Al’s Cafe

Al’s Cafe is the downtown Elgin malt shop that grew into a full restaurant. The cafe fills the 1892 Ranstead Building at the corner of DuPage Court and Spring Street, a bank-and-law-office block that Al Berg bought in 1982 and turned into one restaurant on two floors. Berg also acquired the recipe for the Burns Malts, the thick malted milkshakes from the old Burns Pharmacy on Bluff City Boulevard, and they remain the signature order. Chef Tony Jamin, who trained in Holland, Germany and France, has owned the place with Patricia Jamin since 2005, and the menu mixes diner sandwiches with dishes like Cajun shrimp and schnitzel.

What to know

• The building is the 1892 Ranstead Building, designed by Elgin architect Smith Hoag; the old walk-in vault from a savings and loan is still on the first floor.
• Al Berg opened the cafe in 1982; the Jamin family has owned the restaurant since 2005.
• Burns Malts and shakes come in 12- and 24-ounce sizes and are made with more than six scoops of vanilla ice cream and no added milk.
• The dining room takes reservations at (847) 742-1180, and online ordering runs through Toast.
• The cafe is a block from Festival Park and the Fox River, and the Chicago Street Metra stop is a short walk.