Colonial Cafe

Yucky with a cherry on top! Honestly, did they scrap my breakfast from under the kitchen sink? This was my first and we will not be returning. I ordered the "Big 10" breakfast and I tasted everything and only ate the bacon. My wife had the biscuits with Gravy breakfast. That was $23. Everything was disgusting, except it is my fault for ordering sunny side up eggs. I meant a fried egg. I now understand why the place was empty on a Sunday morning at 7:30 am, but Paul's and Big Skillet were packed. They are right, I feel I ate the greasy, nasty kitchen sink. I came home and cooked a real breakfast.

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 Cafe - 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.