Decided to give Steak 'n Shake another shot after 3-4 years because I kept hearing about how they're "cooked the old-school way." I ordered a triple cheeseburger, fries, and a strawberry milkshake. Right from the start, things felt off. The place looked seriously understaffed--maybe two employees working--and it was uncomfortably warm inside. Then came the food. The triple cheeseburger was nothing like I remembered. Instead of that classic Steak 'n Shake flavor, it tasted more like a salty, slightly dry Wendy's burger. For over $10, I expected a whole lot better. The fries? Supposedly the famous old-school fries. They were dry, underseasoned, and honestly forgettable. So much for all the hype. Back in the late '90s, I'd go out of my way for Steak 'n Shake. It was actually worth the trip. Now? It feels like they're living off their reputation while serving a completely different product. The one bright spot was the strawberry milkshake. It was thick, tasty, and the large size was actually generous. Hopefully this was just a one-time bad experience, but based on this visit, I regret coming back--and I don't see myself making another trip anytime soon. read more

We entered the restaurant at 9:55pm for dine in. I asked if they were still open and they said yes. We received our food and sat down. After 2 bites of ouur burger, we were told we needed to leave the restaurant cause they needed to count their money. Horrible service. Also all the tables were filthy but that was whatever. read more

Every time I order cheese fries they always forget to put the cheese cup in the bag. Why is this so hard to understand.

this place was great until they turned it into a soulless husk of itself. It was a great job for younger folks to make a quick buck and it's very unfortunate they gutted 3/4 of the staff. It's kind of sad read more

Their Free birthday shake is not free. I ordered on the kiosk and when I went to pay it wasn't an option. I asked for help the cashier said she would take care of it and pay for my order on the kiosk. I received 2 shakes and I explained to the server the mistake. I was handed a refund receipt for the shake. That was 2 weeks ago still no refund in my account. So the birthday shake isn't really free! On top of that the cashier tried to blame me!!! read more

Sad what has become of a once legend. Three Steakburgers - all with near frozen top buns and hard stale bottom buns...weird. Locked down beverage station is a "klassy" touch. You must scan a QR code to unlock a drink. Once great Chilimac was mah. Feels like the chain is just waiting to die. read more

Service is horrible, they always get the order wrong, workers are rude. This place is gross and always dirty. If I could I would give it 0 stars. read more

Steak ’n Shake - This place is gross, they always get the order wrong and the workers are extremely rude. I do not recommend going the this Steak 'n Shake. - American Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

This was our first time in since everything has been automated. It may be the last time. Signage sucks especially at the beverage area if you are eating in. Trying to figure out how to get your drinks is non existent. Worst experience. The only saving grace was the food was good. Likely not to return read more

This poor place needs a major revamping. The awnings are all ripped and ready to blow off. The food was done and on the serving shelf for quite a while before they brought t out and called our number. Ordering on the computer and having no human contact makes for a very cold experience! Food was good considering the price but it's just food and doesn't feel like much of an experience! read more

Been here twice in the past month and payed for soda when I went to the machine everything was water. Service was fine. ambiance was normal. Just never got my drink I payed for all the sodas were water with a hint of their syrup but still clear read more

Great tasting food, made to order. We've been through drive-thru on multiple occasions, service is quick and accurate (unlike other fast food burger places in town). We stopped in for dine-in for the first time in years and were pleasantly surprised. You order on kiosks, seat yourself and can refill soft drinks on your own. I love it. The space is clean and food is delicious. And still affordable! For the people bashing the new 'self-serve' style in these reviews, yes, they've changed but they don't deserve a poor rating because of it in my opinion. read more

food is good and service is quick but my only concern is the restroom stall. the gap is way too big. thankfully i was alone but if the restroom was packed or someone was waiting they would of been able to see me using the restroom. read more

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The worst meal that I have ever ordered through Grubhub, not only that they completely got the order wrong, they gave the delivery driver the wrong address! I hope that they close down that location and or find a better owner to provide a better service to the community. Apparently customer service is not a priority for this ignorant person ! I hope that the McHenryCo. Shuts them down for failing to comply, I'm already sure that the health department needs to take a very close look at this location ! read more

We hadn't been to a Steak & Shake in years. We stopped at the McHenry IL store this past Sunday. What we found were self-service kiosks with confusing menus. For example, the only single meat choice was a single burger with cheese. Selecting that gets a remove the American cheese choice. Who knew that was a simple burger with no cheese. Anyway, the company has shifted the ordering and pay from the customer/employee to the customer yet has the nerve to ask for a tip. After ordering and waiting 20 minutes my wife went to the counter to ask about our order. One of the three in the kitchen rudely informed her there was a long line of orders and our would be next. Three orders later our order was next. The burger patties were small and the buns only slightly larger than the famous slider from another company. This was our last visit to any Steak & Shake in our lifetimes. read more

DO NOT COME ! Came with my little niece and we were expecting the classic steak n shake experience, But instead we got all electronic/ self serve garbage, The straws are crappy paper and wilt after 5 seconds in a fountain drink, their was only 2 WORKERS ? And the food tasted like crap for 27$ totally not steak n shake anymore ! P.S they changed their menu totally and have about 70% less now read more

45 minutes waiting for 2 burgers. Only one cook. Need to put more words to submit the review. One word, speechless. The place is full of angry people waiting for their food. read more

I will never return to this location. Management got all hyped up over me grabbing a straw and napkins. I'm sorry that we cannot trust fast food workers to properly include everything in the bag. Little difficult to know whether you included the items in the sealed bag. And when I got home, no straw in the bag. read more

15 minutes for 2 burgers. That's how long it took to get our order. To make it better, the burgers were cooked for so long they were hockey pucks. I'll also add that a tip should be dedicated to industry workers who make below the normal minimum wage NOT a counter staff who simply puts an order on a counter. They don't even take your order when you dine in, there's a touch pad for that! And why the hell is there a tip jar at the pop station!? I will NEVER be back. Sucks to suck steak & shake. read more

Service was slow for chicken fingers and a burger value meal with a chocolate cookie dough shake. Waited about 5 mins to get my food. Shake had spilled over was dripping down the sides- so the cup was sticky and messy but no one thought to wipe it up or wrap a napkin around it before handing it off to me. Had to ask for my card back after making payment. Random tid bit- there is no cookie dough in the chocolate cookie dough shake. read more

I'd give you a 0 but I can't. The staff is mentally handicapped and can't make a simple cheeseburger.

Mediocre food, service was really really slow and cashiers were rude and gave me attitude while I was ordering through Drive-thru. One of the cashiers literally told me that I, a paying customer waiting for my food, was wasting his time. Who even says that?? Some of these people need a reality check and understand customer service. This is truly not a good place anymore and I really did love this place growing up and the atmosphere. So sad read more

I always like a good Steak N Shake. The trouble is finding one with good service. When I say good service, I'm specifically meaning Wait Staff who are pleasant and not grumpy and do a good job in fulfilling your order. A person who can make a good shake, and a cook who at least takes a little pride in the job. This may sound basic stuff, but it seems Steam N Shake restaurants are not wise of this because I've been to several now here in Norther Illinois which are failing this concept. HOWEVER... this location is Great! The wait staff are friendly, cheery attitude and do well in getting your order right the first time. The person who makes the shakes also does a good job and they don't come out runny. The cook here also takes pride in their work as the burgers are good and come out with a nice presentation. Glad I found a good Steak N Shake close by! read more

Steak ’n Shake - American Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

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Very helpful workers and great food! Shakes are great with a spoon. 10/10 Love coming here with my family and friends as well.

We've had a couple really bad experiences here lately. They never get the order right and apparently have no qualms about charging you parts of your order they can't fulfill. For example, tonight we were charged for the chili we ordered even though they are out of chili. read more

Made a online order and came to pick it up.. They are currently offering free fries so I requested a order of those. The cashier had a little attitude and once I got home I noticed that the order of free fries was not given. Ok, whatever.. So My girlfriend takes a bite out of her chicken tender and noticed something was off about it. She then inspected the chicken and clear as day, its RAW. How can you serve people RAW chicken? read more

Steak ’n Shake - a hand holding a piece of fried chicken - American Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

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We were here this evening. What a joke!!! Now you have to order at a kiosk, get your own order and you're expected to clean up after yourself. Not happening, my friend! We used to love Steak'n Shake but if I have to wait on myself, I'll eat at home! I'll truly hope this place goes out of business!!! read more

We decided to stop in as we haven't been there in a long while. We walk in and no one seats you like they did before ummmm ok let's give it a try. Have to order off the kiosk which is confusing anyways so we order a steak burger. Sounds good onion rings and a coke. We go and take a seat thinking someone would bring the food out NOPE they call out a number and toss the tray with food on the counter. We look at what they call a steak burger and it's more like a paper burger. The steak was so thin you could almost see through the grill marks. And it tasted like shoe leather. The fries were extremely thin like a shoestring potatoe chip. I had onion ring which were good the only thing good out of what we ordered. Their upgrade to serve people has lost the meaning of family restraint and the original founders will be rolling over in there grave at what has happened to this company. Next time we go to Applebees read more

They had no crayons and there were drunk ladies yelling but the gay waiter brought us a multi colored pen AND pencil so that was pretty cool :) - Josh Brunn read more

Burger are good, fries are great but shakes are best. During the pandemic times, the drive thru it's open until midnight. In need of some cold desert? A quick shake run it's a good solution. Nutella it's my top choice here! They still have 1/2 off on shakes between 2-5pm. No pets allowed, but since the drive thru it's the only now days, bring them along, no doggie treats tho. I experience some waiting but not longer than usual. read more

This was my first time at a Steak N' Shake and I loved it! My burger, fries, shake and coffee were great. The service is fast and friendly. There were lots of customers even on a rainy, week night. Don't believe the haters who rated this location poorly. I wish we had an awesome place like this in Silicon Valley. read more

Steak ’n Shake - Jalepeño Burger - American Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

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My ten year old wanted to go to steak and shake for his birthday. I can't say I was thrilled about his choice (I'm on an aggressive weight loss plan and bringing my prepared meal in was the first thing that came to mind lol Our server Aaron was really good with communicating the hold up that took quite a while to get my sons shake to him but he offered to comp it - it's super rare that people actually make little concessions like that when life happens but it's refreshing. Thanks for the service with a smile you made a 2 star experience a 4 star one! read more

Steak ’n Shake - American Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

This place frankly sucks. Severe lack of management. If possible, I would give zero stars. I pre-ordered my meal then waited another 7 minutes in the lobby. As I stood there, I noticed the dust, grease and filth built up on everything that remained in the lobby area. The entryway dirty floor rugs were piled in the corner. The employees seemed disorganized and lacked any sense of urgency. Cooked food sat on the countertop waiting to be served for several minutes without any heat lamp or warming device. Once I got my order and returned to my vehicle, our food consisted of limp cold fries and grease soaked burgers. My son who has a severe nut allergy ordered a vanilla milkshake that had remnants of my shake in it. This shows that they don't clean their blender between uses. Eventually, someone will have an allergic reaction when they get a cross contaminated milk shake. As someone who grew up near Normal, IL, the founding place of Steak n Shake, Steak n Shake was always top notch. This place is an embarrassment to the chain and should be shut down by the health department. I will never be visiting again. Dine here at your own risk! read more

Steak ’n Shake - The building - American Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

So nice that they've found a way to dine in. The servers, with the minimal interaction, were very polite and helpful. The food was hot and fresh, and the restaurant was very clean. Why sit in a drive through when you have this great option? read more

Our waitress was very rude. She did NOT make eye contact and she threw out menus on the table not even waiting for us to sit down and place it nicely in from of us. She carefully gave us the food (for once). Then, when I got my milkshake, she threw my straw and spoon leaving my spoon face down. Lastly, we got some drinks to go and she once again was very careless about our drinks. Overall, our waitress was utterly careless. We could totally tell that she hated her job. read more

I have given this place 3 or 4 try's. I have been served in the drive thru more than a couple of times by the manager. So nasty with attitude. They have a free fry no purchase necessary deal. When you ask for the frys they act like you are a thief. I tried going inside I met with a worker bee. She had the same bad attitude. I asked for a napkin and went got a napkin and handed to me and acted like I was taking the from her child's mouth. Do I need to say that each time I got fry's here they were cold and it seems like the have to change the grease. Bad after taste to the cold fry's. If they do not want to participate in the fry promo then don't. I like steak and shake burgers. They are definitely my guilty pleasure. I have not ordered a burger here because I fear that I will get it like my fry's cold and nasty. All the other steak and shakes I have been to expect this one have screaming hot taste fry's and burgers. This place is a black eye to the corporation. I pass through this are on the way home around dinnertime. McDonald's and all the other restaurants are packed! You can not get in the drive thru. There is no one in or around this place. I guess I am not the only one that know this place is number 1 in the absolute worse steak and shake category. I think the best way to deal with this place as corporate close their customer relations line would be to all go and just order the free fry's. read more

HORRIBLE customer service. I don't know what happened to this place. The service used to be great but it has now gone downhill. I could write about a few bad experiences but I will just write about the one that has finally lost my business. My son had a hard day and had been crying. The waitress came over and asked him if he wanted a straw. He quietly said "yes, please," but she didn't hear him so she made a nasty comment to him and threw a handful of straws in my 7 year olds face. I was appalled. I picked up the straws, walked up to the waitress, and informed her that was not appropriate. She nastily said, "most kids think it's funny." I threw the straws at her and said, "this kids mother does not find It funny." After that she sucked up to us, but I swore I would never go back there and I haven't. read more

2 days ago Both women's and men's bathroom were so disgusting looked like they haven't been cleaned in months. Took my 2yr old to use the potty, Pubes and piss on the seats toilet paper all over the women's Br along with menus all over the floor said something to the workers but nothing was done. Very disgusted with this location. read more

I've always been a pretty big fan of this Steak 'n Shake. I come here when I know I want a decent amount of food for not much money, and when I want that food quickly. Or when I just want a delicious shake. Coupons are mailed out at least twice a month, and the cashier has always been willing to accept more than one, or apply one to more than one meal. That keeps me coming back. Today, for instance, both my dad and I were able to get a Steak 'n Shake meal with a burger, two sides, and a large shake, for $6 each on one coupon. Some other reviews on here knock the service, but I can honestly say I've never had a notably bad serving experience here, and I've probably been here at least 50 times. It's not always exceptional, but it's never less than expected. Their shakes are pretty great. I do wish they were a little bit thicker, but they offer about 100 flavors, which is amazing. Their menu is also pretty dynamic, and they offer seasonal burgers and melts. I come here because it's a bit higher quality than other fast food restaurants but for about the same price. Thumbs up, Steak 'n Shake. read more

Drive though nightmare Seriously. The orders are so easy...Yet screwed up soooooo bad. Ordered 2 meals - only got 1 order of fries Ordered Chili bowl deluxe - Go no onions and no cheese. Ordered Root Beer, Got Diet coke. Burger meat was all chopped into chunks on the burgers. Buns were soggy Waited LITERALLY 5 minutes for them to take order. Got "parked" waited 10 minutes for the order. Got the handoff and the guy disappeared. Got home...UGH. Get your act together Steak and Shake McHenry. Went to the one in Hoffman Estates a couple of weeks ago.. PERFECT, and well cooked meal. read more

Got here at 1:15 AM. Served: 1:50 AM. 35 minutes for a fast food restaurant? Despicable. There are literally eight people here and the server decides to go out and smoke with this girl at the bar instead of serving us our clearly done food in the window. I am beyond disgusted with Rob's performance tonight. I get not liking to work nights but your customers should ALWAYS come first. My food is lukewarm and soggy. I will not be tipping tonight. Update: IT IS NOW 2:15 AND MY WAITER HAS NOT BEEN SEEN SINCE 1:50 WHEN WE GOT OUR FOOD. read more