We had appointments for tattoos around the corner and some time to kill so we stopped in for a quick late lunch. We ordered a couple apps and enjoyed them while waited for our mains. Everything we ordered was good... not great... not hot, but not cold. Just kind of meh. The room was loud even though there were only a couple people besides us there. Service was good. read more

See all

Three of us went in for lunch on a Sunday afternoon. They had football on the TVs and the front dining area had quite a few occupied tables and it looked really cozy. We sat at a high top in the bar. Everyone enjoyed their lunch but nothing was GREAT. We intended to have dessert but the server didn't get back to us and we decided o just get going. Maybe next time. read more

See all

Great place and offer a array of different foods for all appetites. In fact we went there on a Friday night and again on Saturday afternoon. Tiffany was our waiter on Friday and Angie on Saturday. Both were great waitresses. Friday; The food was very good; but I wouldn't get the calamari again. Wings were different with Mediterranean sauce ( spicy but tasty ). Salads good and steak was tender. Saturday; Mediterranean Mac and cheese, spicy but good, lobster great, loaded fries very good and 3 amigo shrimp tacos were awesome. Parking can be tricky as it's right across the road from train depot. There is outside seating weather permitting. Inside was a diverse array of arts and displays to intrigue the best customer. read more

See all

Crystal lake junction closed and new owner Brian opened Pub 88ate. Great place with outdoor patio allowing dogs.

We went for brunch at Crystal Lake Junction Our mimosas were well served and good Food was good and we received before some chips and corn salsa. Service was good and nice atmosphere in the patio. I will return read more

A friend of mine recommended this place. The first time we went, it was on a weekend afternoon. The atmosphere is delightful! Fun and cheerful, with comfortable seating. I love the decorations hanging from the ceiling. But it is small and parking is that downtown Crystal Lake parking. We were greeted by two very enthusiastic servers. Our server TONY was beyond amazing. He started by giving us this corn salsa and chips! OH MY GOSH! Delicious. He was extremely attentive and refilled our drinks. He would check on us often but was not intrusive. We ordered the Mediterranean flatbread! We actually saw it go past us and had food envy. lol I also had the pear salad. I took most of that home and loved it for dinner. So so delicious. The last time I was in was during the week during lunch. Our server was not very attentive. I went a third time and again the waitress was not like our Tony. The food was still delicious. I had a french onion soup and a wrap. So good. I will definitely try another time. Hopefully when Tony is working. read more

See all

What a fun vibe! There are tables with veeeery comfy booths that make for a really nice and relaxed dining experience. We were very happy with our service. Our server was attentive and available when needed, very kind and personable. Our food was also very good. I had the shrimp bowl and my husband built his own burger. We were both very happy with our meals. The shrimp bowl was a great portion size for lunch, although it might be on the smaller side for dinner. read more

I wanted more options... I'm a vegan and was hoping for better meal options when I ate lunch here this summer but unfortunately it was very slim. I honestly picked this spot for the outdoor patio seating vibe, and I enjoyed it but the bees were annoying. One side of the patio is shaded by a big awning and the other side against the lattice fencing was in the sun so it could get hot. I ordered a flavored lemonade that was delicious, and my friend got some chicken dish she liked. They had a cute, average size menu that looked like any non-vegan could enjoy, but I would not recommend this for a vegan if you want to actually eat a real meal you enjoy. This restaurant is located directly across from the train station parking/tracks so there is plenty of street and back lot parking available. The inside can easily accommodate small groups , 6 people max in my opinion, and there is bar seating available if you are single. I see this location being a cute brunch spot! I probably won't go back simply because of the lack of actual edible options for my dietary restrictions, but the waitress was nice, and our food/drinks come out quickly, and since I came on my lunch brake I appreciate the good turn over. read more

My parents have been on my ass about going here for the better half of a year. We got here tonight & our server (anthony ur so cool) immediately recognized them which was crazy and my mom is still giggling about it. love her lol now did i have a Häagen-dazs ice cream bar and a fresh Costco croissant before hand but oh boy and i'm mad i don't have more of an appetite tonight. got the mediterranean Caesar wrap and oh my GODDDDDD? i think i breathed in and it was gone. literally so good wtf sat outside & their little couches and tables are wonderful and cute. tables are a bit close together but the restaurant itself isn't big so they worked with what they have. 10/10 i have no choice but to come back bc my parents will drag my ass here in approx. 1 month for their monthly dinner and maybe, just *maybe* that time we'll try to milkshake read more

Crystal Lake Junction - Rosé Gin Fizz - American Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

My husband and I went here on a bit of a whim today, tired of the same 'ole places we have gone to over and over again. Found them on Yelp and checked out some Google reviews too. I can say with confidence, I am so happy I saw this place on Yelp this morning because WOW - it did NOT disappoint! We had a bunch of things while we were here - quick review of all of them: - Guinness Stout Beer Cheese Soup: I really enjoyed this - veggies were a tad on the crunchy side in it and the stout flavor was very pronounced on the pallet at the end of each bite. That said, very rich and tasty. My husband wasn't a fan but yeah - more for me lol! 4/5 stars - Shrimp Avocado Toast and Bacon & Cheese Avocado Toast: Absolutely delicious! Highly recommended. Came with breakfast potatoes (unsalted / unseasoned, but that was ok as they were fresh, fluffy, and crispy). I also ordered two eggs to go along with it. The eggs were a little runny with the whites and I'm not a huge fan of that. That said, it was still great overall. 4/5 stars - Breakfast Quesadilla: WOW. Incredibly tasty. Came with guacamole, sour cream, and house made salsa. Great! 5/5 stars - Banana and Strawberry topped Waffles: This was very surprising to us. It was absolutely delicious, it was like a waffle flight that came with three individual small waffles. The waffles were unique in that they were like sugar crusted. It came with syrup, but you really didn't even need it. Super delicious. 5/5 stars - Iced Caramel Macchiato with Oatmilk: Delicious, not too sweet, very tasty. 4.5/5 stars As you can see, everything we had was great! The server was bubbly and fun and really engaging. The place itself was very cute. The only complaint I had was that there was this like one fly that wouldn't leave us alone lol. The server made a comment about how they're not scared of humans anymore lol :-). I thought that was funny. I'll attach some pictures so you can see what we had. A few of the things we already started eating lol sorry about that. We were super hungry when we got there. Not even kidding, this place is going to be one of our frequented spots. They even said they have breakfast every day now because it was so incredibly popular that they have breakfast every single day from open until 2 PM. Definitely check this place out. It is fantastic! read more

See all

Great food and service. The atmosphere was awesome. The shake was a culinary delight.

Enjoyed this new location in crystal lake. They have indoor and outdoor seating. We thought everything on the menu looked good. It wasn't crowded which we wanted because we bailed on another location. Love the chips as apps and amigos tacos. They have a huge milk shack selection. read more

See all

Every thing was delicious! Our sever was so nice and attentive. Cute little funky place for lunch. Love it!

Great little place! The food is consistently on point and the service is top notch. Have been here a handful of times and have never been disappointed. read more

We went there for dinner this evening. I was very disappointed. I will say my husband enjoyed his dinner. All I wanted was nachos with melted cheddar. Simple. Right? Wrong. The first order they brought me was poured on cheese. They next one was the picture below. Where is the cheese? $15. For that. I don't mind paying that price if they would have put cheese on it. Anyway we were going to play the slots. We each had a match play. We tried to redeem and the waitress said they are not accepting their own coupons. Expire 9/30/2025. No notes on the door when you walk in or in the restaurant stating that. She just said NO they stopped taking them. Very disappointed! read more

See all

Beautiful patio seating, with excellent chips and corn dip for a starter! Along with some great seafood read more

Crystal Lake Junction - Patio Seating - American Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

See all

Our waiter, July, was amazing!!! So helpful, attentive and knowledgeable!! The outdoor patio was comfortable and quiet to enjoy a meal. It did not disappoint!!! Hmmmm....will have to try breakfast! read more

See all

We have been back Twice, No issues observed as in the first visit, looks like they read yelp everything looked great food was great. And Molly the bar tender has a winning personality . read more

Each time we have visited Crystal Lake Junction, we've had a warm friendly welcome... great service and great food. Fun place has a cool ambiance vibe. To go drinks if you are jumping on the train. Breakfast, lunch and dinner! read more

We were looking to try something we hadn't tried yet while running some errands in the area. The Junction popped up on Yelp and sounded like a good try. Holy COW are we so glad we went for it. First things first, super cute, intimate space with great light. So clean. Friendly staff. The menu is surprisingly extensive especially when you factor in the breakfast menu. Husband got the Three Amigos Ahí Tuna tacos and I got the King Crab Roll. Phenomenal. No other word to describe BOTH dishes. We left discussing how excited we are to come back and try the rest of the menu. This place isn't exactly convenient to home and our normal routines, but we will absolutely be making it a part of dining spots - WORTH THE TRIP! I was drooling over the milkshake menu but didn't have room left ... next time!! read more

Food and service was really good!! Kids had good food and enjoyed this place! We had a large group, and it was a good choice!! read more

This place is so cute! A hidden gem. I loved the environment and the food section. They have breakfast, flatbreads, salads, Mac n cheese and seafood. Service was great! I will go again read more

Great food and service. I love the chips and salsa offered (for free!) prior to ordering. Restaurant is small, but cozy. There's a great outdoor patio. read more

This is a small hole in the wall restaurant across the street from the Crystal Lake train station. When first seated, the waiter brought over chips with a corn salsa. The beverage selection is heavy on milkshakes, both normal and boozy. My Peaches and Cream milkshake (boozy) went down way to easily. My wife's strawberry banana milkshake had large chunks of bananas and a few strawberry sugar wafers. The menu is eclectic with a strong leaning to hamburgers. I got the Shrimpy Wimpy Sandwich which is basically a crab cake sandwich with shrimp instead of crab meat. The sandwich is large and cumbersome to eat, but the Shrimp Patty is delicious. My wife had the Acapulco burger which was also cumbersome to eat, but she said the guacamole in it was great. She didn't care for the cherry tomatoes. they kept falling out. The service was pleasant and the ambience was a bit on the sports bar side of things. To sum it all up, the food was good but hard to eat, the milkshakes were delicious, little touches like the chips were nice. read more

Great new addition to downtown! Good menu and love the atmosphere. Everyone there was very nice and look forward to visiting again!

Casual restaurant, comfy seating, friendly staff. If you like mussels, you gotta try this place!

My Metra obsessed son and I had a great experience there! Food and service was great. I had the lobster roll and a Peroni on draft and my son had the chicken fingers. We'll definitely be back! read more

Very middling experience. Friendly kids with very little restaurant experience doing the best they can as servers, but lots of loose ends. Food was sub par. The guy who runs the place has five or six restaurants in downtown CL. By all accounts he's a good guy. Junction needs a manager on location on a Friday night. Has potential. read more

I came in for lunch, because the menu looked so fresh and inventive. Turns out they were also serving breakfast til 2pm, so I decided on avocado toast with shrimp and bacon. It was really good. And my Carmel Macchiato was also delicious. Highly recommend. read more

Crystal Lake Junction - Carmel Macchiato - American Near Me - Crystal Lake, Illinois

See all

Food is tasty and very well prepared. Service is friendly and appropriate. Everyone here is upbeat which is contagious. The place is always clean. Doesn't appear to have any additives in all dishes. read more

Best steak sandwich and best chowder in Crystal Lake imho. Went there for the first time last night. Friendly staff and nice casual atmosphere. Loved the free salsa and chips! Will be back for sure! read more

Best chicken sandwich! The Ranch water drink is a thirst quencher. Great food, Great service!

Food is pretty bland and not worth the prices they charge. Prices that compete with 1776. Their online menu is out of date too - everything is more expensive than what their website shows. read more