Right next-door to the Royal Pho Vietnamese restaurant is a Dollar Tree store. I was like alright,…read morewhy not, moment. I had time to kill to see what they have in store that I may need on my vacation.
With that said, I came here after having dinner at Royal Pho Vietnamese restaurant next-door. It was after 8 PM on a Thursday evening. November 2024. It was two days after the presidential election that rocked America. A dollar tree store was fully stocked with random stuff for sale and the food items were basically in the back of the store, nearly frozen food items and refrigerated items that I thought were pretty good and discounted for most people's budget. And so I went there, in the back of the store were the frozen foods and the refreshing drinks. 75% of the store was household items that don't require consuming. I spent about 15 minutes here walking around the store and looking around what I could use on my vacation. After getting bored, I directly went to the back of the store and picked out a couple of items that proved to be a good thing during my stay here in Crystal Lake. My friend was waiting for me anyway, so I had to make this trip to the dollar store pretty quick. I ended up making the purchase and I spent a good amount of money here and it was a good time had by all. I am thankful that dollar tree is here because I could get discounted stuff here versus going to a local supermarket and getting the same stuff there. I think that's how it is with supermarkets, local grocery stores, Costco, and Whole Foods, among other shopping brands. Yes they seem like a thrift store with a candy shop in the back, with a grocery store attachment. I guess whatever you can get for cheap is usually here at the dollar tree store.
The overall experience here at this particular Dollar Tree store in Crystal Lake, Illinois was definitely an interesting experience, but typical and casual at the same time. They have random household items and things you would find around the house on a typical day. Most of the stuff you'd find probably are second hand but you could also find in some Walmarts too. Still, it was interesting that I was having a pretty good time here looking around before getting what I needed for the evening. The store was clean and organized for sure. I felt like going into someone's house and they organized it, the stuff that they wanted to sell, along with other stuff to eat in the freezer along with drinks that were cold. That's the vibe that I got. Just being real after dinner in Crystal Lake, IL in early November 2024. The store cashier was friendly enough and got thru my purchase transaction without any dramas. It does feel like a thrift store but the items feel more new than gently used. Still, it was nice to get fresh food, albeit either frozen or refrigerated, but it was good. I enjoyed the fact that they had discounted drinks and ice cream here when available. That's basically what I looked for when I came here that evening in this Crystal Lake location. The location was perfect, inside, you can judge for yourself if this place is good for you.
This particular Dollar Tree store is located in a small shopping alcove in Crystal Lake, Illinois. Next door is the Royal Pho Vietnamese restaurant. They accept major credit cards as well as cash. I used credit card this time around. As far as parking goes, they have plenty of parking for anyone and everyone to come and park here. Quite the amount of parking to where you can secure your spot before the lunch or dinner rush comes thru the door. If you are like me, try to have local friends come and pick you up, since I got here and left here via a local friend who picked me up for dinner at my hotel and we ended up shopping here at the Dollar Tree afterwards to kill time. Not sure if Crystal Lake has its own public transportation system here, besides the Metra train from Crystal Lake to Chicago, but best bet would be to double check on that to make sure they do before coming over. There's always Uber and Lyft to get you to here, wherever your original destination would be. With that said, you may like dollar tree, or you may hate it. But it serves his purpose in the community in which it serves. Best bet is to come here when the prices are good, and the ice cream is still frozen. At least that's what I get when I can visit the dollar tree
4.0 stars for the overall experience. 3.5 stars for the service and ambiance. 5.0 stars for the location and some deals I found shopping.
Support local!
B
