This place used to be great--it is easily one of the worst places to eat in McHenry now. Not only is there service slow as molasses, the food isn't even that good. Chips and Salsa taste store bought, Mojitos are NOT fresh, just a Bacardi mixture, and the inside is just dirty looking. The only thing is as going for itself is the outside, it is cute and very summery, but it is simply outdated. They need a new staff and a new menu, pronto. read more

Waste of space on the Fox River! The cool decorative environment is sunk by sub-par food and expensive prices. I have not had a decent meal there yet without kicking myself in the butt for stopping in! My recomendations on the river is Keifs Reef and Broken Oar for more reasonable and better tasting food. And after reading these reviews I have to say this place needs a Chef Ramsey to come in and turn it around. "Christ loo at ow many dishes are on the menu?" "This food tastes like it was cooked in a mircowave!" "YOU CALL THIS FRESH!!!" Oh dear - imagine what the kitchen would look like! read more

This is a great place for two things: appetizers and fried chicken. The location is easy to get to by car OR boat. It's on the far south end of the Chain, so the crown here is a bit raucous at times. The outdoor seating is pretty great, too. Not during the winter, though. And the scenery is good-ish by McHenry standards. read more

I had the volcano. burger, my wife had the pulled pork sandwich and my son had the chicken strip basket. By far, one of the best "non-chain" burgers I've had in a long time. Really fresh and the burger itself was excellent (throw on the Volcano toppings and it was awesome). Pulled Pork was good (sauce could have been a little better) but the serving size was HUGE. The chicken strip basket was average at best just because you could tell it was pre-made, not homemade. The fries were excellent. All in all, I gave this place five stars for the burger, fries and portion size. Throw in the view of the river and it's a great place for an early evening dinner. By the way, our server Michael was awesome. read more

Dumpy restaurant with a very nice outside patio overlooking the Fox river and parking for boats. The food was for the most part pathetic. I had a cheeseburger which arrived with a soggy bun and had an off-taste. I could only eat about half of it. My wife had some kind of turkey sandwich which had no more appeal than if we had made it at home putting sliced lunch meat on wonder bread with a liitle mayo. The only exceptional thing here food-wise were the wonderfully crispy battered french fries and the onion straws. They were REALLY exceptional. This place is probably ok if you just want ot hang out on the porch and drink. Apart from the fries and onion straws, though, I just can't reccomend eating here and likely won't come back. read more

The food is "OK". The docks could use some much needed repairs. Service stinks. The bathrooms, especially the urine soaked curtain between the urinal and the sink in the mens room is disgusting. Bottom line is that the place needs a lot of work and better management to make it one that I would want to visit with any regularity. read more

What a fun place! Located on the Fox River, they do have boat parking (which is awesome, because otherwise I'd never go). Once you walk up to the restaurant, it's seat yourself inside and outside. They have a good beer selection to start off with, and when you sit inside they bring popcorn to your table. Their food selection is pretty extensive, from sandwiches to pizza to steaks. I've never had anything there I didn't like! read more

We were very new at this restaurant Vickys place. It was very expensive for two burgers and 10 breaded shrimp some of them were cold the bill was $50 I don't know what they were charging us for but my husband just paid it I wish I would've looked at it I would not recommend this place their food was just OK it wasn't outstanding and I understand that they were short service but the food didn't taste like it should I was very disappointed we will not be going back read more

Haven't been back to McHenry in several years , thought dinner with my daughter on the river would be nice. It was a Friday so thought I would a fish fry, It was awful the batter was not good and the fish was greasy. fries were ok , came with a thimble sized Cole slaw that was average. My daughter has never had an Italian beef so i recommended it....a big mistake . it tasted bland a was not close to a true Italian beef. we walked away hungry and wasted over 25.00 Next time in town Ill go down the river . read more

Really the only time to go to Vickie's is in the summertime. Otherwise, it's a dark smoky bar/lounge. The real draw is the patio, with it's large number of picnic tables. When the weather turns and the ice melts on the Fox, sit on the deck at Vickie's and gawk at the boats and boaters that float in for good grub. You won't go hungry...my best friend always orders the full fatty Sour Dough Italian Beef -- topped with mozzarella and hot Giardiniera, stuffed into a huge loaf of sourdough bread. Washed down by a cold beverage of course. The other items on the menu have all been good for us also. The service is a bit slow, but when you're out on the deck in sun next to the river with a cold one, it's more of a benefit than a liability. read more

A friend and I visited on a Sunday afternoon looking forward to the riverside seating and getting a nice late lunch. I got there early, staked out a spot and had a nice alcoholic blue-lemonade drink. This was the best part of the whole trip. My friend arrived approximately 15 mins later and couldn't find a place to park. She had to park on a side street further away. The restaurant wasn't even busy. The patio was pretty full, but the inside was completely empty. Where would people park on a Friday or Saturday night? We decided on an appetizer - the wonton rolled mozzarella sticks. These were OK, but not great. For dinner, we both had the crab cake burger. This was disgusting. It didn't even seem cooked. We've heard good things about the real burgers though, so we may be up for giving it another chance. Not a great initial impression though. read more

Delicious and generously portioned hamburger for dinner, and a view on patio of the Fox River and boats as the sun sets. Wonderful experience this evening! read more

Vicki's for amazing burgers, great cheese curds and outstanding margarita flights!!! We LOVE coming here!!!!

I would give this place zero stars if I could we drove from Lindenhurst to sit by the water and they told us they wouldn't take tables because their kitchen was behind. We wanted to have a drink and wait but they said they wouldn't seat anyone. Don't waste your time! read more

Great outdoor patio right on the river! Food and service was good. The mosquitos were awful and we had to end up moving inside so remember your bug spray! Great overall experience! read more

Went there the summer of 2017 with a restaurant.com $10 voucher. When we got the bill the server said it wasnt valid because it was only good during the week and we were there on a weekend. My fault. Went there again on a Monday, July 9, 2018 with the same voucher that never expires. When we received the bill the server tells us that they couldn't validate it. Once again, couldn't use the certificate. I called restaurant.com who said the certificate was valid and that they would report Vickies for not honoring restaurant.com certificates. Restaurant.com gave me a credit but I certainly won't be using it at Vickies. Two more customers that will never be back. Good riddance. read more

Came across this place after a day of driving in Wisconsin. Parking is tight but we found a spot The patio deck was pretty large & we were able to get a table right along the water. The decor was fun-very tropical The drink special we ordered was delicious -some Hawaiian type drink We ordered loaded fries for an app-good but in prefer nacho cheese as opposed to cheddar but still good-next time I'll ask for sour cream on side & not the sauces that came with it too Menu was huge! Tons to chose from & everything sounded good. I got land shark burger-good but there was something about it that I was not fond of, maybe the sauce?? Idk My family also ordered a steak sandwich(she said it was just ok), chicken tenders (these looked really good & huge) & a small pepperoni pizza(it was delicious) The fries were good but not great -I am partial to meatier fries & these are thin & real crispy, the onion straws were good but after all the fries I had I was just done with all the fried food. Overall I liked it & I'd check it out again read more

Vickie's Place - Land shark burger - American Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

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Stopped in for a farewell dinner with my family before my parents head to Florida. The atmosphere was somewhat beach-like, which is why we thought it would be fun to get them ready for some real beach and sun. ;-) Having eaten there many times in the moderate past (10-20 years ago), I was disappointed in the food this time. Service was decent, and fairly timely for a Friday night. Being Fall, we ate inside as the outdoor seating was no longer open, which probably helped manage the service. I ordered a fisherman's basket. Others in our group ordered a variety of items, from chicken to burgers. Mostly basing this review on what I tried, and can verify from others. My basket was not particularly good. The fish was dry and overcooked, and not a particularly large portion for the price. The shrimp were OK, not bad, and not good. Fries were excellent if you like them battered. I asked about options on the side, and she said it only came with fries. My wife ordered a fish dinner, and again, her portion was left in the frier too long. My mom ordered the same thing I got, and was able to substitute onion rings for the fries - why couldn't I? Onion rings were also very good! Apparently the burgers were decent, but those who had one didn't seem particularly impressed. They used to be huge and juicy, and it seemed they were overdone by the response. I'll probably come back because of the experience years ago. I'd probably suggest they watch the food prep a bit, and they should be a good standard for enjoying the river in McHenry. read more

We love Vickie's!! The burgers are delicious and you can make or substitute anything you want for toppings. Its situated right on the water and even has boat parking. read more

Don't bother ordering takeout they will screw it up. Dina G our server managed to mess up both entrees we ordered our very first time here. If you ask for sauce on the side or any dietary requests like "no cheese" they'll disregard your request entirely. Dina managed to even screw up our bill which we realized when we got home. We ordered two sandwiches each about 10$ & our bill charged 15$ for a "Luau' which isn't even a menu item.. the other sandwich was upcharged too. If you're expecting more burger than bun you'll be disappointed. We asked for a refund after we got home to find our entire order was screwed up and they refused. Terrible place all around. read more

Always have had great food. We especially like going during summer months so we can sit outside along the river. Have a great selection of burgers and other sandwiches, have not had the pizza yet. My favorite so far is the cheesy beef!!! read more

We're new to the area and have been trying Local places and I have to say That Vickie's place was a pleasant surprise! Its got a great mix of delicious food, nice location and great service. Our server, Morgan, has been excellent the times we've been there! So Glad to have found a place where we could be "regulars". Thanks Morgan for exceptional customer service and making us feel welcome. read more

The waitress was very courteous the burger was very good but the fisherman's platter was a joke for $14 it was one piece of cod and six tail-off shrimp which was very tasteless . The fisherman's platter was overpriced and it was like something you got from a frozen dinner. read more

We went here tonight and we really liked it! Love the tropical theme and nice view of the water ! We sat right by the fireplace which was nice! Their cocktails are very good and the price is right! All their food was really good too, only reason for not a 5 star was because the burgers were sooo greasy! It's like the burger was good but yet in the same it really was ruined by the grease! Next time I will try a salad or sandwich and see if that's better. We will be back though! read more

I've gone again just to try their flight of margaritas. Such an interesting concept, I've never seen it anywhere else. They offer a list of flavor options. The flavors are very good, and its reasonably priced. read more

I had the most wonderful celebration lunch with my sons at your restaurant! We loved the twisted cheese sticks, my taco salad was to die for and our waitress Megan was the most attentive waitress. The food came out quickly and we were done eating in less than 30 minutes from the time we sat down! Time for slots!! read more

I checked out Vicki's during there off season, winter. I was on my lunch so I was in a hurry. Staff was nice and friendly. Ticket time was excellent considering I was in a time crunch. I ordered the grilled sub and it was excellent!! read more

Awesome outdoor seating, Fun bar to watch games, strong drinks, Video gaming machines, great Burgers, Ribs, Fish Tacos, Salads, and DAMN Good desserts! I recommend this place to all my boating buddies! Its a fun place to eat good food, enjoy good friends, and drink Great Drinks! read more

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DONT GO HERE . THIS IS THE WORST PLACE. If I could give this a negative review I would . We sat there for over 20 minutes and no one came to our table not even to say hi or anything . HORRIBLE EXPERIENCE . This was the worst experience I've had . THEY SHOULD GO OUT OF BUSINESS. !! read more

This place is terrible. Don't waste your money on the food. Witnessed someone behind the bar pouring water into the wine. The only thing that this place has going for it is it has out door seating! Go a little further down river and go to Snuggery or north up river to Dockers! read more

We stayed in town for the 4th of July holiday, and were looking for a place that would give us the feel of being at the lake house without the travel. Vicki's is located immediately off the Fox River, and has a nice size patio and outdoor bar in addition to the indoor restaurant. When we arrived we were slightly confused about the seating situation, and had to approach one of the waitresses to ask whether we should seat ourselves. It is in indeed self service for seating, so we headed out to the patio. The view isn't as picturesque as I would've imagined, but it was nice to be near the water and watch the boats. The patio itself and the indoor restaurant could use some rehabilitation - the whole place looks like it hasn't been updated or thoroughly cleaned in AGES. I ordered a bloody mary and was offered the "Bloody Mary Bar", which was a little strange. Lots of random foods/accoutriments to add to your BM, and a lot of the hot sauce and Worcestershire sauce looked old. Not to mention that I'm almost positive I only had a teaspoon of vodka in my cup to start with. My husband ordered a burger and I had a turkey flatbread. All in all, I would say that the food wasn't worth paying for - I could've easily made these dishes at home and done a better job. The fries seem to be dipped in seafood batter - think of the breading on Long John Silver's fish and you'll know what I mean. The menu does offer a large number of choices, so maybe we just ordered the wrong dishes. Overall, I would say that the food was mediocre at best, the service and atmosphere were decent. My husband did witness an altarcation between a waitress and the owner of the restaurant (or at least that's who he appeared to be), which was both comical and unprofessional. We will not return to Vicki's - we're on the hunt for another riverside restaurant with a good patio. read more

I wanted to try Vickie's Place because it seemed like a nice place to go eat beside the water. As soon as we sat down the waitress had some bad energy. Didn't smile and threw the menu on the tables. She took drink orders and I was still deciding and she said "what do you want" at that point I was pretty annoyed. The fries came out cold, I told her about it she didn't answer and I had to ask her if she heard me say the fries were cold. She said yes and walked away. I told another person that worked inside and he was very polite, eventually, hot fries came out afterwards. She tried to be nice afterward since the other employee told her I was bothered but the damage was already done. I asked for a veggie burger which was on the menu and she said "we don't have veggie burgers" I showed her the veggie burger on the menu and she said "well it's really not a veggie burger" I am not sure if she was new or just didn't want to work that day. Service is everything, I won't be back and the food was mediocre. read more

Too much on the menu, so everything is mediocre. Service is awful. Walked out last time after not seeing a server within 15 minutes of being seated-on a slow day read more

We used to go to Vickie's a lot. The food was good, and it was a nice place to go on a sunny summer day. We went back last weekend, for the first time in a year. Good lord! What a change, and not for the better. The fries had a nasty batter on them, like the ones you get from BK. We ordered the wonton wrapped mozzarella sticks..they were awful. Nice and brown on the outside, doughy on the inside, and the cheese was not melted at all. I had the jerked chicken malibu...and the chicken was dry and tough. Not spicy at all. It used to be really good! My husbands taco salad was watery and tasteless. The bill for this very mediocre food was $33!. For an appetiser, a burger, a chicken sandwich, 2 orders of fries and 2 soft drinks. The bathrooms were filthy. The dining room is dingy and dirty. I don't know if Vickie's changed owners recently or what....but the restaurant is a shadow a shadow of what they were. What a shame. read more

Sometimes I read these yelp reviews and I wonder if these people reviewing are comparing this restaurant to a top rated Michelin star restaurant. This restaurant is exactly what it sets out to be a super casual great burger joint. If your on the lake throw on a shirt sit on the patio, or if you want some ac sit inside and grab a burger, they have a ton of original topped burgers. Portions are huge, fries, and fried onions are great. They offer some other items if your not into burgers. Drinks are cold, and poured well. Not sure what people are looking for in a burger joint on a lake but if you are looking for somewhere to have a tasty burger in a casual atmosphere stop here food is good, service is friendly, portions are large. read more

What a dump! Walked in on a Saturday afternoon and the sign said wait to be seated.... And thats exactly what we did. Waited over ten minutes while being ignored by the waitresses and staff. Finally we sat ourselves out back - Of all the seating and tables, there was only us and another small party of 4 outside. Another five minutes later a waitress noticed us and brought over menus. Another ten minutes goes by until we got our drink order taken. Another ridculously long 20 minutes went by until the drinks came. Next, we ordered our meals (4 of us), food came in a reasonable amount of time and was actually pretty tasty. Good food and a great view but the service was absolutely terrible. I actually feel bad for the poor owner who has a great set-up with terrible employees! read more

Great location on the water, but that's the only good thing going for this dump. The service is slow and very poorly organized. The food is a joke, nachos mainly consisting of chopped lettuce and a glob of cheese whiz. My vodka drink tasted like all mixer. When I told the waitress, she offered to get me a double, and noted I would need to pay for a double. My suggestion: eat elsewhere and drink beer on the deck. read more

I would give this place zero stars, if I could. This is one of the very few times, that I wish I would've read the reviews before-hand. This is probably the worst place I've ever eaten at. My hubby and I are still suffering from food poisoning, 4 days after coming here. We also had the same experience as one of the other reviewers, waking up in the middle of the night with stomach cramping and we haven't left the toilet since. I don't mean to be gross, but there is seriously something wrong with their sanitation standards here. On another note, the nachos, if that's what you want to call them, were unlike any other, I've ever had. It should've been called a garbage salad, because that's what it looked like. There was no melted cheese....maybe a little bit of shredded cheese thrown on and it was all shredded lettuce...so messed up.....go elsewhere people. This place is a total dump, in every way. read more

Still love the food and atmosphere, and don't get why some others don't think the food, portions, and service are great. Oh well, their loss. read more

This place is absolutely disgusting. The restaurant's indoors dining area reeked like rancid oil. Even the water tasted nasty. The water tasted like they siphoned it out of the river. The burger tasted like freezer burn. The service was amazingly slow, especially considering the two of us only got burgers and fries and were literally the only two people in the place during lunch hour. The fries were OK, but tasted like they bought them from the Jewel freezer section. To top it off, the meal was overpriced for a simple burger and fries, no drink at $10+. Worst place I have ever eaten. read more