Restaurants in Elgin

When you get your first plate of Taqueria Los Comales’ signature Mexico-City-style tacos, you might be surprised by their size. Each double-wrapped taco is small enough to fit into your hand, a fact owner Camerino Gonzalez specifically had in mind when first making them in Chicago’s Little Village in 1973. Rather than have clients try just one of his signature meats, he wanted to allow guests to sample a wide variety of different options. Cooks stuff the soft tortillas with al pastor served in a secret marinade as well as more adventurous taqueria staples such as tongue or beef tripe. The restaurants’ homemade salsa and their own signature mix of pickled carrots, cauliflower, and jalapeños enhance these flavors, making meals as satisfying as the discovery that you’re tax exempt because of your cool haircut. Alongside the traditional tacos, chefs grill up meats for tortas, burritos, breakfast, and dinner platters, all of which can be paired with the shop’s glasses of creamy horchata or a range of Mexican and domestic beers.

Nicodino's Pizza Co. & Café bridges the culinary gap between sweet and savory with a multipronged menu that couples sizzling pizzas with piping-hot café drinks, as well as cataloging gluten-free pizza and pasta. Fresh toppings adorn hand-tossed pizzas and run the gamut from succulent meats, such as italian beef and roasted chicken, to veggies, including green peppers, sun-dried tomatoes, and jalapeños. The kitchen doesn’t restrict itself to making pizzas, though; chefs also grill chicken-pesto paninis and bake spinach calzones and mostaccioli. To complement the savory food, the café side of the eatery presents offerings such as mango smoothies and tiramisu. When it’s warm, Nicodino's Pizza Co. & Café invites guests to an outdoor seating area. In addition, the restaurant offers catering for those throwing a dinner party or a pizza-themed wedding in which all the toasts are cheesy and made with marinara sauce.

Today, Colonial Cafe & Ice Cream may have seven full-service family-friendly restaurants, but when it started in 1901, it was only a single small ice cream and dairy store. Now guests can settle into breakfast, lunch, and dinner at each of the eateries –and still enjoy the ice cream that put them on the map. They have garnered particular attention for their signature dish, the Kitchen Sink Sundae, which features two whole bananas, six scoops of ice cream (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry), whipped cream, chocolate, and chopped almonds with a cherry topper. It’s served in a large dish shaped like a kitchen sink with a S-pipe as the handle. And when diners finish it, they receive a bumper sticker that reads, “I Ate a Colonial Kitchen Sink.”

While ice cream reigns supreme, their breakfasts have also earned praise. They were voted “Best Breakfast” by the Elgin Courier News, Aurora Beacon News, and Naperville Sun. Favorites among the regulars include the stuffed very berry French toast and cinnamon roll French toast. Come dinnertime, they continue serving comfort foods including fresh baked meatloaf and a mac and cheese bacon melt, as well as sandwiches such as the pot roast French dip. The restaurant has also earned plaudits for its popularity with its littlest diners, grabbing the "Best Kid-Friendly Restaurant" designation in the Kane County Chronicle Reader's Choice awards.

Jaded Thai’s chefs personalize every order that leaves the kitchen. The pan-fried noodles, six types of curry, and stir-fried entrees can emerge with the diner's choice of tofu, meat, or seafood, as well as spice level ranging from mild to intensely hot. The heat stems from the fiery Thai chilies, which add piquant flavors to the menu items' aromatic doses of ginger, basil, or housemade lemongrass sauce.

Recessed lighting fixtures line the dining-room ceiling, gently illuminating the earth-toned walls that sport a flat-screen television and a collection of framed artwork. Although the menu doesn't include any alcoholic drinks, the staff allows diners to bring a bottle of wine or a jar of old grapes from home.

Nozumi’s culinary team of world travelers turns to seasonally available ingredients and their own global palates to create innovative Japanese cuisine. While seated at a high-top table beneath a hushed lighting fixture or nestled in a cushy booth, diners can choose shareable plates from five tapas-style menus or entrust their selections to the chef, who employs a fresh selection of seafood to furl signature sushi rolls such as Rinjin Dragon, packed with shrimp tempura, fresh-water eel, and veggies drizzled in spicy mayo. Non-sushi entrees include grilled tiger shrimp and seared day-boat scallops swimming in creamy basil sauce and fettuccine noodles, and a tuna sandwich anchored by seasoned yellow-fin steak and coleslaw. Guests can also set up shop at the sushi bar or reserve the private Tatami room, designed to accommodate 8–10 people or one very large secret.

In French eclairs, German streudel, and Polish kolaczi, the bakers at Sugar Hills Bakery let their European inspiration show. Regardless of whether a recipe comes from across the Atlantic—the staff also makes cupcakes, cake pops, cookies, and wedding cakes—all of Sugar Hills’ baked goods are all made with fresh, high-quality ingredients.