Mystery Diner: Something for everyone at Elgin Public House

ELGIN – Sometimes you just want to relax and enjoy a pub burger.

Look no further than Elgin Public House. Having never been there, my first experience was extremely pleasant.

Upon walking into the restaurant located at 219 E. Chicago St. in Elgin, my dinner companion and I were greeted before being walked back to our table. At first, it seemed as though there might be limited seating, table-wise, but that was until we walked to the back of the restaurant.

There is a small seating section in the front of Elgin Public House, but the back dining room has a bar, multiple TVs (which happened to be airing a Chicago Bulls game during this recent visit) and both high- and low-top tables.

We were told our waitress would be right with us, which she was. After giving us a couple of minutes to look through the menu, she reminded my dinner companion and me that Mondays at the Elgin Public House feature half-price Angus beef burgers from 5 to 10 p.m.

That caught our attention. But even though we both ordered a burger, there were still many appealing options on the menu at Elgin Public House. My dinner companion ordered the KC Burger, while I ordered a Build Your Own Burger.

My dinner companion wanted to try something new, and the KC Burger was just that. It was a recommendation from our waitress, largely because of its unique combination.

The KC Burger ($10.25) is an Angus beef patty topped with white cheddar cheese, applewood smoked bacon and barbecue sauce, and came with lettuce, tomato, red onion and a pickle on the side. The burger came with a choice of side, to which my dinner companion chose thin onion straws.

“It was a unique, but delicious-tasting, combination,” my dinner companion said after our meal. “I was looking for something different, and – between the taste of the burger, the friendly customer service and overall environment at Elgin Public House – I could definitely see myself returning for another visit. It was also hopping for a Monday night.”

I decided to build my own burger for $8.95. I went with the Angus beef choice, as Elgin Public House also offers both Kobe and bison patties.

Added to the Angus patty, I chose American cheese and the applewood smoked bacon. My burger also came with lettuce, tomato, red onion and a pickle on the side. Our waitress said one of her favorite sides was the Elgin Public House Mac and Cheese, so I decided to give it a try.

The combination on the burger left me just hungry enough to finish my mac and cheese. For someone that generally eats a lot, I found myself having ordered the perfect amount of food.

Our waitress gave us a good amount of attention, not coming over to check on us too much or too little. She was very helpful with any questions we had, and both my dinner companion and I agreed that she was one of the better waitresses we have had.

Upon leaving, we were asked by a manager how our meal was, to which we both responded “very good.”

Any time you leave a restaurant after dining in, you want to remember the name because of the experience you had.

Elgin Public House, expect to see us again.

• The Mystery Diner is a newsroom employee at the Kane County Chronicle. The diner’s identity is not revealed to the restaurant staff before or during the meal. The Mystery Diner regularly visits a different restaurant and then reports on the experience. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a review.

If you go

What: Elgin Public House

Where: 219 E. Chicago St. in Elgin

Hours: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m., Monday through Thursday; 11 a.m. to 2 a.m., Friday and Saturday; and 10 a.m. to midnight Sundays

Featured special: Half-priced Angus burgers from 5 to 10 p.m. Mondays

More info: Call 847-468-8810 or visit elginpublichouse.com