Alfie's

I'll begin by saying that anyone who has frequented Alfie's knows that it's not a gourmet destination, and it's certainly not trying to be. But I've been there several times now for a burger, and I think their burgers are among the best in the western suburbs. Today I had a mushroom and swiss; it was cooked a perfect medium rare, and the bun was tasty, soft, and chewy -- but not at all overwhelming as so many hamburger buns are. The burger itself is just yummy and maybe even a little buttery; it's not a greasy spoon sort of burger, and it's not a gourmet burger, but it's tasty and of good thickness and cooked perfectly every time I've ordered one. (The closest thing it resembles to me is a burger at an old chain of restaurants in Peoria, Illinois called Lum's, but I digress.....)

Also, our very kind waitress recommended the chicken tortilla soup, which was delicious, just awesome. Now, I personally think it should be renamed chicken & cheese tortilla soup, because it was very much a cheese-like soup with some chicken and hearty chunks of potato, a decent amount of kick from what I'm guessing were peppers, and some multi-colored tortilla strips on top that blended very nicely into the soup and weren't just a crunchy "for texture" or "for looks" sort of distraction. It was fantastic. My only hesitation was that it very well could have been made by melting down a big block of Velveeta, and let's just say that if that's the case, I never wish to be told.

Alfie's
425 Roosevelt Rd
Glen Ellyn, IL 60137
(630) 858-2506
http://www.alfiesinn.com

Wow, total flash from the past. I am happily surprised that "The Camelot of Glen Ellyn" is still around. I used to hangout there when I was a teenager after it first opened. I was friends with a couple of the servers (back then they were still waitresses). It was one of those early 1970's fake English "pubs", You know, the really dimly lit joints with the heavy wooden tables and diamond shaped stained glass (there were a few of them in the area). Hopefully, the kitschy décor remains unchanged.

BTW, there used to be a Lum's in Old Town. I think there was also one in Villa Park (or maybe Lombard).

Alfie's is great!
I have as buddy who lives near by and whenever we visit we take our kids there for a burger.
Many good times.

d4v3: I'm guessing their decor hasn't changed, and I didn't know that about other Lum's locations. Thanks!

Alfie's moved about a 1/2 mile west of their original location years ago and happily, it's still the same decor! Melt in your mouth burgers... with an ice cold beer.

There was also a Lums on Roosevelt in Glen Ellyn back in the late 60's, early 70's... was just west of 53 on the north side of the street.

I grew up with Alfie's (the original location) and their burgers have always occupied a sacred place in my sense memory. When I was away at college in the 80s, suffering through the deprivations of dorm food, I used to dream about them (really). They always had some flavor, almost like the beef had touched wine, that I could never put my finger on but was quite distinctive. Don't get out to GE much anymore but the last Alfie's burger I had maybe 2-3 years ago didn't sully the memories of youth. Out that way you could do far worse for a casual lunch and a cold beer. And long live those suits of armor.