Great entrees, appetizers and desserts. Very cozy atmosphere. We have been going here for 10 years and our only complaint is that people have found out about it and it is harder to get a table. Honey Blue Chese dressing! read more

Outdoor area is open for seating, and stopped in on our walk around town. Food came out fast, and fresh. Great service all around, looks like they have a real good team working together. I will definitely be stopping in again. read more

This is a nice cozy restaurant. It's famous for its malts. Sadly, we could not order them but the tables around us ordered them. The ribs fest was a great deal. We chose salad instead of soup, and it was very fresh and superb. The ribs were tasty. The sangria is really good. Service was great!! read more

Al's Cafe & Creamery - Carnival Ribs - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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I am going to be serious on this. I don't give 5 stars for a reason, I give 5 stars because this place is really good. First thing when I made reservations the people were very nice and did it fast. Then when my family and I sat down, we had the top floor and it felt like old style home you were in. Then having that feeling made me happy and excited to be with my family. Then the bread they had before we ate our food was great, toasted great and really good. Then when we had our food, the food was amazing and my whole family loved the food a lot. Then when finished we all order desert and that was amazing to eat, each one had something different which each one was great. Ps the malts are amazing. Then the server we had, he was young and he was so amazing at what he did. This place is why it deserves a 5 star rating read more

My wife and I enjoy Al's quite a bit. It is a great cafe with a good feel to it. The service is nice, the kind that makes you feel welcome but isn't overdone. The outdoor seating is nice, the little park/garden area outside of the cafe is a great place to eat. I have had everything from salads to burgers there, and haven't had a complaint about it. I wish they were open for breakfast, but for what it is now, I definitely recommend Al's. read more

My grandson loves Al's cafe he tries almost everything on his specials and loves them all . We love going to AL's also just great people there and enjoy all of them . The owner/chef is awesome . read more

This place was great, well the ice cream that is, we didn't have any food, just ice cream. We stopped in here after checking out the promenade. The staff was friendly even though my 3 year was loud due to the excitement of ice cream. I love the decor. We will be back to try it out for lunch or dinner soon. Love going somewhere that isn't a huge chain. read more

Al's Cafe & Creamery - Satisfied customer! - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

Wanting what everyone else has - - in addition to your own meal - - is surely the sign of an appealing restaurant. My garlic shrimp appetizer was good, although nothing spectacular. I appreciated the fresh vegetables. My husband's shrimp arrabiatta was a definite improvement, with the perfect amount of spice, and it came out nice and hot. But the burger ordered at the table next to us also looked fabulous, and I'd love to come back for anything on the creamery menu. No hesitation in recommending this charming place. I'd be happy to come here again if we're ever in the area. read more

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Terrific service and food was excellent. First time there. Portions generous, didn't get to try the ice cream yet. Looking forward to outside seating open now. read more

Ordered through a delivery service. Received half of my order and when I called the restaurant a person named Marcy laughed when I asked for a manager stating she has been there for 16 years. Rudest staff I have encountered at a restaurant. She said the delivery service had the wrong menu and there's nothing we can do about it. read more

A real gem. Innovative, tasy menu and an ambiance that is like your own living room. Very cozy.

Never fails, for years this community staple food venue has served. Love grasshopper in the summer!

My sister and I met our cousin for what I hoped would be a relaxing lunch. Beautiful outdoor seating..lousy service!! We ordered sandwiches and after waiting for an hour I went inside to see what happened? I never got an apology or an explanation as to why we waited so long. read more

Everything about this hidden gem is amazing. Food was plentiful, cost wasn't bad, considering food quantity. Service was great and a smiling face everywhere greeted us. Quiet, secluded atmosphere kept us happy as well! Had a burger and fries, great quality. Wife had a salad, and couldn't even finish it. And I can't say enough about the amazing malts! read more

Way to start the carryout experience at Al's! I ordered the Pork Tenderloin Medallions along with New England clam chowder. They were done in a fairly short time and packaged well to get home warm. Even the bread usually served at your table after ordering was included. Plenty of food, superb quality as always at Al's! I intend to go back next week and help support this great place! It's like having your own Berghoff in your backyard. read more

If you like Wienerschnizel this is the place, the food is excellent, 5 stars read more

EVERYTHING is good here. Sandwiches and burgers, amazing brushetta (the white beans are incredible and the toasty bread is the best), steaks, and ice cream...not a diner - this is high end food. The German schnitzel's are my favorite. Must try all the soups - they are all equally good, but I particularly like when the chicken curry soup is available - it is a thai curry and not overpowering...just really really good flavor. Atmosphere is quaint and romantic but also family friendly. especially for lunchtime hours. Outdoor patio is great in the summer. Monthly specials are also a huge hit. Can't say enough goods things about my favorite restaurant in Elgin. read more

Omg cutest place ever!! The outside is so nice and calm! The service is so pleasant and the food was delicious. I am pregnant so I ordered a raspberry lemonade, those types of drinks always make me nervous because you never know if it's from a can or a store, but to my surprise it was so fresh and totally made there. I had the shrimp Caesar salad which was THE.BEST.SHRIMP.SALAD I've ever had !! Would go back everyday just for it! Definitely Elgin's secret little gold spot! read more

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

This place has the best milk shake period. They have been making them the same way with the same machine since my grandma was a child. It's not overpriced at all either. They have outdoor seating where you can view downtown and have a shake. read more

Still haven't been there for dinner, but have visited for lunch twice. Both times, the sandwiches were excellent and the soups were delicious! Took some cookies to go and they were phenomenal. Service was attentive and polite. Definitely recommended... read more

Ate here last night, omg it was so good! We ordered off the Scandinavian special menu, I had the salmon and it was perfectly prepared. I had to ask the chef how he made a simple potato taste so amazing! The restaurant has been around a long time and the decor is charming. I will be back again and again! read more

The wife and I have always enjoyed Al's homemade shakes and sandwiches for lunch. However, today we had a buffet, that included one of the best pot style Beef Tip dishes I have ever had. Served over mashed potatoes, the beef was "melt in your mouth" tender. Truly a dish so good, it will make you overeat. It was all topped off with one of Al's famous shakes. One of the best buffets I can remember having in a long long time. The service was the best and management went above and beyond to ensure everyone left full and happy. If you haven't been to Al's Cafe & Creamery, or if it's been a while, do yourself a favor and stop in for lunch or dinner! You won't be sorry. read more

By far the best restaurant in Elgin! A quaint and cozy location that is the pride of the original downtown Elgin area. The food is amazing and always fresh. The chef, Tony, really shows his passion for cooking. The staff is super friendly and the service is usually fast. The portions are huge and you usually have leftovers. The malts are a great addition to any meal! Super creamy and always made fresh, they are what Al's has always been known for. If you are ever in Elgin, you have to try Al's! read more

Quick friendly service! Al's has a great variety of wonderful sandwiches....and they offer gluten free bread! You can't leave without taking one of their amazing shakes with you! Quick service over a lunch hour, too....no matter how busy. read more

I'm going strictly off the service and food here and not on the ice cream...I feel like someone has to bring this place down a notch. Obviously, the ice cream/malts/shakes here are awesome, but the food is just "good". Our table ended up trying a couple of different burgers, the alligator etouffe, and the jambalaya. We also got drinks: some beer and some sangria. Food was decent...I feel like the specialty food (Mardi Gras specials this month) was great but the regular everyday food was just ok. The burgers weren't anything different than you could make at home as there was nothing special to top them off. The bleu cheese was good, but there was nothing else to make it memorable, which is really what I am searching for. The specials were pretty decent, but they were nothing AMAZING and were pretty pricey. Service was good, a little slow, but good. Beer selection is pretty crappy but the sangria was awesome. I think that the ambiance and the desserts are what keep this place going, so if you are in it for that, or the patio (which wasn't open yet), give Al's a try...otherwise, well, skip it. read more

I have been here a few times in the almost three years I have lived in Elgin and I loved it every time. The atmosphere alone is worth going back for...it is like you are stepping back in time into a cross between your grandma's house and an old soda shoppe. I have tried the Deluxe Grilled Cheese, Chicken Florentine, Tuna Deluxe and a while back a Cream of Mushroom Beef which tasted like pot roast!! That was delicious as was everything else. I also tried a Butter Pecan with Butterscotch half size malt the last time I was there and it was so thick and delicious! Also...I almost forgot, I tried the chocolate cake before and it was very rich and satisfying! I can't wait to go back to this place, maybe even this weekend! I would have to say if anyone is in the Elgin area, to make the short trip into the downtown area and try Al's! read more

The food is fine; not fabulous, but good. The real reason to go to Al's is the shakes and malts. OH. MY. GOODNESS. They are thick and rich and oh-so-amazing! I love to go there on a nice summer or fall evening and sit outside to enjoy my malt. I love the atmosphere inside too; the restaurant is housed in a cool historic building in downtown Elgin. Al's is a must-do if you live in or around Elgin. read more

Very nice little place with a warm staff and nostalgic atmosphere. I want to revisit this place during dinner time! Atmosphere: This place is located on a neat and less busy in the heart of Elgin. Parking is fairly easy to find. Inside was a dimly lit place with a lot of history it seemed. I loved how the music was jumping around from the 1920's to 1950's. It really feels like a different time period in this place. Everything is neat and organized with green walls. This place is quite relaxing. The bar and the spirits area looks very appealing and well organized. No loud sports TVs! Service: We received a warm welcome and had ourselves seated by the window. Our waiter was polite and was helpful with suggestions. He did well taking care of us. But..... We were the only ones there, so I was hoping we were taken care of well. We arrived just as the place opened at 11am. Food: I have to say all the ingredients are top quality. You can taste the quality in the meat, the bread, cheese, and the ice cream. However despite this, nothing wowed me surprisingly. This isn't technically Al's fault, but I am not a sandwich person. I ordered a great sandwich, but I don't like sandwiches. I know that makes no sense, but a sandwich person would love this place. Their kettle chips were pretty good too, but I am not a chips person either. So I took a few bites of my sandwich and had it packed. I then ordered a mushroom and swiss burger. It tasted pretty good, but it didn't impress me enough to be memorable. I feel a restaurant can have all top quality ingredients, but you still need the cooking skills to make use of the ingredients. Not that their chef is bad or unskilled, but none of the food was memorable that day. I also regret not getting their Yelp famous Malts over the Milkshake. Their milkshake is pretty much ice cream in a cup I feel. The quality of ice cream is great! But it doesn't feel like a milkshake. Man... This review just makes me sound super picky lol. I am willing to come back and try their other interesting choices. I can definitely recommend this place for sandwiches though! They have so many menu options and props for their vegetarian options! Overall I would give this place a four and a half stars if I could. Only because there was only two of us there, and none of the food was memorable to me. I would love to recommend this place as a great lunch date place and a place with awesome sandwiches. I will come back here for dinner food and test this place if it deserves the five stars! I would come back just for the relaxing and nostalgic atmosphere though. read more

Really really like this place.. Been here numerous times after my first visit.. Had the clam chowdar - cup and the Crab Patties - as an appetizer .. man it was soo good.. Really good stuff - three crab patties with spicy chipotle with white bean bruschetta and crustini with spinach -artichoke dip.. Was soo good.. :) read more

Warning! The shakes may be laced with Crack. Otherwise, they are delicious. Always satisfied with everything I order, and the service is just right. Personal favorite, the hot turkey broccoli sandwich..yeah, broccoli on a sandwich...crazy good. read more

We stopped in while riding the Fox River bike trail. Slow service, terrible salads, awful ice tea and lemonade. The chicken cutlet on top of the salad was the most unappealing chunk of processed chemo-dead-flesh I've ever seen. read more

This place is wonderful!! I used to work in Elgin and really miss the frequency in which I could have the cobb salad with the honey blue cheese salad dressing - which is so so so so good (and they won't sell it in a bottle, make it fresh every morning) and a 1/2 chocolate malt with heath bar. YUM We used to get carry out and sit down. I've taken my parents and husband there - eaten there over 30 times. One time I forgot my russian hat and they had it for me the next day - very nice staff too. The white chili is good too, and so are their other hot and cold sandwiches. In the summer you can eat outside in the little courtyard. read more

Awesome food. Fast, friendly service. I definitely look forward to eating here! Don't forget to leave enough room to try a malt!!!!!

Al's is a great place for soup, sandwiches and ice cream. They sell real ice cream, none of that manufactured ice milk crap other restaurants serve up. And they have the best grilled cheese and egg salad sandwiches. Plus, there's so much history in the the place-what's not to love? read more

The food at Al's Cafe, which is amazing on its own, is bested only by the friendly service and attentive customer care of the proprietors Pat and Chef Tony. Too many favorites to name here but highly recommend the Southwest Burger, Deluxe Grilled Cheese and Tuna Deluxe. Each month they do a themed set of specials such as Rib Fest Month, etc. I'm a HUGE fan of their homemade Sangria and, of course, who can resist the classic Burns' malts? Not me. I've never had a bad meal there and I eat there A LOT! read more

Have been here a few times and really have not left disappointed. Have gone for lunch in the past and the sandwiches have been good, but the soups have been great. Like another review said, the Blue cheese burger was ok. Went to dinner this past weekend, and it was pretty slow. I had the Schnitzel that came with red cabbage, spaetzle and some veg. Nice fresh greens for salad as a precursor. The kicker was the mushroom gravy on the side....unbelievable. Big portion of food and they gave me extra gravy for my 'to go'. Nice work. Carrot cake was great with a nice drizzle of caramel around it. Presentation was nice. Try the huge cookies they keep in jars on the bookcase. Will definitely continue to eat here. read more

What a cute place! My husband and I went on a whim after a concert in Elgin and were so happy we did. The food and service were excellent. My husband had a burger and I had a delicious bleu cheese-topped steak. Wish we would have had enough room to try the desserts - they looked amazing. read more

My husband and I had lunch here today - he had the Russian sandwich and Southwestern Chicken soup and I had 1/2 tuna sandwich and the Cream of Cauliflower soup. Both soups were homemade and delicious - and we were so pleased that neither were overly-salty like most restaurant soups. The tuna was pretty good...the menu stated it was albacore tuna, but I don't think it was because it was dark. Albacore tuna is "white". Service (our waiter was Samuel) was excellent. If you can, sit upstairs. Huge windows, lace curtains, antiques all around. read more

Love this place. They have a garlic shrimp appetizer that is so good! It is so flavorful. The service is nice and friendly. They also have outdoor seating. They have good sandwiches and milkshakes. If you are ever in Elgin downtown this is the place to go. read more

When we first moved into Elgin, this was our lunch and malt shop once or twice a week!! We love this place!! The food is excellent the atmosphere is great and the service is EXCELLENT!! read more