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    Al's Cafe & Creamery

    4.5 (326 reviews)
    Closed 11:00 am - 8:00 pm

    Al's Cafe & Creamery Photos

    AL'S CAFE & CREAMERY ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Good for kids
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Al's Cafe & Creamery

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    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.

    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!

    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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    17 years ago

    pretty decent variety and quality of food... nice to sit outside when the weather is good.

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    14 years ago

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    Page 9 of 9

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    Grumpy Goat Tavern

    Grumpy Goat Tavern

    4.0
    (257 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$

    We held a meeting here and Chris, Ava, Anthony, and the entire staff we worked with are fabulous to…read morework with! The Grumpy Goat feels like a rustic supper club but with an energetic vibe and signature menu items highlighted with a goat. The Bulleit Bourboun burger and fries were outstanding, and I look forward to returning and trying a steak. We held a meeting for nearly 70 people in their back room and had helpful amenities needed and tasty food. People especially liked the skillet dip and sausage and peppers. Plenty of on-site parking too and an innovative cocktail menu in addition to standard beer, seltzers and wines. And I could tell from the conversations between servers and customers in the bar area, that there are many regulars who keep coming back here. I can definitely see why. Thank you again, Chris and team for an outstanding experience.

    I went there twice. Once for dinner with my wife and daughter, and we sat in the dining room. The…read moreother time was with a friend and we sat in the bar area. See, Grumpy Goat consists of two indoor dining areas and an outdoor seating area within a slightly larger building also that has a locker room, golf shop, and meeting room. The food ranges from pub food, to sandwiches, to flatbreads, to great steaks. Both times, the bar area was louder and people tend to focus on drinks and appetizers there. There's a separate dining room beyond the bar area where full dinners seem more common. Given that my 2 trips were in November and December, don't have a good sense for the outside area. I could just see that there are several tables overlooking the golf course. On certain nights, they have live music. Great variety of drinks, appetizers, sandwiches/burgers, and entrees. Can go inexpensive, or can get a filet mignon and spent a lot. Filling choices. Prices are quite reasonable.

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    The Goat
    The Goat
    Chicken saltimbocca
    Chicken saltimbocca
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    Al's Cafe & Creamery - diners - Updated August 2026

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