Fabulous breakfast. I had poached eggs and pancakes. Both were done to perfection. I love the diner feel. The people are wonderful, and the service is great. I plan to return often. Be prepared for a line, but the wait is worth it. read more

I came here on a Tuesday afternoon (spring break) and it was packed. There was a line of people waiting for tables and the door constantly revolving. I got the farmhouse skillet with bacon. The dish is served with potatoes, eggs and choice of meat, drizzled with sausage gravy & comes with a side (I got the French toast). I also tried the steak & eggs which was packed with flavor. Kind staff, the place could use an expansion ;-) read more

Ray's Diner - Farmers Casserole with bacon - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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Saw Rays Diner on YELP, we were seated right away. I started with a cup of cream of broccoli soup and my guest had a cup of chicken noodle soup. Both were delicious and came with bread and butter. I ordered pepper and egg sandwich deluxe. My guest had the chicken fried steak both were very tasty. Give this place a try ! read more

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Just put the address in your GPS and head that way! Wonderful food, amazing service. Great family feel! 52 years open for a reason read more

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This is a regular spot for my brother in law. He had me meet him for breakfast and now it is a regular spot for me. Got the corned beef hash skillet. Delicious and a huge serving. Three eggs, loaded skillet with a side of pancakes all for under $20. I had enough leftovers of the skillet to get a couple more breakfasts out of it by adding my own eggs. Great little diner that just gets it all right - quality food, fast friendly service, and value. read more

My second visit to Ray's. The food and service are both outstanding. Ray's has been here for 55 years now and is a typical diner type setting. If you're close to Elgin and looking for breakfast or lunch, stop in and enjoy the hospitality. read more

As always, DELICIOUS food and great service! This diner is a throwback to yesteryear, when when owners, cooks, bidders, & waitstaff ALL CARED read more

I've been to Ray's a few times for breakfast, which they excel at. This visit was for lunch. I chose the party melt deluxe- a patty melt w/onions, fries and a cup of soup. The soup was stuffed pepper soup. I found the soup to be lacking enough bell peppers with an overabundance of rice. The flavor was a little dull without enough peppers. The patty melt was fine. Nicely toasted rye with a single beef patty, cheese and grilled onions. The fries are the large steak fries, of which I am a fan, however, they could have been cooked just a bit longer to make them crispier and more done on the inside. Service is good and efficient. read more

Perfect diner experience, efficient, friendly, quick but doesn't feel rushed. Highly recommended

The food was so good, I've been to this place several times with my parents when I was younger the ambiance is nice, service was fast!!

very helpful, but very busy. tables and booths are very close together. the food is very good, though, and the value for the money is the best i've found. staff is the nicest and most helpful there is. read more

Ray's is always great. On weekends can be busy due to the great food & service. Have never been disappointed with any food I ordered. Have been going to this restaurant since the 1950's when it was called Kramer's Corner. read more

Ray's Diner - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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The food is great here. My wife loves the steak quesadilla. She gets that every time. I must compliment the staff at Ray's. You will never see a restaurant staff that hustles like this. Your coffee will always be refill and kept hot. Drinking a Coke? It will never go empty. Water? Just the same. You never see a table turned over as fast anywhere. The staff are so friendly and courteous. I came with a co-worker the first time. Brought my wife the second time. Now that is where we go on the weekends. The space is small and cozy. Get to know your neighbors. Good food. Good times. Good people. God bless Ray's. read more

Enjoyed another delicious, hot breakfast this morning (10/04/2025) delivered to my door, from Ray's Diner in Elgin. 4 fluffy scrambled eggs, 3 tasty sausage links, crispy hashbrowns, 2 (this time I got 3) of the fluffiest pancakes I think I've ever had in my 83 years. Plus, all the trimmings, butter, syrup, catsup, salt and pepper, utensils, and no cheap useless brown napkins here, full sized dinner napkins. Most important, it's AFFORDABLE! Grubhub price $11. And I believe dine-in is even less. Ray's Diner is a family owned Elgin restaurant, doing it right since 1969. You won't be disappointed! read more

We really enjoyed our lunch here! The moment we walked in we were seated in an extremely busy environment. A man with a coffee pot came over to offer us coffees and something to drink. After he walked away I accidentally spilled some water on the table but didn't have many napkins to wipe it down. Shortly after our waitress came to take our orders. Meanwhile the man with the coffee pot came by like a ninja and wiped it away before I could even say thank you The busy feel to this restaurant was seriously so cool to watch. They take their jobs seriously and work so hard! The tables are a bit crowded for large families to fit in there comfortably, the waiters were having to walk sideways through chairs but that didn't slow their pace at all. I hope the space expands to accommodate more guests! The food was delicious!!! I had the chilaquiles with cheese on the side because of my lactose intolerance. The salsa on the chilaquiles were perfection. I've never had chilaquiles at a restaurant that didn't over do it on the spice. THANK YOU for such a delicious meal. The Sunny side eggs were perfect on top. I wish I would've taken a photo after I mixed the eggs in! My daughter even went to reach for them during my photo hahaha! My husband had the country fried steak and eggs with a side of pancakes and shared some with me. It was delicious!! I rolled my eyes after I took a bite and said "yum!" a bit too loud hahahah! They offer free samples of their cinnamon butter (SO good!) and have a website where we can purchase more for home. We had so much food on our plates to save for dinner. Next time we come I'll wear my stretchy pants read more

Ray's Diner - Chilaquiles with Chicken - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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Very tasty - excellent well done hash browns - no option of fruit instead of potatoes Tiny and old school diner, we got there at 9 am on a Sunday and luckily snagged one of the last tables Nice service Cheap! read more

Absolutely FANTASTIC breakfast spot I took my Mom to earlier this week. SO. GOOD. Best chilaquiles I've ever had, from anywhere. Very delicious, very fair pricing. Highly recommended. Huge old school vibe - old diner vibe. Give it a shot - you'll love it! read more

Ray's Diner - Chilaquiles with scrambled eggs - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

I always love being surprised by a nice new (to me) restaurant that i hope to visit again and again. Food was great for the right price, the coffee was well made and always being checked for a nice warm-up by staff. The food hit the spot and the service was excellent. Big fan of this place and as said before, i look forward to coming back again in the future. Well done! read more

Great food good people and great prices! It's an old school diner like my father used to love. Good coffee.

What's there to say really? The place is pretty great. Old school diner with amazing service and great food. Everyone seems to love their job, it has a real family atmosphere. We went at 10am on a Tuesday in a snowstorm and the place was packed! It's definitely close quarters which was weird at first but became part of the charm soon after. The portions are massive and the prices are cheap. Each sandwich probably gives you two meals. I had the waffle which was no nonsense but good. We are definitely coming back. I seem to remember some years back it was listed as one of the best diners in America. I don't know about all that but it's worth your time if you live in the area read more

The inside doesn't look so great but it's amazing food , great prices, and the people who work there are very nice.

Went on Saturday morning. Was surprised at how small the restaurant was. It was packed. If you're claustrophobic, you'll run out the door. That being said, our waitress was sweet, prompt, and we didn't wait very long for our food. The food was good. And, the best part, the prices are amazingly low compared to where we usually eat (Geneva, St. Charles, Naperville). Overall a good experience. Maybe better experience on a weekday. read more

I heard about this restaurant on WRMN 1410AM talk radio, so I decided to try it out. I went Saturday morning about 9:30am, the place was busy but I was quickly seated. The place was very clean, with busboys immediately wiping down the tables as soon as the customers left. Three waitresses were working the floor, so there was no waiting to place my order, the food came quickly and was very tasty. Breakfast and lunch are served all day long, hours of operation are 6:00am to 2:30pm. Very Good food, highly recommended... read more

Great service great food great prices. It reminds me of some of the classic diners they used to go to back in the 70s very family style. We were served in less than seven minutes with smiles and laughter all around us great place highly recommended. read more

Great food and big selection with good service They do a great business and have a great location. read more

The food here is very delicious. And they still make the Burns Drug store milkshakes and malts there. They actually bought all the equipment to make the original shakes, and it tastes exactly the same. I don't know how long Burns has been closed, the last time I was there was probably 1976. read more

Solid, consistent breakfast. Old school breakfast mind you, not those fancy pancakes that every other place has. The only changes we noticed since the change in ownership were that the pancakes either tasted way better (or it had just been too long since I last had them) but the eggs...They were supposed to be over medium, and were flat as a pancake underneath the hashbrowns. And the other order we had, they were supposed to be over easy and were also flat as a pancake underneath the country fried steak. So that was a bummer. But all in all, great food. read more

The food here is AMAZING in my years coming I always leave satisfied because they have never gotten my order wrong, their food is always freshly made, their staff is very friendly, and at the register there is lollipops for kids and, it is very clean inside I have never seen a single bug in that restaurant, and last but not least when coming in there is a gum-ball machine inside read more

My girlfriend told me that we had to go here for Breakfast before she moved. She loved the place and wanted to share it with me. The problem with her moving is the chance of my going back is really slim now as I don't live anywhere near Ray's. Ray's is not a large restaurant, there is limited seating. There is also parking issues... as in good luck finding parking, I had to park a couple of blocks away on a side street. Then when we arrived, the place was packed. It was a Saturday morning, and apparently this is a not so well kept secret among the locals. There was a wait, a long wait. Not because service was slow... but because there were a lot of people waiting to get seated. There isn't a lot of space to wait, so some had to wait outside. While we waited the owner came over and chatted with us, he was very personable. You can't help but like the guy. He made apologies about the wait. As he's doing that I'm thinking to myself, "If this many people are waiting to eat here, it has to be good." I was not wrong. I ordered the country fried steak and eggs... and it was fantastic. Honestly some of the best country fried steak and eggs I've ever had. The breading on the steak was crispy and delicious. The sawmill gravy they used was savory and thick. I asked for my hash browns to be overcooked, a dark brown, extra crispy and they came out perfect. My girlfriend ordered one of their skillets. I can't comment on the skillet other than she really enjoyed it. What I can tell you is that the food was phenomenal and well worth the wait. Ray's is a blue collar family restaurant. It's small, the décor is dated, and it's mostly booths with a couple of tables and a counter with stools. That's not a bad thing, that's the charm of the place. It's a family restaurant that makes good food for a reasonable price. It's not a fancy restaurant, it's the ideal family restaurant. It's well worth the wait. Overall, if you're looking for a great breakfast, go to Ray's! The next part is informational only. You do with this information as you will. It plays no part in my rating. Let your own personal beliefs and politics us this as you see fit. The Staff wore masks Mask wearing was enforced. There was sanitizer offered. The tables were thoroughly cleaned before new patrons were sat. Social Distancing was not enforced. Limited seating was not done. There were separators between the booths, but it was crowded. read more

Got in for a late lunch so parking was easier. If it's summer and you want some shade, see if a spot under the overpass on the street is open. Greeted when we got in and asked whether we preferred a booth, they asked us to wait while the staff team got in there to clean it up. Fike (aka Ray) was took the time to greet us during our meal and throw some riddles and brainteasers to my daughter. Food as tasty, hot and done admirably well above average for a town fixture family diner. The clientele is mixed racially and customers interested in a good every day meal. We aimed for breakfast with strawberry crepes which were eggy and large in size but not just in filling or the crepe, but balanced. My chicken fried steak came crispy under the gravy with eggs done well (sunny side up, edges crispy) with good hashbrowns (layer of crisp outside and fluffy in). Toast came buttered ready. My wife got the mini grand slam with french toast which is primarily made up of breakfast standards, so no complaints there. Meals are generous, so might just get two and split-share with my daughter and get beverages instead with refill options (to go maybe?). We had been in the area to visit the wildflowers and birds at James "Pate" Philip State Park nearby, and found this to the best local casual place for lunch. Will be back when we bring the bikes back to the park. (Oh, and get gas across the street or between Ray's and the park - it's cheaper out here.) read more

Such a great place for breakfast. They're going with all COVID precautions. They are limiting seating and have plexiglass between all booths. Same great food and service. read more

Ray's Diner - Great bacon and cheese omelette - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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Our make your own omelettes were delicious and very reasonable. Service was very good. It's a friendly breakfast place that serve big portions at a reasonable price. Great for a family breakfast. I felt like I went back in time while I was dining. It had a historical nostalgic feel to it. Nothing fancy but down to earth. It's a must visit. read more

Excellent food n very friendly staff. Family oriented. A mom n pop restaurant which is rare to find anymore read more

Such a hidden gem! Glad we came! Heard good reviews! Did not disappoint! Excellent food, good coffee, reasonably priced, wonderful service, attentive! Can't say enough good things. We will definitely be back! read more

Amazing service and food Driving through the state and yelp never fails for great meal options Large servings at VERY fair prices Food was delicious and fast Thank you again for making our Quick Illinois visit yummy read more

Food was delicious and service was excellent! Great old style diner! Definitely a gem! Bev and Ben

new owners but same amazing food! We have been coming here are years and will continue. read more

Ray's Diner - Chocolate chip Mickey Mouse pancakes - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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If you're looking for a great restaurant with a wide selection of breakfast and lunch menu items, Ray's is the place to go. They have extremely friendly and fast service and very inexpensive yet good sided portions. read more

Ray's Diner - Small area, but great service! - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

I hate to make the weekend breakfast line any longer, but Rays does it right. Everybody will wait a few minutes. The owners are over-the-top friendly and treat you like a welcome guest. The old school dining room is a bit crowded. Everyone gets along. The breakfast stuff will arrive fairly fast and it is clearly cooked with care and delivered with pride. Good food, great pricing. Five stars for Ray's. read more

Ray's Diner - While waiting - Diners Near Me - Elgin, Illinois

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We were looking for a place to get something to eat. Not being from the area, I saw the reviews for this diner. This place was the most delightful, delicious place to come to. The atmosphere is amazing and the staff is so welcoming. The food is to die for! We just wish that it was closer to us. You cannot go wrong coming to Ray's diner. Our waiter and the other staff were on point with their service and the food was fresh and delicious! They deserve 100 stars!!! read more