1776 Restaurant
| Address: | 397 W Virginia St, Crystal Lake, IL 60014, USA |
| Phone: | +1 815-356-1776 |
| Site: | 1776restaurant.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | 4–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–10PM 11AM–11:30PM 4:30–11:30PM Closed |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 9
NA
Naomi Doboze
My husband and I went here for his birthday, we were in town and after years and years of hearing good things and how special the menu is, we finally got to try it. What a huge disappointment. First off, the staff wasnt particularly helpful or friendly. The hostess didnt smile once, perhaps she was distracted trying to keep her boobs from falling out of her skimpy tank top. She didnt seat us with a menu or wine menu so then our server appears and asks us what we want to drink, and we have to ask for menus. We specifically came on Thursday which is Tapas night, he didnt ask us if we came for Tapas so I had to ask him for that menu also. While the server wasnt rude or mean, he just was slow and behind the ball when it came to giving us good service. So we ended up going with the two specials, a fish dish and my husband got the exotic game (buffalo, kangaroo). We ordered an appetizer which I cant even remember what it was it was that memorable. But then we waited 30 minutes for our entrees, so basically the kitchen had almost an hour to prepare our main courses, and mind you we ordered their specials so one would think theyd be prepared for those orders. My fish was a specialty dish and it should be for $40, but it came out sadly in a quarter inch pool of melted butter. The entire plate was a pool of melted butter then they placed the fish on it. For a place that boasts they use organic, local, fresh ingredients, I was surprised it didnt have any fresh herbs or just a little lemon juice but instead was bathed in butter. The type of fish is known to already be moist and wonderful, so it made me question whether the quality really was that good if they are trying to mask its flavor in tons of butter. My husbands food was good and well done, but the presentation was so-so. I have to say the most hilarious thing was that both of our dishes came with mashed potatoes and as a decoration of some sort, they placed a tortilla chip in the center. Yes, a Tostada tortilla chip that you can buy at your local grocery store for a few bucks. Not only did it make no sense, but it wasnt even pretty. We saw them on all the plates that were coming out of the kitchen, if youre going to use a chip then make sure it goes with what youre serving it with and maybe fry your own tortilla chips instead of opening a bag of chips that you bought at the local Jewel. So, in conclusion, was the food horrible? No, was it worth the $175 we ended up shelling out, no way. Just because they serve exotic meats, that isnt enough, it needs to be a complete dining experience. The staff, the ambiance, the food all combined wasnt excellent, it wasnt even great, it was just average. So, if you want to grab a beer and a burger, be my guest but look to this place for fine dining, or special occasion, it just doesnt cut it.
JO
Joie de vivre
Had wanted to try this place but my husband had been there years ago and always said how expensive it was for what you got. I said Id like to try it someday and that because it had been so many years maybe it was better now. So yes it was expensive but I think more importantly was that not only was it expensive, but the decor and servers are not in alignment with prices like this. I guess it used to be a Kentucky Fried Chicken a long time ago and with the exception of different seating, carpet and a few other minor decor items, this place doesnt have much ambience for their prices. If it was a burger and beer kind of place, then ok. The food was ok, and our very young somewhat inexperienced feeling server was ok, but was really left shaking my head as to the ratings this place has. Some things are better left undone. I would expect a restaurant maybe being like this in a more remote area but here we are surrounded by other restaurants with pricing in alignment with this one and the others have much more to offer in terms of ambience and overall experience.
CL
Claudia King
My friend and I have always enjoyed 1776. Not so much last night. It was so noisy that we could barely here each other We were seated in the back room with a very large group including several young children. One of the children did not stop screaming through our entire dinner and that is not an exaggeration. We had your cheese tray which was awesome, great presentation and delicious. Our dinner salads were a disappointment. Lettuce and a touch of shredded carrot, nothing else. The blue cheese dressing, no blue cheese. My friend had a dinner special and said it was good. I had a filet which was very tough. It was cooked perfectly, the sauce was awesome but the steak was not good. Our waitress was great but our overall experience not so great, and Im sorry to say that. We were expecting more.
MR
Mr. Freeman
I walked into 1776 expecting men in colonial uniform but instead I found modern people. I sat down at my table and after I ordered my Sam Adams Thomas Jefferson appeared before me. He said he needed help writing the Declaration of Independence. I didnt question time traveling Jefferson as he needed much help. For the next 6 days I sat in 1776 and wrote the Declaration of Independence while eating terrible food. Thomas returned to his time and I felt accomplished. So as I left I drop kicked a 7 year old. 5/5 would change history again.
MA
Marc Solomon
1776 specializes in wild game. The menu changes almost daily depending on the availability of the wild game. Keep a lookout for their tapas night; it is usually a very special prix fixe meal. Their standard dishes, like jambalaya, are always good, but take advantage of their specials. Elk, boar, ostrich, bison frequently appear on the menu. Decor is kitchy but not bad;service is warm and friendly
AN
Angie Siegers
The restaurant was too loud, we couldnt hear each other across the table. The hostess played with her cell phone the entire time we were there, as we had to interrupt her texting a few times to ask her to find our waiter who apparently could not manage the tables he had. We had to BEG for water and food! So disappointed as we used to LOVE this place. We will not be going back anytime soon.
JO
John Guanci
Having not been to 1776 in quite some time I was recently overwhelmed by the quality of the food and the dining experience. I engaged the Wild Game Chili and was wholly taken aback by the tastes, textures and presentation...what fun! If you want a wonderful venue to take that special someone or to have a superb business lunch, put 1776 at the top of your list.
A
A Private User
What an awesome restaurant! Have been there for dinner many times and just went to a few wine classes there. The best part is I found out they are accomodating gluten free patrons - I have yet to find another restaurant in the area that is gluten free! Yay 1776 and Thank you!
CH
Chuck Tanner
This is an eclectic experience so if you are looking for standard run of the mill food, this isnt your place. Go here if you want to have a real dining experience with different tastes, textures and variety. Incredible place if you are looking to expand your food horizons.
