In the past, I would make multiple stops throughout the year, sometimes sitting inside the bar during winter and outside during summer. However, since COVID, things have changed and I have moved out of state. Despite this, I always enjoyed my time there and found the bartenders to be friendly. On one occasion, I met the owner's son who is a complete douchebag. Anytime I ran into him, I would look the other way LOL. A good friend of mine lives down the street from this place. I'll have to visit docks next time I'm in town. read more

After passing this place on my way to work for years I finally stopped in and had lunch. I went against my better judgment. After reading some of the reviews I didn't want to believe them but I experienced it myself. We arrived around 1:00 pm for lunch. It was a very nice hot day out. We parked in the back lot by the lake. There is a staircase to walk up to get to the outside bar seating. The first thing I noticed when I entered the stairway was the godawful smell of urine. You know the drunk slobs leaving here find it easier to piss in the stairway instead of going inside to relieve themselves. We sat down at the bar and for about 10 minutes we watched the bartender eat her lunch as she watched us waiting for her to come and take our order. I was about to get up to leave because I hate to be ignored when she finally came over and asked us what we wanted. I ordered the Buffalo Chicken Wrap and shared it with my wife. My son had a Grilled Chicken Sandwich. As we waited another 20 minutes to get our food there were a few nasty things I noticed sitting at my seat. 1) The place was filthy. Right in front of me was a dirty stinky ashtray and a bunch of dirty bar mats. 2) A guy sitting next to my son thought it would be a great idea to light up a stinky cigar. Now I thought it was an Illinois law you couldn't smoke in a place like this. Maybe the law is different for outside seating. I apologize if I'm wrong, but it should be outlawed if there are other people around. 3) This is the best..The bartender was right in front of us and I noticed the bottle opener she was using was shoved down the back of her skirt and touching her ass. (no lie, look at my picture) How is this sanitary or acceptable? They say employees must wash their hands after using the bathroom. What about washing your ass before sliding your bar tools in and out of your pants. As for the food, My Wrap was just chunks of chicken with a bunch of buffalo sauce dumped on it. Nothing special. My son said the chicken sandwich was dry. He got a side of mayonnaise to be able to choke it down. And our coleslaw was warm. So needless to say we won't be back. They need to get this place cleaned up and get more attentive employees with better hygiene habits. read more

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Location and view is great but that's about it. Drinks were fine. The food was edible at best. I ordered "ceviche" and seafood pasta. I don't think they understand what ceviche is. It was more of a tomato based seafood cocktail (like a Mexican Coctel). The "signature wine and garlic butter sauce" was on overly watery wine "sauce" with almost zero buttery flavor and LACKING garlic or salt. read more

Very nice server and excellent food. Prices were okay and we weren't rushed or hassled in any way. A warm day looking over the lake added to a very good lunch. read more

Beware! Of squeeze cheese nachos with the $4.95 add on cube chicken was disgusting! Can't believe it was more then $25 after tax needs to be reeee invented for better quality at that price read more

I ordered the chicken strips, coconut shrimp and an order of fries. All of was not very good. The batter on the chicken strips was not seasoned and too thick, where's the meat? The shrimp were supposed to be jumbo, however they were simply cut down the middle to give the illusion it was bigger than they actually were. The fries were bruised and undercooked. The service was good. But I can't recommend this place even for the ambiance of dining near the water. read more

Pathetic service. I had ordered a soup. Everyone else at my table got their entrees but my order was forgotten. We asked the waitress 3 times for my soup. It finally arrived almost 15 minutes later when everyone else was almost done with their food. The soup was ok and view is great but the service definitely need to improve. read more

Every time we come to visit our friends in Wauconda, we ALWAYS start our day at Docks. To be clear, no one is coming here because of the food. We come here because of the views, the ambience and the outdoor patio. There's something about having a cold beer while the hot sun beats down by the lake. There's no better feeling and keeps us coming back for more. The servers and bartenders are always attentive and nice. They have a "spin the wheel" game inside where you can win tshirts, hats and gambling money. (It's free to spin!) As for the food, it's typical bar food. It gets the job done and it's nothing to write home about. But the drinks and views -- top notch! read more

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I recommend you to go there at sun set time. Meals are not light taste so with beer is better. read more

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Summertime deck review only. Docks is great for outdoor patio and bar setting on a nice day. On the banks of Bangs Lake, Docks outdoor patio is: - Biker and dog friendly (we brought a pooch and workers were quick with a bowl of ice water) (And plenty of parking reserved for cycles) - Large menu to please everyone (my bison burger was alright) - Friendly to the aging set (you go, girl) - Umbrellas and palms abound (most tables are shaded by umbrellas or festive fake palm trees) - On the Lake (need I say more?) - Live music friendly - While not truly a "Tiki Bar", the covered bar is a nice oasis and place to hang out Free Parking in the back, down by the Lake, or let the Valet park it on the hill for you. This was a great stop on Memorial Day weekend after some outdoor hiking, and I'll be back in the summertime. read more

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Can I give this place a zero? Wish I could! Docks is absolutely NOT adhering to the COVID safety guidelines set in place. Zero social distancing, waitresses and staff wearing masks below their chin - what even is the point? My food came out cold and bland. I could've saved money and ordered straight from a fast food joint for the quality I received. The valet guy gave me a SUPER CREEPY vibe right off the get. Parking is free in the back, take advantage of it if you do decide to choose this place. He saw I was alone and offered to buy me a drink instantly - completely unprofessional in my opinion. Only nice thing about it is the view. Do yourself a favor and drive a few more blocks down the road and eat on the actual lake instead of a gross gravel parking lot. Will NOT be back!! Shame on this place for their lack of care or PRIDE. read more

Horrible service. Sitting at the outside bar and some guy comes up and changes the TV without asking. If I was watching the rangers Florida hokey game and switches it to the Indy race. Very rude read more

My boyfriend and I came here after a long day of golf and the atmosphere was great! I got the ribs and they were amazing, super tender and fell right off the bone. His fish and chips were good but not super crispy. Service was great too read more

Great location. Service was good. Parking is difficult although valet team is very good. The fish tacos weren't great so don't get those.

The food was fantastic, especially for a pub! The service wasn't overly friendly, but whatever. With the time of year it's hard to rate the ambiance, but looking forward to coming back when it warms up and checking out the outdoor part. It looks promising! Oh, the prices are a little ridiculous - the apps are the same price as the entrees. read more

I've been a frequent patron at Dock's for a few years now. I never came for the service or food, mainly just the views, which are great! The service has always been sub par and the food is typical greasy bar/ bowling alley food, they just sprinkle gobs of parsley on the edges if the plate and think that makes it upscale. A year ago, the food prices were average but this year they went up $5 + per item! I know inflation is a thing now but a 50%+ increase!?!? I'm done with Dock's. I recommend Broken Oar, the view is good, the food is crap but at least the prices reflect that! read more

So a few of us wanted to try Docks for awhile and finally stopped in yesterday. Nice view Great server Good drinks Typical bar quality food What wasn't typical was the last line on our bill: COVID 19....$3 Really?? people are supporting your business during all this BS and you are taking the opportunity to charge them extra for their patronage. I own a restaurant in Barrington and I am overwhelmed with the support we have had these last months from our customers. I would never dream of trying to up charge them for that support. Whoever had the idea to do this should be ashamed of themselves. What is that $3 for? Will never be back, ever. And, they are so busy I bet management doesn't even care. Shameful. read more

Over the years, I've driven past Docks Bar & Grill hundreds of times. I've never stopped in - until this evening... To be honest, it was a beautiful evening and my wife said: "let's go eat outside at Lindy's Landing". We were heading to Lindy's, but downtown Wauconda was totally jammed-up with a classic car show. Eventually, we got fed-up with the traffic and pulled into Dock's. I'm so glad we did. We pulled in, and we were immediately greeted with complimentary valet parking, (nice). It was a beautiful night to sit out on the deck. There were a few open tables, but we opted to sit at the long high-top facing the water. We started with chips, salsa, and guacamole. The tortilla chips were homemade and delicious (very light, and not at all greasy). My wife had a Caprese Salad, which she enjoyed. I had the BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwich with homemade potato chips. The sandwich was very good as were the chips. Service was slow to acknowledge us (we probably waited 10 minutes or more after we were seated) but once they did, they were apologetic, friendly, and attentive. I enjoyed this place immensely. The weather was a perfect "10" tonight, so that probably influenced my enjoyment a little (and possibly my rating), but even on a lesser day I'm guessing I would unequivocally recommend this place. I will definitely be back. read more

Docks Bar & Grill - Beautiful evening as Summer draws to a close. - American Near Me - Wauconda, Illinois

Can you give a zero? We have gone here a lot in the past. We for dinner tonight ordered 1 Grilled Cheese 1 Bacon Cheeseburger and 1 order of chicken strips. First off, to charge us a buck and print it at the top of the menu is one thing. Whining about deferring costs because of Covid and then serving us a cold grilled cheese sandwich and ice cold fries is another. We ate all the sandwiches then the new fries showed up. This place used to be solid. Hot food at a good price. I asked for a pitcher of frozen Margaritas. They don't have them. I asked for the delicious crab cakes they used to make. They don't have them. They should thank everyone that shows up there in the future for keeping them open during the pandemic They can do that by at least serving hot food. Save your money. Maybe they should give us a buck for showing up. read more

Would have been a 5 if the staff was wearing their masks the right way. The food was great, the service was great, the view was outstanding and the drinks were beyond tasty! Our waitress was very friendly, but I couldn't get past that her mask was under her nose and that I could actually see her mouth. It made me in incredibly uncomfortable. The food runner has his mask under his chin while serving our food. As much as I enjoyed everything, I wouldn't go back until COVID is over. read more

Docks Bar & Grill - View from my seat - American Near Me - Wauconda, Illinois

Best food and very friendly service is amazing the food is fresh everyone treats you very friendly best place to hang out!!!

First time going to Docks. My wife and I had been wanting to go for years (literally). The staff was great, chill atmosphere, awesome service and amazing food. We say on the deck right at the end so the view of the boats on the water was good too. This place is simply amazing read more

Docks Bar & Grill - Mariana babe - American Near Me - Wauconda, Illinois

Like many I come here for the lake view and outdoor bar. It's a great setting on a sunny afternoon to chillaxe and have some DRANKZ and some food. They have TVs at the bar for sports and bands during the summer to keep you entertained. Parking can be a bit hectic but offer free valet. So that's the good The not so good is the service and the food is average. Bartender service here always seems to be slow. Even if they aren't busy they seem to be best at ignoring you. I just don't get that you work for tips and the more you turnover the more you make so why the constant attitude to pretend you don't see people waiting. The table service is generally average to bad. Not very trained and sometimes understaffed to handle thee crowds they have when the have nice weather. The food is very mediocre. Haven't really had anything I could say was above average. So basically what I come for is the weather which they obviously have nothing to do with and to drink and eat outside in a dog friendly environment with a lake view. 4 stars for the outdoor experience 2 stars for food and service rounded out to 3 stars for me. read more

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Wow... now, I haven't been to Docks in years; my first experience was going to be my last due to poor service and disappointing food. Appreciatively and thankfully, that was not the case this evening. Pleasantly, greeted and seated by the owner, I was directed to the beautifully designed and modernized bar area where my friend sat watching televisions playing the night's basketball and gymnastic competitions: my favorites! The bartender, Erica, is most certainly experienced and asks the right questions when ordering both an Old Fashion and Martini: preference of alcohol and construction. Regardless, after finding us a charger and giving some entree explanations, we ordered. Indeed, we were pleased by our beverages, meals, service, and atmosphere - thus one would think this rating a perfect 5 Star; however, if there is one thing that hasn't changed over time is the price of our outing. After paying, we decided to stay because, as mentioned, we were having the most joyous of times, but for 2 drinks, one being that of a beer, the change given back from my 50.00... YIKES! So, my suggestion "don't slap the hand that feeds you." Undoubtedly, COVID has hurt the very industry I'm a part of: service. Also, understandably, rebuilding a business's overall look to create a better feel comes at quite a cost. BUT COME ON! Keep in mind the location is small home town Wauconda, not downtown north side Chicago. Yes, I foresee the place packed, but the vision is fogged by the burning debris of dollars and cents most locals do not have, momentarily, by the pandemic's hard hit. With that, my hope is the consideration of DEALS thanking those who cross the door's threshold, avoiding the choking and strangling of the very people who want nothing more than to support what is in their neighborhood. read more

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Stopped by however did not go in it appears that they have no social distancing and did not see a lot of masks. While I understand they are working on Making up for lost time I don't understand what they are doing charging a up charge for the virus. What are they Doing to protect employees and cus read more

We hadn't been there since it was Mers but wanted to sit by the water and we thought why not, there were a couple of things we liked on the menu. We ordered the Appetizer of Peel and Eat Shrimp which you could have served hot or cold. The description on the menu said it came in a garlic butter sauce. It came out very spicy with a red pepper butter sauce. We asked the waitress about it and she said we had ordered the hot version (again no mention of spice in the menu just hot or cold) and that means not only hot temperature but hot spice level. No apology, no offer to fix it, just do you want more lemon. On top of that there were 2 sizes of the appetizer, we wanted the 1/2 lb. not the 1 lb., but since we weren't asked we thought we would get the small one. Well we got the 1 lb. of this and we ended up taking half of it home for someone else to eat - maybe too spicy for them as well. Had we seen any indication of spiciness we would have chosen another item. The other item we got was the wedge salad and had asked for no onions on it. It came out with a lot of onions on it. This was a late lunch/early dinner for us and we thought we would get a little something as we were both hungry. With 1 drink and an ice tea the bill was almost $70. The deck was nice, but I don't think we will be going back given our experience. It's a sahmae as we wanted to try another menu item on our next visit. read more

Me and my fiancé have come here 3 times since moving to Wauconda in early 2021. The two waitress' Alayna and Kristina have been above and beyond! Not only did they keep safety in mind while serving us, they were very accountable while seating guests keeping social distancing in mind. Again thank you both, Alayna and Kristina, for a wonderful dinner out! TL;DR 10/10: food recommendations! 10/10: very attentive! 10/10: relatable and interactive personalities! read more

This is more of a good place to lounge outside under the canopy on a pleasant day than a great dining experience. The food here on a late June weekday at noon was just fine - usual bar stuff, and the service was very attentive. The burger selection is a configure to order arrangement, with some really curious add-ons available. Asking for medium rare is futile, however. Parking was a disaster, with the lower level closed off for some reason. read more

It's understandable why this bar/restaurant consistently receives mediocre reviews at best. I've lived in the area for over 30 years I've visited Docks sporadically over my residency. Pretty much every time I go there, I leave questioning my decision to visit this location over all the others in the area. I'm regretful every single time. The restaurant has one draw. It has a grandfathered view of Bangs Lake. And on a warm sunny afternoon day, admittedly, the view of the lake is tempting. However that's ALL this place has to offer and they seem to attract patrons despite themselves. If it weren't for the lake, they would be closed yesterday. Why? Because they're service is horrible and customer experience is an unknown concept to SOME of the waiting staff/bar tenders. And what's a shocker, the management and owner are completely oblivious and unfamiliar with the basic concept of providing a excellent customer experience. They just don't care. They simply don't get it and it starts with the owner and permeates down to the employees. There are some employees that seem to serve their customers and make their experience somewhat tolerable. The make an effort. Unfortunately, there are other servers/bartenders that seem to feel like they are doing you a giant favor by taking your order. They expend the LEAST possible effort to make your experience pleasurable or memorable. If had to find a term to define the service of some employees.....it would be.....cheesy, tacky I've addressed specific experiences with the owner. He's clueless as well as being arrogant and uninterested in addressing customer concerns. He actually sides with sappy, classless, subpar service from his staff. If you have a owner who is unresponsive to honest feedback or has no empathy or understanding of his clientele, that's a recipe for failure Sadly, Docks could be a gem; a destination restaurant. But as is, it's a second, no, fourth class restaurant/bar that relies solely on the lakefront to exist. Wauconda deserves better. It's a shame. read more

Nice place with a Great view,food is good...was there July 20th customer had a problem with a dirty cup,went ask for a new one,bartender explained why cup looked like that,customer asked for a whole new drink,bartender started getting a Attitude Spilled some drink on the customer and then she started yelling Jesus Christ fuck this very unprofessional manager was then asked To come out! read more

Save your money if you're planning on eating. After several years of not going there, I went again and the food is tasteless and super expensive. Got the artichoke dip and it was greasy and tasted like it came from a can. Got the Philly with velveeta cheese and it was definitely some tasteless cheese sauce, not velveeta that was used. The entire sandwich had zero flavor, almost was worried I should get tested for COVID cause I thought I lost my ability to taste, nope- just bland food! Also ordered a piece of chocolate cake for $10 a slice and it was the size of a small piece of birthday cake and was not very good. Now I remember why we stopped going there years ago! Stay away! read more

This place is terrible. You will wait forever for cold food. I was recently there for lunch and it took well over an hour to get a cold burger. My appetizer came after the meal. After this mess up. I paid the bill @$82. Now I see the waitress must of added a tip in my card. They charged me $96. Do not go to this place. They should be shut down. read more

I love the bartenders there great outdoor the best around to people watch etc highly recommend

15. 00 drinks. And the appetizers were 17.99 each. There were 4 of us and we each had 2 drinks that's 120.00. My husband and I each ordered an appetizer. My son and his girlfriend split a chicken club. Our bill was 189.00. Then I tipped our waiter 20% I shouldn't have bc he was always talking to the bartender and we had to get his attention whenever we needed something. They ran out of glasses so he tried to serve me my 15. Drink in a plastic cup but I just poured it into my glass. And the place wasn't busy on a Thursday night so how can they run out of glasses? These are Ritz Carlton prices without any amenities. Save yourself lots of money and go somewhere else I was very disappointed !!! read more

Have you ever heard of sending bad food back, ordering something else, and then being charged for the dish you rejected because it was uneatable? Well, that was my experience today. Though the difference in cost was negligible, it was the principal that really irked me and other ladies in our group of about fifteen. This was really a poor business decision, as they lost me as a future customer and anyone else sitting at the table who heard what was going on. The waiter told me, "Well, we made two dishes for you so that's why we charged the higher price." Unfortunately, the corned beef on the Reuben (my original dish) was so full of fat and gristle, you couldn't eat it. It was truly the worst Reuben I have ever had. And looking around at some of the other dishes the ladies were eating, I saw nothing that would set this place apart. The food was mediocre at best and the prices were on the higher side for what they offered. The only saving grace was the outdoor deck, which was comfortable, but certainly not worth a second visit. And it was only after another friend spoke to the manager, did they change my bill - but not before our young waiter mentioned he would be docked for the difference, which frankly, we didn't believe and were surprised he would offer this information. All-in-all this was NOT a great experience. read more

Brought our dog, sat out on the deck looking at the lake. Gives you a vacation feel. Staff was very nice and food was solid. Will def good back. read more

Its a bar. Docks is just a bar. Yes, it as awesome views and sits on the lake but other than that, nothing to write home about. It was a beautiful day so we got stuck inside since the outside dock was full. Service was a little sassy with a bit of bitchy.It freaks me out that the waitress wear tank tops. On a hot day, i do not need the addition of a few drops of sweat in my drink or food. Margs tasted like heart burn juice, food was average but pricey. Parking is a nightmare. It is a biker bar, so the "groups" take up most of the spaces. I am a firm believer in trying a place atleast once. We wont be back. read more

Very dissatisfied with Docks today. The atmosphere does not seem to what it used to be. Drinks were not good, very very light in the alcohol. And I'm not one for strong drinks. Food was a 3 out of 5. I wish them the best on getting back to the quality they used to be though it may be awhile before we will be back. read more

I go there every 3 or 4 months to have lunch with an older friend. We always get a scotch sour and brandy old fashion. Our bill is usually $60 . That's fine. Today, $91 and they charged an extra $7 for an old fashion., for each one. What's so expensive about a bit of bitters an orange and a cherry? . service sucks, prices suck and time to get served sucks. Keep going there but I won't ever again. I'll give someone else my hundred bucks! read more

The worst buffalo chicken ranch. Filled with diced tomatoes that were wet and soggy and mixed with the chicken. And might I add, there were more tomatoes than chicken. I'm not a picky eater at all, but this wrap was awful. There's a reason this place has such low ratings on the food. It has a cool bar area and nice view of the lake, but the food is not worth the experience. read more

Docks Bar & Grill - Buffalo Wrap - American Near Me - Wauconda, Illinois