oh man!!! all I have to say is TRY IT!!! this place is great. A friend introduced me to Ray's last year and I was really impressed. everyone is nice, they are fast, and the food is great! It's just super hard to park in their parking lot, but aside from that, not a darn bad thing to say about this place. LOVE IT! read more

Best place around!! Everything is delicious here, don't forget dessert. My favorite meal is Rays combination omelette with crispy American fries and dry wheat toast whether it's for breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you have to wait, well worth it. I have been going here for 20+ years, since my sons were babies. They are now 28 and 26 years old and the staff always ask how they are doing. Customers and all employees are nice, great people and love the atmosphere. I live in Hoffman Estates and crave for Rays. When ever I can I stop here. read more

Consistent food quality and service. Portion size commensurate with hole in the wall rent. Big portions. Good family style food.

This Ray's restaurant is so cool! I really like the experience I had with this place and their service phenomenal. We came here a few days ago and I was with my family since my brother came back here in US and going in here was definitely worth it. We ordered their bacon, sausages, potato hash browns, strip stakes, eggs, and cheesy pasta. Really recommending those for you to try! Their foods are well seasoned and perfectly cooked. I also love their size portion, great, quite large and it really sets on the deal. It is quite pricey but it is really worth it. Really satisfied our cravings. Aside from their high quality and mouth-craving foods is that their service is phenomenal itself. Their staff are friendly, they really greeted us as we walked inside and they are also patient, well trained, cooperative, kind and professional. They would really assist you with your needs and I just like how their vibes also sits well with their customers. Great place, neat service with awesome people and delicious foods to be with! Would definitely like to go back here again with my family for another time. Thank you guys for the awesome experience! Keep up the great work! good job! Kudos! More customers to come guys! Cheers! read more

Can't say enough good things about this place! We love going to Ray's for breakfast. Friendly, family place. Always greeted at the door. Even though there may be a waiting line - it moves quickly. The staff are courteous and efficient. Charming diner atmosphere. read more

Yes sir ree bob, this place was all right. First visit today, and I really enjoyed the meal, the waitress was very friendly, end less refills on coffee and soda. As Arnold said, "I will be back" read more

Been eating here for 15 years. There is a line because the food is so good and everyone wants to eat there. I don't mind the short wait. I like the size of the place it's small but not to noisy. The staff are great the cooks are the best. But the guy running it Fike is irreplaceable. If he ever leaves the place will lose its magic. read more

Based on the reviews, I stopped at Ray's on an infrequent swing through Elgin this week. This is about as good as it gets for me--great food, great service, efficient. Wish it were closer to me--I would be a regular for sure. read more

Neat place. It's like an old Chicago diner. The parking is kinda tight in the back. Really good that Faik is back running the place. He knows good hospitality. Food tastes good. Prices are reasonable. Wonder if they get get a bigger lot. I wish downtown Elgin could get a breakfast place. read more

This place is amazing!:) It has the small town restaurant feel, and the care to their customers is entirely genuine!:) the food is great, and they get people seated incredibly fast. Love this place! read more

Ray is very nice and hospitable and our waitress was the same. Great service goes a long way, and everyone at Rays makes you feel right at home. The reason for 3 stars instead of 4 is that the food is really very average if not below average. The coffee was OK, the gyro was pretty good, but both the cheeseburger and the hash browns needed some work. read more

Frindly people, large variety on the menue, The food is always fantastic with very fresh salads and the selection is great for the kids too... they also have ice-cream :) The best part is the cost. You can bring the family and not go broke. We fondly call the resturant "Under the Bridge" as it is located next to the rout 20 overpass. read more

Do you want coffee? The food is really good and you get a lot for your money. Do you want coffee? The service do you want coffee is very friendly and fast. Do you want coffee? If your wondering why I keep repeating do you want coffee then you must come here to find out. Do you want coffee read more

Found Ray's on Yelp. This is the first time here. It is so good! The owner greeted us at the door because it was so busy. We were seated very quickly. The food was great. So fresh, good size portions and so inexpensive. We had the spikey haired waitress, she was so fun, very attentive without being over bearing! Would recommend this joint to everyone! read more

Ray's is the diner you remember from your childhood where the staff actually remembers you and treats you as their guests. No frills here just honest food and reasonable prices. You won't find mango habanero chutney on their menu but you will find tasty breakfast meals and traditional fare. They understand that a bowl of soup shouldn't cost $7 - 8. The place is a little small so it fills quickly at peak times. read more

Since writing my first review we have taken other family members here and they love the place too. The wait staff is awesome and now they know us :-) read more

I love the breakfast. The best thing about this place is that I have been coming here since I could remember. Fast service, a bit crowded but the home feel..... u cant go wrong with Rays ! read more

Visited October 20. 1st time at Rays. We were greeted by Ray himself. This place is like sitting at a family dinner table, Great food, Friendly customers. We were glad that places like Ray's still exist. Thanks for the cup of coffee. lol. read more

I've been going to Ray's for over 20 years now. Their breakfasts are awesome. You can't beat their prices. It's a small family owned diner that's been around forever. Their only downfalls are that it's small and it's usually very crowded. I still wouldn't change a thing. If it's not broke, don't fix it. read more

Good old fashion family diner! Great food! Friendly and welcoming atmosphere. Food prepared fast and delicious.

I'm always treated like family. Love this place! The food is good, the staff is friendly, and I'm always greeted at the door with a handshake. I come in tired and hungry and leave smiling and happy. There's no place better in Elgin. read more

I love this place, my family and I have been going for years. We used to live in Elgin but moved about 11 years ago, still when we are in town we love stopping here for breakfast. The owner always greets us with a smile and handshake. My go to is their pancakes with strawberries and whipped cream, a long with eggs and hash browns. My parents really love their skillets. This place is very small and busy at all times, be prepared to see a line (it moves pretty fast though). Someone is constantly checking on you and bringing you coffee, they are very fast! Prices are really nice also. If you're ever in Elgin this is a must go to for breakfast. read more

This place is packed.. Really good service and super friendly staff and it is pretty small. We had lot of stuff here - a portion of onion rings which were good, pecan roll - which is pretty good too.. Then I had the tuna salad crossiant which was pretty good and my friend had choc-chip pancakes with hashbrowns - there were 3 large pancakes and hardly manage to finish one.. I helped him with the other one and there was half of the third left.. The staff actually said - " There are so many more dishes you guys should come back and try those too".. This was brilliant and I thought it was really honest, not like the usual " see you next time" or whatever..!! read more

As far as we are concerned still the must go to restaurant in the Elgin area and a must stop when in town The atmosphere is family friendly the food is perfectly prepared and served. When folks wait in line to eat says it all from the owner to the staff first class. 6 stars from us. read more

Little gem in Elgin , delicious breakfast. If your looking for something to eat and your in the are for brunch or breakfast , this is the place to go . read more

I love Ray's. Its been there forever. it's like trapped in time the menus trapped in time the staff is trapped in time the customers trapped in time. The food ain't fancy the restaurant needs a makeover there are some nice vintage details everything operates very much like clockwork. Don't expect trendy food don't expect fancy digs but if you need a nice local cheap meal this is a must put on the short list place. read more

Wa WA Wa....It's always so busy it's old waited 15 minutes. (A comment on here) If your in a hurry go across the street MCDONALDS AWAITS...You don't come here for fast food you are here for there history there great service staff and the feeling that you have just had the best that you expected! Came here with my daughter her fav on a rare morning we hooked. Great job Ray and Staff always fun! read more

I've been here for breakfast a few times the food is good and the staff are very friendly I would recommend a visit

Rays is a perfect spot for a great breakfast have been eating there for 3 years and it is all good. Nice to see a owner that cares about his food and customer's cannot be beat for quality, quantity and value for your dollar. Give it a try !!!!!!!!!!!!! Only down side it is in Elgin not the best area in the burbs.. read more

Food was great. Place is small and crowd during the weekends. I know why this place is popular. Service is great and food comes fast and hot. Excellent. read more

It's like being at home.... From the moment you walk in, you personally greeted with a handshake & big smile from the owner. The service is excellent, awesome breakfasts, lunches are great too. Nothing pretentious just good old fashion eats. if your ever in the Elgin this is a must breakfast joint! read more

Good food that's close to home. We grabbed some late dinner from Rays and brought it home. I had a fresh taco salad and my husband had a skillet. I really appreciated that the waitress was friendly and easily made substitutions to the side on the breakfast skillet. My husband and I both agreed that we'd return with our kids and other family members. read more

If you are looking for good breakfast for a reasonable price RAYS is a must! It's a very small whole in the wall kind of place but the wait is worth it! It's Elgin's hidden gem! So if you're looking for good breakfast food, good coffee, great prices, and you happen to be in the area stop by RAYS! read more

This is one of my very favorite places to eat in Elgin. The food is great, inexpensive and the owner could give lessons on customer service. He makes everyone feel like they are the most important customers he has ever had. His attitude has rubbed off on the wait staff as well. To top it off the owner gives back to the community on a regular basis and for this I say "thank you"! read more

My birthday date took me here and it was quick service, hot and delicious food! Just what you're looking for in a retro diner like this one under the bridge in Elgin! read more

Awesome breakfast. It was busy and had to wait a brief while to get a table. They move so fast that it was deceiving at first. Everything was great. Service was awesome and fast. Can't wait to go back. read more

i can practically guarantee you will love this place. The only downside is the ridiculously long lines some days, but that comes with great service and food. read more

Amazing food!! My husband had the Mexican stew special and I had spaghetti with meat sauce and bolts entrées were so good!

Best breakfast I ever had! It's about thirty minutes from where I live but it's definitely worth the drive. Delicious hashbrowns--my favorite! And the omelette was awesome. Best breakfast place in the area, would recommend to anyone. read more

The atmosphere and service get 4 stars, but the quality of the food gets a 3 and that's mostly because the service was so good. I wish the food was tastier so I could give it a better rating but my tastebuds were underwhelmed. If only the bacon were thicker and had more flavor... read more