Alexander’s Cafe

Fabulous place to eat!!! Everything was awesome
And they have cocktails!!! :)
they even have mouthwash in the bathrooms

Awesome café! Great service! Great food! Ate here several times while staying in Elgin! Jackie was the best waitress! If she is not management she should be. She made our dining experience wonderful! Warm, friendly and welcoming place.

My family and I went out this evening to celebrate an early Father’s Day, and we were pretty disappointed.
The restaurant itself is newly refurbished and very nice, esthetically speaking. We were also pleasantly surprised by the live pianist, who was very talented. Unfortunately though, our pleasant evening slowly went on the downhill from there.
We were seated quickly, and got our drink orders in and delivered in good time. However, we had to wait a while for our bread and salads to arrive, but when we did finally get them, the bread at least was warm and fresh, and the salads were crisp.
Next came the food. First of all, they got my order wrong and I only got half of my meal, and by the time they brought the second half out, everyone else was nearly finished eating. So, I just had it boxed instead. Everyone else’s food seemed fine, although I did hear that the steaks were pretty tough. They were tasty enough though.
But the real kicker came at the end of the meal. After reviewing the receipt, we had asked our server to correct some things on it, which she said she would take care of. Well, shortly there after, the manager came over and explained to us the problem, and told us that we were «getting a good deal» by him taking 10% off of our bill.
Oh, well, thanks, we guess?
The «explanation» and poorly done «apology» was embarrassing and uncomfortable for the whole table, and really just ended our night, and our father’s day, on a bad note.
I think we would have had a much better experience if they had just had better management. So, perhaps they should look into some more customer service training.

This used to be my stepfather’s favorite place and used to eat here a few times a week — he passed a few years ago and doubt he would like it anymore as he was stubborn as all get out but I just love it. He just never liked change at all. I’m not a fan of change but in this case it works! It was okay before but nothing super special honestly.
They re-​did the interior and the menu and both are fantastic. We have been there a few times recently and the food is always great, fresh and hot. Ultimate Grilled Cheese and the Tuna Melt are just wonderful, hearty but light. Fries are fantastic. Peach Iced Tea was delicious and not too sweet. My son had chocolate chip pancakes and he loved them. The bacon was a bit more «advanced» (fancy) then he gets at home though (not a bad thing for me as I got to eat it).
All in all every time we have been here we’ve never had a bad meal, it’s a good price for a nice dinner out, we’ve always been treated well and we will definitely be back.

We had reservations for 14 at 3 – 3;30 (after graduation) yesterday. Graduation finished at 1:15. I called and explained and asked if it could be changed to 2pm. We got there and had to wait about 15 min which was fine. Our waitress was great. Beverages were kept full. No mix ups in orders. Food was good. I even brought a cake from a bakery that the waitress offered to cut and serve In my book they went above and beyond. Food has always been good here. It’s no gourmet meal but that’s not what we were looking for

I’m not into superlatives, so let’s just say I thoroughly enjoyed the service as well as the food.
A well train and considerate staff, is a big plus.

Breakfast, lunch, or dinner, this place has something on the menu to please everyone, any time of the day! Have been here with large groups, which they are happy to accommodate. And they have booths or tables for 2, 4, or more. HUGE slices of pie and lots of tasty desserts. And Megan (our waitress almost every time we’ve been there) always wears a great big smile! Bottomless glass of iced tea hit the spot. Would highly recommend Alexander’s, for a anything from a quick bite to a special occasion.

Went to Alexander’s for the first time. Looked great online and we were not disappointed.
Large variety on the menu items for lunch and dinner. Server was attentive but not intrusive.
Food portions were generous, served hot and tasted great.
Restaurant was nicely decorated.
We will be back.

Loved everything about this place! The food is delicious, staff is friendly and it is visually appealing inside and outside the restaurant. I would definitely come back many times and can see this being out go to breakfast restaurant!

This restaurant is definitely doing it right! It’s so nice inside, always clean bathrooms. The staff honestly seem like they enjoy their job which makes the customer service even better. The food is excellent. The breakfast is my favorite. I love the Eggs Benedict selections. The chilaquiles are absolutely amazing too! I enjoy their alcoholic beverages, can’t go wrong with a freeze squeezed orange juice mimosa! Very impressed!

Mai has the perfect take: upscale experience without the upscale price. I wasted some time here waiting for a meeting in the area. A cheerful woman greeted me as I walked in and led me to a booth. I’d describe the décor as modern American bistro with lightly stained wood table tops and espresso colored chairs.
They offer a full menu for breakfast, but I opted for one of their weekday specials: 2 eggs, 2 sausage, and toast. At $ 5.99, it was the perfect size for a quick workday meal, though the Rosemary potatoes one of my neighbors ordered looked great. Half & half and flavored creamers are on the table along with the little tubs of whipped butter. I love that toast comes out dry and you butter it as you wish. Happy surprise-​the rye bread has caraway seed. Yum!
Another surprise-​they have mouthwash in the bathroom! It was put to use as I headed out the door for my meeting.
Location is convenient, right on Route 31 off of I-​90 and there is dedicated parking. I hope you don’t manage to resist the cakes you pass in the display case when you walk in. They looked fantastic and I half regret not ordering a piece!

This little gem of a place won’t let you down if you are around the area. They have an upscale atmosphere without an upscale pricetag and a variety of decadent items that will do nothing but bring you to food heaven.
I can here with some friends and everyone was more than satisfied with the food. Personally I had the Berry Good crepes, and it indeead does taste amazing. HOWEVER, I’d have to say I’m a little disappointed that the crepes were not made in a crêpe pan but in a regular pan. You can tell the large difference between a traditionally made crêpe in a specialty pan because it’s not as chewy. I don’t know people, am I a snob? Probably! But anyway, I’m probably the only person ever caring about which pan crepes are made in. So whatever okay!
Other than that. Seriously give this a try. I live 2.5 hours away but making a trip up here to have another item from them (may be the Berry Good pancakes, I’m crazy for berries) is a serious possibility.
Oh and they have live piano music, the singer/​pianist is pretty epic if you ask me. At first I thought it was a recording but damn was he good.
Don’t forget to check out the various pastries they have at the front and take some to go. Just trust me!

We stayed a nearby hotel for a wedding and needed a good meal before the 9+ hours we were about to spend in the car. I am so grateful we found Alexander’s! First of all, I could not believe how huge this place was. It was pretty crowded and we still only waited 10 – 15 minutes for our table. It was a Sunday, around brunch and they had a live piano player in the lobby! It was great to watch, I was not only very impressed with his music, but also very distracted from the wait!
Once we got seated, our server, Tiana took wonderful care of us. We were all incredibly pleased with our meals. I ordered the Mac & Cheese omelette because hey… why not?! Creamy mac & cheese wrapped up in fluffy egg… it doesn’t get any better than that! My boyfriend and I are both maniacs about Benedicts as well, so he had to try the Pot Roast Benedict. Slow-​roasted braised beef, scallions and hollandaise sauce. YES! I don’t recall ever seeing a beef option for benedict and was very pleased! Other meals my group ordered included one of the breakfast skillets and also Chicken & Waffles.
Solid restaurant, good prices, great service!

Hungry for a good steak while traveling this restaurant was recommended to me.
I ordered the Delmonico & it did not disappoint. Asparagus & potatoes on the side complete this meal. The ambiance was quiet but welcoming. Tiana B was the server & did an attentive job.
I would return here again.

The food was always good, but it had been a few years since we ate at Alexanders Café. We walked in and Wooohoooo… talk about restaurant makeover, this place looks amazing.
Ordered breakfast, I had Steak and Eggs and my wife her normal Skillet with Cheese and Sausage. Coffee, juice, water, toast, bagels, etc.
The food was incredible, in fact my steak was more tender and satisfying than the one I had the night prior at a well known steakhouse. Did I just get lucky? Maybe, but judging from the faces around us, it seems everyone was loving their food, the service and the ambiance of the new design.
Kudos Alexander’s Café… we’ll be back soon!

I’ve been here twice now, the first time for lunch and the second time for breakfast. The lunch was very good, but it’s the breakfast that has yearning to go back. I got the tiramisu pancakes and they were absolutely to die for. The picture that I posted of them doesn’t do the dish justice as it was huge and oh so filling. I’m not one to leave food on my plate, especially not something sweet and covered in chocolate, but I wasn’t able to finish these.
The staff here is very friendly and I love the atmosphere also. Can’t wait to go back!

So… it really sucks i have to give this poor review… so for the past 3 weeks and the next 6 weeks i have been and will be staying at the hotel next to this place. This is the 3^rd time i have eaten here and have ordered the exact same thing all 3 times. The first 2 times it was fantastic 5 star experience from food to service. This week however, was terrible. I order the pot roast with ceasar salad and saganaki for an app… like i said the first 2 times had me sold as my GOTO place while working here thru the weekdays.
Todays visit was a 1 star experience. Ordered the same thing as always. At first there seemed to be some confusion on who was going to be my server but was quickly remedied. Things that people say while at work does not bother me too much because i just really dont care what people say. but one of the hostesses or a waitress not too sure says to my server «way to upsell» i didnt hear a response from him but still this shouldnt have been said for a customer to hear. Made me want to cancel my order and leave to be honest but whatever i was hungry.
Now the food… took 3 times for the saganaki to be edible. oh ya iced tea has been empty for a while. The first try he couldnt light the cheese, 2^nd time it was burned to a crisp and was so smokey many were coughing. After 10 minutes i saw the manager and told him about it because my server was M.I.A.and he went and made another and brought it out and it was OK but still not right. but oh well i am not at a greek restaurant so i should be happy with what i get.
The ceasar salad was good (best part of meal today). got my iced tea minus ice?!? Now the main course pot roast that i was looking forward to all morning. it was ok… but nothing like the first 2 times. did i mention my iced tea (minus ice) has been empty? The roast tasted dated, microwaved, and overly hot. i cant beleieve that they would microwave it and do t think they did but you k ow when you microwave something and some parts are super hot and some cold? This is what that tasted like. i wonder where the server has been? The manager refilled my tea and i actually got ice. So now i see my server and he drops the bill off and says no hurry. LOL He didnt care if i liked my food or anything else just wanted to drop off my bill.
So the manager did take the saganaki off the bill but charged me for the upgrade to a ceasar salad.. It was only $ 2 but made me wonder why i wasnt charged on my previous visits for this?!?
So, now i am confused… not too sure if i want to return here anymore. More than likely, it will be excellent like the first 2 times. but if i were to get the same server i would leave. Do i want to deal with that? Probably not. so. i guess i wont be back. but who knows since the service and the food was soooo good the first 2 times.

Everything I’ve gotten here has been amazing. The cinnamon butter on their pancakes is fantastic, and I think I nearly cried tears of culinary joy when I tasted their Chipotle Benedict. The Butchers Block skillet is another great choice. It quickly replaced Burnt Toast for me. They even have a bar to sit at so when I’m dining solo there is hardly ever a wait. I come at least once a week now.
Edit: I don’t ever go back and edit reviews, but I just had the Bananas Foster pancakes and they straight up blew my mind.

Been here just twice since their big remodeling and grand reopening. It’s DEFINITELY changed for the better. Gone are the old-​school dark vinyl booths and club seating and IN with a real bar and a contemporary interior. Sunday crowds are a bit big at prime time and I think the volume is overwhelming the kitchen. My omelet was good but not great. The side order pancakes are a bit small. The cinnamon butter they’re serve with is fantastic. Others in our group had good breakfasts also.
One downside? Don’t bother asking for crispy hash browns. We all did and what we got were basically raw potatoes barely browned on one side. Not what we ordered and evidence the kitchen didn’t take their time.
Crappy thoughtless hash browns lost this place a star. Another one lost to the barely above average food. Three stars.

This is only my second time dining in, but so far I really like this place.
The menu has a great selection and I really like the modern décor. Also, they serve intelligentsia coffee, so that’s a huge plus in my book.
The first time dining, I had a salad which was pretty average. But, the second time, I had the «berry good» crepes and they were delicious! I loved them. I also had a taste of the «s’moreo» pancakes and they were really good — you’ll love them if you like cookies n cream. Oh yeah, I also tried their soup — I believe it was vegetable beef noodle, and it was very good. They actually had four soups to choose from, which was pretty cool. Most diners usually only have two.
Service was fantastic. I wasn’t there for more than 30 minutes, and my coffee was refilled multiple times.
Will definitely return!