Cortland's Garage Arlington Heights

Like this place a lot. Hit or miss depending on how busy they are in terms of attentive service. Nice staff.

Good food, fabulous service, a little too loud.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 4

Service: 5

This was my third attempt to visit this place since the start of summer 2025 - always without a reservation. It’s always packed, so people clearly love it! I finally managed to get in this time.

Inside was insanely loud, so we asked to sit outside right away. Well, not exactly right away - we waited over 10 minutes to be seated, not because there wasn’t space, but it felt a bit understaffed or just overwhelmed for a Saturday evening. Still, sitting outside turned out to be much better.

The food was just OK. The menu isn’t very big, and a couple of their signature dishes and sides were just average. Some food seemed to be unsalted. Of course, that’s subjective - you might like it more - but for me, it was a bit of a disappointment. 3/5 max.

Service wasn’t bad, staff was not rude or something, but they clearly seemed overloaded. Even at what looked like maybe 80% capacity, they were clearly struggling to keep up.

Drinks were inconsistent - our group ordered several cocktails, some for multiple rounds, and the same drinks tasted noticeably different each time, 2/5.

Overall, it was OK I guesa, but I had much higher expectations given how popular this place is and how hard it usually is to get in, and for me personally it was a last visit since around this place there are a lot much better establishments in my personal opinion. Again I might be wrong, place is popular, so people find something inside. Probably something i missed or haven't been looking for.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 2

How can you even contact them? The number is worthless. Tries emailing off their website and still can’t get a hold of anyone. Just ridiculous.

The place looks really nice inside and outside. But service and food quality are lacking. The food is pretty expensive for what it is, which is just poor quality. Staff is kinda rude and unprofessional. They made the worst margarita I’ve ever had.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 2

Service: 2

I met friends for lunch here on a Sunday afternoon. It wasn't very busy so service should not have been an issue however it was. In order to find a server, I would have needed to interrupt them from congregating together while they all discussed their Saturday night. The servers were more interested in chatting than grabbing our orders or asking how our food was. The food was mediocre at best. Dry, bland chicken tenders. I honestly don't understand how this place stays in business unless the bar is the primary reason. So since I didn't have a drink, I can't say but do yourself a favor and don't come for the food. And don't get me started on trying to get the server to print out a check. She was beyond confused.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 2

Service: 1

I didn't eat so didn't rate the food. Really nice people! The bartender and manager were really great!

Atmosphere: 5

Service: 5

Wanted a good hamburger for lunch and sit outside and was very disappointed with the quality of the burger kind of tasted, like a mcdonald hamburger very processed. The french fries were really good and our server was great

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 2

Service: 5

Terrible carry out and customer service system. There is no way to reach a person. Just a robot sending you links to an online order link that 24/7 says not taking orders at this time.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 1

Linden provided the best experience! She has amazing energy, made great drinks, and she created a very welcoming vibe no matter how busy it got. You can tell she genuinely cares about the people she’s serving — whether you’re a regular or just stopping in, she’ll make you feel like you’ve been coming there for years. Can’t say enough good things — go grab a drink from her and see for yourself! Highly recommend her and Cortland’s if you’re looking for an amazing spot with food and drinks!!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Been numerous times and each time am disappointed in the food. Appetizer pretzel comes with cheese that was lumpy. Got the appetizer sampler which was consistent, yet not very warm. Finished with burgers and grilled cheese. You get burgers medium or well done. That’s it, no other choice. The grilled cheese was half grilled. One whole side was not grilled.
Service was good even though there were two servers for the entire place and no management around.
Go for a beer and to watch a game, not the food.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 1

Service: 4

At The Garage I found delight,
A cozy spot that felt just right.
The nachos came, a golden mound,
Each chip a crunch, each bite profound.

The cheese was perfect, gooey bliss,
A plate of joy I won’t dismiss.
Jalapeños gave a fiery spark,
A snack that truly hit the mark.

The beers were cold, the music loud,
A lively, friendly, happy crowd.
The staff all smiled, the vibe was great,
The kind of place I’d celebrate.

And when I’d eaten past my fill,
I laughed about my lack of will.
I’ll need a workout at this rate,
Might break a sweat with my old shake weight.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 4

Manager insinuated a member of our party’s ID was fake a refused all of us service. Will not be returning.

Atmosphere: 1

Food: 1

Service: 1

I met a friend there a couple of days ago for lunch. We decided to check out this restaurant since neither one of us had eaten here before and it was raining, so we wanted to be out of the rain. It was very slow and my friend had to actually get up and tell Valentina we were ready to order. She was leaning on something and looked like she was sleeping. She walked to us stretching and baring her whole stomach! 🤦‍♀️
Our order was very easy. We both got the same thing. However, We didn't realize that Valentina should have asked us which of the dressing choices we would like mixed into our wraps. So, they came bone dry! The guy who brought our food out to us (she didn't even have to do that!) asked us which of the dressings we wanted! We were surprised! She was supposed to ask us when we placed our order so it would be mixed in! Instead we had to drizzle it on every bite. No fun, especially considering how much money we paid! We also had to ask Valentina for more water! She did ask us how our food was and I did say it would have been nice if you asked us which dressing we wanted in our wraps. She didn't say anything and walked away!!!! That's ok. The guy who brought our food got the tip! He also asked if we wanted containers! My girlfriend left her a 10% tip which was very generous! She certainly didn't earn a penny!
Wake up Valentina and do your job! Oh, and wear appropriate clothing!

Atmosphere: 2

Food: 3

Service: 1

Ordering takeout from here is an absolute nightmare. The “order” button link on their website is broken. They don’t have a phone number to talk to a human and place an order. It texts you a link to send them an email. What good is an email in 3-5 business days when I want a burger now?!

When I go through 5 menus to find where to place the online order through a separate app, Toast, it’s then not set up correctly with what ingredients are on any burgers; you cannot even do something as simple as remove ketchup. I don’t know how anyone does business this way in 2025. Wonderful burgers but not worth the 30 minute hassle it took to get a freaking cheeseburger with lettuce and tomato. 1 star.

Service: 1