Updated: August 25, 2026
The best restaurants in Arlington Heights are concentrated in a walkable downtown around Vail Avenue and Campbell Street, where Passero, Scratchboard Kitchen, Peggy Kinnane's, Salsa 17, and Mago Grill sit within a few blocks of the Metra station. The Village counts more than 100 restaurants village-wide and nearly 30 downtown.
Key Takeaways
- Downtown is the center of it. The Village of Arlington Heights counts more than 100 restaurants across the village and nearly 30 restaurants and nightlife spots downtown (Village of Arlington Heights).
- Arlington Alfresco runs May 1 through September 28, 2026. Part of downtown becomes outdoor dining for the season (Village of Arlington Heights).
- You can now carry a drink between downtown spots. A social district pilot launched Thursday, July 30, 2026, running Thursdays through Saturdays, 5 to 9 p.m., through September 26, with nine participating businesses (Village of Arlington Heights).
- A new steakhouse is coming to 9 N. Vail Ave. Hugh's Chophouse, from the owner of Passero, was announced for summer 2026 (Daily Herald).
- Some of the best food is not downtown. Ttowa on Wing Street, La Zingara on Rand Road, and Palm Court on Arlington Heights Road are all worth the drive.
- This page gets updated. Restaurants open and close. The date under the headline tells you how current it is.
How I picked these restaurants
Quick note on method, because "best" means nothing without one.
This is not a ranked countdown, and nobody paid to be on it. It is a list of places that have held up over years in a town I work in every week, grouped by the reason you would go.
Where I mention a rating, it comes from OpenTable and I say so, with the number of reviews behind it, checked on August 25, 2026. Ratings drift. Treat them as a signal, not a verdict.
Addresses were verified individually. If you find one wrong, tell me and I will fix it in the next update.
What are the best restaurants in downtown Arlington Heights?
The strongest downtown options are Passero for Italian, Scratchboard Kitchen for all-day scratch cooking, Peggy Kinnane's for an Irish pub dinner, Salsa 17 and Mago Grill for Mexican, and Hey Nonny for dinner with live music. All six sit within a few blocks of the Metra station.
Here is the short version, then the detail.
Restaurant | Address | Good for |
|---|---|---|
Passero | 3 S. Evergreen Ave. | Italian, date night, a table you plan ahead for |
Scratchboard Kitchen | 5 W. Campbell St. | Breakfast, brunch, all-day, dinner |
Peggy Kinnane's | 8 N. Vail Ave. | Pub dinner, a pint, big groups |
Salsa 17 | 17 W. Campbell St. | Mexican, margaritas, a lively room |
Mago Grill & Cantina | 115 W. Campbell St. | Mexican and Latin, patio |
Hey Nonny | 10 S. Vail Ave. | Dinner plus a show |
Cortland's Garage | 1 N. Vail Ave. | Casual, bar food, watching a game |
Armand's Pizzeria | 101 W. Campbell St. | Thin crust, easy weeknight |
Parea Greek Kitchen | 25 W. Davis St. | Greek, lunch or dinner |
Beer on the Wall | 2 N. Dunton Ave. | Self-pour taps, a slow hour |
Passero
Italian, at 3 S. Evergreen Ave. Chef Matt Peota opened Passero in 2017 and moved it to a larger space in 2019 (Daily Herald). It is hearth-fired, seasonal, and the closest thing downtown has to a special-occasion room that still feels comfortable in jeans.
It holds a 4.6 rating across 1,325 OpenTable reviews. Book ahead on weekends.
Scratchboard Kitchen
At 5 W. Campbell St., in the space Passero left behind. Everything is made from scratch and the kitchen works with local farms. It opens at 8 a.m. daily and runs to 8:30 p.m., which makes it one of the few downtown places you can use for breakfast, a mid-afternoon meeting, and dinner.
That all-day range is genuinely useful when you are showing somebody the town and do not know yet how the day will go.
Peggy Kinnane's
An Irish restaurant and pub at 8 N. Vail Ave., and a downtown fixture. Full dinner menu, not just bar food. It is one of the nine social district participants, so on a Thursday through Saturday evening this summer you can start here and keep walking.
Salsa 17 and Mago Grill & Cantina
Two different takes on Mexican, two blocks apart. Salsa 17 sits at 17 W. Campbell St. and is family owned, with a margarita bar and a room that gets loud in a good way. Mago Grill & Cantina, at 115 W. Campbell St., leans a little more Latin American and has one of the better patios downtown. Mago holds a 4.6 rating across 1,919 OpenTable reviews.
If you cannot decide, Salsa 17 is the better bet for a group that wants energy. Mago is the better bet if you want to hear each other.
Hey Nonny
At 10 S. Vail Ave. Part live music venue, part kitchen, and the reason a lot of people come downtown on a Friday. Hours are Tuesday through Thursday 5 to 10 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 4 p.m. to midnight, and there is a happy hour Friday and Saturday from 4 to 6 with free live music.
Check the show calendar before you book a table. The room changes character completely depending on who is playing.
What is Arlington Alfresco, and when does it run in 2026?
Arlington Alfresco is the Village's outdoor dining season downtown, and in 2026 it runs Friday, May 1 through Monday, September 28 (Village of Arlington Heights). Part of the downtown street grid is closed to cars and given over to restaurant seating.
It started as a pandemic measure and stuck, because it turned out people liked it.
More than a dozen downtown restaurants take part. The Village also runs Sounds of Summer concerts on Thursday nights, 7 to 8:30 p.m., June through August, in Harmony Park, skipping the week of July 4.
If you are trying to decide whether downtown Arlington Heights feels like a place you would use, come on a Thursday evening in July. That is the honest version of the town, not the one in the listing photos. I go into more detail on what daily life is like a few blocks from here in my guide to living near downtown Arlington Heights.
Can you walk around downtown Arlington Heights with a drink?
Yes, within limits. The Village launched a downtown social district pilot on Thursday, July 30, 2026. It runs Thursdays, Fridays, and Saturdays from 5 to 9 p.m. through September 26, 2026 (Village of Arlington Heights).
Here is how it works:
- You must be 21 or older with valid ID, and wearing an official wristband.
- Drinks come in an approved cup with social district labeling, from a participating business.
- One drink per person per transaction.
- No glass containers, and no outside alcohol.
- Drinks cannot leave the district boundaries.
The district is centered on Vail Avenue and Campbell Street, extending about one block in each direction to the existing Alfresco barriers. Free parking is available in the Vail Garage and the Evergreen Garage.
The nine participating businesses as of July 28, 2026: Beer on the Wall, Big Shot Piano Lounge, Cortland's Garage, Hey Nonny, Mago Grill & Cantina, Metropolis Ballroom, Peggy Kinnane's Irish Restaurant, Salsa 17, and Scratchboard Kitchen.
This is a pilot, which means it has an end date and the rules could change before it comes back. Check the Village page before you plan an evening around it.
Where should you eat before a show at Metropolis?
Anything on Vail Avenue or Campbell Street works, because the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre sits in the middle of them. Peggy Kinnane's, Salsa 17, Mago Grill, and Scratchboard Kitchen are all a short walk, and Passero is about two blocks away.
Tell your server you have a curtain time. Downtown kitchens here are used to it.
If the show is at Hey Nonny rather than Metropolis, eat at Hey Nonny. Same room, no walking, and the kitchen is timed around the set.
Which Arlington Heights restaurants are worth leaving downtown for?
Four, and each one is a different reason to get in the car.
Ttowa Korean Bistro
At 161 W. Wing St. Korean, and one of the highest-rated restaurants in the village on OpenTable: 4.7 across 256 reviews. Small room, short menu, done well.
La Zingara Trattoria
At 2300 E. Rand Rd., on the east side of the village. Italian, and it has been serving the same neighborhood for about 25 years. It holds a 4.7 rating across 430 OpenTable reviews and an OpenTable Diners' Choice award.
Palm Court
At 1912 N. Arlington Heights Rd. This is the old-school one. White tablecloths, a piano some nights, the kind of place people book for a 40th anniversary. If you want a special-occasion dinner that does not feel trendy, this is it.
Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant
At 798 W. Algonquin Rd., on the south end of the village. American menu built around their own wine, with a tasting room in front. It carries a 4.7 rating across 7,828 OpenTable reviews, which is the largest review base of any restaurant in Arlington Heights. Good for a group that cannot agree on anything.
And one more that splits the difference on location: Francesca's Tavola, at 208 S. Arlington Heights Rd., a short drive or a long walk from downtown. Rustic Roman and central Italian cooking, open 11:30 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and to 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday, with happy hour Monday through Friday from 3 to 6 p.m. It holds a 4.6 rating across 2,503 OpenTable reviews.
What new restaurants are opening in Arlington Heights in 2026?
Two worth knowing about.
Hugh's Chophouse, 9 N. Vail Ave. A steakhouse and bistro from Matt Peota, the chef and Arlington Heights resident who owns Passero. It was announced for summer 2026: roughly 7,100 square feet across two floors, a 76-seat dining room and 16-seat bar downstairs, and an upstairs lounge with a wine tasting room, a small stage, and event space for up to 90 people. Opening hours were planned at 4:30 to 11 p.m. weekdays and to midnight on weekends, dinner only at first, with lunch and brunch to follow within a year (Daily Herald).
Once Upon a Bagel, 36 S. Evergreen Ave. The Highland Park bagel shop, founded in 1982, opened an Arlington Heights location in Evergreen Plaza in late March 2026. It is takeout only, about 1,400 square feet, with all 22 varieties of New York-style bagels and bialys plus sandwiches, soups, and salads (Daily Herald).
Does the restaurant scene matter if you are thinking about moving here?
More than people expect, and not for the reason they expect.
Nobody buys a house because of a taco. But a downtown with almost 30 restaurants in it is a downtown people use on foot, and that changes what a Tuesday looks like. It comes up most with two readers who write to me: someone moving out of the city who is worried the suburbs will feel cut off, and someone downsizing who would rather drive less.
Here is the practical piece. In closed sales over the past year, homes within a few blocks of the Metra station and downtown sold at the upper end of both the condo and detached price ranges. That is worth knowing before you fall for a specific building. I break down what different parts of the village actually cost in my guide to which Arlington Heights neighborhood fits you, and the trade-offs of the whole village in the pros and cons of living in Arlington Heights.
If your decision hinges on the train rather than the restaurants, the Arlington Heights to Chicago commute guide has the actual timetable math.
Here is the thing I tell people who are house hunting during a hard stretch, whether that is a divorce, a downsize, or a move they did not choose. Go eat dinner in the town before you tour a single house. Sit somewhere for an hour on a normal evening. You will learn more about whether you can live there than any listing will tell you.
Follow-up questions
What is the most popular restaurant in Arlington Heights?
By review volume, Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant at 798 W. Algonquin Rd. leads with 7,828 OpenTable reviews and a 4.7 rating as of August 25, 2026. Downtown, Passero is the most-reviewed at 1,325. Popularity and quality are not the same thing, so use both.
How many restaurants are in Arlington Heights?
The Village of Arlington Heights says the village is home to more than 100 restaurants, with nearly 30 restaurants and nightlife destinations in the downtown area alone. Downtown also includes 30 or more shops and boutiques within the same walkable stretch.
When does Arlington Alfresco start and end in 2026?
Arlington Alfresco runs Friday, May 1 through Monday, September 28, 2026. Part of downtown is closed to cars for outdoor dining. The Village also hosts Sounds of Summer concerts on Thursday nights from 7 to 8:30 p.m., June through August, in Harmony Park.
Can you drink outside in downtown Arlington Heights?
Yes, during the social district pilot. Thursdays through Saturdays, 5 to 9 p.m., through September 26, 2026. You must be 21 or older with a wristband, buy from one of nine participating businesses, use an approved labeled cup, and stay inside the district around Vail and Campbell.
Is downtown Arlington Heights walkable?
Yes. Restaurants, shops, the library, the Metropolis Performing Arts Centre, and the Metra station cluster around Vail Avenue, Campbell Street, and Northwest Highway. Most of the downtown restaurants in this article are within a few blocks of each other and of the train platform.
Where can I eat in Arlington Heights before catching the Metra?
Scratchboard Kitchen at 5 W. Campbell St. opens at 8 a.m. daily and is a short walk from the platform. Cortland's Garage at 1 N. Vail Ave. and Peggy Kinnane's at 8 N. Vail Ave. are both a block or so out for a quick meal on the way home.
What new restaurant is opening in downtown Arlington Heights?
Hugh's Chophouse, a steakhouse and bistro at 9 N. Vail Ave. from Passero owner Matt Peota, was announced for summer 2026. It is planned as a two-story, roughly 7,100-square-foot space with a 76-seat dining room, a 16-seat bar, and an upstairs lounge and event room.
Equal Housing Opportunity. Mari and the Dragonfly Home Team at Berkshire Hathaway HomeServices American Heritage Real Estate follow the federal Fair Housing Act and the Illinois Human Rights Act, and welcome every reader without regard to race, color, religion, sex, disability, familial status, national origin, ancestry, age, marital status, sexual orientation, gender identity, military status, order of protection status, pregnancy, or source of income. This article is general information about local businesses and the community. It is not legal, tax, or financial advice. Restaurant hours, addresses, and village programs change, so confirm details with the business or the Village of Arlington Heights before you go.
