KRH - Kelsey Road House — Restaurant in Lake Barrington

We have been to this place a few times. The kids like the castle building, the patio area is nice, and the food is pretty good. But much like many other reviews, it seems like the new owners are trying to take a different approach and really scaling back. When we arrived the place was dead and we asked if we could sit in the downstairs with the light decorations and they said it was reservation only. So apparently we couldn't sit at the empty tables because a bunch of people may make immediate reservations??? We were taken to our table, right next to the only other occupied table in the restaurant and the first thing I noticed was the other table asking the waitress for more ketchup (this will make more sense later). When we were sat and given our water with.....plastic cups, we had to wait for kids menus because they needed to print them, uhhhh ok odd. The waitress kept asking what we wanted to drink, but never provided a drink menu. After we got one and ordered a beer, the beer tasted watered down. We ordered wings, a salad, and a sandwich. The wings were skimpy and barely had any sauce, the salad was ordered with honey mustard dressing and what came out was clearly Dijon mustard. The sandwich was ok, but the fries were super boring and unflavorful. Now back to the ketchup, if you get fries, they provide you a little cup of ketchup that easily runs out halfway through your fries, hence why the other table was asking for more. It all made sense. And to top it off, the kids did not get I've cream with their meal like your menu states. I'm the past the waitress would bring out a few cups because the old owners weren't heartless. Here's an idea, of you want to cut costs and not provide ice cream, then take it off the menu, do you know how much money in ink you'll save????!!!

So it's clear the new owners are penny pinching, but how bad does providing glass cups and providing bottles of ketchup hurt your bottom line? Maybe sit down and have a meal in your restaurant and then go to, I don't know, Chili's and see how you compare. Value, atmosphere, and flavor would all be better. I wasted 85 dollars here just to learn we will never go back.

Update: this is an update since the establishment responded. If you read their response it is quite bold of them to attack the previous ownership about paper plates and food availability, which we never experienced in the past. But if you read other reviews about not receiving plates and food potions since new ownership, I am not an outlier. I will also gladly go to Chili's rather than your second rate restaurant per your request and enjoy my microwaved food. Great...

I will preface this review with the fact the Jordan, our server, was great and did take care of us as much as he could at the end. But honestly, this is one of the worst meals out we have EVER had.

We drove an hour for this restaurant for the fun Halloween decorations for Halloween week. The restaurant itself was very cool. My kids walked in thinking it was an actual castle and that they were going to the dungeon. The basement was very cool with the theme and all the decorations. But the happiness stopped there.

The drink I ordered (vodka and pear juice and ginger- a special Halloween drink) tasted like it was straight lemon juice. Completely inedible. Then, it took, and this is NO exaggeration, 1 hour and 15 min to get our appetizer (a big pretzel) and then another 30 min to get our food. Totaling 1 hour and 45 min from the time we ordered to the time we got our food. I asked Jordan a few times (and I did see him go upstairs to check) to bring the kids food as soon as they were ready and not to wait for the adults.

It all came out together and only one meal- a salad, was any good. The two kids meals, that I asked a few times be brought right away, WERE COLD! After waiting that long! The fries were gross, the grilled chicken was cold, and the mac and cheese (Kraft Mac and cheese) was hard and cold. Like how you would expect food to taste after it was on a counter for over an hour. One salad that was supposed to have no blue cheese, was covered in blue cheese, and the burger we ordered was hard and cold. One salad was what we ordered and fine.

I am so disappointed in our experience. And we were not the only ones. People were complaining all night, and I did feel awful for the waitress crying in the bathroom because someone yelled at her. Hoping the owners see this and take care of things. Either take less reservations (it honestly didn’t seem very packed), or staff better. So sad. Won’t be back and am sad about how much we spent on food that was all thrown away after sitting for a wasted 2.5 hours. Stopping at a drive thru now on the...

Since 1974, Kelsey has been serving the locals and neighbors of the Lake Barrington area. With a rich history, the new owners (who aquired the business and property 2 years ago) have renovated and re-vamped the property, and the response has been stellar. Kelsey is a family friendly all inclusive bar and restaurant with 4 bars and 5 separate venues. They have an extensive menu for all tastes and appetites. The original Kelsey, located in the basement, hosts Pop-Ups for major holidays such as Halloween, Christmas, Valentine's Day, Mardi Gras, and St. Patricks Day. They do recommend reservations for the basement during these times as they have become very popular and slots fill up quickly.The Kelsey Crew is warm and inviting and welcomes each and every guest with a smile. The quirks of Kelsey are what makes it feel like home, for example, you may get a different glass each time you order the very same drink! There is an on-site arcade for the kiddos when you enter the main doors (although they do recommend keeping an eye on your youngsters). They will have live music every Saturday throughout the Summer at the bonfires (weather permitting). Otherwise, the bands will be moved indoors. They open at 11a.m. daily with full menu offerings, daily specials, Chef's Choice Steak of the Day, and Chef's Choice Fresh Catch of the day. Happy Hour is from 3-5 Mon-Friday and that includes select $8 appetizers as well as discounted draft beer, wine, and well drinks. Kelsey is a great place for your events, no matter how small or large your group may be. Multiple venues are available for private parties year round, and they even host weddings. Kelsey really does it all, all while giving guests a truly wonderful dining experience. Would highly recommend for your next date night, family outing, or private party! Favorite Handheld: Steak Sandwich (My family opted to add on Bacon & a Fried Egg upon the server's suggestion for an upcharge). Great staff,...