Retro Bistro Crystal Lake
| Address: | 83 N Williams St, Crystal Lake, IL 60014, USA |
| Phone: | +1 815-893-4465 |
| Site: | retrobistro.com |
| Rating: | 4.4 |
| Working: | Closed 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 11:30AM–2:30PM 5:30–10PM 4:30–8PM |
Location
Photos 1
Reviews 21
WI
William Cochran
Was expecting much more! Food was mediocre and service was meh. For appetizer, pate was ok, toast was too tough. Ordered the tuna which was recommended by the waitress. Plate came out from kitchen at room temperature. Must have been sitting in kitchen for a while. Could not find waitress to inform about tuna. Finally flagged another server and he got me another plate which was better. At least it was fresh Wifes steak was ok. Came with parmesan fries which had little to no parmesan. Five Guys has better fries. . Quality of food is fine if at Houlihans but not at these prices. Waitress brought wrong wine to wife. Finally got another wine. Dessert was best part of meal. Limoncelllo mousse cake was very good. Moist and light. Not too sweet. When bill came, about had heart attack! Waitress rang up too bottles of wine instead of two glasses! $70 error! Overall, no management to be found. With these errors, will not return! Food was iffy, service was not great. Better get a manager in there to rain these issues in.
KA
Kali Thomas
Ordered carry out from the new Crystal Lake location. Food may be a bit over priced, but it is definitely food. Staff was nice, place seemed clean, ambiance was great. Word of warning though, dont base your food decisions off of the pictures on their website, they look nothing alike. And if you are particular about your food or have allergies... ask about what is on your dish. The burger I ordered came with cheese when that wasnt in the description or picture (no big deal) and the chocolate cake came with ice cream - not listed - and no raspberry sauce which was listed. I am allergic to ice cream, so unfortunately it had to be sent back.
IV
Ivee L
Mediocre. I got the seafood pasta, and it was pretty disappointing. The shrimps and other seafood were very overcooked. Although I havent been to Olive Garden for over a decade, this kind of reminded me of their food. My 80 years old grandma liked their fois gras, but she thought the crab cake was too heavy and salty even with her aged taste buds. Their duck was very good and soft, comparable to Michelin rated French restaurant! The herb roasted poulet was quite good too, the sauce was excellent! However, it was a bit overcooked. Overall its not a bad place for where it is located.
KA
Karl m
Came for the first time on a Wednesday night and learned that it was half price wine night, so my glass of wine turned into a bottle of wine. Got an order of the braised beef and caramelized onion won-tons which were quite good and had potatoes on them as well which was a nice surprise. The tapanade and herb butter that came with the bread were also a tasty treat. Christos took very good care of me behind the bar. The atmosphere is relaxed which is nice after a day at work. Overall a very enjoyable experience.
A
A Private User
Weve eaten dinner here quite a few times and weve never been disappointed with the food!! As a previous reviewer stated, the place is quite dark which may appeal to some people. Weve never had bad service, although the service is better at the beginning of the night. Sometimes wed show up at 8pm for dinner and the place would be empty and thats when the service wasnt as good. But overall we keep coming back here. Try the mushroom soup - its amazing!!
TI
Tim Hines
I was pleasantly surprised by this place when I was walking around downtown Crystal Lake. The outside is quite deceiving, but once youre inside its actually quite cozy. Plenty of space and great light near the front of the bar. The service and food was great. We were there for lunch so I got a soup/sandwich combo. The potato soup was awesome. Its also close to the train station, which makes it a good stopover for anyone waiting to head to the city.
DE
Debra OMalley
My party went in late around 11:00 pm New Years Eve. The staff was not only welcoming but showed us a good time as we rang in 2017. We missed dinner but when I asked if they had anything, the kitchen had already closed and they bought me bread and butter for nothing. Now that is class. I feel like we missed the best place to spend the whole evening, even though we did go to the Rau. Cant wait to have dinner here next week and try the food
KA
Kayla Nebel
The food is great, and the creme brulee is astoundingly good. Service was a bit slow on a week night; not sure why, but it was. Tried to rationalize it but couldnt. Great atmosphere, and great chance to try different dishes. Be aware, though, that you can easily spend $15 a person Alcohol at this establishment isnt that good. Very very strong mix drinks.
RA
Raymond Lapinas
Watch the clock not the internet. Took the time to look up the hours of operation, till 10pm on Wednesday nights. Arrived at 9:05pm and were told the kitchen is closed. There were a number of people still dining. Hence the one star... Should have been zero since we could not try the food.
MI
Michelle Bindenagel
Date night done right! From the moment we were greeted at the door and throughout the entire meal, everyone was courteous and attentive. And the food.... I dont believe there is anything on the menu that didnt look fabulous coming out. Everything was devine and we will be back.
JA
Jay Anchiet
Great food, fair prices, wonderful customer service! Celebrated my wifes birthday with a quiet dinner and an overall pleasant experience. C.J. the manager went above and beyond to make our visit memorable. I would certainly recommend to anyone looking for local fine dining.
HE
Heleena Barnett
Great tasting food and drinks. Unique options to choose from. Pricing is on the higher end. If you dont know about French food, Id either take someone who does or you can always look on their pictures on the website.
RI
Richard Beadle
The new Retro Bistro in Crystal Lake is every bit as wonderful as the original. Great food and great service. If you want a French bistro atmosphere with fine food and drink, this is the place to go. Ill be back.
MI
Michael Therrien
Known the family for years at DJ Bistro. They built their own following at Retro Mt Prospect now in Crystal Lake. The Duck and Trout were fantastic last night! Staff is very professional, Back again soon.
AB
Abbey Wenzel
Amazing service and such a great new addition to Crystal Lake! The food is delicious and the staff is beyond incredible. Way to go Chris and staff for putting downtown CL back on the map!
ME
megan lebar
Beautiful restaurant and great food. The crab cake was my favorite. Service was good with answers to all our questions and wonderful wine recommendations. Id definitely visit here again!
MI
Michael Kazlauskas
Great brunch and surprisingly good value. Staff was gracious and accommodating and the food was incredible. The croque madame is definitely one of the best values in town.
JU
Judy Gerretsen
Wonderful food. Reasonable prices. Half price wine on Wednesdays. Good service. Highly recommend. We needed a place like this in Crystal Lake.
JO
Joe Barry
Fantastic service from the moment we walked in until the moment we left. Fair price for some delicious food in a nice cozy atmosphere.
PJ
PJoyce Rhodes
Great evening of food and friends here. And when you get there..............ask for Michelle. Wonderful Waiter...................
MI
Michelle McNamara
Truly amazing, the host suggested the best wine. Our server had a dinner suggestion that I will have again. Wonderful night out.
