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    Al's Cafe & Creamery

    4.5 (323 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Al's Cafe & Creamery Photos

    AL'S CAFE & CREAMERY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Dogs allowed
    Outdoor seating

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    Recommended Reviews - Al's Cafe & Creamery

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    Finnish lamb shank and Norwegian cod!

    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!

    Pork Schnitzel with mushroom gravy.
    Dianne P.

    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.

    Shrimp Bruschetta
    Mindi J.

    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.

    a banana split
    Sherwin C.

    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.

    Chocolate malt
    Matthew W.

    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.

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    3 months ago

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    21 days ago

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    4 months ago

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

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    4 months ago

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    2 years ago

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    1 year ago

    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.

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    11 months ago

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    9 months ago

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

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    3 years ago

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    2 years ago

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

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    Page 1 of 9

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    Willy and Grace Diner

    Willy and Grace Diner

    4.6
    (36 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    Great food and service. Charming ambiance of a 50s diner. Had a great breakfast of eggs, sausage…read moreand American potatoes served by a friendly charming waitress. The value was great. Lots of great food for a fair price. There is parking available across the street at the lot of Walnut Speakeasy. Well worth the visit and we plan on returning.

    As I've done before, I love to review and often write my reviews in real time…read more Great little spot I found in Elgin just driving through town. Do quaint and real. A true Americana diner. Upon entering the two young ladies were exceptionally friendly and sincere with smiling faces. They sat me at a cool old school booth. There is plenty of natural light coming in the large windows making the dining experience even nicer. The decor is original from likely decades ago but super clean and kept up. Plenty of people of all ages walk through the doors and know each other. A really homey comfortable legit diner. I went with the Hot Patty Special. Two eggs any style, buddies halves and homemade sausage gray with two sausage patties. Pretty bomb. Per the exceptionally good and cool server Alicia. Willy is behind the wall on the line cooking next to his son Miguel. She mentioned Willy been cooking here 35 years in several previous diners and took it over fur himself about two and a half years ago. Good on Willy!! He definitely knows what he's doing and so does his staff. Super happy folks here! I would definitely stop out here in Elgin again specifically to come eat here at Willy and Grace!

    Photos
    Willy and Grace Diner
    Butter bowl!
    Butter bowl!
    Willy and Grace Diner

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    Paul's Family Restaurant

    Paul's Family Restaurant

    3.6
    (169 reviews)
    1.5 mi
    $$

    When we pulled in the parking lot, it looked like every single spot was taken. We were thinking…read morethat it was gonna be a long wait. Thankfully, we got in and they only made us wait. About three minutes. Our waitlist was a sweet old lady, but when I asked her for prices on soup and bread basket, she was sassy in her reply. Wish the prices on the menu for these items. Just in case you're wondering it was $5.75 for the bowl of soup and the bread basket is included. The soup I ordered was cream of chicken and rice. It was delicious. It was really hot so I had to wait for a while before I could eat it which is fine rather have it too hot and too cold. The bread basket was good, but the bread was kind of chewy. It was hard to eat, but that's OK because we need to dip it in the soup. It's softened up nicely. There are crackers and butter with the bread basket so I was able to add some crackers to my soup as well. I'm so glad we came here for lunch. It was delicious and filling and will be back again. They also have a beautiful dessert selection and the restaurant was decorated for Valentine's Day, which was yesterday. If you're ever in the area looking for a restaurant don't even hesitate to come here. It's perfect. My husband ordered the one egg breakfast with bacon and toast. He said it was great and he would order it again.

    The service was terrific Our server had a great sense of humor. However for me, they were out of…read morepractically every choice I had wanted. So I went with something basic and it came out almost raw. The owner did her best to make things right which I very much appreciated. My daughter did enjoy her food and my wife absolutely enjoyed her soup. This just wasn't the best first impression of the food for me. The restaurant was very busy which is always a sign of good business. So yes I would recommend this place as I believe my experience was not of the norm.

    Photos
    I love the bird houses by our booth
    I love the bird houses by our booth
    Delicious mini waffles! Love Paul's waffles. The best in the area.
    Delicious mini waffles! Love Paul's waffles. The best in the area.
    Exterior

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    Exterior

    Al's Cafe & Creamery - diners - Updated June 2026

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