I've avoided this place for a few years because twice in a row, their hotdogs were served with soggy buns. I thought I'd give it another try today, and Whaddya know? Buns are soggy. Counterman's defense was that the buns were steamed (likely over steamed). Well, pretty much everyone steams their buns and others don't have the same problem. The condiments were a bit sloppy, and that plus the buns make a dog that just wants to fall apart. There are several dog&burger joints nearby, and of the ones I've tried, they're all better. read more

I would avoid this at all costs. I ordered 4 meals for my family and am very disappointed. Food quality is very poor. We had an issue with ordering online and the girl at the counter was very bad. The sides are small and over priced, the food was bland. I will never go back even though we live within 5 min of this place. Overall very poor experience. read more

Had their Gumbo. It was the worst Gumbo small pc's of chicken & only had 3half pc's of their Andouille Sausage. Rice was slumped & pasty. Nothing but a spicy flavor. Nowhere close to a box Gumbo. I can taste & undstand why they only sell it once a year. Unfortunately it's only made with old & mostlikey outdated product. Don't waste your money go next door to 7-11 & eat their hotdogs or outdated pizza. Zero star Rating. read more

Great food, excellent customer service, and the best hotdog in the nation! Karen always has a friendly face at the counter when you come in and the serving of the very delicious fries is Hardy and always enough to bring home to Jake! We love this place! read more

I've known about Kooker's for years and finally tried it. We got a Wednesday special burger ($7.75) with everything (lettuce, tomato, onion, pickle, ketchup, mustard)...comes with fries as well, and a chicken gyro ($8.69). Burger: They say it's "Orchard Prime Meats" 1/2 pound burger. Orchard is a local butcher shop. It smelled good and was put together well, but it was drier than sawdust. I think it was too lean a blend because it wasn't burnt. The vegetables were hand cut as was clear with the chunks of tomato mixed with slices. The fries were fresh cut in-house and looked burnt and greasy. Upon eating, they were neither burnt nor greasy. They were dry as well but not terrible. The gyro was made with pre-sliced chicken gyro strips that were thrown on the grill for heating and to get some grill marks. It was over sauced and not great. The pita was soft and fresh though. The man cooking the food did not have gloves on. Not sure if he used his hands or utensils to assemble the food so I can't say if that was unsanitary. My suspicion is it was bare hands though. The lady at the front counter was nice and had my food ready as soon as I told her I was there for a pickup. Oddly, there were no other orders waiting for pickup and only one person waiting for their food. This was around 6:45 pm. They have online ordering through Clover and you don't have to create a profile to order. There were no additional fees to order online either. My overall opinion is that they are doing their best to keep prices reasonable, which is awesome. On the other hand, the food isn't good, so I would be upset paying any more than I did. They would likely benefit from new ownership with fresh ideas and recipes as this is a decent location. I probably will not visit again, but I'm glad to have tried it. read more

The best burger and fries I have had in Chicago. The beef is from a local butcher fresh, the fries are fresh cut. Limited seating. Lovely staff and service. Most highly recommended. read more

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I cannot say enough about this place! I used to come here often when they were located in Barrington, but when I discovered they moved to Lake Zurich I was SO excited because it's right down the street from where I work. They have the best sweet potato fries and gyros, the staff is always friendly and invite you in. Plus, when I write "make with love" on my online order they definitely do! I'm happy to support a family owned business and especially if it's so tasty! read more

This is a very cool place I like to come here after work. I advise everyone!! Avocado BLT Sandwich Chicago Dogs Flatbread Sandwich Fresh Cut French Gumbo read more

Kooker's - Meet - American Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

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Homemade potato chips to die for. The only reason I haven't tried everything on the menu is that I'm addicted to the first 3 I've tried: salmon burger, avocado BLT on a pita, and the Reuben. Great service, friendly people, easy in and out. read more

Tried this place for the first time and it was just ok, but it was really our second time eating here that convinced us that their food is good. I do love that in the fast food paradise that is this area, they are a stand alone burger place, I think that's why we were so eager to try it again with different food. That being said, my burger wasn't what I had hoped. Maybe it's my fault but I ordered mayo on my burger and they may have used an entire bottle on my burger. The burger itself was great though, my husband enjoyed his so maybe opt out of the mayo. Our second time around we tried the gyros & that was fantastic. Great portion for what you pay, and the gyros meat was delicious. Our favorite thing here is the nachos. I have no idea what chips they use but this ousted our other favorite nachos place & we now come here when we're craving it! read more

Very unprofessional, i don't know if the old man at the register is the owner or what his deal is but any questions or requests that I had about the food he would get mad and or have attitude about my order!!! Never coming back and don't let me get started on their prices $13 for a gyro read more

Not sure how some people have rated this place anything less than the 5 stars. Food is always amazing! My go to is the 1/2 lb burger with ghost pepper cheese! Karen is the sweetest up front & I always feel at home when ever I stop in for some grub. I've been going for the last 4 years :) read more

I am one of the world's biggest fans of mom and pop businesses of any ilk, and that goes double for the restaurant biz, a segment so terribly difficult even under the best of circumstances. Kookers has served the posh Chicago suburb of Barrington for at least thirty years that I am aware of, perched on US Highway 14 on the west side of the village. It was previously in a smaller facility on the north side of the road, and within the past few years, moved to a larger facility across the street. It was for sale for awhile before the move, not sure if it changed hands or not, but based on visits years ago, I would guess it has different owners. They serve a typical "Chicago" menu of fast food, burgers, hot dogs, Italian beef, gyros, fried sides, plus some extended offerings in different day parts. Menu. I so wanted to come away from my latest visit bubbling over with enthusiasm, but unfortunately, that wasn't the case. I popped in mid afternoon and was the only customer, except for a man engaged in conversation with the counter person, apparently a conversation so engaging that it was more important than waiting on me. Strike one. I place my order, for a cheeseburger (they have many cheeses to choose from, I went with blue) and walked into the bathroom. Wasn't antiseptically clean and parts of it seemed to be held together with scotch tape and wire. The entrance to the men's room is through a hallway which was stacked floor to ceiling with boxes of various restaurant supplies. Strike 2. I don't want to see that. I fear that standards of (lack of) organization or 'cleanliness' extends throughout an establishment. It didn't take long for the burger to be ready, but it really wasn't anything special, a machine-formed patty and put together with a not very aesthetically pleasing appearance. Strike 2.5? I gathered up some sections of newspaper that were laying around, perused them while eating my burger, which I finished in short order. Got up to leave (still the only customer) without any acknowledgement from the employee ("thanks!" "come back soon"). My recollection of the previous long-time owner was people supported him for a couple reasons; one, he made a point to 'know' every customer and be hospitable, and two, he prided himself on quality ingredients. Neither appears to be the case at the "new" Kookers, sadly. read more

Kooker's - Burger with blue cheese - American Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

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I hate a beat up a small business, but our last visit was exactly that: last. Ate here a while back and food was pretty good. When the Mrs and I were heading back home from a store in the area, I suggested this place over the chains.. Food: I am not sure what happened since our last visit, but I had the same Italian Beef sandwich and it was barely edible. Wife had the burger, which she said tasted like they cooked a frozen patty. Service: Fast counter service, but the place is a bit cramped. With COVID impacting everyone, it was decent enough to eat at one of the dirty tables outside. Overall: Sorry we tried, but looks like this place has seen better days. read more

Burger smelled horrible like it was spoiled and I couldn't eat it. Wouldn't recommend. It could have been a bad batch but I wouldn't chance it a second time. read more

Service here is top-notch! The owners are just the sweetest people and so they will get our business on that fact alone. Luckily their food is great too. Great burgers, fries, chicken tenders (my kids have decided they are the best in the area) and even salads. The taco salad is MASSIVE! They have great daily specials, like the burger and fries on Weds can't be beat. Their online ordering system is super easy to use and they are so fast! I have to run out the door the second I order so my food isn't waiting for me! The location is nothing special but really that doesn't matter, this is a great quick family friendly place and we'll be back! read more

Kookers is a hidden gem in Barrington. If you are looking for quick, affordable, and delicious food, check it out! The customer service is excellent, the staff is always super nice and friendly. They also have daily specials, and a soup of the day in addition to chili. My favorite meal is the patty melt sandwich. read more

Kooker's - American Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

Very rude staff. Don't bother coming in here. Food is very greasy and salty. Staff is even saltier.

Great food, very fast service. Food is not overpriced. Staff is friendly, and even though I screwed up ordering online, they figured out what I meant and made it exactly how I meant to order it. Would 100% recommend read more

My husband and I had the Wednesday burger special and it was the best burger we have ever eaten. The owner is very welcoming and knows most customers by name as they have many regulars. We spoke with several other customers and they all raved about the restaurant. Pricing is reasonable and portions were generous. Highly recommend for gyros, Italian beef, soups, etc. read more

Our favorite local spot. Everything on the menu (and it's huge) is great. Italian beef, and soup are our favorites. Have catered parties with the Italian beef, and it was a huge hit! Best cheese curds around, and always greeted with a friendly face! read more

Smallest beef sandwich in town line out the door for nothing special hard to find a good beef spot read more

Kooker's - Beef sandwich after one bite hardly any meat on it WEAAAK - American Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

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The fries are very good. The actual dog is below average. The biggest problem is the cheap generic bun. You can't claim "Chicago dogs" if you dont use good quality buns. By cheaping out they kill the whole thing. Rosens would be the way to go. (or similar) I might try something else there one day but not the place to go for a good hotdog. read more

Best grilled cheese imaginable. Cooked to perfection. Even let you customize it with tomato, bacon and avocado. A weekly stop.

Just finished baseball practice nearby and wanted to get my family a quick dinner. Kids of course had to use the bathroom. My husband told me not to go- toilet paper role was held up by a bungee cord and was very dirty. I placed the order for food to a man who seemed so disinterested in my presence there- as the only customer I thought it would be nice to see us there. Ordered corn dog, hot dog, gyro sandwich and a burger. The dogs were fine, nothing special but were only $2.50, so that's good. Gyro sandwich was fine - had a mix of red and white onions which I found weird. Meat was super dry and not warm. My husband had a burger and said it wasn't worth $7 and he'd rather get a cheap tasting burger from McDonalds. Overall we went in wanting to love it since it's so convenient after our sons baseball practice and close to our home. So disappointed and will never go back. The overall ambiance in the restaurant was old, chairs and tables look cheap and are past their prime, items on the window sills that are dirty and have been there for a while. I did not feel comfortable eating there. Outside the weeds are overwhelming. Thinking about the lack of attention to just the appearance leads me to believe there could be cleanliness issues in the kitchen I can't see. read more

First time here. Hard to find on GPS. Called the restaurant got us here. Fast food. So many items to choose from. Milk shakes were soooo good. I had a little sammis sandwich. Husband had the gyro. Very nice staff. Very friendly. Popular place. People coming and going. Lots of take out. Tables outside. And in. We will be back. read more

I came here with a colleague for a quick lunch. The burgers are great because they use meat from a local butcher. And the shakes are handmade with real ice cream. Forget your diet if you're eating here. Things are too good to pass up. read more

Kooker's - The place is big enough to bring the little league team here for shakes after a game. - American Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

A group of us had a great lunch, I had gyros and they were amazing. We also had burger which was great and from the local butcher. Good fresh cut fries. We did not try shakes but the owner said they are old fashioned type and will need to try them. We spoke to owner for a bit and had a great experience. If you are considering dining in, there is only 1-2 tables and a bar and max our at maybe 10 people. read more

Ordered corn beef dinners for St. Patrick's day. Delicious! Meat was cooked to perfection & very generous portions We'll be back. read more

Wow. Great Burgers. Great Fresh Cut Fries. Great Service!!! Thanks for always keeping everything fresh & delicious.

Incredible shakes! Have not tried their food but it looks and smells delicious. Will definitely order take out when I am not up to cooking dinner and when mom needs a night off. read more

I like their food, and the fact that they have a good selection of breakfast food. And anytime you go in you can find something because they have a good variety. The staff is nice and service is pretty quick. read more

If you're looking for good local Chicago style food and salad place, with stellar customer service, stop on in. Pros: Fast, fresh, and clean. Friendly welcome. The Maxwell St. Polish sausage had a fresh steamed bun, plenty of grilled onion, and the perfect smear of mustard. Hand cut fries with cheese sauce is a must! The togo bag had condiments, napkins and all the food was wrapped with . Constructive Criticism: The digital menu needs an anti glare sheet, or the blue on black font needs to be larger. I'm in my 30s and it was difficult to read. The buns for the hamburgers are delicious, but almost brioche like, so we definitely missed the Chicago style bun. We used a Local Flavor deal, it was our first time there and won't be our last. They also have a daily special menu that's $6/$7 with fries and a drink!!!! read more

I have been here multiple times for lunch they have great deals and wife who works in afternoons is a complete gem! Unfortunately, my last visit will be the last. I went their for breakfast and ordered a HAM, egg and cheese. I waited for my order and took it to go. When I got home I realized they made me a bacon egg and cheese. So I called and told the husband who works in the morning "hey I was just in there and you guys accidentally made me a bacon egg and cheese can you please make my ham egg and cheese so it's ready when I come back" The husband then proceeds to respond with "NO, if you ordered a two egger ham and cheese the receipt would say so" Don't you think you could've Misunderstood my order when I was ordering? Complete a**hole!!!!!! Living in lake Zurich my whole life I'll be sure to pass this story along! (: read more

Regarding their behavior at Palatine's Oktoberfest. We ordered a sandwich and then sauerkraut. The order taker said the kraut was 2 tickets which I paid. Another woman said "no" it's 3 tickets. Then an argument ensued between them and the one woman said I had to pay another $1. You don't change the price on the customer once they purchased it, argue about the price nor does one demand more money after the transaction is settled. read more

Kooker's - The sauerkraut which they charged $2 but upped the price on me after I paid! They demanded another $1. I had no choice but to pay them. - American Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

This place falls apart when the owners are not in. I frequent this place because the quality of food it produces for the money and the quick service as I am always taking my orders to-go WHEN the friendly owners are working. However, when the owners are not in, EVERYTHING declines. Visit #1 without the owners: I clocked in 13 minutes to make my order (note this is a short-order place, where you order and pick up at the counter) because no one was attending the counter. I even accidentally cut in front of a lady bec she got tired of standing and sat on the bench next to the counter. In the middle of all of us waiting to order a family of 3 just left with the dad saying "this is crazy to wait this long". This Hispanic guy took my order and I repeatedly said "extra sauce on the side with my gyro please" and "please don't forget my extra sauce on the side" before he took my money. Another 15 min later, I said "do I have extra sauce in the bag", the same Hispanic guy said "yes". I got home and guess what was NOT in my bag? *smh* So two weeks after I said maybe this was a fluke and visited Kookers and the owners were not there. The same Hispanic guy was taking this guy's order. He went to the kitchen to tell them what he ordered. One gyro to-go. He then took mine. I wanted two gyro platters. He then when to the kitchen to put my order. Then this lady came in and ordered a salad, a gyro and a burger. He then went back to the kitchen for her order. After a few minutes, he says "salad, burger and gyro". The first guy and I looked at each other, he said "her order came out first?". I just shook my head in agreement. He approaches the counter and said "where is my order?" The Hispanic guy goes "did you order one or two gyro?". I could tell he was frustrated and said "I ordered one but if you want to give me two I will take it". A few minutes later, the Hispanic guy shouted "two gyro with fries", the first guy approaches the counter and looks in the bag "this isn't mine" and the Hispanic guy said did "did you have a drink?" That is when I interrupted while I was shaking my pop and I said "I have the drink, that is MY order". I took my order and said "sorry man, I guess they are little confused". I just heard him say to this Hispanic guy "I was here first. What happened?" So I got smart and tried to called first before going in for my order in hopes that I don't have the same experience and just phone my order in for a pick-up on a Saturday at 2:00pm. First call, no one answered. I called 5 min later. Again, no answer. Another 5 minutes later, no answer. I decided to go to the Mexican place across the street. read more

Got lunch from this place. First time trying. Food was okay. Ordered a chicken gyros Greek salad and the salad itself was good, but they made a mistake and gave me beef. The beef was an underwhelming portion and was a bit dry and salty. Tamale was good. Disappointed with the mistake on my salad as the one time I really wanted a particular thing I got the wrong thing. My brother wasn't too happy about his breakfast sandwich as there was only one tiny strip of bacon. Overall just okay. Not sure I'd go out of my way to go back. read more

Love their fries& local adds like Gumbo for special occasions. Location is great too. Small but convenient & fast.

I was worried when I walked in and the counter person seemed very inefficient with the order system having to walk back to kitchen to deliver the order. I had a gyros which was over cooked and salty (probably from overlooking and drying out. The French fries were obviously reheated in deep fryer and were greasy and just bad. I maybe should have given two stars but maybe it was a bad day. read more

Kooker's - Over cooked greasy fries. - American Near Me - Lake Zurich, Illinois

Good solid addition to our neighborhood. The fries are awesome and the burgers are good too. It's a little slow at lunch, but not bad. If you want faster (inferior) food I guess you can go to McDonald's. I can't wait to try their breakfast. read more