We met family here on a Sunday afternoon. We had a reservation and were seated right away. There were 6 of us. Server was fast to get our orders. The food was served quickly. I had open faced meatloaf served on toast, with fries. The meatloaf was tasty. Everyone enjoyed their food. Atmosphere was casual and friendly. We paid our bill at the table. They offer cakes and goodies in a glass case in the front of the restaurant. Ultra Sweet... A great place to bring family and friends to enjoy a good meal. read more

Pretty disappointed in our last couple of visits. We brought our family here last week for dinner, because we'd only been here for breakfast. We got in on the later side, after 8:30. We weren't taking our time. We ordered as soon as we were asked. But the soups and salads took awhile to come out. We were enjoying catching up so we weren't too bothered. I'd say they came out after about 20 minutes. Dinner came out after about another 20. Of course by then it was about 10pm, closing. We understand that staff wants to close up, but my nephew who was so excited after seeing the dessert case was disappointed after we were just handed the bill without being asked if we wanted dessert. I asked the waiter for a menu so we could get something to go. Seemed like we were putting him out so my nephew decided he didn't want anything. I get that we were there late but part of that was the delay in us getting our food. My husband and I came back a couple of days later for breakfast. We were in a hurry so we made sure to order right away. He has a dairy allergy which we made sure to mention to our waitress, Sue, and we saw her write it down. She was very sweet to us. About 30 minutes go by and we still don't have our food. That's ridiculous for breakfast. Sue kept coming by, apologetically, and thought maybe the delay was because they were being careful about his allergy. Okay, I guess better safe than sorry. Finally our food comes out and his food is covered in cheese. Uhh, seriously? We waited forever and the order was still wrong. So while I was scrambling to eat because by then it had come up on an hour, my husband was still waiting. Finally, his food comes out again, this time cheese-free, thank goodness. After all that you'd think that a manager would come by to apologize and maybe offer some compensation, but no. Nothing. This is nothing against our waitress though. As I said, she was very nice to us. After these last two visits I'm not quite sure how I feel about this place. And it's unfortunate because we liked their food and the restaurant. Update: The owner reached out and apologized for our experiences. We definitely appreciated the sentiment and I upped my review back up a star. We'll be back to give them another shot. read more

Our server was excellent. Unfortunately the food was not. Had dinner two nights ago, nacho appetizer was made incorrectly and had to be sent back. The wait was really excessive. My French onion soup was served cold, not even warm. Perhaps the meals sat while we waited for the new app? I had high hopes, as the cafe looks like a nice diner that would fill in a gap left by all the boring chain restaurants that dominate across the area, however we will not be back. read more

8/2021 Our very first time going here. It has an interesting and modern inside. Glad we were seated to the left side of the restaurant with the lower ceiling, etc. Much, much, quieter. The service was ok. Not exceptional. The food came out and was wrong twice. We definitely ate it all up and enjoyed it. But it was a bit greasy. I will say, I had a skillet and it came with a side of pancakes. Side item for sure. Most places give you two full pancakes. This was two "side sized" pancakes. But they were fantastic pancakes! Just wish they were bigger. We would come back again with people if in the area. But certainly not something we need to go out of the way for. read more

The food is delicious, atmosphere great and the employees very friendly. Big portions too. It was a win-win. I highly recommend this restaurant as did others who were also in town for a family wedding. read more

After getting around Chicago we stumbled on Alexander's cafe. Food was great and different. Worth the stop

Have been coming here for six years since I work close by. Nice menu and usually great food. Today, while it said online there was a short wait time, service was horrible. I only comment on this since this is the third time within about 4 weeks that I've had slow service for the lunch hour. What's exhausting is the excuses given. It's "lunch hour", it will always be busy so don't use this excuse! My bill was $20.00 today for the day's "special " of fish. The fish took a long time and was soggy when I got it. It wasn't worth packing up to go. And packing up was the only option since our whole lunch hour was consumed waiting on the waiter. He did offer to get me something else to go when he saw the fish wasn't Good but we were already late at that point. This was the first time I've ever had food that Wasn't good here --typically the food is awesome, the service is all that ya been lacking-- unless we get one of two stellar waitresses there. **** BobK: I would appreciate that . Please private message me for my address. read more

Melissa is the worst server that we have had every time we go there, she gave us attitude and it felt that she didn't want to deal with the situation (we asked her why it was taking so longer to get our food, we were waiting for over 25 minutes for an omelette and eggs / French toast) Melissa if you don't want to deal with customers unfortunately you are working in the wrong field CUSTOMER SERVICE. read more

went on a friday for all u can get fish service was ok nothing special waitress seems tired not very friendly but the food was awesome fresh hot cob fish the bread was deliciously warm nd the onion soup was jus yummy read more

Great breakfast place in Elgin, nice and airy with a casual cozy vibe, the food is great as well. I recommend the creme brule french toast and the berry good pancakes. One negative was that the service was very very slow but food good nonetheless. read more

Alexander's is the best. Plain and simple. Great food and great service. This is my favorite restaurant to go to when I'm in the Elgin area, and I love taking my team here for lunch meetings. read more

Love this place! My daughter, who can be a very picky 8 year old loves this place! Great food and great service.

Food is great here. Service is always very prompt. Restaurant is clean and the staff very friendly and eager to serve. read more

Alexanders Cafe - Breakfast tacos - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

See all

I love this restaurant! The best food anywhere around!! Best prime rib of anyplace I have ever been-try it!

The food is great! Salads and chicken skewers are always tasty. Atmosphere is quiet, warm, homey and very comfortable. Service is also good, sometimes it does take them a long time to initially get to our table, but they do take good care of us. read more

I have dined here many times over the years and I was glad to see they were going through a remodel in the fall. The place before was stuck in the 80's and always seemed dingy and dirty - no a place I liked going to and I only went there out of convenience. After the remodel, the restaurant is much brighter and inviting.The menu has shrunk, but having worked in restaurants when I was in college, it makes sense financially to have a more limited menu, it reduces overhead for having to stock all the various ingredients fresh. I have dined here twice since the remodel with my team from work and we have all enjoyed our food both times. I personally have had the Asian Wrap with Tuna as well as the Fried Fish Tacos. The tuna and the fish were both cooked perfectly - trust me, I am a food snob, especially when it comes to how I like my fish cooked. Is it the 'old' Alexander's? Definitely not...and that, to me, is a VERY good thing! I will definitely be back! read more

So... it really sucks i have to give this poor review... so for the past 3 weeks and the next 6 weeks i have been and will be staying at the hotel next to this place. This is the 3rd time i have eaten here and have ordered the exact same thing all 3 times. The first 2 times it was fantastic 5 star experience from food to service. This week however, was terrible. I order the pot roast with ceasar salad and saganaki for an app...like i said the first 2 times had me sold as my GOTO place while working here thru the weekdays. Todays visit was a 1 star experience. Ordered the same thing as always. At first there seemed to be some confusion on who was going to be my server but was quickly remedied. Things that people say while at work does not bother me too much because i just really dont care what people say.. but one of the hostesses or a waitress not too sure says to my server "way to upsell" i didnt hear a response from him but still this shouldnt have been said for a customer to hear. Made me want to cancel my order and leave to be honest but whatever i was hungry. Now the food... took 3 times for the saganaki to be edible..oh ya iced tea has been empty for a while. The first try he couldnt light the cheese, 2nd time it was burned to a crisp and was so smokey many were coughing. After 10 minutes i saw the manager and told him about it because my server was M.I.A.and he went and made another and brought it out and it was OK but still not right.. but oh well i am not at a greek restaurant so i should be happy with what i get. The ceasar salad was good (best part of meal today).. got my iced tea minus ice?!? Now the main course pot roast that i was looking forward to all morning.. it was ok... but nothing like the first 2 times.. did i mention my iced tea (minus ice) has been empty? The roast tasted dated, microwaved, and overly hot.. i cant beleieve that they would microwave it and do t think they did but you k ow when you microwave something and some parts are super hot and some cold? This is what that tasted like.. i wonder where the server has been?? The manager refilled my tea and i actually got ice. So now i see my server and he drops the bill off and says no hurry..LOL He didnt care if i liked my food or anything else just wanted to drop off my bill.. So the manager did take the saganaki off the bill but charged me for the upgrade to a ceasar salad. . It was only $2 but made me wonder why i wasnt charged on my previous visits for this?!? So, now i am confused... not too sure if i want to return here anymore. More than likely, it will be excellent like the first 2 times.. but if i were to get the same server i would leave. Do i want to deal with that? Probably not.. so.. i guess i wont be back.. but who knows since the service and the food was soooo good the first 2 times.. read more

We joined some friends for a Sunday morning breakfast here recently. The wait was not very long and was actually enjoyable due to the excellent pianist and comfortable seating. The Staff: The gentleman that seated our party was jovial and polite with a good sense of humor. Our server was also polite, but started out on a sour note with me by pre-apologizing for the way our hash browns were going to come out of the kitchen. Most of our party ordered crispy hash browns, and the server stated flatly, "I'll try, but the cooks have trouble with that." I was shocked, to say the least. Your cooks have trouble with properly prepared hash browns? I worked as a line cook and manned the breakfast grill. Properly prepared hash browns are not like Unicorns, they DO EXIST. More on this in the next section, so back to the staff. As I said previously, our server was polite, albeit a sub-standard hash brown apologist. Coffees were refilled, waters were topped off, and pleasantries were exchanged. One of our party members asked for some hot sauce and was promptly handed a 64 oz bottle of ketchup. Another diner requested extra napkins that never appeared. Our server apologized once again upon serving everyone hash browns that were obviously under-cooked. If only Gordon Ramsay had seen this bit of half-assery the entertainment value of the ensuing shoutfest might have made the meal worth the price. The Food: Breakfast is the most important meal of the day, and for restaurants, in my humble opinion, this axiom is doubly true. How can I expect to find great evening fare in a place that can't properly produce simple dishes such as omelets and hash browns? My omelet (a "Denver" style) was not up to par. The veggies were mushy and the eggs were rubbery. Omelettes should be light and fluffy. The veggies in an omelet should let you know they are there by retaining some texture and flavor that is at least reminiscent of their origins. To paraphrase Senator Lloyd Bentsen: I've served omelettes. I know omelettes. The omelet is a friend of mine. Alexander's, you have no omelettes. Now back to the hash brown saga... Here is the secret to excellent hash browns: keep the potato shreds soaking in ice water on a clean counter top next to the hot grill. Clarified butter goes on the grill, squeezed potato shreds go on the butter, season, toss, flatten, cold butter pats on top, watch, flip, watch, taste, season if necessary, serve. Not exactly rocket science, so I just don't understand why so many kitchens put up with serving hash browns that either come out half-raw or burned on the outside and mushy in the middle. I have heard many excuses from "the cooks don't have time" to "we're short on help today" but there is simply no reason that even a short handed kitchen with a 9:30 AM weekend rush cannot pay enough attention to make sure the food served is presented as requested by the customer. Please, please, please fix the hash browns. The Atmosphere: This place has recently been remodeled and it shows. The seating is comfortable and the tables are not too close together. Natural light streamed in to compliment the lilting piano music that faded in and out with the currents of cinnamon and spice from the kitchen. The overall noise level was acceptable and even with a very large table next to us we were able to have a conversation without shouting. In summary, I would not consider returning to this restaurant unless someone else were to go there first and assure me that the issues outlined above have been fixed. I think it is just a shame that a place with good staff and excellent ambience is being held hostage by a kitchen that is not being guided to excellence, but instead is content to provide fare on a level with a Denny's at 3 AM. read more

We were in the mood for a more Homestyle meal, so we decided to try Alexanders. We came in late, about ten minutes before the kitchen closed, so we asked to order something to go. The hostess seated us at the bar and got us some water while we decided on our order. The lady who actually took our order was behind the bar. She was very snippy and rude, and almost the entirety of our time waiting was spent watching her berate the kitchen staff on every single order that came up. The woman who waited on us strangely got progressively nicer to us until we left, which I found odd since she wasn't so much as nice until after I paid. I would have given her a tip if she was at least decent to either of us up to that point. I mean, even when handing me the check she was rude. She just printed it out and slapped it in front of me with no words. Thankfully, however, the food was incredible. Even after driving all the way home, getting settled in, and finally eating almost an hour after it was done, it was nice and warm, still tender and juicy chicken, soup piping and ready to go. The portions were very filling, with the soup, and I was very happy that we chose this location for dinner. It seems like the staff has some communication issues to work on. read more

My family and I went out this evening to celebrate an early Father's Day, and we were pretty disappointed. The restaurant itself is newly refurbished and very nice, esthetically speaking. We were also pleasantly surprised by the live pianist, who was very talented. Unfortunately though, our pleasant evening slowly went on the downhill from there. We were seated quickly, and got our drink orders in and delivered in good time. However, we had to wait a while for our bread and salads to arrive, but when we did finally get them, the bread at least was warm and fresh, and the salads were crisp. Next came the food. First of all, they got my order wrong and I only got half of my meal, and by the time they brought the second half out, everyone else was nearly finished eating. So, I just had it boxed instead. Everyone else's food seemed fine, although I did hear that the steaks were pretty tough. They were tasty enough though. But the real kicker came at the end of the meal. After reviewing the receipt, we had asked our server to correct some things on it, which she said she would take care of. Well, shortly there after, the manager came over and explained to us the problem, and told us that we were "getting a good deal" by him taking 10% off of our bill. Oh, well, thanks, we guess? The "explanation" and poorly done "apology" was embarrassing and uncomfortable for the whole table, and really just ended our night, and our father's day, on a bad note. I think we would have had a much better experience if they had just had better management. So, perhaps they should look into some more customer service training. read more

The food is excellent as always, their chilaquiles are my favorite as well as the mac and cheese, both with added Carnitas. Also tried the sriracha chicken paninni which waz alittle wet but still great. Nice ambiance and they get really busy for breakfast so plan for that. Only had 1 poor experience with a waitress who forgot about us a few times but otherwise love the restaurant read more

See all

I've been here a couple of times for breakfast, a fish fry, and a later night fried appetizer/pie/coffee visit. Each time I was neither blown away or disgusted. Just meh. The service is average, the food at or just below. I only go here when necessary due to proximity. read more

My wife and I stopped by this place for a late Saturday breakfast because it was close to home! The service was good. I ordered strawberry and banana French toast and I liked it my wife liked it too. My wife ordered good berry French toast and it was too dry! Staff were friendly and they were reasonably fast at the time we visited which was around 12:30. Overall not a bad place to crash once in a while ! read more

Alexanders Cafe - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Alexander's just reopened after a three-month-long remodel. It's beautiful and the menu looks great! There is a full bar and a large coffee menu. We went for breakfast yesterday and I had the steel cut oats. Tasty! Lots of interesting skillets and Benedicts and Intelligentsia coffee. What's not to love? We're going back this evening to try the dinner menu. read more

Alexanders Cafe - A full bar and coffee bar. Yum! - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

This used to be my stepfather's favorite place and used to eat here a few times a week - he passed a few years ago and doubt he would like it anymore as he was stubborn as all get out but I just love it. He just never liked change at all. I'm not a fan of change but in this case it works! It was okay before but nothing super special honestly. They re-did the interior and the menu and both are fantastic. We have been there a few times recently and the food is always great, fresh and hot. Ultimate Grilled Cheese and the Tuna Melt are just wonderful, hearty but light. Fries are fantastic. Peach Iced Tea was delicious and not too sweet. My son had chocolate chip pancakes and he loved them. The bacon was a bit more "advanced" (fancy) then he gets at home though (not a bad thing for me as I got to eat it). All in all every time we have been here we've never had a bad meal, it's a good price for a nice dinner out, we've always been treated well and we will definitely be back. read more

This is one of the better breakfast places in the area. The menu is huge and unique - there are plenty of choices for whatever mood you're in, and the food and coffee are great quality (they use Intelligentsia, which is amazing). The portions are large; nobody in my family finished our food. My stepmom complained that the food in general is good, but much too heavy for her taste. I ordered the Crème Brûlée French Toast, and while it was good, the bread was dry, and I felt as though there wasn't enough on it - it comes with blackberries, caramelized brown sugar, whipped cream, and creme anglaise. I got very little creme anglaise on mine, and only 4 blackberries; not to mention the brown sugar was very minimally caramelized, if at all. I would not recommend this particular dish, but maybe my standards are too high. Three people in the family got pancakes on the side of their orders. The cinnamon-flavored butter on top was a nice touch. One of my younger brothers got chicken fingers. He's a little connoisseur of them, he gets them at every restaurant. He says they were okay and that he'd give them 4/5 stars. My younger sister got the Mickey Mouse Pancake and said that she would give it 5 stars. The service was good, but slow (this may have had to do with how crowded it was). read more

Alexanders Cafe - Crème Brûlée French Toast - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Good food, good value, lots for your money. Menu includes all the standards. Had chicken entre, very satisfying. Server was very friendly and polite, but overall service was slow - waited for soup/salad, dinner, and even to pay the check. Live music made the wait worth it! He played all the 70's hits, really awesome! read more

Very disappointed with this restaurant! It shouldn't get a star at all. I placed and order thru doordash. I got my order delivered. When were ready too eat it, we notice that out of the 4 orders Only one was halfway Correct. So I went ahead and contact the restaurant I was transferred to two people until I got Debbie the manager she basically accused me of having extra items which I don't have extra items I have the wrong items. Then she accused doordash of switching the items which that can't be possible because all the containers are the same, so basically at the end she just said is not her problem that she is sure she boxed up the correct items and its doordash problem to contact them and hangs up on me. She didn't even let me explain at all, she did not even offer to have the restaurant make the items and I can pick them up and give her the other meals I got incorrect it was not like I was going to keep them! read more

See all

From delicious food to friendly service Alexanders is an excellent breakfast spot! So much that we chose for breakfast twice through our weekend travel. Fresh squeezed O.J. and smooth roasted coffee. Food selections perfect for the healthy choosy foodie (gluten free and almond milk available) to one seeking home style cooking! read more

Amazing experience! Sue is a fantastic a Server! If your craving great service ask for her. The food, also amazing! I had the Huevos Rancheros there was nothing to not love about it! My husband had the Carne Asada skillet, also delicious! Alexanders atmosphere, service and food is worth every penny! read more

This place is a glorified diner with a good service but the food needs improvement. It just looks good on paper but in person not so much. read more

The decor was fancier than I expected from the outside. The inside was nicely decorated and the food was delcious. I had the caprese benedict and herbed potatoes and my boyfriend had the butcher block skillet with pancakes. Both plates were enough to fill us up and exceeded expectations. read more

Alexanders Cafe - Butcher block skillet. - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

See all

This is a pretty bad restaurant. Very little vegetarian food, really poor crabby service. Many of the booths and tables are dirty and in poor condition. Food is incredibly bland and tasteless. With veggies boiled beyond recognition. The comment above about elderly clients is true and liekly an indicator. Stay away from this place. read more

Went here for the first time a few days ago. Really good first experience. We sat at the counter and received attentive and friendly service throughout from Debbie. Drinks came out quickly as did the food. Can't speak to the whole menu but the chicken and biscuits as well as the tacos were very good. We stayed at the counter at least 30 minutes after paying our bill and were not rushed to leave at any point. The staff here gets bonus points for handling a tough situation very well. There was a woman who entered the restaurant and was yelling profanity at no one in particular. She clearly was not in a good place through no fault of anyone at Alexanders. The staff very politely requested that she leave without making a bad situation worse or becoming combative with this individual. Furthermore, they demonstrated genuine concern for her well-being when they had no obligation to do so. read more

First time back since the remodel, like other reviews the menu is definitely streamlined, but still excellent! Prices on par for what you get. The coffee is EXCELLENT! The veggie omelette is full of veggies, crispy side of hash browns, hubs had French toast with cinnamon butter. Both of the meals were hot, plentiful and delicious! They now have roasted red potatoes that were hot and delicious as well, for the non hash brown crowd. The lunch menu looked good and every tray of meals that went passed looked VERY yummy! The remodel is really nice and we love it. Very cozy, only thing I would change is have smooth jazz type music instead of what was playing. We will be back for sure. The only reason 4 stars and not 5 is because yelp cheats and culls those out ! Love the new Alexander's! read more

My first time coming here was great. Our waitress was super sweet and attentive. I ordered a panini and my boyfriend ordered a skillet. They were both delicious! As a side for my panini I ordered herb potatoes, they were the best tasting potatoes ever! I didn't try to the fresh orange juice, but that is on my list for the next visit :) read more

Alexanders Cafe - Green Mango Tea - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

The best thing about this place was that the food was cooked. The Service We entered and stood without a greeting for at least 5 minutes. When the hostess finally got around to seating us, she acted as if getting us a child seat was not in her job description. The waitress... after being seated for about 45 seconds she asked if we were ready to order and we replied no, we didn't see her again for another 15 minutes. when we finally did get to place an order "Ill have to cobb salad with blackened shrimp" "What kind of salad?" "Cobb" "With Chicken?" "Shrimp" "Sauteed?" "Blackened" The Food The salad then came to me with chicken, and when I sent it back, it came with sauteed shrimp. Never did I get even a hint of an apology for getting my order wrong. My husbands pasta dish was ok at best, my salad was so sad, the prime rib my mom got was mostly fat. I do not see any reason to ever return to this place. read more

Extremely long wait, normal for a Sunday, but 8-10 groups that came in after us were seated before us, we were a group of 4. The excuse was they're new, bull....... Keeps getting worse, waiting forever for food!!! At least they covered the check read more

I love this place! The food choices are many and prepared well. The service is good, depends on volume of guesses. i have literally watched a man order 2 entrees because he could not deiced which one to order and yes he ate both, main portion at least. Coffee is very good and fresh all the time. The food comes out hot and seasoned. A few favorites are the pork chop plate, The fish sandwich, OMG the slaw on this sandwich is the best, the waffles and chicken, anything with bacon and of course the prime rib. To top it off they offer wine and cocktails! read more

I ate here for the first time with my parents and we were very impressed with the restaurant. There were a ton of great options to choose from and the food we ended up having was delicious. Also, Hailey was one of the best waitresses we've ever had. She was incredibly nice, sweet, and considerately checked up on us every 5 minutes to see how we were doing. We will definitely be dining here again. read more