Cortland's Garage open in Arlington Heights

Cortland's Garage in downtown Arlington Heights reopened on Tuesday, filling the historic building that used to house Harry's of Arlington at Vail and Campbell.

Brian and Danielle Roginski, who live in Arlington Heights and own the original Cortland's Garage in Chicago's Bucktown neighborhood, said they are glad to finally have their suburban location open for business.

“It's really nice because this is home for us,” Danielle said. “It's nice to have somewhere that feels like where your roots are.”

After more than nine months of renovations, Cortland's Garage, 1 N. Vail Ave., had a “soft” opening last week, but then had to close for a few days for kitchen repairs.

Now, with everything fixed, Cortland's reopened on Tuesday afternoon and will be open the rest of the week. Owners are planning a larger grand opening later this fall, Danielle said.

For now, the restaurant is opening at 4 p.m. each day. The Roginskis will decide later if they will serve lunch as well.

“We are still working to see what the neighborhood is like and when it will be busiest,” Danielle said.

Cortland's did open for the Bears-Packers game on Sunday and Roginski said it was a great experience.

“We've had a pretty positive response,” she said. “A lot of people are really happy with the renovations. Everything is new, including the bathrooms, all the food is homemade.”

“It was nice to see a lot of ... families in here because that's what we really wanted for this location, for it to feel like a good neighborhood spot. We want everybody to feel welcome here.”

The couple had hoped to have Cortland's Garage open for the summer season, but a burst pipe in January set back renovations on what is one of the most historic buildings in Arlington Heights.

The Roginski family bought the building from Harry McCullum's family last year. Both Harry — the namesake of the old restaurant, which opened in 1993 — and his wife Patricia, passed away in the last five years. The building has been in Arlington Heights since the 1890s.

The Cortland's Garage menu includes a mix of burgers, sandwiches, salads, wings and sides. The most famous item on the menu is the Cortland Street Burger, which visitors to the Taste of Arlington Heights got to sample earlier this summer. It was named one of the top 10 burgers in the city by Chicago Magazine and is a three-time champion at Roscoe Village Burger Fest.

Diners should also take notice of the nachos at Cortland's Garage, which were featured on “Chicago's Best” for best finger food.

“People can expect high-end bar food with a casual theme,” Brian Roginski said.