Terrible the service is really bad. The food is mediocre at best. Their menu has about 50 items on it, so what does that tell you?

First time ever going here in the few years I've lived in Palatine. This place has a huge menu that I have been looking forward to trying. However, even though their dinner menu looks great, I had breakfast here. I ordered the Denver Omelette with no tomatoes. The Swiss cheese comes on top rather than within. Served with Hashbrowns and an English Muffin. I also had a side order of sausage links and a glass of chocolate milk. My friend ordered eggs, bacon, hashbrowns, and toast with OJ. We both really enjoyed are food. However, I found the service to be rather slow and it was not very crowded. Overall, really decent place and I would like to go again yo try their dinner menu. read more

Donkey Inn - Eggs, Bacon, Hashbrowns, Toast - Burgers Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

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So this place. It was a dark and freezing night. The magnetic draw of 5 dollar cheeseburgers was in full force. People seemed to be flocking here from far and wide, leaving a mere spot in the parking area. We conquered the spot and walked forth into the elegantly named "Donkey Inn." The wind was in our hair as we threw open the sashes and went in. There was a small table smushed under the tv where we were able to let down our packs and set up camp. So, we quenched our intense thirsts with beverages and requested sustenance which may have included half pound burgers. ''Twas lively with fellow travelers sloshing and gnawing. The sustenance arrived and 'twas ambrosia , after my lengthy fast of 3 grueling hours. We put forth currency and left to start the journey back to our home camps. read more

Donkey Inn - sloshing and gnawing - Burgers Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

Went in and sat down and after 15 minutes not one person came to our table to even give us a menu or water. Looked like one waitress in entire place. We walked out and won't be back!! read more

The three stars was for the server. She did a fantastic job. The Diet Coke tasted funny, maybe it was the water used. I ordered boneless chicken wings and my husband ordered a grilled cheese. He liked the grilled cheese better than I liked the chicken. read more

The two stars are for my sandwich only . Our server was very pleasant, but the service was very slow . It took her twenty minutes to take our order . I think it was due to understaffing & the place was pretty dirty . That being said we will give them one more try . read more

This has been one of my go-to establishments since moving to the area. Our favorite time to go is Friday for the Fish Fry. they have a good selection of fish and I believe the perch is all you can eat.If you happen to come on any other day you wont be let down by the # of things to choose from on the menu. I havent had a bad thing from this place to date. People rave about pizza and the fish but there are many other options to choose from that will make you leave satisfried. However, recently this past saturday night, we encountered possibly the rudest hostess I have ever come across. I wont get into details but she is the reason for rating I'm giving. Unfortunately, there are many other reviews that say the same thing. Customer service needs to be a top priority for a restaurant. I wouldnt dock it down to 2 stars, but it cant be ignored that there are multiple complaints on customer service across various business review platforms. If you must venture into this jungle of bad customer service, I only hope that you dont come across the people who give it a bad name. read more

I went on a Saturday for breakfast. The food was great the service was amazing and the environment was nice. If you go ask for Jennifer (Jen). read more

The food wasn't on bad. If you need a quick neighborhood place I would recommend it. read more

This is one of the neighborhood Palatine bars, standing alone in a residential surrounding. The food is good, bar food and the wait staff and bartenders are friendly and welcoming. It's a comfortable place to come hang out with friends and watch the game, or just come to enjoy some drinks by yourself. read more

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I'm always on the lookout for a new neighborhood spot. It doesn't need to be fancy, but it must have good food and good service. I had went out for a drink with a friend and they recommended Donkey Inn. They said the food was great and insisted I give it a try. Fast forward a week. It's a Sunday night and I'm hungry. My father and I jump in the car and decide to head over to check out Donkey Inn. We pull into the lot and see a few motorcycles out front. The lot was very dimly lit and wasn't very welcoming. Most women prefer a well lit lot. We step inside and see the sign "Please Wait to Be Seated". We patiently waited to be seated. However, the hostess/our waitress was too busy having a conversation with multiple male patrons at the bar. We made eye contact several times but she decided we could wait until she finished her conversation. Finally, the waitress comes over and advises us to sit wherever. We decided to sit in a cozy booth and browse the large menu our friend raved about. The waitress practically threw the menus at us and asked us what we wanted to drink. I ordered a Diet Coke and my father a glass of house red wine. The drinks came and they were hastily clunked down onto the table. I asked the waitress if it was possible to make a custom omelette. She rolled her eyes and huffed "yeah" under her breath. If it's not obvious by now, there is a major attitude problem with this waitress. I felt like I was being an inconvenience to her. I don't like to feel this way when going out for dinner. I ordered my custom made steak, mushroom, and cheddar omelette. I ordered it with pancakes and hash browns. My father did the steak and eggs with hash browns. The waitress stomped off and we both couldn't believe the horrible attitude we were receiving. Finally, the food came. The omelette was okay, could have eaten better at Denny's to be completely honest. The eggs had no flavor, almost as if they were cut with water to make a bigger omelette. The steak was horrible with the consistency of pot roast. It had a very off-putting taste to it. The mushrooms were definitely canned. The cheddar cheese was really fake-cheddar product in slice form. The hash browns were pretty good, nice and crispy. The pancakes were the worst I've ever had. They had the taste and consistency of cornbread batter. Very grainy and turn to mush when picking up with a fork. I asked the waitress for buttered toast and jam as I could not eat more than a bite of the pancakes. Overall, I'm very disappointed with the service, attitude, vibe, and food quality. I don't spend money to go out to eat to be treated like an inconvenience. The waitress received no tip for treating us so poorly. Ownership needs to retrain the staff on how to treat customers. The only thing going for them is the late night hours and large menu. They get two-stars for being open late on a Sunday. However, I would've been better off at McDonalds. read more

Donkey Inn - the custom omelette that was a big issue to make. - Burgers Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

First time tonight. 2 servers for all the outdoor tables and 2 tables inside. Slow service. I ordered the reuben. First let's start with cutting a sandwich in even halves. Not that tough. And speaking of tough. .this waa the worst reuben Ive ever had. Dry. Tough. Almost no kraut or sauce. I could barely choke down half. Took the other half home and even after warming it up it wasn't edible. Huge waste of $12.00. My friend had grilled cheese with bacon. Also barely edible. Dry dry dry. read more

Great food and great people! Definitely recommend! Just a great place to hang out and get some good food.

Man that was a great Friday fish fry special! I loved everything about it. How easy it was to do the curbside pickup, the online menu and how great the food tested. They're awesome! read more

I've now eaten here a few times, and mostly I have been mostly more satisfied with what I get at the Donkey Inn. Lunches have been great. The $5 cheeseburger Wednesday is a great promo, the chili is always good, and lunchtime service has been great. I've went here for dinner once with the girlfriend and we were both pleasantly surprised. It was pretty busy, but that was to be expected on a Friday Fish Fry night during Lent, lol. She like the fish fry and would definitely come back for that, and I was definitely pleased with my meal. Breakfast. I hear they serve it all day and have heard good things about the skirt steak and eggs. My GF and I finally tried it out one morning around 8am. I wasn't as impressed with the Donkey in terms of breakfast. Our server looked and acted like she didn't want to be there, and there was just something not right with the texture of the scrambled eggs. I am going to assume that the waitress was just having a bad day, as that was the only time that was an issue. So as you can see overall the Donkey Inn is above average, and I definitely recommend it. I do see how at certain times it can seem a little odd there if there are a ton of regulars there. It does look like regulars get favored. But I just view that as service that remembers you and treats you right. Plus if a place has so many regulars, they must be doing something right! read more

PERFECT Hometown neighborhood place. Great GREAT for date-night!!!! Our bartender/server Erin was attentive, great service so pleasant & FAST! Drinks are poured well & made right. Special tonight is pot roast and it's better than my grandma ( & she was perfect truly truly) The cook "Valentino" is A#1 read more

Two of us went by for dinner and it's a homely place. Nice service and good food. I had the skillet with sausage onion mushrooms,, cheese. It was done very well, the potatoes threw me at first because of the texture, kinda fluffy, but it was excellent. My friend had the beef tender tips and enjoyed it as well. There was enough food for me to bring home half of my meal for lunch tomorrow. I'll be back! read more

Delicious food & drinks!! The atmosphere here is very nice and friendly. Our server Rosie (I believe that was her name) was so funny, kind and quick. Definitely coming here again!! read more

Donkey Inn - Caribbean Jerk Chicken Salad & Donkey Island (drink) - Burgers Near Me - Palatine, Illinois

The Donkey Inn is like the Cheers bar of Palatine. It's not glitzy or glamorous - just good drinks and comfort bar food. It's been here for decades as the reliable, old standby. They've expanded their outdoor seating with several seats under a new canopy if you prefer shade. Huge menu; daily specials. Decent portions at reasonable prices. Glad to have this neighborhood staple with expanded outdoor seating during these covid times! read more

Interesting place. Has a sign that says dates to the 1930s (can't recall the exact year). Given that Palatine/Rolling Meadows - well... let's just say this would have been a bit out of the way then - didn't stretch that far in 1940 or before - something lasting 70+ years deserves a visit. The place is usually crowded. I took my daughter there every week after her fencing lessons at 9 PM - and still had a bit of a crowd. Some may take that as a negative; for me - it is the opposite - it shows most people like the place. The menu is big - and hence has a LOT of choices. For 90+% of the stuff I've tried over a dozen or more visits - I haven't gone wrong. There tends to be every sort of group here from the biker set to the families. I've even had a business lunch here. For a wide variety of fare and a laidback atmosphere - highly recommend. If you're looking for gourmet or presentation, skip it. read more

Tonight's experience was horrible. We met another couple there. Service started promptly then went down hill. All four plates of food arrived cold. The service waned. The restrooms were not clean and there was plenty of dust on the booths between the seats and the back rests. Kitchen took forever to get our food out. Did not appear to have enough wait staff. They're cutting corners for some reason. The place should have been packed on this Saturday night, but wasn't. They need to regroup and retrain...BADLY!!! The doors will close soon if they don't fix all their problems. read more

This is our sunday funday place. All the bartenders and servers are great. They kinda just make you feel at home. Food is amazing every time! Do not under estimate Donkey Inn :) read more

I used to go years ago when I lived nearby. Food was always reasonable and so delicious! It popped into my head when we were on a motorcycle ride last year. We stopped and nothing has changed. We live in the western suburbs so it's kind of a hike on a Friday night but was worth the trip. Dinner and service was great. The manager was out on the floor picking up dishes, serving tables and chatting with customers. She was also in the kitchen making sure Everything was moving smoothly. Their menu is incredible it took me and my husband forever to decide! This is probably our 6th visit and we will be back! read more

We had a private party here- it was outstanding. Good food, great service and overall a fantastic experience. These places are getting harder to find as boring chains continue to pop up everywhere. Cant say enough about the effort and extremely reasonable cost to have a memorial for our dear friend and regular patron of Donkey Inn. Thanks to everyone there- we'll be regulars. read more

We've been here 4x now. Food is generally good, though it's very common for them to make the order wrong. Meh is probably the best description. read more

My first time here, even though I live relatively close, and drive by it frequently. I had a waitress that was either clueless, or had the memory of a brick. I ordered the Friday fish fry of Cod, the other person at my table ordered the perch.We both asked for the clam chowder. She walks back , right after ordering, and asked if we ordered soup? We said, yes. She brings out the soup, and if I was blindfolded, I could not tell you it was clam chowder. It literally had no clam flavor, and completely devoid of anything clams. Then the fish comes out. We both received the perch. I questioned my waitress, and she said, I will get you the cod. By the time my fish came, my wife had finished her meal. I tasted her perch, and it was greasy, and the batter was sliding off. My cod was over cooked, and it could have been used for masonry. read more

I try to come every Monday for the chicken enchiladas; they are the Monday special and ONLY available on Monday. I really enjoy them. They are served with beans and rice and are a delicious and filing meal. I find the staff to be very helpful and welcoming. To me, this is just a comfortable and relaxed environment and I look forward to visiting, especially on Mondays! read more

A hidden gem... What a terrific place to grab some excellent food and be taken care of by some of the friendliest people in the area... The wings were outstanding, and my waitress Karen took great care of me... Warm smiles all around when I walked in- I'll DEFINITELY be back...! read more

The Monte Cristo was not what I hoped for and expected, but the churro dessert was awesome!

I will start by saying I love this place. I have been going here 30 years. Always good service and good food. Tonight was an absolute disaster. My wife and I met there for dinner and were seated by the hostess. 15 minutes later I told her we hadn't seen a server. She told us that she would send somebody over. 5 minutes later...nothing. we decided to leave. Told the hostess that we were disappointed and leaving. She did not respond. As we were walking out she SCREAMS....what am I supposed to do? I heard the place is for sale and the owners are disinterested. Sad. Hope somebody that cares buys the place. read more

Long standing establishment with good vibe, great for a drink or food or both. Plenty of tvs in case you want to catch a game, too. Believe it or not their salads are exceptional. My wife and I frequent often for the Cobb. read more

Oh, boy, where do I start. Honestly, we have been coming to DI for 30+ years, spent many a dollar here. Saturday night we went to celebrate 3 birthdays. It's been a tough year for us and we were there to celebrate and have fun. Kristen was our bartender. Started out ok, had a weird lol attitude from the get go, though. Very sarcastic and thought she was being funny, she was not. It took forever for her to come to our side of the bar, knowing full well that there were 10 of us needing drinks. At one point, my friend ordered a drink and then she proceeds to set it down at the other end of the bar. Why?? She was mad bc one of our friends starting talking to her boyfriend at the bar. All hell broke loose and she started screaming at us, then her boyfriend yelled to MY HUSBAND to "pull his f*****g pants down so I can suck your c**k!". And Kristen yelled at US instead of reigning in her obviously conflicted boyfriend. We always have fun and are laughing at it now but she tried to ruin our night. Nice try, Kristen. You picked the wrong group to mess with. Btw, we are big tippers. Lucky that Mike took care of our bills cuz you'd have gotten nothing from us!! read more

Whatever the girls name is that is bartending right now is the worst. She has reddish brownish pigtail braids. She is in slow motion. No sense of urgency. We sat there for 10 minutes at the bar, waiting to order beer and get a menu and then ended up leaving after she looked at us and never came over. She's filling drinks 3/4 of the way and having to waste time going back to finish filling. People still waiting for the drinks they ordered, while she tends to others asking for drinks and food after them and then fills their orders first. Then starts filling the bar ticket orders coming in, while still hasn't gone back to the orders of those who were still waiting and ordered first. Other patrons smiled and threw up their hands and said they don't blame us for leaving as we walked out the door and she barely glanced in our direction or acted like she cared at all. Less customers for her to worry about. Ridiculous lack of customer service on this woman's part. She may need to find a new occupation. read more

I love donkey in its a neighborhood bar with good food sandwiches salads burgers tacoc And more lots of TV for sports lovers but I love their bloody Mary's and breakfast child or letter different what a morning pick me up staff is friendly love Mel great waitress read more

I hit up Donkey Inn on 7/27/22 at about 8pm because I've had a good experience in the past during one of there fish fry's. This time I sat at the bar which was a mistake. The establishment had about 10 people inside most of which were only drinking. The bartender came off as if she didn't even want to serve me and would disappear into the kitchen for stints at a time. She spent most of her time talking with intoxicated dudes who were throwing around sexual harassment like it was candy on the 4th of July. The other hostess was busting her ass waiting on the couple of people seated at tables. I don't want to hear excuses because it's the pandemic if you hate your job then leave and find something else. I could have gone anywhere else with so many other bars in the general location but opted for the closest one. When she gave me the bill absolutely no response just slapped it on the table and went back to chatting with the intoxicated womanizer's. The stars are for the fries and Philly cheesesteak and the other hostess that was hustling. I will still hit up Donkey Inn but will avoid the employee who clearly isn't all in and selective on who she treats well. read more

Came for all you can eat FISH FRY and left with a bad meal- it took a long time for a person to come and even ask if we wanted something to drink- NO WATER and the soda was FLAT-Then the fish was not even cooked enough and it was cold on the inside-they ran out of coleslaw and did not offer us anything for the missing coleslaw- we didn't ask for more fish because it was not even good- don't waste your time! And no I will not be back! read more

Have enjoyed this place a handful of times, but on two recent visits got super slow service (yes, it was crowded...but not THAT crowded), orders mixed up (yes, we waited so long we just ate what was given to us) and poor quality food. I'm not going to give them a third strike. Done with Donkey Inn. Two stars because, while you wait for a table, the gal at the bar is super friendly. read more

My boyfriend, his parents and myself went to the Donkey Inn yesterday. We ordered Onion Rings for an appetizer, those were extremely good no complaints there! I ordered the BBQ Pulled Pork with fries. My Pork seemed like it was drenched in the BBQ sauce and only a few hours after eating I had to run to the bathroom. My boyfriend ordered there Bleu Burger with Bacon and he is also running to the bathroom. read more

Hey! My invisible cape finally worked! We were told to seat ourselves. So we picked a table in the middle of the restaurant. For the 15 minutes that were were sitting there, nobody acknowledged us. Nobody gave us any water. Nobody gave us any menus. The two waitresses that passed by us more than ten times never even looked at our table. The restaurant was not even half full. They have time to ask other people if they want a refill and to collect bills, but they don't want to keep two hungry customers in the door. Good luck with all that. read more

I've been coming to this place since I was a kid. I love the location, the food, the ambience and the owner is great. However, one bartender who works on Saturday nights is the absolute worst. Her name is Kristen. She couldn't bartend her way out of a box! Her personality and attitude is that of an ant. We went to celebrate my birthday n a friends birthday and had the worst service. Constant dirty looks, always waiting for drinks, and always looked liked we were bothering her. she was more concerned about serving the guy she was sleeping with at the end of the bar then serving paying customers! three times this happened I ordered a beer right in front of her and she put it down at the end of the bar. In all my years of going to a bar not one time has a bartender put the beer at the end of the bar when I'm standing right in front of them. She did this to my other friend to because she was talking to her "boyfriend". She is completely unprofessional should not be bartending and will be telling everybody I know about her so they do not go to Donkey Inn. Her sleeping buddy starting yelling profanities at us n wanting to start a fight and she did nothing!!! She should be fired for her actions. Unacceptable!! read more