dinners, accommodating everything from a single large table to a private room, or even a full venue buyout. For details, contact Kellye Wert at manager@theuglydogpub.com.
Fifteen years in, the Ugly Dog isn’t trading on nostalgia. It’s still loud, still crowded, and still exactly where Highlands ends up when the night is going well – and no one’s ready to call it yet.
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