The food here at one time was good bar food. What we were served on Thursday was anything but. We had to ask the waiter to wipe the table. After he wiped it down the menu still stuck to it. It was disgusting. We ordered Reuben sandwich. It was awful no cheese, one bowl of meat in the middle of the sandwich. One piece of bread was hard as a rock pounded Neal's with it. The other side is it sandwich was soggy as hell since going there, I've talked to other people, friends of mine, and they all say the same thing place is gone downhill. Don't waste your money go elsewhere. read more

I end up here now and again because other people in my life like it. The food is extremely average and service is spotty. It's never my first choice. Do yourself a favor and don't order anything outside of standard bar and grill type food. Burgers, sandwiches, etc. Things that aren't too complicated and are hard to mess up. read more

As a first time customer, and was excited to try we also had my parents who were in town our visit wasn't the greatest. We needed refills on drinks and the waitress only came back once, my son received horseradish sauce instead of ranch for his salad luckily I tried it before he ate it because I already put it on his salad, my moms prime rib sandwich barely had any prime rib on it, my daughters bacon burger never had bacon on it but finished the burger before we could tell anyone because the waitress was no where to be found, my husband couldn't even finish his BLT because he said the bacon tasted off. Paying $140 for a not so good meal....not very happy. read more

My daughter and some of her friends stopped here for lunch. Server was rude and short w them and got upset when they asked for separate checks. My daughter knows to always tip well. they will never be back. Nor will I. They had great service and an amazing meal at Cantina 52. Server was super sweet to them. Skip the Cottage and head to Cantina 52. read more

Always liked it here, straightforward pub menu, and a decent bar. But, tonight I ordered the Friday special, "$11.99 AYCE Fish n Chips"advertised on the web site, their menu, and their specials board but was charged $2 extra per reorder. Waiter told me they now charge $9.99 for the fish fry and $2 for each reorder. To top it off, they didn't adjust the bill when I pointed out their advertising. The response from the waiter was sorry, that's how we charge now. I get that menus change and prices go up, but tell me when I order, and correct it when it's brought to your attention. Not a lot of places to go around here so it's a shame to have to cross this one off the list. If you do go here don't pay attention to the daily specials or the prices in the menu, apparently they are just a rough estimate of what you will be charged. read more

Lived in CL my whole life and this place used to be my favorite place to go! I don't know what's happened but the last two times I've gone I've made reservations so they know I'm coming and waited at the table for 15 plus minutes before being served or even looked at and acknowledged! Watched the servers and manager just sitting at the bar eating and talking totally u aware of the tables and customers. This was after a few attempts of getting their attention that we just had to walk out and even at that not a single staff looked up!! Would never never recommend this place again. Foods gone down hill and staff just don't seem to know what's going on! Sad to even write this! read more

First time here.. I ordered a patty melt, it was as as a White Castle burger, not many fries too. Place was dirty. I would not go back! Overrated and expensive. Sad read more

We, a party of 6, came here on a Thursday evening at about 5:30. It was busy but we were seated right away. The noise level was horrible. It was impossible to talk or hear one another. If you are looking for a quiet restaurant to visit with your party this isn't it. That being said, everyone was happy with their menu choice. The food was excellent and plentiful. I had the steak fajitas and took half home because I was unable to finish them. They were excellent. My husband had the fried shrimp dinner with 3 extra shrimp ordered off the appetizer menu - they were large and tasted excellent. If you are looking for excellent food, this place is a good choice. If you want even a little bit of quiet, go somewhere else. read more

This is a word of warning. The Cottage on Crystal Lake Avenue has excellent food. Cottage on the Go is where you have to go if you want takeout. I learned this the hard way. It is a separate kitchen about a mile from the actual Cottage, and the food is drastically less tasty, with completely different recipes. If you want the Cottage, go there and sit down to eat. If you go to their takeout place, be prepared for a completely different experience. Note: This is a 5* review because the actual restaurant is worthy of that score. read more

My wife and I have had lunch here on the deck several times. On the plus side, the deck is a pleasant space, the service is good and friendly. The burgers are good (but nothing special), free peanuts and popcorn. On the downside, the other items we've had were just so-so (the reuben is a real disappointment - not up to par), they are quite stingy with their fries. The prices are a little high for what you get; portions are small. Go for the outdoor ambiance. read more

Bees bees bees bees!!! Decent basic sandwiches and pizza..."medium" burger was beyond well done though. Fries are tasty but on the thin side... Three things that will make me not go back for the near term: 1. Tables are closer than most restaurants, it feels, at least on the deck by the building. 2. The service was lackluster... They walk past a lot but you cannot catch their eye. 3. They need to get control of the bees and wasps. I got stung twice as I got up to leave. They were all over my food. No one said anything as I yelped, and there were two waiters standing nearby. read more

Moved to Crystal Lake last summer and I'm mad it took this long to go to The Cottage. Went last weekend with the fam and had a great time. Hostess, server and food was great. I had the volcano burger off the summer menu and it was phenomenal. My daughter wanted pizza so we got a small sausage and from all the places we tried locally this was the best thin crust. Moving from Chicago I was starting to give up on finding a decent this crust but The Cottage saves the day. Hubby got the nachos and they were awesome and huge! I don't get the negative reviews at all. This place came highly recommended from neighbors and coworkers and I'll definitely be back for wings and the bloody Mary's on the weekends. read more

You guys need to figure out the slowness of the line at Three oaks Beach. We stood in line for over an hour in the heat for a drink!! You will fail if you continue down the slow road at the beach! Sad to watch people in line for an hour when you are 15th in line. Wake up you incompetent business owners! Come and watch if you do not believe me. Never again will we be back to beach read more

We have always loved this place, but lately we've had bad experiences. It took a very long time to get our drinks. And 2 of us got our food....at least 20 mins before the other 4. They still don't have theirs as I'm writing this. We made a reservation on Open Table 5 days ago for an outdoor table. When we got here today, they said they had no room outside. All the above was VERY annoying! read more

Great outdoor atmosphere and tasty food! The steak salad was very flavorful but the steak was super chewy. I spit out at least half the steak. The wrap and tots were good! I'll definitely go back but I wouldn't order the steak again unless they change it to a better quality. read more

The Cottage - Turkey bacon wrap - Bars Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

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I really like the location, menu options and atmosphere but every time we order it's not right. I would confidently say 7/10 it's wrong. They do fix it which is great and the first few times it's understandable but now it's just frustrating. There is a disconnect between the service and kitchen. I'll still be a patron and support crystal Lake businesses but I'm not sure I can continue ordering food when I'm there. read more

Had reservation for 4 people on a Saturday afternoon. Inside. The place was well-attended & distancing was appropriate. Service was great. Ordered turkey burger, pulled pork, beef burger, & chicken Caesar wrap. Everything was tasty, no complaints. First time dining out since September. Don't know how it would be without reservations. Very enjoyable meal & atmosphere. read more

This place captivates you right from the begging as it certainly has that neighborhood grill feel. As you sit there and see the other patrons, it becomes clear that it really is a neighborhood joint as it seems that just about everyone knows one another. The bar itself is a bit small, but very inviting. Being converted from an old house, there are little nooks to hide away in and have the time alone or share with a friend. The waitress was very friendly, prompt and always ensured my drink never got close to being empty. For this visit, I tried the special of the day which were 39 cent wings... buffalo style. It didn't take them long to arrive and I'll admit, it didn't take me long to finish them off either. They were really good and got me thinking on how their pizza is, for there is nothing better than good wings paired with some good pizza. I'll have to come back here and give that a try on another visit because today, being this is my first time here, I wanted to rate this place using one of my standards, and in this case, a black & blue burger. Once the burger arrived I was pleased to see that it had some good charring marks on it as this is a good sign of a great burger. Then, I was further encouraged as they did not skimp on the blue cheese and it also was nice and chunky. As soon as I was chomping down into this delightful burger, my taste buds tingled with joy as they confirmed, this burger is as good as it looks... the rest of the body systems all sung, alleluia and rejoiced due to the sheer bliss of this entire experience. Clearly, I'll be back again! read more

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Reminder of why we stopped going to Cottage. Stopped for a couple... ordered a pizza to go----an HOUR later had to ask about our cheese/sausage pizza and brought it to us... 3-minute drive home and it is COLD! read more

Fun atmosphere. Typical pub food that is good, but not great. Drinks are okay. Disabled people should beware, however, that there are no accessible bathrooms on site and not all doorways are wide enough for power chairs. Very tight confines inside because it's an old cottage built nearly a century ago so sit on the outdoor deck but don't drink too much because you'll have to go to Starbucks up the street to find an accessible bathroom. They have a fabulous outdoor festival in Sept and have attended a few. I just wish they were fully accessible. read more

We were looking for a new place for a good fish fry - a friend recommended this place so we gave it a try. Typically, with the all you can eat Friday fish fry's you get 2 or 3 small pieces of fish. Here you get two ENORMOUS fillets with fries, hot roll, and cole slaw. The fish was honestly the best I've had anywhere. Very light but crisp batter coating....the fish was fresh like it was caught this morning (I can tell frozen fish a mile away). Some places go on the cheap and use catfish or perch, but here they're using cod. It literally melts in your mouth. Unless you haven't eaten in a month the single serving is more than enough food...I ordered the all you can eat but was full after the first 2 pieces. They only charged me for the single order. Nice. Don't forget about the cole slaw - again, best I've had in a long time. Creamy and delish!! As for the ambiance - yes, the place could use a makeover, but it has kind of a backwoods hole in the wall charm to it all it's own. I wasn't there to look at the wall decor. Oh, and the prices are excellent. Will definately be going back!!!! read more

WE LOVE PATTIE!! Feisty , but funny and sweet as hell!! Love this place! We will definitely be back! Thanks for the memories!!

Brett- best bartender ever. The rest of the staff - the best example of a restaurant staff an owner would want! They love their guests, love their food, and love to have a good time! read more

Went here on a whim. Custom made an Italian beef pizza. It was absolutely phenomenal. All the staff was absolutely amazing. 10 out of 10 would recommend. I'll be back for sure. read more

Frist time there, the food was good, very hot when brought to the table. We tried some of the winter menu specials. Good service. We will definitely be back to try some other things. read more

This place is awesome. Complimentary peanuts and popcorn. You can toss the peanut shells on the floor. Can't go wrong with a start like that. The Cottage is a small place, with lots of wooden decor. It has an old time sort of feel to it mixed with a very modern staff (who are also awesome). All of the food is delicious and the drinks are very good. When you have no complaints and you're wanting to drive 50 minutes to come back, I see no reason to avoid a 5 star rating. read more

First time ordering for delivery for a friend and myself. The online process was easy, delivery was within time estimated, delivery gal was polite, and the food was hot and delicious. I had the black bean burger - it was moist and flavorful, with some corn kernels and a light, delicious chipotle sauce that was perfectly lightly spicy. I usually do not eat a bun the rare times I do eat a hamburger, but I tried the bun and it was fresh, light, puffy like a pillow. My friend really enjoyed her hamburger. The fries were great too, and not greasy at all. Will be ordering again soon! read more

I went here two weekends in a row when my old high school friend came out from the city for a visit and both times we had a great experience! I'm so glad that they had fish and chips and I got it both times and really enjoyed it! There was only 2 fish in the basket, but they were pretty large and that was enough to keep me full until dinner time later in the evening. Yes, it is a small place and can get a little crowded at times, but it's still a lovely place and kind of gives of a homey vibe. Can't wait for my next visit there! read more

We came here two weeks in a row and the service has been outstanding. It has a lively atmosphere and good food. This will become our stop every time we visit Crystal Ice house. read more

The Cottage - Bars Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

The Cottage is my go-to place for drinks and cheap food in Crystal Lake. The menus are greasy, and the food offerings appear to be standard pub grub, but when you're done with your meal, your belly will be very happy. The food is so delicious and satisfying even though it's nothing fancy. I'm a huge fan of their half priced burger and $3 Corona Wednesdays. The grilled burgers come with your choice of potato, but I highly recommend trying the homemade chips with blue cheese dressing. The honey glazed chicken sandwich is also very very tasty. The atmosphere is very comfortable and laid-back. The servers treat you like you've been coming there your whole life, and the clientele ranges from 21 year-olds doing Jager Bombs to 55 year-olds who just want to drink a beer and catch the game. I'd recommend The Cottage to anyone who wants a delicious, no-frills dinner and a beer. read more

The burgers are sooo delicious!! Freshly formed burgers cooked to order... OMG- went to lunch there today and had the Southwest burger with Chipolte mayo, fried jalapeños and mozzarella cheese. The bomb!! My friend did the fried cod lunch, and found it just as good! A little chillie in there everytime the door opened, but otherwise everyhing was fab! Highly recommend this- nothing fancy, but great food!! read more

this used to be my favorite bar in crystal lake. since COVID they fired all management and servers and rehired. terrible idea. they don't serve popcorn and peanuts anymore, the wings are smaller in size and just breading with no meat, they ran out of coors lite in the keg, and the service is not good anymore. miss how it used to be because it was fantastic. read more

My husband and I are fairly new to Crystal Lake and have tested out a lot of the restaurants/bars in the area. The Cottage is by far our favorite place to go for food and drinks!! Great atmosphere. The staff is very friendly and the burgers are great. We stop in at least once a week. The Public House is at the bottom of my list - I will never go back, horrible experience with a young manager - very rude. Go to The Cottage!! read more

Stopped for lunch, our second time. The first time the food wasn't good but we decided to give them another try. Big mistake. The atmosphere was very much a neighborhood bar. We were at a table near the bar. The bartender seemed like a lot of fun on a Saturday afternoon. Everyone at the bar knew each other. Several had been there the night before. We ordered the wings - chipotle jerk, and steak spring rolls. The wings were drowning in a thick sauce with absolutely no spice. Our server had said they had quite the kick. There was no kick and no jerk flavor. The steak spring rolls were horrible. They came out warm as in luke warm and very greasy. And mostly filled with cabbage. Just a miserable meal. The place feels a tad dirty. We gave it 2 tries. That's plenty. read more

We enjoy going to the Cottage a few times a month. Tuesday's are best for 1/2 price pizza - you cannot beat the deal. Their cheese-balls are an incredible appetizer - especially the jalapeño variety. Sundays they have an EXCELLENT breakfast buffet with everything from fresh fruit to omelets made to order. Aside from all the food, they have beer specials everyday. _________ One caveat - their service is sub-par AT BEST. I am not sure if it is that they are understaffed or careless employees - but we have had repeated issues with wait times and mistaken orders. Therefore, a star has been removed. read more

We've been there a few times now and really enjoy. I really like the outdoor seating and with all of the TVs you don't miss the game. The pizza was pretty good, nice and crispy crust. The chicken fingers were really good as was the side of Parmesan fries which unlike many places actually taste like garlic. The best though so far has been the soft pretzel bites with beer cheese dipping sauce. We enjoyed the sauce so much we asked if we could buy a cup of it; which they don't do by the way. We will definitely be back as the burgers looked and smelled amazing. read more

Just got lunch there today and it was so good that I had to write this right away. I had the Cottage cheeseburger and cheeseballs. The burger was 1/2 lb and you can tell that it is not from a freezer - it was hand formed deliciousness. The burger is cooked to order on a grill and not fried on a griddle which is a huge plus.The bun was also buttered and grilled. It comes with your choice of fries, homemade potato chips, tator tots, or cheese balls. ($7.25) An earlier review said that they have cheese curds - not true. They have cheeseballs with cheddar on the inside. The order I got was perfectly fried - not greasy whatsoever. They are served with a side of ranch. Be careful when you order this appetizer as it is a HUGE portion. ($6.25) I could have done with about 1/3 of the cheeseballs as I was eating the burger too but ordered by itself and staying for beers the cheeseballs would be perfect. When I go out for lunch i always order a burger as I am not a fan of hotdogs, italian beef, sausages, etc. (I know this is crazy talk in Chicagoland) and I have to declare that this was the best burger I have had in a long time. read more

I've been here a few times since my last review and the new ownership has greatly improved things! First off, our waitress was very friendly and helpful -- probably the most helpful and friendly waitress I've ever had. The pizza was seriously good -- and that's saying something. The crust was crisp, the sausage was hand-crumbled and the mushrooms were fresh. read more

The Cottage - Bars Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

One star just because I have too to write a review. The table was dirty when we sat down. When I asked to get it cleaned the worker seemed to not care and got annoyed. The tables are also very close together and not distanced. A person at the table next to me bumped their chair into me when getting out of it because they were so close. The food is overrated and overpriced. Our food took close to an hour to come out because they said they lost our food ticket but I'm pretty sure our server just forgot. Nobody wears their mask when walking around the restaurant. It seemed very chaotic when we went. When walking to the men's bathroom there were dishes piled up by the beer taps and it just looked disgusting. read more

I went here. It was a bar, and they had drinks. Part of it was closed off for a private party. Seven or eight people came up to me and told me they were the owner, or knew the owner(s) who didn't happen to be around this particular evening, which was very strange. There are lots of bars in CL so be sure to add this one to the list for your next "crawl". read more