Al's Cafe & Creamery — Restaurant in Elgin

I've been to Al's Cafe many times. The food, although mediocre, was carried by the usually pleasant atmosphere and scenery of the Cafe. However, recently the quality of the restaurant as a whole has gone downhill. I feel as though things at Al's have been cheapened, corners have been cut, and that the Cafe (like many of Elgin's restaurants nowadays) has been resting on it's previous reputation as a nice eating establishment. Although I've noticed this, I've continued to stay loyal to Al's because I appreciate and respect small businesses, especially ones in my town. However a recent trip to Al's has made me reevaluate it as a restaurant. Eating with family and friends, one in our party mistakenly ordered a dish that had an ingredient that they could not eat. We got the attention of the waitress to remedy the situation, as we assumed that this must happen at restaurants every so often, but as soon as we had explained the error, the server's face immediately twisted and contorted into a snarl and she insisted that the dish was clearly labelled on the menu. We were all taken aback at this attack, because we had not attempted to say anything contrary to that. Reluctantly a new order was put in, though our server acted as if we had ordered a forty-dollar steak (it was grilled cheese). When the order came, it was served with dirty looks and almost angered tones. Due to this, the person who had mistakenly ordered the dish was worried that the food might have been tampered with! I do not think that things went that far but my acquaintance did not feel comfortable finishing their meal. I know that they definitely will not eat be eating there again, and I don't think I will be either. It is upsetting because I love the building and think it is a wonderful location in Elgin. I will be moving my business to the other restaurants in Elgin and will hope for better experiences. If you decide to eat at Al's, just know that the food is OK, but it is the atmosphere you are paying for (and you pay a little much considering what the food is!) Also know that if you upset the staff, even by a harmless accident, it may ruin your lunch. This experience, along with the downtrend in the food quality as of late, is why I rated Al's Cafe...

I don’t know where to start with this horrendous experience for me and my family at Al's Cafe & Creamery. Let’s start with the wait and lack of attention from the staff. Our waitress did her best with what she had. The soup kitchen cups went very well with the food. I would bet the you could get a much better meal at a soup kitchen or in prison. My family of four ordered all different food and all of the food was like episode of Kitchen Nightmares. I can’t say enough about how bad this food was. My burger looked and tasted like a frozen burger that may have been given out during the Great Depression. I couldn’t even swallow the bite of dried out burnt meat like substance they called a burger. I told the waitress that this was the worst back yard burger I have ever tasted. She then said that she would have it removed from the bill. She then came back and said the owner who was also the “cook” said he would not remove it from the bill. She then had to call the owner wife to get permission to remove it. The owners wife agreed to remove it from the bill and offered a $25 gift card for the trouble which I declined and said I would never be back. Unless you like stomach pain and nausea don’t waste or your money or time on this place. You should be able to give negative stars on...

I've been going to Al's for years and always have a great experience. I'm so happy they have their patio seating available again! Like Chris Harrison, I was told they didn't have anything available the first time I went after they reopened. This is understandable due to the limited seating with COVID guidelines. They did offer to put my name down for a later time that night but I wasn't able so I made a reservation for the next day. It was worth the wait! I had the Brazilian Ribs, which are the special this month and so delish, and for dessert an Oreo Shake. Yum!

I think it's very wrong for someone, Chris Harrison, to give a restaurant a 1 star rating because they were too busy to fit you in at the time YOU wanted. They do take reservations so maybe you should do that next time you go out. Don't blame the restaurant for being popular!

Update 10/20- Like me, I know many people aren't comfortable dining inside. Now, I can still enjoy a meal on the patio because Al's has added curtains to block the wind and heaters to help keep warm. A sweater or jacket is probably still needed but it's nice to enjoy outdoor dining on a cooler fall night. Sat outside while it was slightly rainy but still had...