Restaurants in the Herndon area come and go like the wind, but there are a few that endure and over the years have developed a loyal clientele. One of the best examples is Glory Days Grill, a sports bar/neighborhood restaurant located at the Fox Mill Shopping Center in Herndon.

There are now 21 Glory Days locations in a three-state area, with the first one opening in Burke back in 1996. The Fox Mill location recently celebrated their 10 year anniversary and is one of their most successful.

Beyond all of the tech-dazzle of the 25 flat screen and projection televisions, and sports memorabilia displayed everywhere, this restaurant serves up consistently impressive food.

For parents, this is the place to go with family and friends every Monday night for their $5 gourmet burger night. They offer a wide selection of burgers with a variety of toppings, plus a choice of a large side, for only $5 — now that is a good deal!

Their signature Glory Burger comes with thick melted cheddar cheese, crispy bacon, lettuce, tomato, fried tender onion straws, and a optional egg on the top (yes, just try it). All their burgers come with their excellent seasoned French fries, or you can substitute other sides for no extra charge, such as fresh-cooked seasonal vegetables, cole slaw, red skin potatoes or red skin mashed potatoes.

Side salads, Caesar salads, onion rings, "mom's" macaroni and cheese, and sweet potato fries are available for an extra charge. During Happy Hour, a 22 oz. draft beer is only $3.99. They have a wide assortment of imported and domestic brands on draft, plus an Old Dominion and Sam Adams Oktoberfest (while supplies last).

Other popular hamburgers include a mushroom and Swiss with grilled onions burger; a blue cheese with balsamic-grilled onions burger (my favorite); and a bacon and cheddar burger.

You can upgrade to their "Prime" hamburger patty for an additional $1.50. I was a bit skeptical that this was worth the extra charge, but after sampling it, I agreed it was worth the extra cost in flavor.

All of their fluffy hot hamburger buns are baked fresh daily, per their prescribed recipe, at local Cardinal Bakery in Sterling, Virginia. They also have a new Gluten-free menu.

At the last Virginia Tech game, alumni brought their kids to watch the game (while the kids watched cartoons on their designated screens). Be sure to order the "shark attack" drink for your kids — it' s Sprite with a plastic shark floating tail-down with cherry grenadine floating out of it' s mouth. It is sure to draw squeals when it is served.

For their appetizers, try their wings, either bone-in or boneless, with their "Glory" sauce, which is a mixture of equal parts of hot sauce, honey and barbecue sauce. This sauce is a bold kick of hot, balanced with a barbecue-sweet finish, and all wings are half price every Wednesday. (Choose from five different sauces for the wings.)

Their popular Nachos, or buffalo chicken dip, are crowd pleasers. Their onion rings are the real deal, with huge thick slices of onion in a light breading. Order the Shrimp appetizer with their original Chi-Chili sauce, which is a zesty-sweet, hot chili sauce.

My favorite appetizer is the Barbecue Chicken Quesadilla made with char-grilled chicken, sweet red onion, zesty salsa, Monterrey Jack & cheddar cheese grilled in a fresh tomato tortilla. Split this easily with two people, or share with a table of four for smaller taste.

Managers Tom and Chris can also arrange to have your own collection of slides projected on a number of screens during special gatherings, like the recent party for the Oakton High School cheerleaders.

Long-time favorite patrons Mac and Judy have their favorite orders. Judy usually orders her favorite shaved prime rib sandwich, which is tender shavings of prime rib heaped on a generous warm sub roll, with a side of horseradish sauce, with a side of seasoned fries. Judy says, "We stopped coming when they changed their tables a little while ago, but we just can't stay away and give up the food. It is so good."