Attentive bartender! Little dive bar! One pool table and…read moredarts, good for a night cap.

This is a neat looking bar in the Crystal Lake area that primarily focuses on Whiskey which I do…read morenot drink they do however have a small kitchen and this is a old place looks more like a rural Iowa or Wisconsin bar then something one would expect to find in Illinois

First timers....we will be back! Loved the "old fashioned"…read moreWisconsin type atmosphere. Not fancy, but we immediately were warmly welcomed. We felt we were on a movie/set "back in the day".....we left with full tummies + warm hearts A lovely afternoon experience for Jim & Jan Bauer!

Seriously...best fish fry ever. And I grew up in Wisconsin!…read more Make sure to pick the potato pancake and get a good beer too!

We had the Buffalo Cauliflower and Trojan fries. Hands down the best buffalo cauliflower I have had…read moreever! Fries were loaded with topping and full of flavor. Next time we'll venture out to try the Mac or fries with your choice toppings.

RACIST establishment. Do NOT go if you have any respect or compassion for your fellow neighbors…read more How can I give zero stars for discrimination? I'll try to be short, but want to give a true account of the events. Yesterday I came from the city via Metra late afternoon with another friend to visit a dear friend that moved to Cary a few years ago. Cary is far & we rarely see one another. Needless to say, we were super excited to for this mini-reunion & for our friend to show us a slice of Cary. It was not the best planning being St Paddy's weekend but so be it. We specifically looked for a place we could easily talk & catch up. We started w/ one chocolate martini at Cucina Rustica and chatted OVER an HOUR. Little did we know, we should have stayed there. Next stop, Cary RACIST Ale House. The back area lounge was nearly empty & we were assured it was open (not booked for any events). The waitress, at the start aggressively asked a bunch of questions. I first thought her line of questioning was bizarre so I ignored her while trying to figure out what to order. She asked how we got there, who was driving & specifically said she didn't feel comfortable in serving me. WTF?!?!? My friend politely answered her questions and when she left, we all agreed the waitress's behavior was odd & laughed it off. We refused to have her ruin our evening. To our SHOCK the waitress would NOT serve me?! Only me! Was I disruptive? NO! Was I being violent or doing something illegal? NO! Did I come in stumbling? NO! Was I slumped over passed out? NO! This was crazy! Check your security cameras if you don't believe! Was this a bad twilight zone episode? Was someone going to tell us this was all a joke? I was speechless. We asked her why. She said it was a management decision. What?! Interesting since no one came to talk to us aside from her. We asked her to explain, to get some understanding. You will NOT believe what she said....she said it was my eyes. I looked at my two white friends & asked if something was wrong with my eyes? No, nothing is wrong. WOW, she basically said my Asian eyes were an issue. Falsely claiming I was drunk and couldn't be served because she didn't like Asian-looking eyes?!?! I was stone cold sober ***hole! We were all completely sober & flabbergasted! Completely disgusted, we left. I thought about brushing this aside but I wouldn't want anyone else to be treated that way. I will not allow them to humiliate me. This was supposed to be a happy occasion, and it was spoiled by a bigoted, small-minded person. I don't know how these people can live with themselves.

I always wanted to visit here, I had no idea where we were headed and when we pulled up here, I was…read moretoo excited. Super clean brewery, very friendly staff. Amazing beer, have always loved Beach Blonde! But now also loving Main Beach. You can bring your own food, they have a taco truck outside that comes around but also lots of good options nearby to get food from. They have a large party space. Highly recommend this brewery, it is too nice!

Visited today to celebrate a birthday! What a cool space. They welcome pets and children. They…read morehave couches, hi tops and low top tables. Plenty of space to gather with friends. They put out dispensers of cold infused water to enjoy as well as popcorn and pretzels. It got very crowded shortly after we arrived and the place was hopping! A food truck arrived as we were leaving. It appears they have food trucks often. They allow you to bring in your own food and I saw many pizzas being brought in. They have many beer options that people in our group enjoyed. They gave you samples to taste before ordering which is nice. On nice days they have many tables outdoors in their patio. Will go back to check those out for sure!

A great small looking Dive Bar where people can hang around and that is in a real remote isolated…read morepart of crystal lake. The bartender gave good service and this place had an overall rule Wisconsin look and I'm surprised Crystal Lake and the Chicago suburbs still has taverns remaining such as this

I almost fear writing a review because I want to keep this hidden gem to myself. It is my and my…read moreuncle's favorite spot to watch a game or just hang out.

Love the cottage, great food and even better bar tenders. Russell is the absolute goat, wouldn't be…read morethe same without him!

Dinner with the girls - we wanted to go someplace we haven't been. The Cottage was our pick…read more We sat at a high top... I was surprised at how busy it was at dinner time on a Thursday night. I had the Cottage Reuben with fries. I judge most restaurants by their Reuben's and the Cottage had a good one. The meat was not dry and it was saucy, which I love. Service was slow but we didn't mind because it gave us more time to catch up.

This place has some of the best hamburgers in McHenry County! I've never been disappointed with…read moreeither the food or the service. I had the Kaboom Burger with cheddar cheese and crispy onion straws, seasoned with a great spicy kick--absolutely delicious. They also have a great drink selection whether you're in the mood for craft beer, cocktails, or soda. The seating is comfortable, and the outdoor patio is a great touch with plenty of extra space.

Summary first: pretty darn good burgers, but kinda flat, not too cold beer. Burger 17.00 with…read morefries coleslaw and pickle. 1.50 more than a review pic from the menu last year. Everything seems to be up at least 10% all over, so I can't fault them for it. I just wish income had gone up that much in a year. Again not their control. But I just can't go eating at restaurants as much. The price of 6.75 for a dog fish beer was imo kinda high and it was rather flat. The coleslaw was honestly so bad and bitter rancid tasting I had to spit it out. Honestly, not a fan of Cole slaw but this is the first I've had to 100% reject eating. The pickle I got that someone raved about, didn't look great when I turned it over The fries honestly could have been cooked a little more but were pretty good. The best part of the meal was the burger though so that sorta saved the whole experience. I sat on the patio and got good service. I appreciated that the to-go wasn't styrofoam. I had to take 1/2 the burger home. There is a 3% surcharge for using credit cards, so I was glad I brought cash, as I'm tired of getting charged for charging. Ha. Overall not bad, but could use some attention to detail.

Went here recently for a birthday dinner. We had pot roast sliders,…read more Chicken pesto and bbq chicken flat breads and drinks as well. The food was amazing, very kind servers and a fireplace to boot. It was 5 degrees that night.

This place is a hidden gem! We had a large group for a birthday party and they knocked it out of…read morethe park for us. Their service was amazing, their shareable food options were great, and everyone had a blast playing on their golf simulators in back

Fairly nondescript bar. It's one of the local hangouts in Crystal Lake. Matt's Tavern doesn't have…read moremuch. Among the things it does have is lots of good ass drinks. The prices are good especially on shots. Came in for a capper. It was getting late but we needed a few. There was a good special on shots. It was $3 for certain ones. We got a few of these. BSB was a whiskey I never had. Turns out it was good shit. Knocked a few back. The bar got a crowd but it wasn't too busy on a night. Good place to get some cheap booze. It's a popular place for locals to hang out. The selection is kind of limited but makes up for good prices.

Good and bad things to cover, so why five stars - rated for what it is and how they perform to…read morethose standards. Easy to find and close to other bars for some fun bar hopping! Parking can be a bit tough if you are not familiar with the area. Matt's is a dive bar vibe with enough TV's to keep you entertained by the game. Worn but kept pretty clean!! No kitchen . Only a couple of gambling machines. The patrons were mixed between locals and people waiting for the train across the street- everyone was friendly. Kelly O the bartender did a fantastic job. The big win that impressed me was a big crowd came in and the owner jumped in and helped unlike most places where they let the bartender drown and the customers suffer. Great job Matt's and Kelly O

A little downtown diner serving up your typical bar/diner foods. They have fish fry on Fridays, and…read moreopen mic night on Wednesdays. They do take reservations, be prepared it gets busy. We sat at the bar and ordered: ** Garlic butter mozzarella bites- DELICIOUS ** Ribs and onion rings ** Cream of wild rice and chicken soup Our food came out fast. The bartender Regan was very friendly, quick with the drinks and gave us several menu recommendations.

I decided to give Lambemi's another try while in the downtown Crystal Lake area…read more This is bar is a staple in the area and you can tell there's a lot of local customers that come back over and over. The bar did not smell that musty this time and this is still a no-frills local tavern. The bartender was very nice and very attentive. The local customers sitting at the bar made me feel welcome. The white cheddar cubes with a breaded coating appetizer was very tasty, especially when I added their homemade ranch dressing. The Labemi chicken that was recommended by the bartender who she said she always orders that dish. This was one of the best chicken entrees I have ever had! The dish has artichoke hearts and mushrooms in a creamy lemon butter sauce with wild rice. The chicken was very tender and outstanding and ample for two people. You can always sub out the wild rice for pasta. This dish comes with a side salad or cup of soup as well. The clam chowder was pretty good. One thing this restaurant is known for is their generous pores. They did not disappoint this time too! I definitely plan to come back to get that same chicken dish! If you have not been here yet, I recommend it for a very low-key lunch or dinner.