Everything about Dukes is 5 star! Food ... the best! Service... always friendly! Ambiance... perfection!! Love having the outdoor patio open! read more

My friend and I drove an hour to dine here for the first time. What initially attracted me to this place were the vegan options. What did I like about it after dining here? Everything! We visited on Memorial Day when they opened at noon. There were already a few people seated both indoors and outdoors, but since the weather was perfect, we decided to sit on the patio, which was lovely. I was so happy to see items on the menu clearly designated as vegan. The Grilled Butter Chicken sandwich featuring plant-based SWAP meat was the most intriguing option thanks to its rich Indian-inspired seasoning. It exceeded expectations and was truly delicious. (And how great is it that they offer a vegan brioche bun?!?) There was a nice selection of sides, but I thought the tater tots paired best with the sandwich. Our server was very nice and incredibly helpful. She made us feel very welcome and even gave me an artsy postcard of the place for free. I can see how some people might find the service a bit slow, but we were in no hurry and appreciated the relaxed pace of our dining experience. read more

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The service here is attentive and the vibe is nice. No rush, enjoy a meal, indoors or outside when the weather permits. It can also get loud so fair warning, but the atmosphere is lively with conversations. The food - I've had the burgers and highly recommend. The salmon - not so much. A bit dry and bland, but get it with the spinach which is actually more seasoned. Overall, worth going and figuring out what you like because it's a gem of a place. read more

Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen - Duke's Alehouse - Salmon Dish - American Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

Dukes is top notch in the Crystal Lake area for us. All very thoughtful dishes, ingredients and their sources listed. You don't feel like crap after eating here. Food, drinks, people are all high quality. We come here over and over again. read more

I like Dukes, it's ok most times. Some things on the menu I'd never eat again like their beet salad(usually I love beet salads) Been there a lot. But I'll try to stay focused on this visit. Stopped for a drink and maybe some eats. Got a good gin and tonic and decided on an order of fries. The service was good this time, and that depends highly on who's behind the bar.if you are sitting there, which I was. The fries were excellent actually and I took half home, while still eating a large portion. The only thing I will say is the order had lots of tiny bits, really tiny bits of baby fries not big enough to be counted, never reaching their full fry potential. Lol. Just fillers or maybe they just put the potatoes through a cutter and toss the whole thing in?? Later I ordered the little app bites of veggies and hummus or ranch. Pretty straightforward and good but I found it odd that it had two little peppers stuffed in there whole.? Was I supposed to munch around the edges avoiding all the seeds? Just odd. Seemed like someone got tired of chopping. Anyway all was good. Certainly nothing to stop me from recommending or going again, just once in a while wonder about some smaller things you'll find. read more

Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen - Order of plain fries. Enough for two to split. Pretty darn good. - American Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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Dukes is amazing! Not only were the food, drinks, and vibes great, the service was phenomenal as well. Doesn't hurt to know that they're on the right side of history ;) read more

Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen - Togarashi Fries - American Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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Hip bartenders with a great attitude elevate what is mediocre fare on a good day. Very attentive service made this a three star review. The food is out of place in Chicagoland. In Iowa, this would pass fine for what it is, but within a half hour of Chicago, it shouldn't taste like it came out of a vending machine. It's possible that a chef designed these flavors and then the kitchen lost the script and went off plan, but over-sauced flavor extremes compete with the main notes to produce a cacophony of disharmonic disaster. We ordered the hits to sample the best Duke's had to offer, and I can confidently say that the Duke Abides only hesitantly, and only because there are few other options. The bison burger is too thin to really deliver what should be a signature experience. If the burger were half the radius and twice the height, we'd be getting somewhere. The grain bowl is a mushy miss best eaten with your dentures out. The falafel on the pita was icy in the center -- if it's microwaved, it needs to be done on a lower temperature. Tempura green beans miss with a too-sweet and inconsistently-distributed sauce. Half the portion for 60% of the price would be a much better option. Now that we are through the bad news, let's get back to the good: Locally sourced ingredients meet local beers to give that "feel good" vibe. Combined with the aforementioned excellent service, it's a place I could see spending a rainy afternoon. The dark windows and decor would make me give it a miss on a sunny day. read more

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We hadn't been to Duke's in a very long time. My husband and I always enjoyed going to Duke's for the food and atmosphere. The atmosphere and service have not changed but the prices are unreasonably high and the food is mediocre at best. Our bill for two drinks, a mocktail, soda, sandwich, and burger was over $100 BEFORE tip. That is absurd amount of money even for our current economy. read more

Stopped in for lunch with two kiddoes. They have kids menus (and coloring). The food was incredibly fresh, from the pretzel appetizer to the delicious batter for the fish fry. The kids' burger was cooked a perfect medium well, with a nice char and very tasty beef. The beet salad my partner had was rated as excellent. The French press coffee from Conscious Cup was perfect. Only slight downside was the lava cake was a touch overcooked, so no melty inside and outside was a bit dry, but the strawberry coulis was excellent and made up for the dryness. Service was friendly and attentive without being overbearing. Casual ambiance and plenty of natural light at midday. Prices reasonable for the quality of the food. Will definitely return. read more

Always Delicious! Every time I come here I enjoy the food and vibes. This restaurant is located directly on the corner of the street cross section directly across from the train station. There is plenty of side street and back lot parking. The entrance is unassuming, so if you're confused don't worry lol...because the restaurant is directly on the corner it looks like you would enter front the corner, but the only door is on the side street, parallel to the rail road tracks. When you walk in you'll be directly in the bar, just walk forward and you'll see the hostess desk to the right just in front of the main dining space. They have a email flyer I like getting for updates and new things so I'd highly recommend signing up if you don't any to be informed and plan on coming back. Theirs lots of seating options for small groups and big groups so I've enjoyed dinner and drinks here with a friend, large croups of 6 and sitting at the bar. I'm a vegan and have honestly enjoyed every meal option I've eaten here! I like asking my serve for recommendations and I've found then to be knowledgeable on details about the dishes. Always a good repeat spot! Yum! read more

After landing in Chicago O Hare international airport, I didn't want to commute 2+ hours by metra train to Crystal Lake. And so, it was Uber it was that day. I spent about $60 on the Uber to get to Duke's Ale House and Kitchen here in Crystal Lake, Illinois and that was fine by me. I was on vacation and my friend who was a local in Crystal Lake suggested this place to me. I arrived here around 1pm and probably took about 2 hours or so enjoying the ambiance of being on vacation. I noticed they are very green oriented and listed all the local area farms on the menu they do business with. Thought that was interesting, but not uncommon though. The bar and restaurant seemed cozy and quite nice. It was definitely nice to be here on a Friday afternoon, especially right when rush hour was soon to begin, especially when I was getting out of Chicago O Hare before the rush began. And so, the ambiance was nice and the service was good, friendly, and attentive for sure. I can understand charging $20 for a grass fed burger is one thing, but I guess the inflation is just what it is, I guess. I ended up starting with the cheese curds and had the bleu burger for the entree. I also had 2 beers on tap. All in all, a satisfying meal at a brewery of sorts. Everything was quite satisfactory and hope to come here again soon. The overall experience here at Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen was cozy and nice. Not much people here when I stop by at 1pm, so it was nice to be able to enjoy. I asked to be seated near the window, where I could see cars come and go in this quiet suburb of Chicago. I was to be seated next the entrance, but they allowed me to sit in the middle of the room at the end of the booth. I actually asked for recommendations as to which beer was the popular choice around here. I believe I ended up with the one that was similar to Guinness and another one that tasted like watermelon. You could actually taste the watermelon in the drink! The burger was fairly good and was quite delicious. The restaurant itself was fairly small and intimate. They had a stage there in the restaurant, so bands would come and perform shows or events I presume nightly. The restaurant was clean and quite immaculate. They even have restroom facilities here too. Quite convenient for everyone who comes here and enjoys themselves. For myself though, the enjoyment came when I got to sample their stuff on tap. While I wasn't a beer connoisseur by any means, it's always a pleasure to go beer tasting anywhere you vacation. The staff was nice and quite nice in giving me recommendations, so that was cool. Other than that, it was a nice expensive meal that would be great on any given day. The menu was limited but it has a bunch of stuff. It's a brewhouse, so you get what you can. Definitely recommended if you are in the Chicagoland area but not quite in Chicago. Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen is located in Crystal Lake, Illinois. It's physically located at 110 N Main Street that's pretty close to the Crystal Lake Metra station. They accept major credit cards as well as cash. Not sure about parking goes, since I arrived here via Uber, but I guess you can find street parking wherever you can find it nearby. I'm not sure if the City of Crystal Lake, Illinois has a public transportation system, but you can try to use that after taking the metra train from downtown Chicago. Other than that, Uber can be the best bet if you're pressed for time getting to and from Crystal Lake, like I was. For the most part though, spending the money to Uber here and arriving here at 1pm versus after 2pm via Metra train was a no brainer. Wanted to eat at a proper time, even when my stomach says otherwise. Love the ambiance and it was a nice a quiet meal here at Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen. Can't ask for anything more. While the prices are up there, I guess you can't beat it with great ambiance and the selection of libations is quite interesting. Cheers! 4.0 stars for the overall experience. Support local! B read more

The double seitan burger if the Bomb! amazing... and loaded with goodness. Parm Fries Taragoshi fries to start are excellent And the rose all day is a perfect summer day cocktail. Great vibes at Dukes it's a must! read more

Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen - Togarashi Fries - American Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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The food was amazing and love the farm to table aspect of it! Went fairly early so no problem with getting seated. Service was great and even had evening entertainment. read more

We LOVE Duke's!! My kids go-to are the tempura green beans, meatloaf & fries! We love their Duke's chicken and garlic parm fries!!! Dining atmosphere is fun & bright!! 100% recommend! read more

Best place to hang out in Crystal Lake. Duke's is a chill bar close to the Metra. It has a menu of beer and food at okay prices. A lot of vegetarian choices, like veggie burgers. They have some good shit. A lot of beers to get. It's about $5 a pint. They have a lot of local ones too. Many good deals. We got some of the Bell's Tropical Oberon. As we weren't too hungry, we got some of the smaller bites. We got the Blistered Shishitos. It's $10 for a bunch. These are peppers tossed in coconut milk, peanut butter, and sriracha, and topped with basil, black sesame seeds, cilantro, garlic, and scallions. Better than expected. They're mild mostly but some can be hot ass hot. Good place to stop for beers and a bite. It has a pretty impressive menu. They have vegan friendly items and healthy options. read more

Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen - Bell's Tropical Oberon And Blistered Shishitos - American Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

Good food and good service but pricey. Hard to look past the huge LGBT banner. Bathrooms clean.

The food and drink are fine. The service is so bad it's comical. Really not much to say here - the bartenders and bar back are a joke, they spend more time flirting with each other then actually serving customers. This bar has a decent selection of beers, and food is typical bar fare. Ambience is that of a slightly upscale local tap, which gives it a chill relaxed vibe. Really the service is the biggest let down here, I've been here 3 times now over 4 years with the service being worst each time. I'm sure lunch service is better but the evening bar service is just so infuriating. Honestly if your nearby just go to DC Cobbs in Woodstock or Crystal Lake, it has great food with much better service and imo better made drinks. I hope to make edits in the future, because dukes is so close to being good but I just always feel slightly let down every time I leave. If staff service met minimum expectations I'd give it a 3 star, if service was good id give 4 star. It truly is just a service issue, if this doesn't matter to you than you will probably like this spot and consider it 4 or 5 stars. read more

My favorite restaurant! My fiancé showed me this place when we first dated, and it has been incredible every time. My favorite dishes have been the salmon entree, the grain bowl (which I get the most, and is a stellar vegan dish that I crave often), the cuban sandwich, the burgers, chipotle chicken pasta, and many of their seasonal specials! I love the service, and I love the atmosphere, both indoor and outdoor. I also love their philosophy on food, being farm to table and sustainable, as well as gluten free options for my family members! I wish I could eat every meal here! I could also keep going about why I love it here, and I will be back there soon! read more

Outstanding service and great food. Of course it's not cheap, but the place is clean, and our hosts and our server were extremely kind and accommodating. Had a seat right at the corner window, had Great Lakes Beers- tasty, nice and cold, and for starters the mushroom soup- outstanding. Wife had the mussels- and I had the chicken pasta. Both were generous portions and we shared the Strawberry and Goat cheese salad. Wonderful, all fresh and once again, our server checked on us, and made some great recommendations along the way. Had the Lavender Ice Cream and that was very nice to finish as well. Look, it's not cheap, but for the quality of the food, the welcoming and attentiveness of the server... worth every penny- ($100). If you can't see spending this then move on. But if you want to treat yourself to a great dining experience, go there. We'll be back! Thanks again! read more

We picked up food for take out which was east to do online. The food was prepared quickly, and ready for pick up in 20-25 min. There's parking along the train station side and just beside the restaurant which was mostly full. For the food itself we enjoyed the tater tots, Duke's burger and the Grilled Vegetable Sandwich. We got the appetizers of the pretzel which was great and soft that came with the mustard which was a great complement. We didn't love the Tempura Green Beans, and thankfully the teriyaki ginger sauce was on the side because it was very salty. The cheese cake was also really good. read more

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What a find! A sustainable restaurant with local farm food. A welcoming environment with pride beauty. We had the chicken pasta and the chicken sandwich both excellent. The Bid. Red Monster Cab was also a great find. Service was superb. read more

Haven't been here in awhile but came by for late lunch and ordered the Fish Fry & Chopped Salad. Server was attentive & came by only when we needed which was nice and the ambiance was bright and clean. Also really liked the food menu having their resources specified and being very green friendly. Definitely enjoyed the chopped salad because the greens tasted so fresh. At first I was a little underwhelmed with the appearance but it made up for it. The fish fry was alright but the tartar sauce & hush puppies saved it. Probably wouldn't order again because it was very oily in my opinion. Will be coming back again if ever in the crystal lake area because I want to try some more dishes. read more

Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen - Cocktail menu - American Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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Stumbled into Dukes on a nice Sunday afternoon and was pleasantly surprised! Awesome patio, clean and got seated quick. Was awesome to walk into some live music too! Our 4 year old was with us and greeted with crayons and coloring and a pretty awesome kids menu. We had some drinks and bites and just had a great great time! Will definitely be back and highly recommend! read more

Great good, friendly and informed staff and delicious food. They work so well with multiple food allergies. We love the patio in warm weather and love the live music inside while dining. Love their mission & values as well. read more

I love this place and wish I could say bad things so you wouldn't go there. Crowded and you need reservations but the food is ridiculously good. Get the kale quinoa bowl for sure read more

I went to this restaurant for Mother's Day. it was terrible service and terrible food. My chicken and waffles were hard as a hockey puck. Food took an hour. We were late for our Mothers Day outing. Nobody cared about our terrible food? Never again! read more

Duke's Alehouse and Kitchen is a farm to table restaurant in Crystal Lake, across from the Metra station and is well worth the effort to visit. Due to the pandemic they are limiting seating to their full service outside patio, although they've also set up some outside tables where you can eat your to go order. On our most recent visit I had their fried green tomato BLT with Parmesan garlic fries. You can get Parmesan garlic fries anywhere but they are so much better at Duke's where they uses fresh Parmesan and garlic on homemade fries. For dessert we shared a slice of their vegan chocolate torte, which was rich and decadent. In addition to excellent food, Duke's has an excellent beer and drink menu. I highly recommend Duke's. read more

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Unique savory dishes made by talented chefs. Bartenders have friendly humorous personalities. Well though out delicious recipes. Not just typical bar food by any means! We go EVERY TIME we are in Chicago, Crystal Lake. Must try! read more

Dukes has the best food! I haven't eaten anything I don't like. You can tell it's all fresh (farm to table). The service was always fast and the environment is great. Not to loud and family friendly. The sitting area to dine in is a little small read more

The food was really great. Loved the togarashi fries, burgers, and cider. Lots of food options. The service was attentive and kind. We loved the ambiance. Lots of good Halloween decorations and cool environment. We will be back! read more

Nice atmosphere. Locals highly recommended. Visiting from Dallas. Ordered greek salad with grilled chicken. It was a generous portion. Also ordered black n bleu burger. It was fresh. Food took about thirty minutes to prepare. Ordered fries poutine which were dry. And came out to table without gravy. By the time we saw our server again and pointed it out we were already done with rest of meal. He offered gravy to go. Way over priced. Not recommended. Too bad though. Great atmosphere read more

DUKES AGAIN WANTS TO DELETE MY REVIEW FOR THE 2nd time. I will call someone to close this place down. Like I said , your bartender Richie is on something while she serves customers, curses at them and is just rude. I don't know why management can't take action. I will make a note of this all over the media now until management gets ahold of me . For my reviews to be deleted twice, makes sense. read more

A frequent spot for colleagues conducting business in the area, finally i got to go myself. Came here on a week day recently and was very happy with everything. Food/Drink: I got a chicken sandwich which was extremely fresh and delicious, i was very impressed. Although i asked for no sauce, and it came with it, it was very good and it wasn't an issue at all. The chicken was tender and juicy, i would recommend this sandwich for sure. I was very impressed by the beer menu, many options, mostly craft which is awesome. I love beer so being able to go somewhere and try something different is exactly what i am looking for - there's a time and place for Bud Light, and its almost never. Service: Although they messed up my sandwich a bit, everyone else's was fine and it was all still delicious. The waitress was extremely friendly, knowledgeable on the beer selection and the food came out hot with no delays. Can't ask for anything else! Atmosphere: There is a nice size bar at the main entrance but we sat in the dining area which was very nice. There was a stage so it seems they have live music some nights. There was also an upstairs - possibly to sit more people or for private parties. Everything was clean and nice though, no issues. Didn't use the bathroom so i cannot comment on that. Overall I'm glad my boss took us all here. Great spot, awesome beer, great food. No complaints. I will definitely be back when I'm in the area. read more

The food tasted so fresh and delicious. I could taste every flavor and ingredient. The service was amazingly friendly and fast. I loved the cute look of the restaurant. Corn ribs were amazing and so was the fried green tomato BLT. read more

I have been here a couple times now. Parking is always challenging here but luckily there is a small lot next door. The server was nice and attentive. The hamburger with special sauce (but missing the sauce), lettuce cheese was good but extremely pricey at $18. The "narcissistic cheese fries" were very good. My pomegranate martini really good but was $14... again pricey. I give this place 3.5 stars. read more

Made a reservation over the phone for one day, host made it for a different one so we were stuck waiting for 25 minutes. Drinks took 15 minutes to come out. The easiest drink, a beer pitcher, came out in 25 minutes with 4 children. Host was slow and sassy. Server was nice and attentive, but didn't apologize once for the long waits on everything. Not sure if the long wait was her fault or the bars, but either way it sucked after waiting 25 minutes for a reserved table. Food came out in good time and was delicious. They do a free dessert for birthdays which was nice. read more

I went back after saying I wouldn't , actually I've been here several times for drinks. Anyway this time we came for dinner. And the food was very good. We started with a truffle French fries and cheese curds. I tried the fries as I yam not a fan of truffles/oil and I what surprise on how good they were, again I'm still not a fan but they were awesome as per the the rest of group. The cheese curds were great. I had a meat loaf sandwich which was delicious but the meatloaf was too small of a slice it should have been thicker for the price. At the table two others goats hamburgers that looked great and I was told that they were , the chicken sandwich that the fourth got looked real good also. The sides dishes; soup , fries and tots all were very good Our server , buss , and bartenders were all really friendly and kind. I have to say I am glad that they are better than my previous visits. And won't roll my eyes when someone suggests Dukes to me anymore. read more

This place is tasty and has live music! They also support local farms and are all about sustainability which is amazing. We enjoyed some tasty cocktails (although they have an extensive beers list). The fried goat cheese salad was a great size to share, delicious, and fresh. I also had the scallops with risotto which delightfully came with a generous amount of seafood. Definitely worth a visit. Very pleased with their eco-conscious approach! read more

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DUDE this place is the tits. The fact that it is in Crystal Lake really surprises me. Fun music playing throughout the restaurant, they also have karaoke and live music on certain nights. They always have food specials that will make you go out of your comfort zone and get your taste buds experiencing uncharted territory. One half of the place is a dive bar and the other half is a classy restaurant. They also have outdoor seating. On Thursday they have half priced bottles of wine all day long! *Giving it 4 stars because the servers are great but they were understaffed on a Friday night so it was slow service.* read more

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Busy Friday night, but we were seated right away as we beat the dinner rush. Angie B was a nice waitress. She knows what's really good on the menu. Manager came by our table plenty of times to chat and check on us. He made sure we were well taken care of during our visit. Hubby ordered the Friday Fish Fry: couple pieces of fried cod, coleslaw, hush puppies, fries (he substituted sautéed spinach). Spinach was ok. We both loved their veggie of the day which was spigarello. What is spigarello? It's an Italian heirloom variety of broccoli rabe. It has hearty dark green leaves that when cooked resemble collard greens. Duke's Ale House cooks spigarello with spicy peppers/sauce, and walnuts. It's very delicious and well worth the try. I ordered the baked white fish that came with broccoli, baked Kennebec (potato) and walnuts. Never had walnuts with fish before, but it was very good. Not sure the two small pieces of white fish was worth the cost of $14 for the meal. Very loud restaurant. Had to lean forward over the table to talk to each other before and during the meal. read more

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