Steak 'n Shake — Restaurant in Elgin

Arrived and ordered on the kiosk and was greeted. I then placed my order for me and my family ordering burger,fries,drinks and shakes for each of the four of us and cheese sauce for all 4 fries. I pay and tip because they look slammed and deserve it. The total is almost 70 bucks. The order comes out and the lady is like we are out of cheese sauce I'll have to refund you, I'll get your info. I was like okay that's fine and waited with the receipt, and she just walked away so after me standing there a few minutes another staff member is like did you need something? I was like oh just waiting for the refund. So she calls the other lady back over and she is like okay let me get you info and pulls out a sharpie and a scrap piece of receipt paper. Not the most official but okay and she writes down all the stuff and was like okay gimme a few days and I'll refund the cheese sauce back on the card and walks off. I was like okay it's going to be for all four of them correct? She goes in a super snarky tone I'll verify the quantity and put it back just give me a few days and storms off.... I was like okay it's like 5 bucks whatever but seems shady AF especially after I just tipped you and spent over 60 bucks on just food. So I sit down and my wife is like what was that about so I tell her and she is like that seems shady so I go and ask " hey instead of doing the refund can you just do a banana shake to go if that's easier so you don't have to refund it because I'm not going to look for 5 bucks" and the lady goes hold on lemme see and comes back and is like well the refund is for 5 dollars and the milkshake is 5.38 for it plain so you would have to pay the difference. I was like that's fine I'll pay the difference I'll just be honest the whole refund thing just seemed shady and she disappeared then goes here I'll just make it for you and made me one to go so in the end she did the right thing but just a very unpleasant way to get to it for someone who tipped and bought a large meal. I understand everyone has off days but off putting when I go with my family and have to deal with all that. Then they make a scene to go let's move the sign on the door since some people want to act like they can't read! All loud and proceed to move it to a different door. Like you have 15 different signs in your entry sorry I missed that one but why not put anything on the kiosk?????? Why put a sign on 1 of your 3 doors and get angry no...

I've been living out here for 9 years now and Steak'n Shake is a place I've frequented with friends, after a night of partying, early in the morning when no place is open to eat, and mainly because the food is great for the prices. However, the last couple of years this place has really started to become a place I avoid. Some of the staff there are great, and the manager is a very very kind person; however there those there that are rude, snobby, and have no business working there if they can't handle people. Personally, I've never had a problem until today; A friend and I went in there tonight to grab a bite to eat and the food was great. Our server brought us our food on time, we didn't have to wait, our drinks stayed full, all of that was fine. My problem didn't happen until we went to pay for the bill. As we were walking up to the register an old man who appeared to be in his 60s received his order to go and said "oh, I asked them to cook my fries until they were brown. It's no big deal, I'll just ask again next time." He smiled, said "thank you" and he left. He didn't sound rude, angry, or even upset. Do you know what happened when he left? Some bald waiter smirks at the Hispanic cook and goes "i guess you didn't cook his cheap fries enough." The cook laughs and goes "estupido pendajo." My friend looked at me and she goes "did you hear that?" Now, we don't speak Spanish very well but I know certain words / phrases and what that translates to is EXTREMELY rude and was uncalled for. There's a reason people talk bad about this Steak'n Shake and now I understand why. It's pretty pathetic to mock an old man simply because he asked for his fries to be cooked a little bit more. What's even more pathetic is the man who made fun of him looks to be 40, balding, and well; he works at a Steak'n Shake. The food might be great, but what I witnessed tonight was just...

5/18/19 at 7:30 PM This is with out a doubt the worst Stake & Shake I have ever been too. The real problem it is were I live in Elgin. The “Good Ones” are too far away.

Seldom does a “manager” show their face up front and care about what goes on up front.

Wife & I walked into Elgin location and sign says “wait to be seated”. Nobody ever looked our way for 2 minutes or more. Wife got turned off at how dirty and a bit uncomfortably warm it seamed inside. She decided not to eat and take a walk while I got my quick bowl of chili (love the chili!) and burger. I decided to sit down at the counter. I sat for another 2 minutes and not a person acknowledged my presence.

Finally I got the attention of a server (dirty blonde unkept middle aged woman) that well intended to pass me bye - but made her look at me. Then reluctantly, in not a kind voice either, exclaimed “well, are you here for a carry out?” I said, “no I am wanting to order!” She replied, well the menu’s are there (as she points) . I told her I did not need, just wanted to get service. She then smartly responded, “we are busy here”.

Well, where was the manager and why did they not have enough help to service what I observed to be 6 tables of patrons???? (Was 3 “servers”)

Due to her hostility towards me (did I cause it or was it based on her frustration?), I walked out. Not kind words by me, I am sorry now for that.

For many years this location has been poorly managed. I seems to be laking in cleanliness and sloppy appearance of many of the people working there.

On the other end of locations is the one in Effingham. Great manager and very clean in comparison.

Goodbye Elgin...