Ramblin' Recs

May 21, 2012

Recommended by Rod J. Eckrich

Tired of sandwich chains that have no personality or atmosphere? While there may be dozens of worthy sandwich joints in the area—franchise and locally owned—Lincoln's in Highland has a certain charm that makes downtown Highland seem a little more like a slice of Americana.

A department store in years past, the storefront that houses Lincoln’s features a comfortable cafeteria-like setting. Everyone who has tried Lincoln's has a sandwich that they swear by like the Cal City Special. If you park and enter from the back, be sure to take a gander at the framed photos on the wall that show some of the the restaurant's history.

The dish: Sandwiches galore—among many options on the menu—that should satisfy hunger of all sizes for lunch or dinner.

Feeling adventurous? While there are plenty of options, I am the kind of person who sticks with what works. In addition to my staples, I have only gotten a perch sandwich and double fish sandwich once, and those were very good.

What are you having? A roast beef sandwich with just cheese and mayonnaise, a delicious treat that I order so often the diner might as well call it the Rod Eckrich. Normally, it comes with pepperjack cheese, which I'll get, but sometimes I will go with others because even the weakest spice catches my mouth on fire. The french fries are almost always a perfect accompaniment to any sandwich. The diner has plenty of other alternatives.

Did you get enough? A sandwich along with a soda should be ample enough for any snack, but soup or french fries can help make it feel more like a meal. There will be times where I will eat just half a sandwich so I can save it for later, but that is more to savor the awesomeness.

Would you like a drink with that? Sodas are offered with free refills.

Will your sweet tooth be satisfied? Going to Lincoln's over the years, I have always been tempted by its wide variety of pies. Late last year, after I already put in an order, I kept gazing at the pie case and said to the woman at the register, “I always wanted to order a piece, but I already put in my order. Maybe next time. Are they any good?” The cashier asked what kind of pie I was interested in. I chose the chocolate cream pie. She gave me with a free slice and told me that all of the pies are homemade and the staff is incredibly proud of them. I enjoyed the slice so much that when my family was ordering pies for Christmas, I insisted that they come from Lincoln's.

Who's coming for dinner? You can go solo or bring a crowd.

Locally owned? Lincoln's has been a sandwich shop in the area since the 1960s.

Big tip? The great joy of Lincoln's was always the elderly lady at the register. Since her passing, anyone else at the register has continued the warm tradition of making you feel like you aren't just a number. The people are always kind, and I almost always want to compliment them on serving a consistently good meal every time that I get something from there.

What's the damage? Very reasonably priced.

Will you be back? Most certainly, and I know where our holiday pies will be coming from.