LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) -- A new sports bar has opened on Bardstown Road in the Belknap neighborhood.

Highlands Bar and Grill held a grand opening last weekend in a location that previously housed Diamond Station for more than five years.

Owners David Theilen and Cort Muller had their eyes on the neighborhood sports bar as frequent patrons of the former establishment that closed last fall. 

"We knew this place was probably coming up eventually, we were kind of waiting and waiting," Theilen said. "We were in Cancun for a friend's wedding when we got the news it had shut down."

Theilen said he has worked in the service industry for his whole life, but after 17 years at Outlook Inn, a bar on Baxter Avenue, he started his own construction business. When the space came available, Theilen jumped at the chance.

"I always wanted to have my own thing. I waited for the right spot," Theilen said. "It all happened to be at the right time, if it was a year earlier, I couldn't have done it, he [Muller] couldn't have done it."

IMAGES | Highlands Bar and Grill opens on Bardstown Road in Louisville

Theilen is no stranger to the space at 2280 Bardstown Road. He said Diamond Station was the best place to watch football on Sundays.

"It's a good place to hang out," Theilen said. "There are a few places in town that have that atmosphere and this is one of them."

Before opening last weekend, the space was thoroughly renovated. New beer draft lines were set up, the kitchen was revamped and the bathrooms were updated.

"When a restaurant or bar is closing down, some things get neglected, it's part of the process," Theilen said. "It starts out clean and we're going to keep it clean."

While beer is available on draft along with a full liquor shelf, a cocktail menu will be released next week.

"They'll be priced well and really great ingredients," Theilen said. 

The menu includes popular bar food like wings, burgers, bratwursts, jalapeno poppers, mozzarella sticks, tater tots and more. Chicken tenders, nuggets and breasts are all hand cut, and the restaurant will feature house-made sauces and dressings.

The restaurant will also offer handmade desserts daily.  

Highlands Bar and Grill is currently open Sunday through Wednesday from 3 p.m. to midnight, while Thursday and Friday it's open 3 p.m. to 2 a.m. On Saturday, it's open 1 p.m. to 2 a.m.

The kitchen will remain open until close, giving late-night diners another option.

"I'm up late a lot, there is nothing open past 10 p.m. around here," Theilen said. "We have a breakfast sandwich, a bunch of things geared toward the late-night crowd."

To visit Highlands Bar and Grill on Facebook, click here.

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