Colonial Cafe

It great to know there is a awesome family restaurant that is still around. We took our kids here. This might be the first time they finished all there food at A restaurant. Then we ended up getting the kitchen sink for the finishing touch. And it didn’t disappoint. Great job all the way around. We will take the hour drive from where we live to come back here. Great place and recommend to everyone!

Colonial is back. There have been some changes to the menu. Service is back to it’s excellent level.

We like Colonial, we use several different locations, the Elgin one is not our favorite but it has gotten much better servicewise. No longer happy with the menu, they cut the menu by at least half and didn’t keep a lot of the good stuff. The ice cream is very good.

We ordered waffles with chicken and a skillet. The waffles with chicken was good but I wasn’t a fan of the skillet. The waitress was really nice. She was on top of things even though she was really busy.

Yep. They don’t let you forget that this is an ice cream shack. But what if you don’t want ice cream? The place works pretty well, too. Plenty of good options and sandwiches to pick from. The Nachos also looked huge.

They have the best juiciest burgers here! I always order mine well done and it is delicious.

I just had breakfast there. It was busy but the food and the service was good. Ashley our server was very nice and friendly. When my drink was almost empty, she came with a new full drink without me asking for a refill. That’s good service!!!

Very nice staff, everything was great. I would defenetly come back.

We were there maybe a week ago and it was a great experience from start to finish. They quickly greeted us and sat us down. The waitress came right away and got drinks started for us. It was the first time we had ever been there so we didn’t know exactly what to get but ended up getting the special of the day which was the meatloaf. It was so delicious!!! It wasn’t dry like most meatloaf that I’ve had the unpleasantry to try. The mashed potatoes were very creamy, so yummy! Not to mention the amount they give you is ridiculous but we are every bite. Our waitress was a doll, very kind and helpful. Super friendly and fast service. Loved it!

This place seemed to be pretty historical having a 100 year old history. The staff were pretty friendly and helpful. We ordered the BBQ Chicken quesadilla with pineapple salsa, which tasted pretty good on the sweeter side. My friend got southwest chicken (fried) salad (without onions) but apparently black bean salsa had onions — so she got the whole thing again, it looked bigger than expected. I got the turkey pot pie dinner — which looked smaller than expected but the crust was golden, crisp and yummy. I got a side of garlic bread too which was good as well. I would definitely recommend the turkey. We also got the brownie’n’ fudge shake which was yummy too.
I would definitely go back for some desserts in the future. :)

Sort of cheating here by squeaking in a review as we only go here for the occasional ice cream treat — You mean it’s also a restaurant? Who knew!
Give me all the ice cream. That is all.
OK, not all. TONS of choices, but if it has peanut butter in it, all the better. Never had the nerve to order the Kitchen Sink, saving that one for the bucket list. Other items served in appropriate ice cream parlor style glassware, not plastic bowls or cups (mentioning this for those used to fast-​food joint ice cream). Always had good service, quick and accurate. Priced as you’d expect.
Did I say I want ALL the ice cream yet?

I love the Elgin Colonial location– probably my favorite of the ones in the area. This location is more low key than the others, and the employees are friendly, as are the managers. Colonial has several comfort food style dishes on the menu– and is great for breakfast, lunch, dinner, or dessert. My favorite breakfasts are the sunshine special or the fresh fruit crepes, I love the chicken Cesar salad and the tuna panini for lunch, and they have delicious burgers or meat loaf for dinner. For desserts I love the Kahuna crunch or the PBF chipper– they also have excellent peppermint ice cream which I love in the winter months. I will definitely continue to frequent this location when I’m looking for a relaxed meal with friends!

Great food! Great service! Our server was so so so nice! Definitely will continue to go to this restaurant!

I really love eating here and I’m surprised that it’s never very busy and that the other reviews are fairly negative.
It’s actually one of my favorite breakfast spots. My favorite meal (which I try not to order because I feel overly stuffed for the next 5 hours) is the country sausage skillet without cheese. It’s really good and I also get the morning glory muffin to add a little sweetness with the meal.
My fiancé orders chicken and waffles and it is also amazing! The chicken alone is delicious, so I would also recommend the chicken fingers. I’ve also eaten at Colonial for lunch and the salads I have tried have all been great.
Unfortunately I always forget about Colonial Café when I’m in the mood for ice cream, so I have never tried it. One day I will have to order the colonial kitchen sink!

Great deal on Mondays 2 kids eat for free with a paying adult. Food quality is very good and the ice cream is always great. I had the country fried steak and mashed potatoes. Very good food

Went with a party of 10, place was empty on Monday when kids eat free. Service was poor to say the least, we waited 20 min for our food, during that time our waitress did not come out once to refill our drinks or to even see if we needed anything. Once our food was served we never saw her again until she brought our bill! With the place so empty I wonder what our waitress was so busy doing besides sitting in the backroom eating/​gossiping with the other staff?!

Everyone,
My own imposed rules for any review:
1. Must visit at least three times. Two of which must be distinctly different formats; i.e. one weekday night and one weekend night.
2. Must order something unique each visit.
3. If they have any «signature» items on the menu, you must order a «signature» item at least once.
4. Ratings are based on a 10 point scale with 5 being average, which does not mean bad. What a score of 5 means is that the category meets expectations for that establishments format.
Thanks.
Colonial Café — Elgin
Location/​Layout — ⁶⁄₁₀: Located just south of Route 20 on the Northwest corner of McLean Blvd and Spartan Dr (the ECC entrance). The building is unmistakable if you are familiar with Colonial and resembles the iconic images found all over their branding. The interior has been updated recently which includes a very vibrant color scheme and lighting. I personally preferred the older scheme with the beiges and maroons along with the old time imagery of farms and creameries but no matter the interior design the restaurant is always clean and usually organized.
Menu — ⁷⁄₁₀: The breakfast, lunch and dinner menu is standard diner fare. To Colonial’s credit they always have seasonal offerings and chef’s specials, which gives regulars and new comers some variety. Additionally, and more importantly in my opinion, Colonial offers a stand alone ice cream menu since this is what the company was founded on. You will find classics including a black cow, floats, and sundaes but also unique takes on custom creations such as my personal favorite the PBF chipper, the ET and the iconic Kitchen Sink.
Service — 6.5÷10: The service is usually very friendly and accommodating. We are always greeted with a smile and treated very well throughout our meals, even if it is just dessert. Refills and requests are filed in expedited fashion. The lone issue we ever encounter is that we have waited to be seated while servers past us by at the greeting booth and we have had to wait to check out, since you pay up front. Both minor annoyances but they still exist.
Food — 6.5÷10: The standard menu options vary greatly. The breakfast items, which are served all day, seem to be the most consistent and all are very solid options. Some sandwich options are delicious such as any of the Turkey options but the Pot Roast dip which is a signature item needs work and leaves a tinny flavor (maybe canned au jus) in your mouth for quite some time. Their comfort classics, which are their dinners, are all fairly good especially the turkey dinner, with the exception again being the pot roast. Where Colonial truly excels is their ice cream creations. They are always created unique for each guest, meaning that you can call your ice cream flavors and add/​delete or amend any toppings. The options are almost too many as it creates too much indecision on which decadent treat to choose. My suggestion is that you must at least once in your life try a Kitchen Sink; if for no other reason then seeing this creation sitting at your table and watching the jealous on lookers around you. Plus you will earn the coveted bumper stinker that allows you to proclaim to the world that you ate enough calories for an entire week and enough sugar to send a diabetic into shock. Prices are very reasonable, but the desserts can get pricey if you indulge too heavily but it is a treat after all.
Drinks — 6.5÷10: Colonial offers the standard soft drink options that one is accustomed too from a diner including coffees, teas, and juices (some locations also offer beer). While these go well with most standard menu options, I typically like a hand dipped shake which always comes with a little extra in the shaker.
Overall Experience — ⁷⁄₁₀: Colonial is a Fox Valley tradition. It is a family friendly diner that offers enough options to keep the entire family or group happy. We used to hit this place up in droves back in little league then high school and also while attending ECC. We still continue to see church groups, teams, and organizations meet here regularly. I highly suggest that you come for the ice cream but get a bite while you are here.

This place was a diner.
Maybe I am just being picky or maybe I don’t like the diner experience but I was not impressed. I had the fish tacos with a side of fries, tilapia being my choice of fish. The tacos were good but my overall experience was below average. The wait time to get my meal was too long and the service was average. I was in a large group so maybe that contributed to the long wait time but it made my experience that less enjoyable.
Perhaps I should have gotten ice cream instead of using this place as my mid day meal. They might have gotten it right that way.

Apparently this care has been a staple of the community for over a half-​century. Known mostly for their ice cream and shakes, they have every variety known to man. Seriously, they have a four page menu dedicated just to the sweets. If you need a serious sugar rush, you might want to check them out. For $ 14 they serve you mounds of ice cream in a miniature stainless steel device shaped and aptly named «The Kitchen Sink».
As ice cream was not on my mind early in the morning, fish tacos were the order of the day. They are served either with white fish or talapia tacos. There’s about a dozen sides that you can choose from. I opted for the southern style green beans with bacon.
The girl who was serving us was pleasant enough, but had what appeared to be bad habit of which she was unaware. When taking our orders and checking up on us, she would still be talking to us as she was walking away, almost like she was in a hurry to get away from people. As a a waitress, hospitality is the name of the game. Perhaps she has a bit of social anxiety, but it was odd behavior to witness. The place was anything but busy, so rushing away really was uncalled for.
As for the food, the Cabo tacos were spicy, but not unbearable. The fish was cooked well-​done in a fryer and were breaded, but not overly doughy. The paired green beans were really overcooked and were mushy. Hardly anything better than you can get out of a can, which isn’t saying much. A friend ordered the Strawberry French Toast which quite tasty per her.
In all, it wasn’t a bad place to nibble on the offerings, just that it wasn’t anything spectacular either.

Restaurant Review
The Kitchen Sink! This dessert item alone bumps up my ratings from 3 to 4 stars for the food. Where else can you get two whole bananas, two scoops of vanilla, two scoops of chocolate & two scoops of strawberry. Topped with chocolate, strawberry, and pineapple toppings, covered with whipped cream, chopped almonds & a cherry. After you finish you get a bumper sticker saying you ate the kitchen sink! This is great for 2 people to share or more if you are okay sharing saliva, but the visual appeal of this dessert is amazing. You can’t go wrong with the other dessert items either like the turtle sundae or brownie with ice cream. The actual food here is only average. I ended up with the pot roast and mash potatoes which tasted like food from a cafeteria. Servers are friendly. Maybe next time I should try the burgers or sandwiches.
Pro– great dessert items, the kitchen sink :)
Con– the actual entrees are subpar, your typical comfort food
Hidden deal– Join the e-​club signup on the website for a free turtle sunday. Also lots of good coupons through the email to save 20% off your meal