The beloved Linda Jean’s diner-style restaurant, on Circuit Ave. in Oak Bluffs, closed down in early 2025. Though folks miss Linda Jean’s, I think they won’t be disappointed by the new kid in town, Highlands General. Highlands General opened in its space at the end of March, and could be best described as a café-marketplace. It is open year-round for breakfast and lunch, with a handpicked mix of goods and grab-and-go. The feel is rustic but sophisticated, with plants, warm-colored wood beams and floors, and dark green wainscoting. The sunlight coming in through the big front windows creates a light and cheery atmosphere.
“Rustic minimalist art nouveau,” my lunch date and MV Times coworker Nicole Galland said about the place as we took it all in.
The market is on one side of the restaurant, but not separate from it. The planning was well-thought-out. The premade items in the grab-and-go section include sandwiches, salads, yogurt parfaits, snacks, biscuits, and carbonated beverages from Coke to probiotic sodas. Customers will also find a variety of fun merchandise: Highlands General T shirts and sweatshirts, chocolates, coffee, and candies. On the other side, there are several tables, tall barstools, and counters at both windows, where customers can sit and watch the action on Circuit Avenue as they eat.
Patrons place their order at the counter, and are handed a pager that vibrates when their order is ready. Of course, Galland and I were immediately drawn to the scones, muffins, cookies, and cinnamon buns hanging out in the glass case waiting to be chosen. Once we remembered that we were there for brunch, not just treats, we checked out the menu.
The coffee and drinks options included good old coffee straight up, lattes, cappuccinos, lemonade, ice tea, hot chocolate, and more. The breakfast menu has some of the more common choices, like breakfast sandwiches, but there are also options like french toast sticks and grilled banana bread. Galland ordered the breakfast plate, which consisted of scrambled or fried eggs, choice of bacon, avocado, or homemade maple sausage, crispy hash browns, and biscuit and jam.
“I like that even though it’s not the diner it once was, they’re not afraid of salt, which makes the hash browns one of the best I’ve ever eaten,” Galland laughed. “Even though I’m a grownup, when I finished it, I was like a little kid — ‘No, no, more!’ The biscuit was generous and tasty, and the eggs — which I deliberately chose scrambled, because they are hard to make interesting — were seasoned well and very tasty.”
I decided to order something off the lunch menu, which starts at 11 am. There were several options, from salmon or rotisserie chicken bowls to grilled cheese, crispy fish, and cauliflower melt sandwiches, to specials like Buffalo chicken mac and cheese. They also roast rotisserie chicken, which folks can buy whole, halved, quartered, or as part of a rice bowl. I chose the Rotisserie Cauliflower Bowl filled with brown rice, chickpeas, roasted vegetables, green herb sauce, and greens. My Lord, it was good. The veggies were warm and tender but not mushy. Beets and cauliflower lay on a bed of greens and rice. The herb dressing on the greens was outstanding. It was a generous serving size, and I was thrilled to have leftovers for later.
Galland and I believe it is sacrilegious to write a dine story without including a dessert. And because we felt bad for the baked goods that were waiting to be chosen, we ordered a chocolate-chip cookie to bring back to the office for an afternoon pick-me-up. One problem, though: We devoured it immediately.
Highlands General is open daily, 7 am to 4 pm. 25 Circuit Ave., Oak Bluffs, 508-338-7141, info@highlandsgeneral.com. Check it out at highlandsgeneral.com.