Mystery Diner in St. Charles: Alexander’s Cafe brightens daytime dining

Coming up on its five-year anniversary as a breakfast and lunch destination on the west side of St. Charles is Alexander’s Cafe.

With one of us in the mood for breakfast and the other hoping for a sandwich, the restaurant fit the bill nicely, and we decided to phone in a carryout order. With just a 15-minute turnaround, it barely gave us opportunity to get ourselves organized and across town, so looking ahead, we’ll know to ask for some extra time.

The eatery is on Route 64, with parking on the side and behind the building, where the entrance is located. Our carryout order was waiting for us at the counter just inside the restaurant.

Indoor dining also is offered by the cafe, which provides a full-service bar, and has inviting booths and tables along with an eye-catching fireplace.

My dining companion selected the Ultimate Grilled Cheese Melt, which has all the elements of his ideal version of the sandwich and some twists he hadn’t even thought to include.

Not one but multiple cheeses are featured: Cheddar-Jack, American and Havarti are complemented by smoked bacon and tomato on grilled garlic bread. He switched up his order to substitute rye for the garlic bread and enjoyed the marble rye that still conveyed a warming touch of garlic.

“This is a very good sandwich,” he said of the generously portioned recipe with flavors that melded beautifully.

His selected side of thinly sliced, house-made potato chips proved to be a crisp treat and highly recommended.

Other dishes labeled on the menu as “hand-helds” range from a Cuban to an Orchard Chicken Salad Melt on grilled pita to a variety of burgers including a specialty Ream’s Market Burger, with a half-pound, hand-packed Angus patty from the Elburn meat market.

I chose The Alexander, the restaurant’s namesake omelette, combining smoked bacon, spinach, roasted red peppers, caramelized onions and goat cheese. It had an excellent texture, and was brimming with savory ingredients such as the velvety red peppers.

Omelettes come with a choice of potatoes and a pick of toast or pancakes. I opted for the gluten-free pancakes as a specialty substitution. Two giant pancakes that weren’t overly sweet arrived, with maple syrup plus a container of melted butter made brighter with cinnamon to take the flavor up a notch.

Even oatmeal gets a boost on the menu, rethought as Creme Brulee Oatmeal and featuring steel-cut oatmeal with caramelized brown sugar and berries, served with vanilla anglaise.

The service is friendly and efficient at Alexander’s Cafe, and the space is appealing.

• The Mystery Diner is a newsroom employee at the Kane County Chronicle. The diner’s identity is not revealed to restaurant staff when ordering or picking up the food. If the Mystery Diner cannot recommend the establishment, we will not publish a review.

IF YOU GO

WHAT: Alexander’s Cafe

WHERE: 1650 W. Main St., St. Charles

PHONE: 630-549-0514

INFORMATION: www.alexanderscafe.com