Did not dine here. Poor review is based on being turned away from our reservation. We arrived a few minutes late for our 2:45 reservation and were told the restaurant closes at 3 for a break before reopening for dinner. I pointed out that it was not yet 3 (and observed that there were still other lingering tables) but after checking with the kitchen was told we could not be seated because the cooks had already started breaking down the kitchen. Had I known they were closing I would have called to let them know of our delay, so I felt bad about that, but no restaurant with any level of quality service would turn away a reservation, while the restaurant was still open because it might be inconvenient for their cooks to pull out food that had already been put away.

A note on restaurant parking...we were late because I did not anticipate there being a parking problem in such a tiny town, but we circled the streets and lots several times before a spot opened. We had never been to Yellow Springs before, drove an hour to this area (on our anniversary) because we had heard the nearby trails and the Winds Cafe were worth the visit. The trails were nice, but I would not recommend this restaurant.

We love Winds. We are there more than once a month.

Great food & cocktails - creative & unique

Little bit disappointed from past meals. The food was not as good as we have had in the past

My husband and I visited Yellow Springs for a short getaway trip and went to Winds for a nicer dinner the first evening. The food was so exceptional that we ended up going back the second night as well. I had a great cocktail the first night (Peifer in the Rye) and all three wines we shared were also very nice. For appetizers, the lamp chops and the nibble mushrooms were both so fantastic we ordered them both nights. For our entrees, I had the grilled flat iron steak and my husband had the halibut with spiced foamed butter. My steak was excellent -- the combination of the pepper and sherry sauce and the blue cheese that topped it was something I had never had before and really enjoyed. My husband was also very happy with his halibut. We would whole-heartedly recommend Winds Cafe to anyone looking for delicious food, whether just for a relaxed evening or a special occasion. Our experience there made our last minute trip into something truly special.

The food was solid and good, but it was nothing special. I had the Moroccan Fried Fish followed by the Lamb Chops with Gras Pista. Both were quite tasty but, from the Yelp reiews, I expected the food to be a notch above what I got, which was a little disappointing. The by-the-glass wine list was selective and interesting, but was less than noteworthy. The offer of the Quartino option, however, was much appreciated, as it offered a single diner more than a glass but much less than a bottle. The service was top notch!

We had not been at the Winds for a long time -- moved out of state -- now back in state

It was a great meal -- as always -- and worth the drive from Columbus

I have been eating at The Winds Café since it opened over 30 years ago. It remains a favorite. The menu is unique, healthy, interesting, and always very tasty. They change fairly often, so one never gets bored. A fine selection of wines, beers, teas, and cocktails compliment the food. Deserts tend to be lucious. It’s a local favorite and a destination for others.

Loved the pasta with butternut squash! Creative and oh so tasty!

The service was great, the table had a great view and the food was wonderful. It is a bit pricey, but when it comes to food you get what you pay for, in terms of taste and quality ingredients. Yellow Springs has many wonderful restaurants but if you are looking for more of a sit down place visit The Winds!

The food was very flavorful and the service was excellent, but the selection on the menu was limited. And they were out of two items I wanted to try.

Freshly made biscuits were absolutely fabulous! Bellefontaine omelette was delicious.

The Winds is consistent and wonderful. We always have a good experience. Coffee is always hot and good; food was excellent, well worth the wait. A great place to sit and talk and catch up.

We love The Winds and enjoy every time we dine there

Overall a very enjoyable experience. I had a very good house salad with lots of various sprouts, and lite dressing. The scallops on risotto (or was it orzo?) were very good. Dessert of bread pudding was delicious. We've been to this restaurant every few years for the past 36 years and have never been disappointed.

Nice restaurant. Need some plant-based protein (e.g., tofu) options for vegetarians. Always go here when we are in YSO.

We love the Winds Cafe - one of our favorites. The service is always excellent and the food never disappoints. We both had the scallops - very nicely done - highly recommend! The Bordeaux was very tasty as well! If you haven't been there, you should visit.

Booked this restaurant because I knew its quality and value and have dined here a number of times and have never been disappointed. This occasion was to celebrate 3 spring birthdays along with St. Patrick Day. This was a first time one of my sisters had been to the Winds and Yellow Spring and she can't wait to come back again.

We started out with great drinks, the margarita was very tasty and my husband had a martini that he said was good. The appetizer of duck sausage corn dogs were delicious and a good portion. Could even be a main with a hearty salad. The disappointment was with our main courses. I had the ravioli and my husband had the flat iron steak. Both were served cold. Our tablemates food came out at the correct temperature. We didn’t say anything as we are not fans of sending food back. Had the mushrooms and broth been warm it would have made for a fantastic dish poured over the ravioli but this I will never know. My ravioli was warmer than the broth so I tried to eat it with getting the broth on it. Sad experience. When I mentioned to the sever to let the kitchen know that the food was coming out cold it didn’t get much of a reaction from her. After leaving my husband said reviews on other sites also commented on cold food being served. If we should happen to go again and my food is cold I will be sure to mention it immediately.

The food was wonderful. We had fun sharing multiple small plates. Everything was delicious and the service was terrific.

Very good food and we love the menu choices. We also miss some of the past brunch menu entrees and wish they would be brought back (such as the mushroom gravy/biscuit one, and the earlier style biscuits), but the menu is good for foodies. It is not a standard breakfast/egg/bacon/etc type of menu, which is why I enjoy it. I had the Caesar salad, which would not have been enough if I had been hungrier. Generally the portions are fine for us and typical of finer dining. My husband did not care too much for his choice (grits/chorizo/egg), but that is a personal matter of taste - I tasted it and liked it. His portion would have been fine for me and was good for him, but again, that is a matter of individual tastes. We shared a very good cinnamon roll, which is homemade and fresh, and reminded me of the ones I make (it was actually better than mine). Our wait staff was attentive, efficient, and did everything appropriately; she was obviously well trained. It is always a treat to enjoy a Sunday brunch at the Winds.

Anniversary

Ordered the crab stuffed trout. Meal wasn't as hot as it should have been; the trout was small with a small dab of stuffing; served with cauliflower but no starch, and meal lacked flavor. Was very disappointing for the price. Have had really great meals over the past several months, but this wasn't worth the money charged.

I wish there was a ditto button on this site. We come often and every time it is the same. Great food, wonderful wine and great service.

Extraordinary food with great attention to details makes the Winds always a great experience!

Good was a little bland and not much of it for the prices. Chicken pot pie was more like a broth with a few pieces of chicken, few vegetables and a piece of crust on top. Chicken pot pie is usually thicker not a soup.

The server brought the coffee without any cream or sugar. After getting the cold half & half and sugar 10 minutes later, the coffee was cold.

I am told I’ve made the best food everyone has ever had, so will give you some recipe advice for free: The food was good overall, though the dressing on the Caesar salad was not good, was both bitter and sour. The grated Parmesan didn’t help.

Also, the bread pudding was one of the least delicious I’ve ever had. It was even worse than that time I made bread pudding and messed up. The giant hunk of bread pudding wasn’t sweet at all, too dry, and was full of slightly bitter toasted walnuts, and the sauce tasted like whiskey mixed with butter. I recommend adding some burnt sugar to the sauce to give it a caramel flavor. Also, try adding some sweetened condensed milk to the bread mixture. Then you can add slightly less egg as it isn’t needed.
If you want to take it up a notch, make the slices not as tall so the sauce quantity per bite increases, add either a dash of ground cardamom or almond extract, & instead of walnuts put some almond slivers on top only. Then you won’t need as much whipped cream because the bread pudding will hold its own. But the key is having a delicious caramel sauce!

As always, EXCELLENT! Love the comfort, the ability to relax and the great wine selection!

The service, the drinks, the food; all done with excellence!

we've been a patron of Wind's Cafe since it's inception, even before it moved across the street in Yellow Springs. It has always been a nostalgic spot and a top 10 destination for dining. So it is sadness that I report that the on last two occasions that we have been there for Saturday lunch, the menu has been really unimaginative and limited. One of us ordered chicken pot pie and it was a bowl of hot broth with a floating piece of baked dough....flavorless and unappealing. Upon returning, we found the same disappointing selection. There was next to nothing on the menu like we have come to expect. Seems that they have lost their way.
On a good note, it's clean, and the folks are friendly.

We have always had great food here, but unfortunately, this time, both of our entrees were overcooked. I ordered steak medium rare, and it was served closer to medium well (only slightly pink, not red). The lamb shank was supposed to be served medium, and seemed well done to me. Furthermore, the sides and sauces weren't served as described in the menu. Instead of sweet potato mousse, we received cous cous and weren't informed of the change prior to ordering.

We opted not to mention anything to the bartender. I just don't like complaining. The service was excellent as always though! It's just that the the steak was visibly over cooked, and, in my opinion, should not have even been delivered from the kitchen.

I understand things happen, and this one incident doesn't alter my opinion of the restaurant.

Sincerely,
Stephanie McQuinn

You can always count on finding something unusual and very tasty here. We had a wonderful lunch on Sunday, although it was a little on the noisy side because it was so crowded, and finished it off with two mimosas. You may not like what we had, but they are bound to have something on the menu you will like. Eclectic Plates of her very well prepared meals. You can count on it.

The Winds USED TO BE such a great restaurant! We were all terribly disappointed. We waited 35 minutes for our lunch to arrive, when they were not all that busy, and the food was lackluster at best. "Pickled vegetables" were raw brussels sprouts and cauliflower in vinegar..."Caesar salad" was mostly an undressed slab of romaine with a couple of anchovies draped over it. And the prices were high, to boot! I expect to never return. What a loss.

The Wind Cafe was just plain wonderful. We went with friends for Sunday Brunch. Actually, both couples met at the restaurant after each driving an hour. Expectations were high and they delivered. We each had the omelet. The eggs were nice and fluffy and done to perfections. So many times omelets are either over or undercooked. Not the case here! These were perfect!

The other couple had the egg sandwich and pancakes. Both said that the food was wonderful.

It is an old re-done building with eclectic furnishings. It is nice. Noise level was low and the service staff was friendly and attentive. We had a very nice experience. Highly recommend the place!

Service was slow even for a busy time--waited about 45 minutes for food. Small portion sizes for the price, especially since sides are not included, not even a salad. Left hungry. Flavors were good. One entree was lukewarm.

Promptly seated on an early Saturday night. We like the mid-size wine offerings (quartino) as they are usually priced below $15 and we can easily get two very full pours vs 2 glasses of wine. They also allow us to sample more than 1 wine during dinner. The lamb shank was huge, and very tender and delicately spiced. Wine + salad + 2 entrees + tip = $100.

We had a reservation for 7:30 and didn't get seated until almost 8:00...completely unacceptable. Why use Open Table if you don't seated during your reservation!?

It was wonderful. It is a little pricy but so well worth it! This is our favorite place to go-

The food is always great; most meals we've had at the Winds fall into "best we've ever had" territory. However, the service is consistently pretty awful. The waitress came by 4 or 5 times over the course of a 3 hour meal, took 45 minutes to return with our drink order, and charged us for a drink that was offered as an apology for our wait. It's frustrating to pay $100+ for a special occasion meal for two and consistently get sub-par service. The exception is the maitre d', who is always super friendly and professional. We love the food but the service is getting harder and harder to swallow.

Enjoyed our meal and friendly staff.