We found this gem in downtown Elgin. It's a super quaint nostalgic diner serving up all of your favorite diner meals for lunch and diner, but they are also serving house made ice cream and malts. What we had: **Tuna Deluxe with fries ** Cheeseburger with fries ** Chocolate malt~ AMAZING The server was so friendly, and explain some history and about the upstairs dining area an invited us to check it out after our meal. During the warmer months they also have outside seating available. This is a must try for just the malts themselves!! read more

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Better late than never! This review is coming exactly a year after my visit, but the meal was memorable enough that I still remember everything. They started us off with some grilled bread and butter that was perfectly toasty and warm, which I paired with a creamy soup for a great start to the meal. I also finally tried schnitzel for the first time! Along with spatzle, which I enjoyed it so much even though I didn't know what to expect! The dessert was easily the best part, though. We shared a butter pecan malt shake with chocolate fudge and it was amazing . They still use those old-school milkshake machines and bring you the extra in the metal cup, which is such a great nostalgic touch. The atmosphere inside is lovely too, especially all the framed photos of historical buildings that used to be in downtown Elgin! The staff were so friendly too. The waiter was such a sweetheart and made the experience even more enjoyable. read more

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Great service and a great atmosphere! But I have to say that I didn't like the crab cakes and I didn't really like my companion's shrimp either ! Maybe I was just having a bad day ! read more

Perfect food and service. We would definitely go again. The upstairs room is cozy and nicely decorated as well.

Such a lovely place run by such nice people, how can it get better? A fabulous delicious meal! Kate was so nice and right there when we needed her for another glass of wine! And while everything was so good, that Norwegian Cod was bliss!! We vote that they keep it on the menu year-round! read more

Al's Cafe & Creamery - Finnish lamb shank and Norwegian cod! - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

When we walked in we were seated immediately in a window overlooking the street. The restaurant itself is a step back in time. We noticed it was a little warm in our area and asked if we could be seated in a cooler area. The kind waiter immediately found a seat on the 2nd floor. We were stunned to find a huge space on the second floor, filled wall to wall with diners and it was cool! Our new waitress on the second floor was delightful. She answered all of our questions patiently and with knowledge. I settled on the schnitzel with mushroom gravy and my husband had the lamb shank from the Scandinavian menu. My schnitzel arrived and completely filled my plate. Everything was perfect. You won't find another restaurant like this in northern Illinois - so authentic, culinary perfection, diversity of menu and service extraordinaire. read more

Al's Cafe & Creamery - Pork Schnitzel with mushroom gravy. - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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I have gone only one time. The food was good, but not outstanding, maybe I did not choose the right meal. I will of course try again. read more

This is an adorable little place nestled in downtown Elgin. My husband son and I happened onto it and decided to give it a try as the menu looked very good. The husband got the Tandori Salmon (appanteltt it was salmon specials in the month of February). He pronounced it very good. I got the shrimp and bruschetta appetizer for my meal and OMG the portion was amazing. The shrimps were delicious and garlicky. The tomatoes were out of the garden in June fresh. (How this was accomplished in February was a mystery). Son who is 13 got a cheeseburger that he practically inhaled. We snagged a delicious piece of carrot cake to bring home and it was packaged up just as nicely as it you would have eaten it there. And it was fabulous. Perfect for a date night. Even if you have to bring a 13 yr old along. read more

Al's Cafe & Creamery - Shrimp Bruschetta - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Good food and friendly service. A lot to choose from. Nice place to have a business meeting upstairs. I've used it a couple times.

I like their always available schnitzels. I get the Schwartzwalder schnitzel with the red beets and the mushroom gravy. Outstanding. On a nice evening one can sit outside. Very pleasant staff here. read more

My brother and his family, and my crew all had lunch here after visiting my mom in a nursing home last weekend. I cannot say enough good things! Great ambiance, great food, great service!! read more

It would be nice if you posted your holiday hours on your website. Seems a bit lazy . We went there day before Thanksgiving only to find that you were closed. Especially trying because of lack of parking available. No stars because you were too lazy to have holiday hours on your website. read more

I'm almost always here for the ice cream (though the food is reasonably good as well) and am consistently pleased with the desserts. The malts are always solid, with a ton of ice cream (over 6 scoops!) and reasonably priced. Their sundaes or banana split are also a nice treat with plenty of ice cream and a good number of toppings. These are all offered at a price similar to what you'd pay elsewhere for a lot less ice cream. Overall, one of my favorite places in the area to enjoy a frozen treat in a nice historic (inside) or comfortable outside (patio) setting. read more

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The server was great. We went during October fest and the Germans specials were great. The drink specials re a treat too

Love this place. I've been going since I was a kid. Took my children the other day. The malts are still unbelievable and a good value. My burger was huge and cooked to perfection. Restaurant is very clean, and service was fantastic. Highly recommend. read more

Al's Cafe & Creamery - Chocolate malt - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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Love the food. Been twice now. Rueben delish. Chicken teriyaki sandwich with pineapple yummy. Hubby had pork dish that was terrific too. Milkshakes delicious. Service attentive and friendly. Love the history of the place. Cool spot. Love the original details of second floor dining room. Despite construction next door they are open!! read more

When you step into Al's you take both a step back in time and a step up in class. That's not to say there is any sense of posh superiority, though; this is Elgin, not Barrington. Just like the Elgin Professional Building, which houses the Artspace on the eighth floor, Al's sits in a building that holds tightly to its history, operating out of an old savings and loan building, with the remnants of a law practice on the second floor. Though it is rich with historic and architectural details, the true richness of Al's is found on the menu. And hearty and filling meals are what's on the menu. Soups, salads, burgers, sandwiches, and a slew of entrees are the standard fare, but there is also a monthly special menu - ribs, seafood, schnitzel - which will make you want to come back roughly once a week or so. And desserts? My friend, this is a creamery. Shakes and malts, PHOSPHATES! What's a phosphate? It's an old-fashioned soda, what are ya, screwy? Admittedly, compared to a boozy, chocolately martini, a high-grade Shirley Temple isn't much to squawk about, but it's nice knowing they're an option. It's different, it's comforting, it's special. And that's what Al's is altogether. A place to meet with friends. A place to bring your folks when they visit. A place to share a special dinner, whether it's the holidays (any) or it's a random Sunday in March. Kind staff, good food, full belly. read more

The food was so good, since they were highlighting the schnitzel I ordered it with the pickled red cabbage and the spitzle. It was excellent, we then shared a chocolate malted afterwards and it was exceptional! Old church pews and original tiles added to the atmosphere. Service was excellent! read more

Everything about this place is amazing! They've been in Elgin for longer than I have! Really good ice cream melts Sundays. Their lunch and dinner menu is delicious! An absolute must if you're in the downtown Elgin area ! read more

A group of us from New Mexico attended a church service in Elgin. And after church ended we were craving an iced coffee. We walked over to Al's cafe, which by the way is such an adorable spot and the food smelled and looked amazing! We unfortunately didn't get to eat here but we asked for iced coffee. Al himself made them for us and I'm telling you it was better than any bougie coffee shop we could have found. Al and his staff were so sweet and made us feel so welcomed the short time we were there. Definitely recommend this place!! read more

Al's is an Elgin institution. It's a great place for sandwiches and their ice cream treats can't be beat. The malts are fabulous and the big reason that I go. They also have a great outdoor seating area. read more

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Stopped in on a Sunday while in the area after reading the great reviews on here. Al's did not disappoint! The food and service were exceptional. My family was full from our meals, but saved room for some delicious desserts. The malt is a must, along with the brownie sundae and apple pie. Staff was working hard, and owner went above and beyond for customers. Highly recommend. read more

I'm a former Chef and a hard-core foodie. This place is fantastic. The service, the atmosphere, and most importantly the food. I had the Beef stew (October fest special), it was absolutely fantastic. I have nothing negative to say about this place. The prices are extremely reasonable as well. By the way, I'm not a family member or friend of the owner. I'm an Elgin resident and took my wife out for a date. You will NOT be disappointed! ​ read more

What a wonderful meal my wife and I had last night. We both had different shnitzels and they were Amazing. The red cabbage was so good I can't do it justice in describing it. The soup and salad were also delicious. Our waitress was incredible. A warm smile and great service. I look forward to coming back. read more

Call Al's Café and creamery is in a beautiful old building in downtown Elgin with gorgeous woodwork, stained glass, and other details like a fantastic fireplace on the second floor, so don't let the name deceive you thinking it's a regular diner. Our server was excellent and so helpful with answering questions since it was our first time there. He went the extra mile with the kids, and when one of the sundays came out without with whipped cream and a maraschino cherry, he made a point to go back in and get a side of it for us. I'm really glad we chose to go here before a concert a few blocks away from the Hemmens Cultural Center on a Friday night. There's also a large , free parking garage just a couple blocks away if street parking isn't available. read more

It's a rare jewel restaurant that is family run in a building that represents some of the history of Elgin. It has the best of service, quality and breadth of a menu with the touch of Tony, a great creative chef. Homemade everything guarantees that a customer will become a regular patron. Among the 100's of times we've taken friends,family and business associates, everyone has wanted to return. Check out those unbelievable Crab Cakes! read more

Very good food experience and service is very good too! We've had several occasions there and have never been disappointed

We got lucky enough to be seated, thank's to Jennifer! The place was semi empty but I believe you should make a reservation, because the host, he was almost gonna turn us away. We were just lucky Jennifer said there was room for us. YAY, we chose to sit upstairs. Lovely views of downtown Elgin, gorgeous building. Seriously read the history on the drink menu. The place is lovely. The food had great presentation. The crab cakes were wow, we had crab cakes at like Ditka's and here, they serve you with bruschetta on the side. PLUS amazing bread. It was a lot for crab cakes. Then they give you more delicious bread. Everything was really good. I only wish they had Tito's vodka as an option, they only serve Absolut. BUT hey I am not gonna complain. I really want to come back & try some of the ice cream. Thank you Jennifer, you were an amazing host. read more

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What a wonderful lunch. A great little place. I chose from their Winter in Paris menu. I had the duck which was terrific. The hot fudge Sunday was delicious. It's a must. read more

I started to go to Al's ice creamery when it was still actually in a drugstore. We would go there with my parents. I'm not sure if my Dad and Mom just needed the greatest shake in the world or just wanted to something special for there kids. I think it was the latter. as far as Al's downtown Elgin their shakes and ice cream especially that all out with raspberry sauce is outstanding. The food is outstanding too. When I first went there I was upstairs having the best tuna salad sandwich I have ever had. I have now graduated to having dinner inside or outside on the patio. The Wiener schnitzel I believe it was pork was huge and absolutely wonderful. So go for the ice cream or the food you can't go wrong. A wonderful memory that makes this one of my favorite places! read more

We have a great time every time we stop by. The food and malts are delicious. The outdoor patio is great for visiting, eating and people watching in nice weather. read more

Always delicious never a disappointment. Love this place! Best tuna Dill sandwiches and home made salad dressings. Highly recommend this place read more

This is another place in downtown Elgin that I REALLY wish I liked like everyone else seems to. But I just don't, and it's really a "meh" to me. I do like the ambiance of the place in an old building with lots of creaky floors and stairs, and big windows. But the food has yet to wow me in any fashion. My son, however, really likes it (especially the schnitzel) so I'll still go when he comes to visit. Both times we've been there, the service hasn't been anything to write home about. The last time we were there, the server and another employee just sat down at a table in the main room there where we were eating, and they were socializing and eating. If that is normal for their breaks, ok..but just thought it was weird since they did have tables at the time. But at the end of the day, nothing here really appeals to me. Maybe sometime if my son wants to go back I might find something on the menu that I like. Will re-review if we do. read more

Al's Cafe is a local icon / we have only had good food and service here My kids love Al's read more

Amazing dining at Al's last evening! The spinach artichoke app, schnitzel, and chicken teriyaki sandwich were all very flavorful and plentiful. And you can't go to Al's without having a malt. The outdoor area renovation has been completed; the fresh air-eating and warm, friendly service rounded out one of the best dinners we've had this summer. This place is truly a jewel in downtown Elgin. read more

Love their shakes. Food is also excellent . Nice atmosphere in historic building. Best lunch place in downtown Elgin read more

We just had iced coffee, but our experience was amazing! I don't think they have iced coffee on the menu but that's what we were craving, and Al himself made us some and it was soooo good!! The staff are super sweet there and the food looked and smelled amazing! I hope to come back soon and taste it. read more

The Rueben reminded me of the "sandwich " I had at Subway; very little of anything. Could hardly find the sauerkraut, which is an inexpensive item in itself., same with meat or cheese. We've had other pretty delicious meals there, so what's up with that? Love the ambiance, staff is very nice too. Please fix this lapse of a proper simple sandwich. read more

Great lil local venue with a good variety of entrée selections. The service is welcoming, personable, attentive, and kind. This established restaurant is an old historic building with a lot of unique character. They served large portions, with a fantastic flavor and the prices were reasonable. We'd definitely go back! read more

Al's has excellent food, staff, surroundings, and employees. There is an outdoor seating area, great service, and a wide variety of meal choices and tasty desserts. I hope you dine at Al's someday. Al's is totally worth going to and I am happy that I wrote this review. Robert Goldman-- local Elginite explorer. Next reviews-- hopefully some more ASAP. thanks yelp :) read more