For years I saw Glory Days’ name and logo at almost every sponsored sports event that I attended. I never knew that it was a restaurant until I went for a late night dinner after a swim meet. The night I went to Glory Days was one very enriching and fulfilling experience.

Glory Days Grill is an award winning chain restaurant and bar located along the east coast. They accommodate a large variety of events, such as post-sports dinners, birthdays, dates, or just casual nights out. During my most recent experience there, the AHS swim team went after a meet around 11:00 p.m. We were a rowdy crowd of approximately 25 people and we had a great experience there in terms of food.

I had the pleasure of tasting the chicken tenders platter, the mom’s mac & cheese, the cheese fries, the medium classic sauced chicken wings, the glory days reuben, the all-star burger and a build your own pasta dish.

Most of the dishes looked appetizing, but some missed the spot in flavor. For instance, the cheese fries appetizer looked enticing and had good toppings, but they were over-salted. The chicken tenders platter was nothing special, but the chicken had decent flavor, texture, and it tasted how typical chicken tenders should.
The mom’s mac & cheese had a great cheese pull intertwined with all of the noodles, but it was not nearly as creamy, gooey, or heartwarming as my own mother’s homemade mac & cheese. The all-star burger was not a complete miss because the patty was juicy and the onions, lettuce, and tomato blended well, but it was only an average burger with processed cheddar cheese.

One of the least tasty dishes of the night was the build-your-own pasta dish, consisting of fettuccine noodles, marinara sauce, and grilled chicken. The noodles were under-cooked and the chicken was tough, dry,and bland. Also, the focaccia bread on the side was less than wonderful for it was cold, soggy, and greasy.

The best dish I tasted was probably the medium classic sauced chicken wings. The flavor of the sauce was spicy, but with a hint of sweetness. The sauce really added flavor and heat to the chicken wings and they were messily enjoyed. Overall, the food was acceptable, but not exceptional.

Regardless of the food, the best part of Glory Days, and probably the main reason they’ve won numerous awards, is the ambiance of the restaurant – even at 11:00 a.m. The grill was perfect for celebrating with good music and chatter. The atmosphere was fun, noisy and laid back. If you dine at Glory Days will hardly notice the sub-par food because you’ll be too busy having a blast.

There are three Glory Day Grills relatively close to Annandale High School; 6341 Columbia Pike, Falls Church (2.99 miles away), 3059 Nutley St, Fairfax (4.37 miles away) and 9526 Old Keene Mill Rd, Burke (4.66 miles away).