Winds Café

A wonderful place in wonderful Yellow Springs, Ohio.

Really enjoyed our meal at the Winds Café - will definitely be back as it was well worth the drive.

We were there for brunch celebrating Mother’s Day. It took over 30 min to get our drinks and then had a wait about 15 more minutes for two of the eight that were missing. Our food took forever and came out in 2 shifts with about 20 minutes in between so everyone who got theirs first ate cold meals waiting. We go there a lot for dinner and usually have great service.

Even asparagus was mouthwatering, with perfect sauce, and zero toughness...awesome...Also, you can order a big dish or a variety of smaller ones, great options

Fantastic, as usual! Had the duck. It was phenomenal! Wife had the walleye. Great and the morels were a pleasant surprise!!!

The quality of the food was excellent however the portions were too small. Four peas and three baby potatoes is not much of a side dish. Price paid would be ok if I didn’t walk away hungry

Our dinners were fantastic (spring vegetable risotto) and our server was both friendly and professional. We drove from Cincinnati - it was well worth the drive and would highly recommend the restaurant to family and friends!

Our Anniversary. Although the restaurant was very busy, service was pretty good. Unfortunately, our server, who did a fine job for most of the evening, committed the cardinal sin of asking if we wanted dessert while I was still eating my entree. Not a deal breaker but a blemish on what could have been a perfect experience. Food was outstanding!!

We always make sure we visit the Winds when we are in Yellow Springs for fresh, innovative food and lively conversation. The carrot appetizer and snapper entree were delicious!

My wife and I had dinner at The Winds Saturday night. I wish I could pull up one of my old reviews, the reviews are invariably the same. Great appetizers, wine, cocktails, main meal and service to kill for. Other than that it was just another night at The Winds.

The menu and food here... Amazing. This place is adorable. But the service was terrible. I waited 20 minutes for my sever to even stop by (and I was dining alone... So I was simply sitting there). Then, he said "I'll be right with you", then delivered drinks to two other tables.
My food then took another 25 minutes to arrive, even though the table next to me had their food in ten... And ordered after me. My food was cold. He never refilled my tiny glass of water, which I eventually sat at the edge of the table. Never came back bc I'd asked for my check when my food arrived. Then I over heard my sever blaming the bar bc he forgot their drinks... After he told them he forgot them, he then said... " and the bar is backed up". Sadly... I can't tolerate bad service. Even if the food is this great. And warm food always tastes better too.

Eight of us dined at the Winds Cafe. Each had an exquisite meal. We were seated at a round table so that we could easily converse. The restaurant is artistic, pleasant and a joy.

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!