Foodie Adventures in the Elgin Area

 

Exploring the Delicious Eateries of the Elgin, Illinois Area

Disclosure: Thank you to Explore Elgin Area for hosting our visit.

Our visit to Elgin and the surrounding area indulged us with some incredible foodie adventures. The plus side of being so close to Elgin -- we can quickly return to some of the new favorites we discovered on our exploration. We indeed found some tantalizing favorites that we would like to return to -- plus, we would like to try more of the Elgin food scene in the future:

Elgin Public House

If you are looking for a place to gather with a relaxed yet jovial atmosphere and large menu, check out Elgin Public House. We were truly impressed by the menu at Elgin Public House and felt that it has something for everyone. Elgin Public House's choices for burgers really stand out from the range of patties including traditional burgers, black bean burgers, turkey burgers -- quad burgers featuring wild boar, elk, bison and wagyu, and more -- to the toppings including avocado, onion crisps, duck bacon, soft fried egg, smoked gouda and much, much more. However, the menu is so much larger including appetizers, salads, melts, entrees and more. We visited during Elgin Area Eats Week so my husband ordered the special for the week the Elginite featuring a Waygu, Boar, Bison and Elk burger topped with Bleu Cheese, Apple Slaw and Arugula. We also had the Black Bean Burger. Our sides included fries and the house coleslaw. Delicious and the fries are addictive!

Burgers, fries and coleslaw at Elgin Public House.

Elder + Oat

Just footsteps away from the fabulous Fox River, we checked out Elder + Oat in West Dundee. Elder + Oat is known for its made-from-scratch focaccia and after munching on some myself, I now know why! When you walk into Elder + Oat, you immediately see the heart put into your treats by taking a peek into the bakery through the front window. Items on the Elder + Oat are sustainable and locally sourced. While choosing was difficult, I went with the rosemary and garlic focaccia with pesto and a latte. However, I already know I need to go back for a scone......well, to start. I had such an absolutely divine breakfast -- what a way to start the day!

Focaccia, pesto and a latte at Elder + Oat in West Dundee.

Birdette's Chicken

Birdette's Chicken features a gluten-free fried chicken. It can be difficult to find a gluten-free fried chicken, so we had to try Birdette's! You can enjoy a variety of rubs on Birdette's Chicken -- I chose the dry buffalo which was great! The chicken has the perfect crisp! We also ordered coleslaw and mashed potatoes for our sides. I don't often have mashed potatoes and save them for a treat. Birdette's were delicious and definitely worthy of a treat! The coleslaw was great as well and just what we needed to round out the meal.

Crispy, gluten-free chicken, coleslaw and mashed potatoes from Birdette's.

Peru Caters

When we learned that Elgin has a Peruvian restaurant, our curiosity immediately piqued. We knew that we would have to try it out. Fortunately, Peru Caters is located inside the same food incubator (Dream Hall Co.) as Birdette's, so we could visit both at the same time. We ordered the Aji de Gallina otherwise known as Creamy Chicken. Totally heaven on a plate! The Creamy Chicken was absolutely delicious and we know that we will come back to order it again! 

Aji de Gallina or Creamy Chicken from Peru Caters.

Eastside Cafe

Eastside Cafe in East Dundee is a charming, inviting little cafe that welcomes sitting back and relaxing for a while. Wine bar and coffee bar selections inspire taking a delightful pause to enjoy the adorable space. Eastside Cafe also features a menu with bakery treats, toasts, sandwiches, parfaits and more. We popped in on a rainy afternoon because we certainly needed a coffee pick-me-up! Turns out, Eastside Cafe has the sweetest little coffee flight! The flight presents mini versions of the specialty lattes currently on offer. The flight seriously was almost too cute to consume! We loved the lattes and the novelty of trying several. Eastside Cafe is a cozy spot and the owner is darling making everyone feel like a friend!

Totally adorable coffee flight at Eastside Cafe.

Plank Road Tap Room

Plank Road Tap Room in Elgin has the most divine beer garden perfect for our lovely summer days ahead! We savored a lovely and sunny Saturday afternoon sipping brews. Plank Road Tap Room also has a couple of hiking trails on their property for customers and seating inside of their famous log cabin. Food trucks visit the tap room as well. In the winter, they have snowshoeing! Truly a fun little spot we hope to return to this summer!

Plank Road Tap Room's beautiful beer garden.

Visiting the cabin and beer garden at Plank Road Tap Room

Culinary Adventures Await in Elgin, Illinois and the Surrounding Area

We loved our sampling of eats in the Elgin Area. Our foodie adventures definitely have us curious about other eateries in the Elgin Area. We also look forward to returning to the establishments that we discovered during this exploration.