Tuesday, May 21, 2019

The Heights Pub Plans to Open in Arlington Heights; Jim O'Rourke of First House Pub Behind It

The person behind a neighborhood dining and drinking spot in the northern suburbs is going to be opening a second spot nearby.

According to a Facebook post, Jim O'Rourke of the First House Pub in Winchester has signed a lease to open The Heights Pub in Arlington Heights, taking over the space on Mass. Ave. where Balich 5 & 10 had been until it closed last June. A note within the Facebook thread indicates that much like the First House Pub, the new place will be a family-friendly neighborhood spot that will likely offer comfort food, pub grub, and classic American fare. The Heights Pub still needs to receive approval from the Zoning Board, Select Board and ABCC before it can open, so stay tuned for updates on the place.

First House Pub first opened in Winchester Center in the fall of 2015 in the former Stone Hearth Pizza space, with O'Rourke coming from Conley's Pub in Watertown which had an initial connection to the place.

The address for this upcoming dining and drinking spot in Arlington Heights is: The Heights Pub, 1314 Massachusetts Avenue, Arlington, MA, 02476.

[September 3 update: The Heights Pub could be one step closer to opening by next week, as Your Arlington states that a Redevelopment Board hearing is slated to take place on Monday, September 9 that will look into a special permit centering around relief from parking requirements.]

[March 2, 2020 update: The issue surrounding parking had put the status of The Heights Pub in question, but plans for the restaurant took a big step forward last week as The Arlington Advocate states that a variance concerning parking has been approved by the Zoning Board of Appeals. The next steps for the dining spot now include the clearing of a 20-day appeal period followed by approval of both a liquor license and expansion of the space. If all goes well, The Heights Pub could be opening sometime this summer.]

[March 4, 2021 update: An article from the Arlington Advocate indicates that The Heights Pub hopes to finally open its doors later this year, with construction planning to start in a few months, which a check on the space shows that a sign is now up for the place.]

by Marc Hurwitz (Also follow us on Twitter at @hiddenboston)


[A related post from our sister site (Boston's Hidden Restaurants): List of Restaurant Closings and Openings in the Boston Area]


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