Lovely lake side outside area to watch the lake activity and chow down on a really good burger that has been cooked on a very old, no doubt well seasoned flattop grill that has cooked thousands of burgers over the years from the looks of it.
Don't look for fast service and the place has it's quirks for sure. Parking across the street. I believe it's cash only. 'Dive' written all over it!
I used to come here from time to time. When this place is slow, they make one of the finer burgers in the area and who doesn't enjoy a beer and a sandwich on the lake. No one I know.
That said this place is in some ways a throw back to the days of farming era Lake Zurich, when many diverse and unique characters inhabited the area. To be clear I like Lake Zurich but the folks running Kathy's Lakeside are genuinely dishonest people. The five or so times I went to Kathy's, they over charged for drinks just about every time. Â If you like your booze like I do, they like to throw some extras on the tab once your buzzed. Happened every time so this is no mistake, this is will full deceit. The older greaser guy emanates ill will. And if they've been rude to this Kraut -Mc, just show up there with a brother. They will tell you they don't serve black folk. We informed "slick" that today, that attitude don't fly, particularly with us. Slick relented. We ate, chalked it up as a victory and acted like we put it past us but we couldn't. It sucked to experience that. That's a lot to put up with for a burger. So BE WARNED: I've never had a problem with their customers but I could see the proprietors attracting like minded individuals, and if your anything but creamy caucasian, while there you should remain aware of your surroundings. in short, an earthy bar/grill with good views, run by rustic lake county anachronisms, with just a hint of Silas Jayne on the vibe side of things..
Best homemade French fries and burgers  be patient it takes awhile but well worth it. Everything  is made from scratch.  Outside sitting in summer by a lake is relaxing. I give it 4
Best homemade French fries and burgers  be patient it takes awhile but well worth it. Everything  is made from scratch.  Outside sitting in summer by a lake is relaxing. I give it 4 Worki
I visited this place and I thought it was awesome! We had heard from others that the burgers were good, but we were not expecting what we saw. The building looks like a run down little bar, like something you might find in a small town up north. But that's actually something I like about it! They're not necessarily bending over backwards to have excellent customer service and gain new customers. They're sort of just being themselves, running their place, and you either like it or you don't.
We sat outside on the deck, which overlooks a beautiful little lake. If you go in the evening, you can watch the sunset. The burgers were gigantic and delicious. The lady who served us (probably the owner) was friendly and helpful. The other customers seemed like regulars. Take a break from giant chain restaurants with hyperactive teenagers serving you, and give this place a chance!
This might be the sketchiest, dive-iest place in Lake Zurich - and it's absolutely amazing.
Kathy's is the only place in LZ where I could call myself a regular, if only because Tom and Kathy always recognize me when I come in. Despite being away for months or even years at a time, they know who I am and always remember what was going on in my life last time I was in.
Yeah okay, this place has its quirks. The patio is not exactly "high class" - but you can sit on the lake during the summer. How is that bad? And yeah, there is that weird indoor dining area off the main bar, where you're sometimes allowed to smoke and sometimes not - but the simple existence of Tom's weird old arcade machines are a fun touch. And yes, Tom is sometimes under the influence and pretty much always offensive, but by god, he has a huge heart if you get to know him and you can't deny the incredible service he did for his country, so I think the man is entitled to his rants now and then.
Prices are pretty standard (read: slightly inflated) for bar food but in all honesty, they serve the best BLT on the planet. It's double-stacked, with one layer for the fillings and one dedicated entirely to more strips of bacon than I would like to admit I consume in one sitting. They also cook up delicious shoestring fries. I've never had anything else to eat there, but I don't feel the need to, and the food is obviously popular because I've witnessed people come to the bar just to pick up a carryout order.
This is a great spot in the summer, and it's really nice to play pool with a crackling fire in the background during winter. Kathy's is a real neighborhood joint with no-frills food, drinks, and service, and I wouldn't want it any other way.
You know, I am still so pissed that I decided to actually write a review. We went to Kathy's Lakeside Inn last night. We've gone there several times because we really like the hamburgers and the fries are pretty good. Yeah, sometimes they run out of buns and sometimes they run out of fries and substitute something really crappy, and sometimes the service is really slow, but we can deal. We go to relax by the water. HOWEVER, last night is the last time we will go there. My daughter asked for water and they will not give you a glass of tap water. Why? Because they don't make money on it. They force you to buy bottled water. The bottled water they brought to the table was the Aldi's brand and they charged us $1.50. I know that a 24-pack of those bottles costs $2.49 cuz I buy them all the time. So, they paid 10 cents for the bottle and charge the customer $1.50. This represents a markup for 1,400 percent! Really? What kind of place treats their customers this way? Do they really think people will come back? The kicker was after we paid the bill. The waitress---very nice lady---asked if we would be paying with a credit card or cash. We said credit card. We paid the bill and when she said $44.00, I had to take a look at the bill and see why it was so high. What I found is that they were adding a fee to use the VISA card. They didn't inform us beforehand of the charge---we would have made sure we had cash had we known. BUT THEY WERE MAKING A PROFIT ON THE CREDIT CARD FEE THEY WERE CHARGING US! They didn't charge us 3%, like VISA charges them; they charged us 6%! So they were trying to make a 3% profit off of us for using our credit card! We will NEVER go there again. This is so disrespectful to the customer. I just get more pissed every time I think about this. There are lots of other places that will be happy to take our credit card without trying to rip us off. Shame on Kathy for being so greedy.
Other than this, the hamburgers and fries are pretty darn tasty.
Bring CASH and drink Water!!
Kathy's has great burgers.  My daughter thought they were much like 5Guys which from her is a great compliment.  My husband thought the fries were delicious.  Not only did he eat all of his he also at all of mine.  But you should know that they add a service charge to use a credit card. So if you go there - bring CASH!!  Also my daughter had a Sprite soda pop.  They do not have free refills.  They charge for each refill.  I suppose that is why when we went there the place was deserted.  It was 90 degrees out at 7 pm and we were the only customers there.  We thought it quite odd.  But when we paid our bill it made more sense.  Also the waitress was very nice. But when she brought the food out, each plate was a little bit off.  The grilled onion was on my  daughters burger, they forgot the fresh onion my husband ordered, etc.  Not a big deal, until you get the bill and they up-charge you for using your credit card.
yes !! I would go back. Â Yes the tables are plastic. Â Its much like sitting on a friends deck only this is overlooking a pretty lake.
It is funny to see some negative reviews of this place. Â I usually only go there in summer when I can sit on the deck and have been going for years. Â I have never had a problem with getting correct change back and have never witnessed the staff (usually just Kathy and Tom and one other person) being drunk.
As for Tom and his behavior, you know, there are a lot of people out there like that. Â Deal with it. Â Everyone has their own opinion and is entitled to speak it (especially someone who fought for our country overseas) to anyone and everyone.
With that being said, the menu is simple and it is good. Â If you want some 5 star place, go somewhere else. Â This is a place for REAL people, not some uppity snobs who are expecting fine dining and they don't charge an arm and a leg either.
Note: Please read the filtered reviews. This is a truly execrable place, and prospective customers should know it.
This is a review not primarily prompted by the food, though it is unreliable and tends to be greasy and even soggy, nor the ambience, which can be funky and even fun, though on the filthy side. Nor is it about the poor service or numerous customer experiences of overcharging or shortchanging.
It's more about the overtly racist comments made by one of the proprietors. I enjoy a freewheeling discussion on controversial topics. But when a political back-and-forth results in an ugly, unprintable and racist reference to a prominent (and these days even more prominent) American politician, I had to decide not to spend my money there any more.
(And yes, to be clear, Tom DID use the "N" word, along with the ever-popular "F" modifier.)
So in the future my burgers and beer are more likely to be purchased from Gilmer Road House, where the food and service are far better, and the management hasn't (at least not within my earshot) expressed any offensive bigotry.
Every once in a while, you visit a place that's so comfortable, so wonderfully sim, and so classically old school that you wonder why other places seemingly go out of their way to overcomplicate things and make a mess of the whole thing. Not so at Kathy's. You sit by the lake and take in the view. You have a beer. You eat a cheeseburger. You have some more beer. And you chat it up with the regulars and with Kathy- yes, there's really a Kathy... and Tom, too, her partner and the cook, who makes a burger nearly as good as my own, and that's the highest compliment I can pay. Tom is a Vietnam Vet, a former Navy Seal who rides a badass Harley, which he not only showed us but started up in the garage. I learned all this and more on just my first visit to the place, which goes to show how friendly they are.
It's way the hell off the beaten path but well worth the trip.
Best way to describe Kathy's is this: you go over to your friend's house- your friend with the coolest parents in school. Except your friend's not there but it doesn't matter because his parents really are that cool. And they live on a beautiful lake and always have lots of cold beer, and his dad makes the best burgers. Yeah. Something like that.
The 5 best restaurants in the 2015 Denver Restaurant Week
3,608 Views | Category: Denver
The complete list of 2015 Denver Restaurant Week businesses
1,970 Views | Category: Denver
The tourists' guide to Portillos: 5 must have dishes
3,309 Views | Category: Chicago
Pho = Pronounced "fuh" not "foe" for pho-king sake
2,906 Views | Category: Denver
Indulgery selected to exhibit at Collision Conference
2,985 Views | Category: Press Releases
Not Logged In
BUSINESSES
Local Businesses
Near Me
My Favorites
SOCIAL
Blog & News
MY ACCOUNT
Login
Register
Contact Us
Add Your Business
