Great spot, very dog friendly, amazing food, sunny spaces, nice views. We went with our dogs and sat outside and Morgan took care of us and she was awesome. The smash burgers are as good as they sound from the menu, and the fries are amazing too, I'm usually not a fan of the coated fries but however they make them here they do it right. Their homemade cucumber side dish is great too. Very nice alcoholic drink selection, soda wise they do have Pepsi but don't let that influence you, the place is a really great one to stop at. Parking was plentiful but it was a little odd trying to find the place, I'm guessing mid summer it's tough to get a table so be prepared. Michelle at the bar is fantastic too! We will definitely be back for that smash burger and to try more of the menu. read more

Awesomeness! Docked at this establishment for a quick pit stop and found ourselves having a wonderful time listening to live music with an ice cold beverage in hand! Pup friendly and fun for all ages! Witnessed kids munching on burgers and fries while jamming to the tunes of a 5 member band playing tunes that rocked this small outdoor establishment! Definitely an unexpected treat after already having fun on the chain. This dinghy is one that will not leave you stranded! read more

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I love lakeside restaurants, this one does not disappoint, cute place and cute view. Got a fried chicken sandwich, it was good! Grilled chicken was also good, Burgers were also good! Service was fast but it was a Monday night so not sure how the weekend compares. read more

Dinghys - lakeview - Bars Near Me - Fox Lake, Illinois

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Strong drinks, fun vibes, great food. Definitely try the cucumber onion side. It's like a quick pickle essentially, it tastes so fresh and amazing. They also sell it by the jar! I ordered a dirty Shirley with gin, the dinghy burger with fries on the side. We also ordered the fried green beans for the table. The green beans were okay, I wish we would have tried a different starter like the cauliflower. I had two drinks and they were strong (in a good way). The food took a while but honestly the vibes were high so I didn't really notice much or mind. The Dinghy came with 2 patties, grilled onions, and mac and cheese bites. Couldn't really taste the Mac and cheese bites but over all the burger was really good. Fries were nice and crispy. It's a huge meal. Overall and great experience and will visit again in the future. Our server was also attentive and fun. read more

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Gear place to pull up your boat and grab a drink as you make your way around the chain. We only had beers but nice service read more

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I went to Dinghy's for the first time last night with my boyfriend and my best friend met up with us. We all had a great time at Karaoke under the stars. I definitely had wayyyy too much fun if you know what I mean. The staff, service, and atmosphere was awesome. Drinks and food were great! If you're in the area stop by for a great time! read more

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Great place on the water the food was great! We started with some assortment of appetizers were really good. I had the grouper sandwich it was perfectly prepared and just the right amount of breading. I will definitely be back to try other items on the menu. read more

This place has changed hands a couple of times. We had the smash burgers. They were really good and so were the onion rings. The menu was hard to read. I would change that. We will be back !!! read more

What a joke , we came 7:30 and they told us with nasty attitude they don't serve food anymore ! Okay , we got it but where is your manners ?! read more

Love the location, it has one of the best views on the lake. Food was decent enough, and our server was delightful. They apparently have hired an army of waitstaff, and I hope they stay in business. I think the docks are new as well. One downside to me personally: the DJ and choice of tunes makes it kinda puzzling as to who it is for. It's family friendly enough, if you want to bring the fam to a tacky nightclub like one of those just-turned-21 bars by Division & State street in the city. Whatever brings folks in I guess, someone surely loves it and we don't need yet another bar rocking the same 30 classic rock songs as 1987. Just not my thing, and I kinda thought it a bad fit. read more

No frills place overlooking Fox Lake. Good variety in a standard American fare menu. Excellent service and views.

The view from their docks are gorgeous. Food is great too! Their cheeseburger and crispy chicken bacon ranch wrap is delicious. Especially with their house made chips. Servers are super nice. Definitely a place to checkout. read more

Went for food out of food by 7pm after waiting 25 minutes waitress on Wednesday July 2 2025

So good again! We love their Mac and Cheese bites. They have a little kick to them. We have not found anything that compares to these delicious cheesy squares! Service and music was great too!! Thanks Dinghys! read more

Food was great and atmosphere was very nice. Saw Lara Bell jamming on the acoustic and had myself a delicious sloppy Joe. The fries were really good too. Will be back soon read more

Dinghys - The bar - Bars Near Me - Fox Lake, Illinois

Great food loved the chips! Friendly & attentive staff Ambiance was a casual lake side experience! Will be back with more friends soon!

Spent a wonderful afternoon at Dinghys It has wonderful location in Fox Lake. It's situated right at the waters edge. My friend and I had smothered grilled Chicago wrap sandwiches served with delicious seasoned French Fries They were crispy on the outside. The service was very good There were mostly high top tables and umbrella tables on outdoor dec This is a hidden gem located in a residential neighborhood. Not fancy very casual atmosphere. Highly recommended. read more

We stopped In to o.see the place. Beautiful patio/ deck that looks out onto Fox Lake. Ordered some food. The broccoli cheddar bites are great! The zingy sauce hits! Hade the smash bugher with home made potato chips. It was perfect , the chips slaps/ top notch. I definitely recommend and will be back read more

Great food, great atmosphere, great drinks, and very reasonably priced! If you're boating, they also have a lot of space on their docks and easy in and out. read more

They've done a great job updating the inside/outside. Entertainment is great. The service is absolutely horrible. We've been waiting well over an hour for our food and our waitress hasn't come back to provide any updates. Barely stopping by to offer us refill on our drinks. We finally had to stop her and ask about our food; she was clueless that we've been waiting for over an hour. As much as we'd love to come back because the vibe is great, this service will cause us to never be back. read more

Finally gave them a try since we live so close and it's an easy boat ride across the lake... decided a Monday would be best. 45 minutes in patiently waiting for my food I get it just enjoying the view.. however 3 tables 2 which happened to be parties of 6 plus arrive 30 minutes after us and all there food comes out. The waitress can tell I'm giving a confused look at this point. Comes over and says ours was delayed due to ticket malfunction... ok no worries thanks for letting us know. Another 15 minutes and another tables food comes out but not ours... politely asked them to cancel and bring my bill for our drinks. Did comp our one drink and soda but I much rather pay and support the business time and time again! What a shame will be hard for me to give them a try again with so many options on the water ... came home and cooked a good old grill cheese for me and the honey! lol read more

Food was excellent and so was the service. This was my first time there, but it certainly will not be the last!

You remember the Saturday Night Live skit, night at the Roxbury? That's the cheezy vibe here. The previous owners of what was Fams's had awesome fresh tacos. Now, the food is horrible (how do you screw up a sandwich?) AND the wait time for food is about 90 minutes. Don't go here for dinner. Food is horrible and the crowd is nightclub class. read more

Love this place!! Service is always fantastic and right on the water. Clean restaurant and restrooms and super friendly and attentive staff!!! Highly recommend going here. read more

Great location on Fox Lake. Awesome people and boat watching. Although barfood it's pretty good.

Some of the worst service I've had, took an hour just to get acknowledged, order and receive food. Bartenders are eating behind the bar, they can't keep track of who ordered and who didn't, and when food does eventually come out they don't know where it goes. It's extremely unorganised and unprofessional plus the food is mediocre at best. One bartender made our experience worse by being extremely disrespectful and unwelcoming. She was rude to guests, openly annoyed and expressively negative. We weren't ordering alcoholic beverages, just lunch, but we were sitting at the bar and she caused a scene, accusing us of having fake ID's. Showing her an Illinois license, she claims "You can't smile in Illinois, this is a fake honey, I need a second form of ID". We are closer in age to 30 than to 21, for reference. She spoke loudly and in a condescending manner, so much so that others at the bar approached us in shock saying we should "take our money elsewhere". Needless to say, we were uncomfortable the rest of our visit. It's a shame that this is a new establishment in a good location but it's not worth your trouble, I certainly won't be back. read more

Great views, easily accessible by boat and they are a NON WOKE establishment! Service is a little slow but the drinks are cold!

The deck, the layout, ample parking, very nice staff, attentive owners, great food, reasonable prices and boat people...! its a great find!!

Food is very good, you won't leave hungry. The manager gave us some cake samples to try. Put them on the menu! They were great.

Stopped by boat today with my buddy Steve. What a great place, new piers going in, inside redone, had the smash burger. It was awesome. Service was great. We will definitely be back. read more