Visiting family in the suburbs often leaves me missing the craft brews and veggie-friendly selections of the city. Â When asked if I wanted to go to dinner at a plain old family restaurant, I did a quick Google search for "vegan restaurant Cary" and Duke's popped up. Â One look at the menu and beer list, and I got really excited. Â I hyped it up in my head, knowing I'd try the vegan butternut squash curry and imagining it would entertain my tastebuds along with a nice rich stout. Â I was not disappointed! Â The tempura green beans with ginger sauce were divine, giving me a nice light appetizer that left room for the curry. Â
Recently we returned to Duke's for a family event in their private room. Â The service went above and beyond what we expected, and we felt so taken care of! Â The guest of honor requested a burger bar, so my husband and I (vegetarians) got the veggie burgers. Â Whoa. Â Best. Veggie. Burger. EVER! Â I have never had one with such exciting flavors. Â I'm extra happy that our (amazing) server told us we could email the chef for the recipe! Â
I can't wait to return and try the other veggie options. Â Oh, and the beer. Â THE BEER! Â I can always find something I haven't tried, from Russian Imperial Stouts to citrusy summer ales. Â Making the trek out to the burbs is definitely worth it to try the food and sample a new brew here!
Dukes is the best. Great food, amazing beer selection, and the bar staff is absolutely amazing... My only complaint is some of the servers aren't very good. There was one short, rounder, blonde one that was trying to call out dude bar customers and was being so incredibly unprofessional it was embaressing and everyone around was just like okay? The bar manager is incredibly nice and the bar staff really makes the place a blast!
Review Source:PROs:  Delicious food all around. I ordered the pulled pork sandwich = moist, full of flavor, fresh. Side of the garlic parmesan fries = amazing, but kills your breath ... dead serious. My husband ordered the vegan assassin burger = he loved it. My brother in law and sister in law both enjoyed their meals = black and blue burger, and polenta salad. Our desserts were also very yummy!  Décor and ambiance very appealing, except the bar area. Server = super sweet, friendly, and attentive. I love that they display clearly where they get all the food - from local farmers. So great!
CONs: Serious about the garlic fries and the breath. Â It's stuck with me for 2 days now. Â Don't eat on first date. Â But they are sooo goooodd. Â The ambiance of the restaurant was nice, but the bar area seemed like a different world (and even caliber of people). It seemed like a hole in the wall townie bar ... and the restaurant is completely different! I didn't mind, though. Â My husband also wanted to try their beers ... he tried ordering FOUR and the server kept saying they didn't have them. He ended up drinking Guinness. Â Not a big deal, but he really wanted to try their beer and just gave up trying.
We'll definitely come back again! Glad we found this place.
I'm a true fan of Duke's and it's one of my family's favorite places to eat in the CL area. I've been here a few times and always enjoyed the service and quality of food. There is so much variety (especially if you're in the mood for some beer....beer menu is like 3 pages!!) There are really tasty vegetarian and gluten free options with really great ingredients and taste. If you're in the mood for a burger, don't skip on the pretzel bun..AMAZING.
I recommend the Q7 ranch grass-fed Burger and the grilled veggie sandwich (vegetarian)...yummm. I also love that they support the health benefits of sustainable and local foods...this is how more restaurants SHOULD be imo. The only thing I wish was different was the layout space of the bar vs the restaurant/tables..I wish it was more separate...very inviting space though when eating..nice lighting and great windows for sunlight...there are banquet spaces upstairs that are nice too...
I had the grass-fed Brunch Burger - it was fantastic!
Typically I don't like the pretzel buns, but this burger was so juicy that it needed that type of bun...even so, it wound up being a little moist. If you think, as I do, that a messy burger is a good burger than this is one to order.
They also understand what medium is - simply a great meal.
My wife had the beet salad and said that if more meals were like that, she could become a vegetarian.
My only issue is that a kids meal is $6 and only includes milk or lemonade. One of the kids ordered chocolate milk - which was extra...evidently only plain milk is one of the choices.
Looks like it would be a great place to get together with friends.
I went here to meet a few friends to watch a live performance. I admit, we were running a bit late and probably should have gotten here earlier in order to get a better spot to watch. There was a cover for the band, but it was not to steep and the band was terrific.
I did not actually purchase anything besides the cover, but the bar seems to be well stocked.
I have been here in the past with my family for dinner and I do not recall a negative experience here.
Last nite was our second visit since they  changed the menu. we like because the vegan and other food is good.
Wow, we haven't had that ..."angry" and abrasive service since  Colemans in Woodstock 5 yrs ago.
Waitresses standing around the podium yet , apparently , our waitress wasn't there yet??  but no one thought to come ask us for a drink.  When OUR waitress  finally came to the table, she was clearly angry, and loud.
REally weird, once we finally got our drinks, we were ready to order aps. BF had a cup of soup, he asked if he could have crackers, she snips at him, "we don't have crackers" , Â turns to me , and yells, "pepper"!! Now.. I did want pepper but I said no, cuz I wanted to address my bf's desire for crackers w/ soup. Â I tried asking, can he have a piece of bread or some croutons?? but she ran off after I said no thank you to the pepper.
When she did come back for orders she was rushing us.
I was reading something and had it laid on table when she appeared out of the blue with our entrees, and she slams my plate down rite on top of my reading material.
Uh, hello. Â ? Â We wanted more to eat but couldn't wait to get out of there!!
Now this is the same waitress that waited on the table next to us on our first visit 2 wks ago. and I and bf were remarking on how rude, mean and loud she was to the 2 very pleasant ladies next to us. Â The ladies soon moved to a nother table. Â
I was inquiring about restrooms and the b tenders, talking to waitresses at the bar really did not want to bothered by my question. What a shame.
The atmosphere, is always very loud no matter the time of day but the table settings are pretty and the menus is pleasing.
For the quality of food, the pricing is good. It is fresher and better than most places and the sauces I have had are good. sweet but good.
Good: vegan salads, green bean app., vegan pizza and vegan pita(that's all Ive tried)
We mite try to go there again, but.. if we get that server, we'll request a new one or simply leave. I think the receipt said her name was something like " Angie B" ?
we were there around 5 p.m. on  2/6/13 There were 2 of us.
Just so sad for us cuz we like the food.
OH, BTW, WHY DOES IT ALWAYS SMELL LIKE SOMEONE SPILLED BEER ON THE FLOOR 3 YRS AGO AND NO ONE CLEANED IT UP. Â OR IS THAT SEWER SMELL. ITS NOT SOOOOO BAD IF YOU ARE FORTUNATE ENUFF TO SIT BY THE WINDOW. Â Good luck.
P.S. I've read ever review here for dukes ale house.  So.so glad we did not try to complain about the terrible horrible service cuz apparently, the management  and chef encourages this type of behavior
Seriously read some of the reviews
and the response from management to me and others. Wow.. talk about needing Chef RAmsay
Oh dear god. Did I die and go to heaven? Seasonal flight of delightful craft beer. Brunch burger. My companions had the Cuban sandwich and a fantastic butternut squash and apple curry. We all shared. It was all good.
A confession: I really hate getting my hands messy. I wash them at every opportunity -- especially when I'm working with anything gooey. Maybe it's the culinary professional in me. Maybe it's an OCD issue. Maybe both. Fact is, it bothers me.
I got so messy with my burger, my friend had to escort me to the restroom to open the door and turn on the water -- and I didn't care until I was done eating. That's how good that burger was. Oh, with sweet potato fries.
Local, sustainable food and a kitchen that's close to zero waste? And it's this phenomenal and reasonably priced? Maybe I should be glad this is a good distance from my house. I'd weigh a million pounds if it was closer, and then how would I crouch on my motorbike? ;)
My family just rediscovered this restaurant recently. Â We went a few years ago and thought it was average at best. Â However, absolutely love the organic items, grass fed meats, etc. Â Everything we've tried so far has been great - definitely taste a difference with a grass fed beef burger. Â The Tator Tots with chili on top are incredible! Great beer list - love the cold water bottle left on the table.
Review Source:Great local joint. Â Some of the best beer on town on tap. pretty upscale resturant by day/evening and good bar scene (though not as crazy like in it's pre-alehouse days). Â I dig the upstairs...good place to grab a drink and watch a band.
Food is great! Â They strive for the farm to table idea and do a great job at it. Â They walk the walk when it comes "going green", ie great meatless and vegan dishes, great grass fed burgers and green drinks on Wednesdays. Â Love the personal pizzas too.
The bar always has it's regulars...for better or worse....and a nice patio outback in summer.
Just wish they would bring back the stand up comedians on weekends.
Dukes is just about everything I look for in a restaurant. Â The owner takes pride in using locally sourced meat and produce and has a vast beer selection. Â The prices are a little high and the portions are a little slight but everything I have had here is top notch. Â The wait staff is very good and the live music is always pretty decent.
Review Source:The food is awesome! Â I love the vegan slayer (fyi: it's all meat) and all the different types of fries. Â Downside: service kind of sucks AND it's kind of a douchey scene. There are a lot of smug townie hipsters here. Â In Crystal Lake? Â Wtf? Â A lot of too cool for school types here- employees and patrons. Yeah I worked in a bar too when I was in college and actually making something of myself..It shouldn't be the crowning achievement of your lame life.....good for you....Now shut your mouth, quit being a smug bugger and get me a beer and a burger...This aint Wicker Park, and we're all very happy about that!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Ok, Bro?
Review Source:This is my favorite bar out in this area. I have only gone on Friday nights, which is a very popular night due for the most part to Karaoke. The turnout is usually really good, so it isn't the awkward kind of karaoke with a 30 minute lull in between. I have always seen the crowd be friendly and supportive, lots of dancing.
I recommend coming a little earlier to grab a bite to eat and secure a table in the dining room before Karaoke starts. The food is fantastic, I was really impressed with their menu and the quality.
I do not recommend coming on a Friday night and trying to cram into that bar area, it's way too crowded and it is hard to get a drink.
Oh and one last thing.... The Karaoke MC stands at the side of the stage mouthing the words to songs that someone is standing literally 2 feet from him singing..........!! It is THE MOST distracting, off-putting, annoying thing to watch. It has taken a lot of restraint to not say something to him. Let the person sing their freaking song and have their moment, don't sing with them!! I always feel bad for the person singing when he does that because they are totally oblivious and its like the guy is trying to steal their spotlight almost. Ugh. I hope someone says something to him, it bugs me soooo much and I'm sure I'm not the only one.
First time at Duke's Alehouse. A bit spendy for my taste but all in all a good dining experience. Very impressed with the beer selections here. I tried Founders Red Rye IPA, Arrogant Bastard American and Three Floyds Arctic Panzer. The last one reminded me of Blue Moon but more complex.
I had a smoked pork should sammy on a pretzel bun, which was very good. I sampled some tempura green beans with a teriyaki sauce which was good. Also sampled some Angus sliders. Â To top off the evening I had the workingman's special of a PBR and a shot of whiskey. Â
The servers were all nice and friendly, though distant at times.
Duke's serves locally grown, orgainic food and has a creative and constantly changing menu. Â All of the food is good, but the bison brunch burger with garlic parmesian fries is something to behold..
The atmopshere can be a bit loud sometimes, and service can be spotty; however, those things are more than made up for by their beer list. Threee Floyd's Brewery is well represented.
If you are looking for a creative, delicious menu that supports locally and has the best beer menu in the area then this is your place! Â A bar with good "bar" food and a vegaterian's selection to die for...homemade veggie burger, coconut curry butternut squash with brown rice-YUMmy!
Agree that the customer service side of things is still needing more improvement-we reserved their private room this summer for a family reunion and they "lost" our reservation and booked the entire upstars to a rehersal dinner somehow. We waned to stay mad but love the atmoshere and food too much to stay away. They put us at a large table on the main floor which was great but the noise level is what it is--a bar is still loud when it's busy; making catching up with our family very difficult. We enjoyed the waiter, Kyle, who made it bearable when the band began a sound check half way through dinner and everyone loved the food.
Obviously, we are fans even after what happened and have been back several times since.
Our daughter attends Irish Dance at Duke's, so I have had the opportunity over the past year to try many of the items on the menu. For the most part, I have had nothing but good things to say.
Pros
- The wait staff has always been warm and helpful. The bartender (bald guy, can't remember his name) always has great suggestions for beer.
- Cuban sandwich and the cheese fries are some of the best food in the Mchenry area as far as I am concerned.
- There is a wide variety of beers to choose from and the selection changes often.
Cons
- Location can present a bit of a challenge as the traffic near the Metra stop can be painful.
- Occasionally when we visit, there is a wait that starts at 15 minutes and turns out to be closer to 45.
Highly recommend visiting it.
Food was OK. I liked that they source from local suppliers, but they could have used a little more attention to detail. Chipped plates, spotty glasses, and crooked pictures on the wall. The decor should be almost as much of a concern as the food which we found well prepared, but not exceptional. Staff was attentive.
Review Source:The Duke Abides.
I've had this little alehouse out in the Crystal (Lake) Method bookmarked for quite some time now, but it sadly took until just this past weekend to finally make it over, though not for a lack of trying on my part. I must've suggested this as a hang to friends at least a dozen times by now, but I always get voted down and then they yammer something about how far it is or some bullsh*t like that while I mumble something about finding new friends and quietly plot to escape from the web of humdrum, lazy, non-adventure seeking stereotypical suburbanites, aka my arch nemesis.
So anyway, we stop in and the place is pretty packed with a hefty dining room wait and what was full bar less the two empty seats from the couple whose table was now ready in the dining room. So we snatched those puppies up and eyed what was a beer menu of biblical proportions
In hindsight, I wish we had waited to sit in the dining room area. It wasn't that the bar was a bad place to sit, per se, but the dining room looked peaceful but alive and at the bar we were the youngest people there as well as the soberest. We were belly-up with a bunch of late 40 and 50-somethings drinking the cheapest beer available and buying shots of Rumchata for the divorced moms who were drunker and IMO, even more annoying to be drinking good beer around than if their skeezy collegiate daughters dressed as sexy (insert Halloween costume name) were wooing right in my ear. Few things cut my ear drums like the shrill cackle of lonely mother with sad-divorcee eyes and a bad case of empty nest syndrome. That'll teach me to go out on a weekend night.
As far as food, I didn't ask for a menu at the bar but I did eye the little clipboard with specials and got a pretty tasty side serving of brussel sprouts. Next time, I will be ordering one of their MANY fry options and at least two of their vegan dishes which looked bananas. Can.Not.Wait.
Quick tip for anyone else taking Dukin' it up at the bar- Play Christina Aguilera's 'Ain't no other man.' I don't know what it is, but every server, bartender and patron broke out their signature dance moves and got down like they ain't never boogied before.
Last weekend I was shocked by the vegan offerings of Duke's Alehouse...way out in Crystal Lake at that! I ordered the raw pasta, not expecting my dish to be awesome. But my assumption was wrong, that raw pasta was very good. It was made of zucchini and had sun dried tomatoes and olive tapenade - I didn't even have to salt my dish. I have a lot of friends in the area, so I'll certainly go back and try their other vegan offerings. Certainly Duke's was above my expectations.
Review Source:Duke's Alehouse is hands down 110% my favorite restaurant around us (possibly on the planet), which is weird, since our first experience was not good. Â
The first time we tried Dukes was about 3 days after we moved into our house. Â It was St. Patty's day & my hubby and I were jonesing for some corned beef & cabbage (corned beef on St. Pat's Day?! crazy, right?). Â I figured that the restaurant/bar would be slammed, so I opted for a takeout order. Â The person who took our order was friendly enough. Â She asked me when I'd be there & I told her that I didn't know since I was new to the area...Algonquin to Crystal Lake...uhhmmm...30 mins? Â She laughed at me and said "see you in 10." Â Wow, I was such a noob. Â Anyways, 10 mins later, I picked up my food and hurried out the door (well as hurried as I could in a wall to wall sardine packed bar). Â My mistake was not opening the bag at the restaurant because when I did, I remarked "Honey, this corned beef & cabbage looks an awful lot like burgers and tots." Â We called Duke's to let them know and they made it right (we had to drive back and switch out the food, which was kind of annoying, but whatever).
Flash forward to the present day (a year and a half later). Â We've been to Dukes more times than I can count. Â If you like old man drinks like I do, then you HAVE to try their honey Manhattan. Â Holy bourbon, Batman, it's seriously the best Manhattan that I've had-EVER. Â I'm also a sucker for any restaurant that has a house-made veggie burger instead of offering those frozen hockey puck veggie burgers (you know what I'm talking about), and Duke's veggie burger is nothing short of phenomenal. Â Their $4 burger special on Tuesdays is great too (they charge extra for toppings and sides, but who cares?! Â The burger is great AND customizable. Â You really can't go wrong). Â I'm not a huge beer drinker, but my husband has been impressed time and time again with the expansive beer menu, and he loves Duke for the sole reason that they offer tater tots (must be his inner child or something).
Dukes is a seriously great, socially conscious, local sourcing restaurant and alehouse that has never let us down. Â It's sort of like the urban chic cool second cousin that you've got in your family. Â The one who recycles and upcycles you to shame and knows more about the environmental/socially responsible scene than you do, and it puts you to shame so you want to hand out with him more often so that his coolness rubs off on you. Â Yeah, just like your cool second cousin, only tastier.
I recommend this place everywhere I go and truly believe that if you are looking for a great Cheers like atmosphere, you won't find a better bar in the Chicagoland area. Eli, James, Bob, Tom, Ashley, DJ, Ryan H., Mike, Bryn, Fluff, Zak, Ryan and Jason are amazing at their demanding jobs!
I have been to many bars in the area (Finns, Morettis, Famous Freddies, The Cottage and William's Street) and not one is as welcoming as this place. The decor is upscale and comfortable. Ask the staff on a slow night for beer recommendations and they are possibly the most knowledgeable folks in the area about beer, ale, or whatever your pleasure. On busy nights they handle everyone in good time as long as you are not an ass.
If you go there and enjoy Vodka Red Bulls like I do, just simply tell them to get you an Ivan Drago or VRB. Dukes, keep rocking as you have been and my 30 friends and I will be back every Friday.
I have read a lot of these "reviews" and personally find the wait staff and bar staff to be both professional and friendly. The prior poster (Mike J.) who attacked the gentleman who handles the graphic design is an obvious fool. That particular gentleman, Fluff, has been nothing but courteous and friendly since I have been visiting this establishment.
Congratulations on the 4 Best of the Fox awards, you all deserve them.
After being out of the country for a couple weeks, I was craving some good ole American pub grub and a craft beer or six. Â Duke's was the stop in my new hood, so the better half and I stopped in for an early dinner on a Saturday. Â The beer list is one of the tops in the burbs, they had several Three Floyds options on draft along with about 10 other beers I wanted to try. Â Any time you can find Zombie Dust on draft, you have to get it!
Food-wise, we were both pretty happy. Â Pretzel appetizer came with an outstanding cheese dip. Â I ordered the BBQ pork sammich, which I'd give a solid B. Â A great pork sammich is about the pork, not the sauce. Â So Duke's, don't sauce it so much and let me taste some of that delicious smoked pork goodness! Â Service was great, the young lady had some great beer recommendations!
We went back for our free drinks, and this time we had a better experience. Although it was a bit weird how the bartender handled our "free round". We sat down at the bar, and were actually greeted and given a beer menu. We were amazed at the EXTENSIVE list available brews. From our last experience, we had no clue Duke's was hiding that many beers! After looking at the beer menu a few minutes, we asked the bartender for 2 beers on tap. (I'm not a total jerk, I'm not going to order the  most expensive beer just because I know it'll be free).
I then told the bartender that "Zack said this round was on him."
"That's a new one" the bartender huffed.
I stated "there should be a note behind the bar, but it's been a while since Zack told me this." Then explained I could bring up the email from Zack on my iPhone if the bartender would like.
Pretty unique situation, I agree. We were patient, but the bartender left the bar (and presumably went upstairs to speak with Zack) BEFORE he had poured us a beer **my only problem with the situation**. The bartender came back, and I showed him the email from Zack, and the bartender then complied.
From there, our service was good (we expected as much, since they knew of our previous experience). We shared a vegan slayer burger-- a burger with bbq pulled pork and cheddar cheese. It was good and juicy and I liked the pretzel roll. The sweet potato fries were good, but the coleslaw served was not good--no flavor at all. Why even bother putting that on the plate if it's sub-par?
We will be back to Duke's for another try; their beer selection will lure us back despite the hipsters and beer snob vibe.
I moved away from the area years ago and I was back visiting for the week. I am so glad there is finally a restaurant with both an awesome beer selection AND well prepared original and tasty vegetarian faire!!! This will be my go to spot when I am town from now on.
I had a couple great beers that I had not had before, but the food was a treat. As a vegetarian I am a connoisseur of veggie burgers, this was the best veg burger I have ever had! Home made, fresh, and super flavorful. Coupling that with the pretzel bread and some arrogant cheese fries and this veg was in HEAVEN!
Super bonus for using local ingredients, something I have really come to appreciate living in Cali.
Thanks Duke's for a great meal with wonderful service to boot!
We went out to Dukes on Saturday night for dinner and holy cow!
I ordered the Chipotle Pasta and my bud and his wife ordered the Chicken Sandwich on a Pretzel Roll. I had told them that the last time I was here the food was great and they were not disappointed. Their sandwiches were huge! My buddy got the tots and they were tots - good. His wife ordered the sweet-potato fries and they were not greasy like other places. My pasta was so good I wanted to go back the very next night and get it again!
Service was good - a bus boy and our server asked us a few times if everything was okay. I think the Manager helped to clean up our table and asked us how everything was and I responded great!
On top of that the three meals and drinks were only $45!
We will be back - many times to come!
Dukes has probably the best line up of beers in the Crystal Lake Area that I am aware of. Â The Barley House closed in Algonquin which was in walking distance to my house so I went on a quest on yelp to find a replacement to fill the void - MISSION ACCOMPLISHED!
Dukes is actually far better! Â It's nice to know where the food is coming from, with Dukes they provide this information to you on the menu and most is locally grown! Â Their vegetarian options are just stunning! Â
The beer you ask? Â Yes they have Dellirium on tap! Â Rare to find and they surround it by a bunch of other fine brewerys (lagunitas, stone, bells, 3 floyds, 2 brothers)!
Have know been there several times  and only went back because a member of our party wanted a Vegan selection,  Well as always the menu is limited,  food not real tasteful , the flatbread pizza is a joke and the Cuban sandwich was  served with hard bread that crumbled and tasteless cold meat  the only going thing about this  place is the Beer selection and the wait staff was really good. Some members in my party  where wondering how this place happens to be crowded every time we have gone there.
needless to say I will never go back
The focus of my review is the event I had there a few months ago. Â We chose Dukes because of its beer menu, food options and because they had a stage for music.
Our event was a sort-of high school reunion. Â Dukes event manager had arranged a drink package which included a few domestics and well drinks. Â And the requirements of the bar, were that we hold the event upstairs which required a $200 fee. Â
We expected 150 people or so, and because we had the expense of the entertainment, we needed to charge $5 per person who attended the event. Â The concern we had, was the staff being able to differentiate the regular bar patrons of the night, from the people who were attending our event. Â
The event manager assured us several times that "this would absolutely be no problem." Â The staff were to be put at the stairs going up to our area, as well as the front door to make sure money was collected properly. Â
The cost of our entertainment was $250, and the "event fee" of Dukes was $200. Â So with our $5 per person charge, we certainly had enough to cover our expenses. Â So we contacted our high school alma mater, and asked if we could donate the event's proceeds to the music department. Â
So our event took place. Â The minor miscues we encountered from our initial set up of entertainment, etc., were promptly handled by the bar manager, Bob. Â And to be honest, Bob was the only reason the night didn't end up as a total disaster. Â He was excellent - more on him later.
During the event, the staff member who was charging our $5 fee started out at the stairs leading up to our area. Â Then at about 9:30, he was moved to the front door. Â
Now if you haven't been to Duke's before, there are 3 entrances to the bar. Â The staff had one person from 10-12 at the front door - when our group had already entered the bar. Â And after 9:30, our area of the bar had nobody collecting our $5 fee.
The night ended, and we approached the event manager to see what the night had grossed in total monies. Â The amount she gave me was $35. Â So not only did we not have any money to donate to our alma mater, the event actually was to cost us over $200 - because the staff had not collected our fee from the guests. Â
Quick review: we bring 150 people to a bar, who drink $7 beers (or buy a $22 drink package to drink domestic bottles) for a 4-hour period. Â And we end up owing over $200 to our entertainment. Â We were outraged. Â
By simple math, there were 100 people that were not asked to contribute to our event - even though numerous times, we were advised by the event staff, that they would collect these funds. Â We even specifically asked if we could have our own people at each entrance to ask people when they entered - "are you here for the event" and an answer of "yes" would prompt the 2nd question, "would you please donate $5"
It couldn't have been clearer that the manager of the event staff was only concerned with collecting the $200 "bar fee" for the event for the upstairs bar, we never even requested as a requirement for the event. Â Obviously, we were not happy. Â
After the event manger had made a few phone calls, and reiterating that she did not have the ability to resolve the situation herself - Bob came upstairs. Â
We explained the situation, and why we were disappointed that after raising the concern numerous times before the event, we were stuck with a $205 bill for having our event at Dukes. Â I had to insist that someone take care of the situation that night. Â Unfortunately, I wasn't in the position to come back in the morning, or later in the week to pay the entertainment. Â
Bob understood, and got us the $200 we needed to pay our sound man for the entertainment. Â It was a pretty ugly situation for about 30 minutes. Â I was convinced the night would have been a total disaster. Â
But as he did during the set-up process, Bob listened to the problem, and was able to offer a reasonable solution. Â He was fantastic. A true manager. Â I have no idea what he makes, but its probably not enough. Â
Obviously, we had a very unique situation, in that we chose to have an event at a bar that isn't really set up for our type of event. Â I suppose if we had 30 people, and we were an after-work-type function it would have been a lot smoother. Â But if I had to throw the same event again, with 150 people, there's no way I would have it at Duke's.
The worst thing about the entire experience, was that a week before the event, Durty Nellie's called us back, asking us to reconsider having the event at their location. Â Which would have undoubtedly been executed much better. Â But we had already done our invitations and advertising and weren't able to make the switch so late in the game. Â Â
Bob the bar manager gets a 5-star rating. Â But over all, in terms of our event, the place gets 2. Â Go there for a beer and a dinner one night. Â But if you're hosting a group, I would look somewhere else.
Only changing the rating because the GM wrote his tongue-in-cheek response. They do have good food and his unprofessionalism won't keep me from going back...actually been back a few times since then and just LOVE their servers. We keep getting the same server...which I really need to ask her name because I haven't been able to read her name tag! Younger blonde..SUPER FRIENDLY and pretty darn funny too! We'll make sure to keep it closer to home if we're starved after 8pm on a weeknight! Wool Street serves pretty late and are always happy to accommodate us.
Thanks Zac for the response..we'll make sure not to inconvenience you when you are in a hurry to clock out and catch your train home! Good thing you have a fabulous staff that takes very good care of your patrons well past the time you've jumped ship! Â ;- )~
Dude, I've been hesitating for months to write this review. I've had a lot of experience with Dukes over the last five months or so. Dukes is the monthly host to Green Drinks in that area. So I applaud their involvement in the sustainability movement. That said I do not applaud their service. I have never seen so many bartenders that greet a grin and a 'How are you doing?' with such contempt. (Especially since I'm so adorable!) Surly, put upon--do you guys even know how to smile? There was an event at Dukes last night that I opted out of and evidently, according to my business associates, the bartenders were even more surly than ever--I didn't think that was possible.
Dukes also catered the McHenry county Bioneers event at MCC which I attended. The food was OK, but I will say that the portions--which we paid for-- were lacking the spirit of generosity one wants to experience in a celebration. And what is dining if it's not CELEBRATION? I got the sense that the Dukes people were afraid to run out of food or something with their quarter cup servings. However, the culinary students of MCC who worked as staff for that event DID have that spirit of generosity that one expects from a great host(ess) and I will say that those students did a really great job (Excellent guys!!!). They were friendly and fun and extremely generous with their portions. Despite that generosity no one went hungry (Imagine that!). I suppose, though, that's a separate review.
I'm going to say overall that, in my experience, I really wish Dukes could give you a sense of fun, celebration and a feeling that they wanted you to be in their restaurant. Alas--there are plenty of places that do give me that experience and that's where I prefer to go.
Here's the thing: I thinks it's EXCELLENT that a restaurant wants to be green and organic but that doesn't give them a mulligan on excellent service and value. Sustainability means you can draw the clients in again and again--and that's were superb service comes in. Unfortunately too many these days are using the 'green' card and expecting that to make up for everything else. Also--if a restaurant is really SUSTAINABLE, they should be cheaper in a down economy not more expensive.
If you want to hold an event, like green drinks, that draws people into your restaurant on a regular basis you should make sure that the staff who greets people are warm and engaging, not rolling their eyes and sighing. Duke's could learn a lot from the business who've hosted Yelp events who've used one event to enchant us with their staff and made loyal customers out of us with their generosity and incredible service. Dukes could do that with Green Drinks, but I fear they'd have to wipe out the bar staff who appears to believe that the customers are there for them.
I guess it's finally time for me to review Duke's. Â I was not a big fan of the Duke O'Briens of yesteryear, but now that they have fancied up the place, it has become my favorite watering hole (complete with delicious food). Â My husband and I go there whenever our fridge is barren, and I don't feel like cooking. Â Even though we are both meat eaters, we both think Meatless Mondays are great. Â We both had very tasty dinners for a total of only $12 last time we went!! Â I highly suggest their grilled vegetable flatbread pizza. Â It is topped with an entire salad! Â I know it sounds weird, but it's delicious! Â We're also big fans of their beer selection. Â They offer beer tastings, so you can get a little adventurous and try new things. Â
Give it a try one weeknight when you want a quiet meal, or one Sunday when your parents are in town, or on a Saturday night when they have some great live music! Â (My favorite is the band, Barefoot Fred). Â
My only complaint is the attitude of the bartenders. Â They kind of act like frat boys. Â In a place where they praise organic foods, local farms, and hippie music, I'd expect some more laid-back bartenders.
I felt like I was experiencing something straight out of stuffwhitepeoplelike .com--tons of beers on tap, an interior of exposed brick, and a dexterous, but cheesy bluegrass-folk band on stage.
There was no table service when we went. That's a shame because Bob the bartender was an ornery frat-boy dipshit. The only word he spoke to me was when he barked "12" at me after I ordered two beers. Do not take that tone with me, sir. He got a one dollar tip. When my cousin went to order a round, he gave her change to someone else and ignored her puzzled looks for several minutes. Again, a one dollar tip. I'm sympathetic if Bob was having a bad night, but doesn't he realize he could make a lot more money if he were less of a douchebag?
Finally, they were out of Baileys, a holiday staple, a week before Christmas. That nixed our plans to do "bear fights", which are Irish Car Bombs followed immediately by Jägerbombs.
First, let me say that I was a semi-regular at Duke O'Briens (1-2 per month). Â Not sure why management decided to change a VERY good thing, but what exists now is horrible.
The menu is gimmicky and hardly "local food". Â PEI Mussels?! Â Umm, not local. Â If you advertise local artisan cheese, why can't you tell me what farm/dairy they come from? Â The beet salad was ok and the beer selection was great (but the beer selection was great before at Duke Obriens)
Service? Â Horrible. Â While our waiter was trying his best, we waited 20 mins for a table, 20 mins to order and over an hour to receive our food. Â Speaking to other tables around us, it seemed to be the norm for the evening. Â When we notified management of the poor service, we received two separate and unsatisfactory responses:
1) Â Sorry, nobody else has complained about poor service tonight
2) Â Sorry to hear that (when asked how everything was we responded, we responded with "disappointed".
There was never a question concerning how things could be better or even what we were disappointed about.
Not sure why this change was made, but we will not be back. Â Walk down the street to Benedicts La Strada Thurs-Sat or even Finn McCools. Â This place is confused as to what it is. Â Upscale linens? Â Brewpub? Local food? Â All I saw was bad service. Â Go for the beer, nothing else (funny, because with such long wait times, I probably could have been numbed into submission if someone actually cared to ask me if I wanted more beer!)
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