What?!?! Another place to put in the dining rotation!! This is the first time coming here....here is what we got, with a party of 3: Cuban Sandwich w/ fruit Brine Chicken Sandwich w/ fries From the South Burger w/ side salad Amazing! Everything was just great!!! The flavor of each selection was on point, with the service being great as well!!! We loved it and cannot wait to come back!!! Try it on your next dine out evening....!!! read more

Amazing service. Greeted by the bar tender when I came in the back door. Then quickly seated by the hostess. I chose the fire mac and the scratch burger with a turkey Patty. The food was amazing and the service top notch. Not expensive and great food. They have a pretty nice drink and beer menu. Go here, I promise it's worth it. read more

Scratch On Lake - Yum - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

I like this place bc of the menu offerings. It's hard to find delicious turkey burgers that are dry. Scratch makes a great one! Very casual atmosphere for dine-in and easy to carry out as well. read more

Came here on a Monday around 3 because I wanted to try something new. On Mondays they have half off burgers from 2-5; what a deal! I got the turkey burger with a few substitutions made no problem, with the truffle fries. The burger was delicious and perfectly seasoned and cooked BUT THE FRIES ... wow, those fries were the best fries I've ever had. I'm telling you - YOU HAVE to try the truffle fries! We also got the "Nice Legs" appetizer, and lemme just tell you - they were some NICE legs. I was expecting dinky little chicken wings but they were full on drumsticks! We chose the Carolina bbq as per our waitresses recommendation and we loved it. For dessert we wanted to try the brownie with ice cream and it was amazing! It's made from scratch (hehe) right down in their kitchen. It was super moist and rich, but not overly sweet. Our waitress - who I think is named Olimpia (I'm sorry if I'm wrong) - she was amazing. So sweet, speedy, checked on us but didn't seem pushy at all. She knew the menu front and back and all her recommendations were delicious. Will definitely be back!! :) read more

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Came here for the first time. First encounter was with the hostess. She was very rude with a smart comment when seating us. We ordered the Nice Legs for an appetizer, which the honey sriracha sauce was awesome. However you could tell the legs were reheated because chicken has a particular taste when reheated and my brother's leg was cold on the inside. So this was strike two. Our server Maryrose G was great! So much personality, very nice, and accommodating. Our burgers and fries were excellent! Honestly the hostess is the reason for my lower score. But I will definitely try again. Thanks, Mary Rose! read more

I've been to the SKL in Forest Park (special props to them for last fall's Thanksgiving-inspired roast turkey and stuffing sandwich, which was delicious). We went to check out the new Oak Park location the other night. Unfortunately, a very, very undercooked turkey burger arrived at our table. It was super pink inside and the food safety inspector in me told me not to do it, but I took a bite. The meat was very mushy and just a couple steps above raw. Not sure how that happened. I sent it back and got a regular beef burger instead. Everyone else was done eating by the time the replacement food came out, but the burger was okay so all was well. However, it was quite strange that no one ever came over to apologize for the turkey burger situation or that we weren't comped for some food or drink. Some effort to make things right would have been appreciated. I was very underwhelmed by that aspect of the customer service experience. read more

Hard to find something on menu without milk--including buns. Owner is most unpleasant. He should take some classes in how to treat customers, workers, and people in general. Some of his comments on social media really turned me off. If I'm going to give my money to support a local business I'll give it to someone else. read more

4 stars with the Impossible Burger, but... No more Impossible Burgers!!! I was told they weren't available anymore to purchase anymore. But 200 restaurants in the Chicagoland area sell it. Why not at SoL? Please bring it back. It's even coming to grocery stores this year. 3 stars without it. The vegetarian options are limited, it's pub food after all, but the black bean burger is more like a spread. It's best eaten divided on each side of the bun so it doesn't squish out when you try and bite through the whole burger. Taste good, need to firm up. The mac and cheese has little to no flavor. Even the mushroom one has very little mushroom flavor. Needs a stronger cheese and someone in the kitchen to taste it. The 4 stars is there optimistically hoping that the impossible burger option returns. Maybe get some Beyond Meat patties from whole foods until they do. And also, maybe stay off yelp at 10PM if being rude is all you have left for customers. read more

11/15 - via Grubhub - The dead fly in the side salad was disgusting. Never again. Ended up having to toss $70 worth of food because we were reluctant to keep eating. read more

Scratch On Lake - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

Amazing food, mediocre service when dining in. Manager was super receptive to feedback so hoping they work on that with certain employees. Burgers are so good--would hate having to stop coming in or always choose takeout. read more

Scratch burger with bacon and buffalo sauce on the side is probably my favorite burger at the moment. I crave it during day at times. Great location of the restaurant. Right in downtown Oak Park. Pretty Chill dark setting with friendly staff and great music. Pretty good beer selection as well. read more

Hello - We ordered from Scratch on lake last month and I wanted to provide some feedback. We've dined here previously and whenever we are craving a tasty burger, it leads us to your location. Tonight we ordered take out over the phone. To be honest, I did not have access to the menu on my phone as I was driving so I tried to keep it as simple as possible. I first ordered a kid's cheeseburger. No issues there. The person who took our order asked if we wanted lettuce, tomato and onion on the burger and I responded by requesting no onion or tomato. I also order a burger that came with arugula and the person on the other end of the phone offered a burger with bacon jam, cheese and arugula. When we came to pick up order, after being greeted by someone, another woman came out to the front and told me my order total, I couldn't hear her the first time so I asked her to repeat the total and she responded with "$34 and something." I shrugged it off because I thought I would confirm the total when I received the bill but I thought it was poor customer service. When we got home, I questioned why a child's cheeseburger and regular burger cost ~$34 and realized she charged me a $14 burger for my 6 year old. On top of that, his burger came with tomato and onion when I requested for them NOT to add that. In addition, the arugula was added to his burger and not mine. My burger came with regular lettuce and to be frank, the bacon jam was dry. Again, we've dined here before and I have to say I was quite disappointed with the service tonight. I just wanted to pass along my feedback - maybe it was a fluke, rough day, who knows. But thought I'd share it with the owners/management team. I also sent an email to the info email address when this happened about a month ago and I have yet to hear from them. Overall disappointed with the lack of decent customer service. read more

So I'm giving 2 stars only because I feel horrible for the waiter... first time here. Bar was out of almost every alcohol we wanted!!! No Buffalo Trace, no Paddy Irishmen, no Jameson, no Makers and all on the menu!!! In addition to that, waited 45 minutes for our food. Almost walked out because of the wait. Our poor waiter was nice enough to discount our food 50% and because it wasn't his fault we didn't take it out on him but really the entire bill should have been taken care of. Food was ehhhh nothing to brag about, very bland, not worth the $20 a person we paid which was WITH the discount! Also, didn't have or get silverware and had to ask for water several times and never got it!!! I might as well had served myself at home! New store to Oak Park in the downtown area would have really expected more. Would never go back and would advice to never try!!! Sorry scratch. read more

Scratch On Lake - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

We came here on the opening and LOVED it! Our server was engaging, suggestive with drink list, and created the most amazing experience! Today we gave it another shot around 11 in the afternoon. We saw the specials were fish fry and specifically asked Louise if it was all you could eat. She said she would check and came back saying yes, it was. We ordered beers and a fish fry along with three other meals for the rest of our party. We also ordered another round of beers. When we asked for more fish, Louise returned and said it would be another $12.00. We declined as well as noted that we still hadn't received our 2nd round of drinks. We waited another 10 minutes before she returned and said she wanted to confirm our drink order (it was only two beers and both SHE had suggested and gave us stories or when she purchase both. We knew she had just completed forgotten the order. Finally our beers came well after we were done with our meal. We may give this place one more shot, but it's not hopeful at this point. read more

I was in the area and in need of a quick bite. There were several restaurants to chose from, but I stumbled upon Scratch, just by Chance. I had BURGER on the brain. The menu had several options from which to choose, but I was drawn to the "Meatless", a veggie patty constructed from garbanzo and great northern beans, edamame, black beans, roasted corn, jalapeno, cilantro and lime. One of the best veggie burgers ever. I paired it with the truffled parm fries. The fries were a bit disappointing...if you say truffle...I expect to taste it. I'll be making a return trip to sample some other items on the menu, namely one of macaronis! read more

First time coming here and the Texas burger was so good!! Customer service was good as well!

Had a pretty intense burger craving and I was in the area, so I decided to check this place out. I have Very Strong Burger Opinions, so I went with the Scratch Burger - what better litmus test than the signature patty, right? I inhaled that sucker. It was the bomb-diggity. Let me start off by saying that I was a bit wary going in because the toppings include blue cheese. I love burgers. I love blue cheese. I don't always love them together. I find that most places that do a Blue Cheese Burger put WAY too much blue cheese on and it overwhelms the whole thing. Sad face. Not here! Just enough to make a difference, but the patty and the other toppings hold their own. I upgraded to the truffle-parmesan fries and they were also very tasty. Be advised: there is a note on the menu that they don't check burger temps, which I take to mean that all burgers come out around mediums, so if you're picky about a certain cook time, that may be of interest. In any case, a very lovely burger and a place to keep in mind for when I'm in town. read more

Had dinner there on Monday 7/6. Service was good but the atmosphere and food did not stack up. It was extremely hot almost sauna like. Not sure if air conditioning is broken or trying to save some costs. Had the hot chicken sandwich was way over cooked dry and tough. My daughter said her pizza was edible but maybe should have tried the Mac and cheese. My wife was the only pleased with her meal. She had the chicken tacos. So recommend choosing carefully when ordering. read more

Ordered for take out after a long day of running errands last Friday. Food was horrible!! Turkey burgers , meat was burnt. Fries were cold.... food was just thrown everywhere! worst experience ever. First & last time ordering.!!! Plus my napkins had ketchup stains on them. Worst $20 I spend... thrown too the trash. I Can't believe a restaurant can be this messy, due how harsh COVID-19 is right now... very disappointed read more

The only thing I don't like about this place is that it makes it hard to go anywhere else. The beer list seems to constantly get better and the cocktails are on par with almost anywhere in the city. I'm looking forward the patio to getting finished. This is the sort of place where connoisseurs of burgers, fries and burgers go to die. Its like a Gastro-pub without the pretense- or the cost. read more

I have to give this restaurant many props because not many people get it right as a vegetarian it's hard to find food that is appetizing and they delivered everything I wanted and I am more than satisfied with their veggie burger I added extra things and I didn't have to send it back perfect for a late night snack attack. Not many places were open in the oak park area and they made me very happy so here I am leaving a great review happy eating! what can I say, I'm a true foodie... read more

Scratch On Lake - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

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Not gunna lie, The Buffalo Mac is pretty fire. Got a good beer selection. Staffs friendly. Good local bar.

We went here late Saturday night. Foods were amazing, also the cocktail drinks (old fashioned, and amaretto stone sour) we ordered were great! They don't have cocktail menu btw, but the lady bartender can definitely make whatever cocktail drink you want. She was nice, great service. Definitely gonna come back! read more

My boyfriend and I came on Monday night around 8pm and sat outside. The special of the day was chicken pot pie which was big enough to charge between two people! While the taste of the pot pie was good, it resembled more of a cheesy chicken pasta dish-- I was hoping to crack open an actual crust. Our waitress appeared fun and attentive. read more

Scratch On Lake - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

The food at this establishment is suffering. I've normally had good burgers here but my last visit was not the case. I was never asked what temperature I wanted the burger cooked so it came out burnt and dry. Also the quality of the meat was greatly lacking as it has un-chewable filler. For a $15 burger, I expect better. The fries were also burnt and reheated. Not their best effort. The service was good and attentive . Nice selection of craft beer. I use to like this place but they need to review their food quality and train staff on asking the right questions. Sorry to see this as it was one of my go to for burgers. Not anymore. Hope they step it up. read more

Group of 5 enjoyed a meal and drinks here and all seemed satisfied with their food. I had the pulled pork - NC style - sandwich but didn't eat the butter bun (portion was generous and consumed) and thought the coleslaw kinda meh. Tasty Parmesan fries in truffle oil. Sauvignon Blanc was okay. I'd go back. read more

This place is great. Larger and a bit more comfortable than the original, but same feel. Love the Mac and Cheese with pork and the It's Greek to Me Burger is definitely top on my list of must try burgers. Don't forget the truffle fries. Worth a trip for the burger alone. read more

I've wanted to like this place and it's just not good. Ive gotten takeout twice and it's super heavy. As a big fan of American comfort food, it's been a let down each time. I finished my meal wishing I didn't eat it. read more

I loved this place. And it will get better when they institute their unique weekly specials e.g. trivia night, movie night, 1/2 priced burgers etc. in feb. Eli our server was very personable, punctual, and helpful. I loved the build a burger with an option of FRIED EGG! The seasoned fries (esp the truffle oil). Please add onion rings!! So this may be our new hang out. Hopefully, they won't get annoyingly too successful because then the wait will be too long. read more

I'm so disappointed, I spent 50.00 plus on food I didn't didn't enjoy. The food was awful the cleanness of the restaurant was belittling to the point you wonder why you walked in. Flies trying to get on your food. This restaurant isn't for everyone only if you're looking for a fast fix so this would be the place.This was such a horrible meal that I'm not sure I will come back. I'm mainly upset with myself for suggesting this restaurant to my family because right when they came home they were upset with me an vomiting So while we are eating we are fanning away nets and flies. If you're not understanding why two women were unhappy, please look at what germs nets and flies can cause. Or reach out to the public health or CDC. read more

First time here and it won't be my last. The pulled pork sandwich was delicious, and I'd like to come back and try their mac and cheese with some of that pork baked in. The server was helpful and friendly but not too much so (I brought a book as my companion and really wanted some alone time, so I appreciate the way she knew when to get lost). My food came quick and so did my drink order (a summer mule). The decor and the vibe are engaging and friendly. It's a little pricey for Lake Street, though. My little spontaneous lunch set me back $30, incl. tip. So while I will be back, I won't be just dropping in on the spur of the moment again. read more

Sat at the bar on a Tuesday night before their grand opening (which is this Thursday, 2/23!) This wildly exceeded my expectations for a neighborhood bar/burger joint. My bartender was Ann, who was excellent - the right amount of friendly and personable and letting me savour my incredible burger in peace. Speaking of burgers... The scratch burger is incredible. I think it's their standard burger, but it's anything but standard. A delicious burger patty on a pretzel bun which lends more meaty, savory flavor, but is balanced by a creamy but not overwhelming blue cheese. I got mine with some garlic fries which really out to come with a warning: seriously garlicky, dangerously greasy, unbelievably tasty fries. I couldn't finish my burger and fries, but they helpfully wrapped up my fries for me and I'm super excited to have some tasty spuds tomorrow. The vibe of the place is busy but not loud. The seating area is a mix of families and some older groups, as well as some young folks at the bar. It was busy so there was some noise in the background, but not so loud you had to talk over the noise. It looked like a fun mix of couples and some groups of 6+, which is not too shabby for a soft opening and a Tuesday night! Dress is casual and I think my favorite part was the FOUR TV screens around the bar. They're strategically placed so you can talk to people, but if the person gets boring, there's a TV screen right over their shoulder. Whoever figured that out, mad props. TL;DR - good neighborhood spot, good beer, good vibe, great burgers. read more

Menu is ok. Service is usually slow because they are under staffed. Was their tonight and the special in the wall said "$2 domestic cans". I ordered 2 bells cans w dinner. $5 each. I complained and was told it's certain beers.maybe you should write that on the wall! read more

I'm in the area frequently and I've been to this restaurant twice now in a week's span. What we've ordered so far was pretty good. The waitstaff has been nice, but I was thrown off after receiving my bill today and this angered me enough to download the Yelp app on my phone in order to write this review. Please explain why you think it's ok to charge for mayo for a kid's burger? It wasn't fancy truffle infused mayo. It was a regular dollop of mayo in a tiny plastic shot glass. Who the hell charges their customers for condiments?! The waitress said it was the owner's fault. So, I'd like to hear the owner's explanation. Was the mayo imported from France? Was it aged? And why is the ketchup free? Is the ketchup subpar? I'm less inclined to spend my money here. Might get charged for ice next. read more

The food is fabulous, portions and quality are always solid. Having eaten here a handful of times - it feels like dining in often takes forever for your food to come. Also it seems excessive to have to pay for a side of fries with a burger. #americanway is that fries come as a side to a burger. Also - would love if the Impossible burgers details were posted online daily versus having to phone them for the daily details. I gambled and ordered online one day to pick it up on on my way from the train and it was FABULOUS. But id rather not have to gamble on it and talking on the phone is literally the last* thing i want to do at the end of the day. read more

Food is really good. If they redid the dining room it would be super nice. Still recommend though.

I was initially drawn into this restaurant by their mac & cheese menu and outdoor seating. They quickly won me over with delicious food and a great beer/cider menu. There's always interesting and seasonally appropriate beer (and at least 1 cider) available on tap. The waiter/waitress can usually provide commentary on your drink, which is impressive when the menu is front and back. Additionally, they have a limited cocktail menu that provides a nice change if that's what you're looking for. The bartender is amazing and the waitstaff is generally fantastic. If anything, some folks are too helpful (a much-appreciated fact in Oak Park). This is high on my list of recommendations for people visiting Downtown Oak Park or looking for a restaurant off the green line. Come eat here! read more

I live above this place and I absolutely love it. I would give it 5 stars but there are some items on the menu I don't like. I do however LOVE he nice legs- honey sriracha is my favorite! I love all the fries too except the Greek fries. They're not my thing. I love the fact they have something going on every night too. Music, bingo, trivia...it's always hype. Good beer selection too! read more

Scratch On Lake - American Near Me - Oak Park, Illinois

We recently gave this restaurant another try after very poor service onsite pre-pandemic. We had ordered delivery once recently and everything was fine. Today, we ordered early for a delivery. We ordered through grubhub as that is what Scratch lists as their preferred method on their website. Ordered at 5 for a 6:45 delivery. At 7:10, we were calling the restaurant when "our" order arrived. We do contactless delivery in our apartment building so we did not see the grubhub driver. The order was completely incorrect and the receipt had someone else's name on it. The food was not anything we could eat (we don't eat red meat) and it was cold anyway. My husband called the restaurant and their employee was quite rude, no inclination to try and make it right, no empathy, and no apology. We received a refund from grubhub but then went out elsewhere to get food. It is rather disappointing as we were looking forward to our Scratch food as it is tasty, and also going to the owner's other Scratch in Forest Park in the near future. That won't be happening. read more

Their loaded fries and loaded mac n cheese...YUM. When you're looking for comfort food, go no further. They have a couple of vegetarian friendly loaded fries that are delicious, especially if you eat them warm there. But if you do take them to go, they still are SO GOOD. We ordered the Mediterranean loaded fries and Chorizo Cheese fries (without chorizo) as well as the truffle mushrooms mac n cheese. The mac n cheese was soooo creamy, although I couldn't taste the truffles and the mushrooms were sparse. But the flavor of the mac n cheese was great. The Cheese on the cheese fries tasted similar to the mac n cheese, except on fries insted of mixed with noodles. My favorite was the Mediterranean fries; olives, feta, sundried tomatoes...it just worked so well. They also have a veggie patty burger in case you want something a bit more "nutritious," although a fries plate on its own is pretty filling. If you're in Oak Park. I'd check it out! read more