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 google reviews.

If you’re looking for the perfect lunch or dinner spot, you’re in luck… you’ve found it! Al’s is simply exquisite no matter what you try (naturally we had to try a few things). The soda fountain is a rare delicacy now a days and the opportunity could not be passed up to have a clean and refreshing cherry coke! Our lunch (half a sandwich and soup) was the perfect portion size and packed full of meat and flavor! The ice cream was amazing and left us feeling a little too full, so make sure you save room! I say this a lot, but it couldn’t be more true of Al’s… if you haven’t tried this hidden gem, you are TRULY missing out on a fantastic dining experience!

This place is a gem! The schnitzel is the best I've had. Large portions and great service everytime.

I truly enjoyed my meal here. I ordered steak and shrimp. It was delicious. The steak was grilled on the top to where it was a little crispy, but not burned. Some spices were added there to excentuate the natural flavors of the steak. The sauce the chef adds to it contained flavors I had not tasted since my grandmother made Sunday dinners. The dish comes with potatoes and vegetables. I also had a side salad with raspberry vinaigrette. In some other restaurants would pay 2 or 3 times the amount I paid there for that meal. The price is fair. The value of your dollar is way about fair, it's a remarkable value. Great food and friendly service. I think you'll love it.

Inviting, and eclectic throwback atmosphere with friendly, considerate and attentive service conducive to relaxing comfortably while enjoying delicious, genuine home-cooked meals, drinks and deserts. Never disappoints. Enjoy!

Really good food for affordable price. Has a nice feel for a cafe. Really love this place and would recommend if you are close by. Must try the malts and milkshakes.

Food is great! Service is super fast and kind. Our waiter was super jovial. Great ambiance & music:)

A gem of a place we just happen to stumble onto. We loved the food and service was above and beyond. Thank you for being gracious and accommodating to our party of 7. The salmon was well seasoned and the asparagus well cooked it melts in your mouth.

We got lucky enough to be seated, thank's to Jennifer! The place was semi empty but I believe you should make a reservation, because the host, he was almost gonna turn us away. We were just lucky Jennifer said there was room for us. YAY, we chose to sit upstairs. Lovely views of downtown Elgin, gorgeous building. Seriously read the history on the drink menu. The place is lovely. The food had great presentation. The crab cakes were wow, we had crab cakes at like Ditka's and here, they serve you with bruschetta on the side. PLUS amazing bread. It was a lot for crab cakes. Then they give you more delicious bread. Everything was really good. I only wish they had Tito's vodka as an option, they only serve Absolut. BUT hey I am not gonna complain. I really want to come back & try some of the ice cream. Thank you Jennifer, you were an amazing host.

We've been eating at Al's for almost 20 years. Awesome spot to grab a meal with your family. The food is great, and the servers are fast and friendly. The milkshakes are the best around!

Ask for a vanilla malt with a shot of Irish whiskey on the side. When it comes pour the whiskey into the malt. You will now have an Irish cream malt! Portions are huge! We ordered the schnitzel and got 8 meals out of 2 orders.

Eaten here many times. Food is a solid 9/10. But the malts are on a whole other level. Service is also pretty quick, even when it's busy. The building is my favorite part, with the upstairs being a old office and just overall great architecture.

Great place for lunch and dinner. Cozy environment and historic building. Food is top quality and creative. They have a rotating monthly special menu too. There is a nice selection for dessert. The staff is great too. There is a 2nd floor for additional seating. Try the dessert ice cream cocktails, very good.

The atmosphere and service was the perfect accompaniment to the outstanding food. The carrot bisque soup was silky smooth with the grilled bread warm and toasted. The schnitzel and spaetzle was the best I have ever had and my waitress tied the experience all together perfectly. Cannot say enough good about this little gem. My compliments to the chef as they achieved a mastery of the food they prepared ❤️

The bread was hard and stale. The roast beef tasted sour. And I never had chicken rice soup with so much garlic in it. When we told the waitress the bread was stale she just smiled. Terrible customer service. I used to go to this restaurant 25 years ago and it was excellent. Not sure what happened.

My husband and I came here for the first time and had a wonderful experience. My husband ordered the schnitzel and I ordered the trout. Both were fantastic. Fresh and not heavy. We got a milkshake and ice cream for dessert and they were wonderful. It was a great atmosphere with very very good service. We truly truly appreciate finding a restaurant where people put the time and effort in to maki g the whole experience wonderful for the customer. Thank you!!

Acceptingly unique menu. steaks/chicken/fish cooked in unique herbs & spices making a Delicious meal. Service by Jennifer was personal with the knowledge of the full menu. Out door seating made a lovely dinner complete. Indoor seating in a stately old original building of Elgin. Full service old fashioned handmade ice cream/malts & more complete the dining experience at Al's Cafe & Creamery. I highly recommend this restaurant for lunch and dinner.

Very cute location with dining on the first and second floor. Cute pictures of Elgin’s past line the walls and take you back to a time long gone. Their ice cream shakes are amazing! Staff is kind, quick, and caring.

Great roast beef sandwich and the milk shake selection and quality is amazing. Also had a nice outdoor seating area.

Love this place. Kid's malt was amazing. My burger was huge and perfectly cooked. Service was terrific. Place is super clean and has a fun vibe

Delicious food, amazing family style restaurant vibe. Excellent service! Ice cream shakes with the alcohol are the best! If this restaurant could be rated at 10 stars, I would!

We sat outside and enjoyed the weather and location. The staff was friendly, helpful and kept our beverages filled. The food tasted great with plenty of things to choose from. Top that off with a huge malt built from tons of vanilla ice cream then you can add favoring of your choice. It was too much to drink there so we all had another round later in the day. Highly recommended.

First visit here with friends who LOVE Al's! Had a Reese's PB shake. Fantastic but more of an ice cream treat than a shake! No possibility of sucking that through a straw!!! Delicious and can't wait to go back. Would love to try the food! Every dish that passed by our table looked incredible!!

I had a cheese burger and oh my! It was the best burger I ever had! Juicy and so much flavor! The fries are also amazing!! The workers there were kind and gave a warm welcome feeling. It was a little tight but not too tight, I'm claustrophobic so its a worry of mine. Loved it all together tho!

Overall a nice dinner and dessert. We like the two story vintage building vibe, although it may need a little dusting and cleaning. We got burgers and kids fish sticks. Food was good, and dessert was as well. We didn't have a milkshake but saw a bunch of other people with them. It's on the list for next time. Jennifer our server was super nice and the young guy who ran the food was too. We will definitely be back.

First visit was outstanding. I had a steak, cooked perfectly medium rare. Even the dinner salad was delicious, best salad of the year. I had the house made honey-blue dressing. Topped off with chocolate sundae. This place is great, wish I had been going here earlier.