This place is a gem out. It seems like a small family dinner. Nice decor. The service was done right and the food was amazing. I had the Gypsy skillet and it was perfect. The veggies are fresh and everything was cooked perfectly. My family ordered the pizza burger and it's a must try. The biscuits & gravy are a must try. If your in this area or near by it is definitely worth the trip. This is my new favorite dinner. read more

My husband and I love going to Bella's for breakfast! It's really cute and in the downtown area of Algonquin, so it's nice to go for breakfast and then go for a walk by the river afterwards. Their food is always really good and the employees are nice. Great decor- chalkboard behind the bar, brightly lit, and a toaster collection! My only complaint is that the wait can get a bit long on the weekend and there's not much room inside to stand. Overall a great little restaurant! read more

Great food, great and friendly service. Started going here about 3 months ago. Tried most of the breakfast items and all have been excellent!!! Can be crowded on weekends, but there is some outdoor waiting spaces and turn over is quick. read more

We've been going to Bella's Short Stack for quite a while it's a nice little place with great tasty food my kids love eating by the coffee bar ... friendly staff great service great food what else can you ask for. read more

I'm a big fan of Short Stacks! It's close to home, service is great and the food doesn't disappoint. There's always some great specials on the weekends. My personal favorite is any sort of Southwest skillet with jalapenos and chorizo on it, which they do great. It's considerably larger in side than you would think and seating has never been an issue for us, even with our 1 year old son in tow. Of course parking could be better but that's just part of being in downtown Algonquin. For a local breakfast that's quick, affordable and tasty this is our go-to spot. read more

Just randomly stopped here cuz it looked cozy and I was starving :) the inside was cute and welcoming and the food was really great. The server was friendly. All around excellent place! food was just really good, tasted like home. read more

3 1/2 stars for me. The restaurant has a pleasant décor. A nice little bar you eat at and a simple menu. But I notice instantly upon walking in the door a peculiar odor that my husband identified smelled of a musty attic. He saw evidence of a water leak from the ceiling that confirmed where the odor was coming from. Once inside a ways, you hardly noticed it. The staff was friendly. Our meal arrived promptly. The potatoes were crispy and appropriately salted. The gravy rich and creamy. The chocolate pancakes were tough and heavy. A disappointment, for sure. Our waitress was young, friendly, and inattentive. A shame, really. We may try it again, but probably not any time soon. read more

Can't give less than that. Eggs were overcooked, hash browns were ordered crispy came out burnt, hair in my biscuits and gravy. Staff tried to correct the issue but I can't eat after finding hair in my food, totally lost my appetite! read more

Took my husband here this morning for breakfast. He had the Biscuits and Gravy with two eggs and hash browns. He was delighted with the Biscuits and Gravy. He said they were the Best he has had in a long time. Biscuits were light and the. Gravy was Outstanding. I had the Greek Omelet with Feta Cheese and Spinach, Hash browns and pancakes. My food was delicious, so much food, I brought half my order home. Good Cup of Coffee. Prices were fair. The restaurant was Clean, you seat yourself. This is a Keeper, we will be back! Very Polite staff. Great to find an independent restaurant in my corner of the world. read more

Food is of reasonable quality, been there a few times now (maybe 6). It seems as if the portions are getting smaller. This is the second time i could see more plate than food when ordering a skillet. I could count the potato squares on my fingers! And the service has not been so great, yes i keep looking to you server for a refill on my cup of coffee, but at last I'm done with all my food. Oh, here you come..... just to drop off the check.. Don't you know your supposed to check up on your customers to see if they: 1 are enjoying there food 2 do they need anything 3 refills! The simplest way to destroy a good tipper is to ignore their cup what ever may be in it.... I understand cost control, but potatoes are cheap, if i leave hungry its not worth it. Especially if i can go to denny's or ihop for less money for more food, and surprisingly get better service. P.S. i will return, but no more tip if my cup is not refilled. Good job to the cooks on quality, just need bigger portions. read more

I knew we were on to something good when my dad, a man of few words, declared, loudly and suddenly that these were the best pancakes he's ever had, startling the table next to us and pleasing our waitress. He went on to describe them (a la Anne Hathaway) as creamy and malty and delicious. Seriously, I thought the man was going to cry. While my egg beater omelette wasn't quite the same religious experience, it was still nothing short of delicious. Any place with that much pepper jack, chorizo, and avocado on their menu is a favorite of mine. I might just rearrange my upcoming weekend so I can go back. read more

Been here many and many times. Don has really done a great job with his space. I recommend the skillet and my server Mia was wonderful!

From the street, this place looks tiny. When you step inside it fools you how big it really is! Tried out a Fiesta Skillet today with Cilantro, Avocado, Tomato, Onion, Chorizo, Jalapenos and Chihuahua cheese over home fries and 2 Large eggs. All I can say is delicious, amazing, tasty... and yes !!! I will be back again! read more

Bella's is very cute and the food is tasty, however I didn't see what the big deal was. I felt like the meal was on the expensive side. The coffee was luke warm. But the real cause of the low review is that the bathroom was gross. I was there at 9 am so it couldn't have just been from the day. It smelled and the trash was over flowing. I could barely stand to let my son use it. It could have been a fluke, it was my first time there. But just a warning. read more

Almost anyplace can make an acceptable breakfast, but this isn't just anyplace. This cute (yes, I said cute) little diner makes high marks all around. Decorated with vintage toasters the surroundings are pleasant and inviting. The service is friendly, not just efficient. I felt like a regular, even though it was my first visit. The coffee is very good, maybe even great. They don't substitute quality with quantity. The servings are appropriately sized. They don't just pile huge amounts of food hoping you won't notice low quality ingredients. My skillet was delicious with fresh green peppers and onions and perfectly prepared eggs. I left comfortably full. Bella's Short Stack is worth a visit, and another, and another... read more

The food was typical breakfast food. The service was quick and the atmosphere was very relaxed. I would recommend to anyone looking for a quick, sit-down breakfast. read more

This was my first time here and it was a good experience overall. We had breakfast here on a Sunday morning around 10am and the only seats available at the time was at the bar area, which was fine. They were your typical stools arranged around a wrap-around counter, a cute diner feel :) My boyfriend and I both had the pancake breakfast with a side of bacon, which was delicious and more than enough food for breakfast. They were really busy at the time and it took a few minutes before a server could get to us initially, but a non-issue really. We will definitely be back! read more

Delicious pancakes and bacon. Very friendly atmosphere and a very cozy feel. I love coming here. The staff is very helpful to one another. Its a very happy place! read more

I've been coming to SS since my daughter Lauryn worked there several years ago and I am seldom disappointed. They're great with breakfast food and the coffee is always fresh and full flavored. Today, I was there for lunch, and was alone with a good book as my grandson was having a play date. I was a bit worried as I saw only 1 waitress covering the whole place but, there were alot of empty tables, maybe 5 people seated. I wish I got her name cuz this waitress was on point. She quickly took my order, brought me coffee and water and my lunch was up in no time. Per usual, everything was fresh and tasty! As far as I could see, she took care of everyone else that came in with the same prompt service. Weekends there are pretty busy but you can't beat them during the week! read more

Great breakfast, prompt service, not too crowded on a Saturday which I liked. I recommend it to anyone in the neighborhood.

Me and my husband went there 10/25. I ordered eggs bacon and hash browns and english muffin. Katerina brought our food she gave me pancakes instead of english muffin. Took the pancakes back 15 minutes later brought english muffin when my breakfast wad finished. Only had 2 waitresses there. Need to hire more people. Never going back there again. read more

Perfect end to a great new years celebration. Cozy and cute with an impressive menu for such a small restaurant. I had the Breakfast Burrito. Perfect for a vegetarian but they give you the option of adding Chorizo for a small additional fee. Served with a side of hash browns and sour cream and salsa on the side mmm good My girlfriend had the veggie omelet and said it was good too Portions weren't huge but were sufficient read more

A bit expensive for what they serve. Waitress was nice but not attentive. The slamming door was annoying. My wife wasn't happy with her skillet. Mine was Ok. Both our toast was not fully toasted. The coffee cups and utensils were dirty. Quality of the coffee was very poor. Will not be going here again. read more

The best biscuits and gravy I've had in years. All the food is good. A very friendly, nice cozy breakfast restaurant. Since I own a coffee roasting business I must rate the coffee. Better than most. Fresh, not at all bitter. Surprisingly good for a restaurant. Keeo up the good work!! read more

Great place! This has great quality food, a cute casual diner, fast service, what more can a hungry breakfast goer want? There is lots of street parking and the restaurant is clean. read more

The food is great but the portions keep getting smaller and smaller. Always a packed house and the servers handle it well. There are sometimes a wait at key hours. We will return but not when starving. read more

Had breakfast, wow, love it Great little place with wonderful food and friendly service. Ample amounts of food and very tasty! Local treasure right on main street, give it a try, you will like it! read more

First time here, and I had an AWESOME experience. I had a frittata with a couple of pumpkin pancakes. The food was perfectly prepared. Over the years, I've had many pumpkin pancakes that were terrible; they either didn't have much pumpkin flavor or the seasoning was off. These pumpkin pancakes were outstanding. Lastly, not only did our server give us phenomenal service, she was also very nice. I really enjoyed this place and I'll visit again soon! read more

This is my husband's favorite breakfast place, hands down, so we are a fan. I usually get a plain ol' cheese omelet, which is hard to screw up, so I have no complaints. I love the diner feel & I also love that it's a local, non franchised, non sellout mom and pop place. read more

Creative menu, delicious food, great atmosphere, friendly staff. I couldn't ask for more.

Love Bella's! Always friendly staff and great pancakes. My favorite is Luke's Special breakfast sandwich.

Decided to stop in here when driving by one morning. The food was really good. Had the Denver omelette with sausage added. The homemade hash browns were really good. The coffee actually tasted good as well. Most of the breakfast places serve some crappy coffee but no complaints about these guys. Overall had a great experience and great tasting food!! read more

Just left this gem!!! I will be writing more later. I don't want one more person to eat breakfast in Algonquin without knowing how amazing this place is. I talk about family owned TLC all of the time. Home made pancakes from scratch and locally sourced free range eggs. Too many good things to list in the short time I have now. The drive from Lake Zurich to Algonquin is going to be well worth it. read more

These pancakes are amazingly fluffy! Extra crispy hash browns are perfect. Great little place, nice people.

Pretty good and inexpensive. Went here after a bike ride. Food was decent, service decent. My sunny side up eggs were good but somehow one was a bit overdone, I like breaking the yolk and seeing it run so I can soak it up with my bread, but as I said one was over done but no biggie. If we are in the area again, we will be back. read more

A cute little place in downtown Algonquin. The place is small and only holds made 30 people at the most, so get there early. The stuffed french toast I had was ok, but a little bland. Also the portions were fairly small. Staff kept on top of refills of our drinks though. read more

Visited this place today for breakfast with hubs. Had some trouble finding it since the street is under construction. We were able to find parking relatively easy despite the construction though. I had the ham with eggs and breakfast potatoes and picked a side of pancake. The pancakes were not bad and seemed fresh and pretty fluffy. The eggs and potatoes were a little greasy so that was a bit frustrating. The ham was ok. Husband had the ham and cheese omelette which he said was good. Coffee was plentiful. Sitting was pretty immediate which was nice. It has a "diner" feel which was cute. The wait staff was pleasant and the food came out pretty quickly. The prices were also very reasonable. We will likely try other stuff here in the future. read more

We walked OUT of the restaurant across the street due to their menu choices and "greasy" feeling and right into a little slice of heaven on a Sunday morning! Great service, great coffee and GREAT biscuits and gravy! Who doesn't have biscuits and gravy in a breakfast spot? The place across the street. To our delight, we found a new weekend breakfast restaurant - family-friendly, clean and delicious. read more

To make this review short and sweet I would quite simply like to say that Bella is short stack is one of the many hidden gems in the Algonquin Illinois area. Their food is almost always very good and very reasonably priced. It's a great place to go for a Saturday or Sunday morning brunch with your family. The only thing to be weary of is that space is at a premium and the place can fill up rather quickly. read more

They started off strong....good food and service. Now the food you get is not consistent and taste horrible. The wait is long and definitely food is disappointing. Will not go back. read more