We almost didn't go because the reviews were all over the place -- some great, some pretty bad -- but we're so glad we did! We didn't have a reservation and ended up sitting at the bar, which turned out to be perfect. The bartender was friendly, welcoming, and made the whole experience relaxed from the start. We shared the halibut. It looked fried but clearly wasn't -- it must have been roasted because it wasn't even slightly greasy. Perfect texture and flavor. Then came the onion rings... honestly some of the best we've ever had. Light, crisp, and again, not greasy at all (a theme here!). But the real standout: the two large prawns prepared scampi-style. Wow. Absolutely incredible -- easily the highlight of the meal. We will definitely be back. If you're hesitating because of mixed reviews, give The Windmill a try. We're very glad we did! read more

We have been to the Windmill bar 51 for years Staff has always been good Food always good so today Monday It was not what we expected at all Slow, getting order out, no table silverware service And maybe it was me, the Cesar/shrimp salad ...never again The chicken strips looked like they came from a midget chicken Oh and it took 20 minutes to get our appetizer of onion rings to us Not a positive situation today We will return but wow disappointing today ya all can do much better than today at noon read more

I thoroughly enjoyed my prime rib. Perfectly cooked. The dinning area is so incredibly cozy. Copper tiles and high beams. Great service. I gave only 4 stars because my wife's twice baked potato needed some work. A twice baked potato shouldn't have bacon in it and it was only a potato half, very small. Otherwise, we enjoyed our meal. read more

Got to Billings at around 8 PM and needed to get to a restaurant before it closed. We were recommended the Windmill. It was a really nice space and was very crowded on a Thursday night! We were luckily seated quickly, and decided to order the triple appetizer plate, and I got the fried chicken dinner. The appetizer plate was a stand out. Delicious, I especially loved the mozz sticks and shrimp. The chicken was fine, though had a hint of burned after taste. The mashed potatoes were also fine, a tad watery but no major complaints. Generous helping of food so definitely was a good decision to stop here! read more

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Food and atmosphere was great. Highly recommend for a nice dinner in Billings. Get the Steamer. It doesn't disappoint.

I ordered the chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes smothered in white pepper gravy. The service was great and I loved eating in the bar area. The food was awesome. I tend to think a chicken fried steak is good if I can cut it with a fork and fork was definitely all that was needed for this one. The gravy was thick and creamy and the mashed taters were so good. I sometimes find that I need to add salt to white gravy but not this one. Even now as I'm writing about it I'm getting hungry for more of it. I think a second trip is in my immediate future. read more

Burger was a bit dry when asked for medium. Special fries had salty seasoning dumped on top of fries and not evenly mixe, a gross mess. Lettuce/tomato and onion buried under fries. No one checked back after food was served. Was asked ifI wanted ranch dressing with fries - said yes, but was not brought with meal. Had to ask for dressing. Was followed up with refill drink at end of meal. For the high hamburger prices, I'll stick with 5 Guy's or Fudruckers. read more

I hadn't been to the Windmill since they moved from their old location. Though I miss the old location, this is still a great place. I fail to understand why it's only three stars on Yelp. We came on Wednesday night to get the Windmill Prawns on special and the place was packed. Though the prawns were a little smaller, they are still very large prawns that are battered and fried to perfection. The onion rings were great as well. Tasted just like they did at the old place. I'm assuming just a little egg wash and flour. No heavy coating. The bar made a great Old Fashioned. The service and atmosphere were great as well. Though not a cheap meal, everything tasted great! I will continue to come back to the Windmill. read more

The Windmill & Bar51 - Windmill Prawns - Pic doesn't really show how big these are. - Seafood Near Me - Billings, Montana

Coworkers picked this place for dinner. Had no expectations walking in as I did not look at the reviews or the menu prior to going. When we pulled up, it's this cute kind of log cabin looking restaurant with a patio on the side and in the back. Behind the restaurant, it backs up to a pond where I'm assuming there's fishing as we saw two people, fishing and a group of people having a fly fishing lesson. the court was, but you would find in most log cabin, rustic, looking restaurants. Only difference was instead of having taxidermy or animal heads. They had a ton of windmills and pictures of windmills on farms. Our waitress was a spunky, sixtysomething young woman, who was right on top of it. She was funny and had jokes with my coworkers. When I asked what was good, she said they were known for the shrimp. So I decided to give it a try. I try not to order seafood when I'm in a landlocked state or city. Sometimes it's not always the freshest. I was not disappointed with the size of the shrimp. When they came out they were large prawns and I got five of them in my scampi dish. What was surprising was that the scampi came with sautéed mushrooms as well inside the garlic butter sauce. Being that I love mushrooms, I did not minus and they were very flavorful. And did not did her from the flavor of the shrimp themselves. The mashed potatoes were creamy and buttery and homemade with the skins on. For appetizers we had the crab stuffed mushrooms, these are a must try. It was not overly crab tasting as the crab is mixed with a cream cheese and herb mixture. We also had artichoke and spinach dip, which again was on the creamier side due to them using cream cheese More than regular cream. I would go back and give them a try again. This time I would try a steak from a local farm. read more

The Windmill & Bar51 - Shrimp scampi with mushrooms - Seafood Near Me - Billings, Montana

The food was delicious. I had the ahi tuna it was 10/10! My husband enjoyed his steak. We had a great first experience.

We went on a Saturday night (and didn't realize it was prom night). We couldn't get into the main restaurant because we didn't have a reservation. Not a big deal, there is a variety of seating in the bar area. We sat ourselves and waited for what felt like a long 4-5 minutes before being acknowledged. Finally, a waitress came over....once she came over, there were absolutely zero complaints on service. She was 5 stars!! We ordered some beer. Unsure of what I wanted, I ordered a flight and took recommendations from the waitress -- I'm glad I did! She recommended an IPA I would have never ordered and it was amazing! Salads were great -- absolutely no complaints. I ordered halibut tacos, which were good but not the best fish tacos I've ever had. My husband had the ribeye and was less than pleased. Temperature-wise, it was cooked perfect. Tenderness was not there -- very tough. He is not very picky when it comes to protein, but he didn't finish his steak. Ribeye was 2 stars. We will likely be back, but will stay clear of the steaks. Pics were taken mid-consumption. The flight beers arrived full and the tacos arrived with 3. read more

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The food is great and the atmosphere is amazing. I really enjoyed the drinks personally!

I had dinner here with my colleagues while on a business trip in Billings this week. All around, this is a great place. We were sat right away, with no reservation (it was a Monday night at 6:15pm) the server gave us water and the menus quickly and gave us ample time to peruse the offerings. Each of us ordered something different and it seems like we were all very pleased with our meals. I ordered the scallops with a salad and mashed potatoes. A few of us got mashed potatoes as our side and all came to the consensus that this dish was too salty. I did have some great spoonfuls before I called it quits on that side. My scallops were delightful. Other hits from the table were broasted chicken, finger steaks and the chicken fried steak! read more

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Service and overall team was good. The food is the review here. Receipt is attached... One of the nicer places in the Billings area for top notch restaurants. We go to nice places for lunch service to get the experience of the place in all aspects. First coarse. The Onion rings were perfect. Clean oil is the first impression. We hope that is always the case and these were on point with any food critic. Delicate batter that clung to the onion and fresh. But again, good oil temp and clean fryer showed in this case. We asked if We could order from the dinner menu during lunch and was granted in the same moment of the question. Shows a talent in the kitchen that way and management also. Plus the lunch menu is small for choices. Chicken Fried Steak. Good ground beef that was formed well and held the fry pressure. The pasta dish with Shrimp and Scallop. If My dish I would have returned but My shyest enjoyed the flavor so I obliged. Here's the rub.... Yes the shrimp were cleaned and bien removed, but the shrimp was made of rubber from result of overcooking with the sauce. These shrimp were size 35 most likely so cook time is about 1.5 mins. To be tossed as the sauce is completing, not to marinate with the entire toss as it sautés for :05. Otherwise the sauce was good, pasta good Al dente but the shrimp was a failure. With that We will return but We hope this observation is addressed and the KM coaches the delicacies of the small shrimp and last minute cook process in the sauces moving forward. All that being said, We did tip 30% and were in the Windmill for about 1.5 hours. Good lunch experience ..... PS.... Apparently photo won't load, bill was around $68. Plus 30% tip. Cash ticket and tip Thursday Lunch from around 11:30 - 1:pm Onion Rings Chk Fry Steak Shrimp and Scallop dinner item Scotch Ale and a Pepsi Booth party of Two Male server read more

Food was "ok". For the price it should be better. Not worth the price, in my humble opinion with my other options out there.

Yea! Came back here because we love the food. Family time where everyone got their favourite dish and wine. Discovered Yellowstone wines, they were very good! The Malbec was my choice, excellent! The servers were great in spite of the place hopping busy. Sunday was the crab special, obviously very popular. Nice to be back for a bit. Nice this restaurant and bar open and vibrant! read more

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Great food and excellent service. Every time we go there it is a perfect experience. You will not be disappointed

Five stars! We sat at the bar and both bartenders were awesome! They took their time explaining the specials, talked to us about the beer and the wine choices, checked in an appropriate amount, and the food was perfect. Definitely recommend!! read more

Friendly waitress, teacher, very nice and professional, made me feel welcome. Solid drinks, had the surf n turf- good surf but the turf was blah. The ambience was amazing though, sits along a beautiful pond with Aspen, maple and oak trees lining the patio. Watched the ducks and geese while the sun was setting, truly one of the most peaceful, serene views of the stunning natural Montana countryside. The only improvement would be the music, needs to have classic country playing like George Jones, Willie Nelson, Hank Williams, George Straight, Loretta Lynn, Patsy Cline, Dolly, Tammy Wynette and the rest of the classic greats. Definitely check out this restaurant, you won't be disappointed! read more

The Windmill & Bar51 - View from patio dining - Seafood Near Me - Billings, Montana

My husband is only home for about 30hrs every 5 weeks. So since he had been on the road for his birthday we celebrated here while he was home. They did NOT disappoint. It was busy (Saturday night) we knew they would be but we were able to sit at the bar to eat. The guys behind the bar were great! Our food from appetizer to salad to main course came out with perfect timing. My Steak was perfect. He got the Surf and Turf and that was perfect as well. They still give you candle warmed butter for your lobster. Can't forget to get the prawns ever when visiting here they are always a must. Wasn't too loud. Until I see you again read more

Service was great Food was great Definitely will go back Try the Ribs or Steak excellent read more

Charged $21 for 3 "prawns" and broccoli for lunch. The "prawns" were three regular-to-small size shrimp. Don't call these prawns and charge prawn price! Call them what they actually are (SHRIMP), give more than three and then charge $21! I took a picture of them; I wish I could post for everyone to see what they're charging $21 for. Absolutely sad to see the degradation of this restaurant. read more

Great steak and a great prime rib. Great service. We went just for dinner, didn't have a reservation and were seated within minutes.

The waitress was just fine. The meal on the other hand was somewhere just below Applebee's. If you're going to charge steakhouse prices, you should at least try and present steakhouse quality food. Incredibly disappointing. Management wouldn't even speak to us. read more

Hit or miss - maybe a typical 3 star. Why on earth would you take halibut and drench it in Cajun sauce?! The halibut fish tacos looked like vomit it a tortilla. Never had so much sauce on anything - so bad. I picked out the halibut and didn't eat anything else because it was soaked in sauce. Additionally, the server was totally preoccupied flirting with the bartender. Including the two of them making fun of what I ordered to drink within ear shot. Asked for a skinny margarita and listened to them talk crap about how about I "just order a shot of shitty tequila and call it good." Not very busy, lots of staff standing around - always a recipe for bad service. Never saw a manager to give feedback. read more

My husband and I love the tomato soup, prawns, and crab stuffed mushrooms. We also enjoy having Lorie as our server. She's always so friendly and fun. You also can't beat the atmosphere, especially outside on the patio by the pond...so beautiful. read more

We went on a slower night, and the mood and ambiance couldn't have been better. The service staff provided a pleasurable memory and the food was superb. I am also a chef and I give this meal a definitive 5 stars for presentation, plating and preparation. After dinner we thoroughly enjoyed a quiet romantic stroll around the pond out back. We will be back very soon. Kudos' to your entire staff. Dennis Eddlemon read more

Stopped in after a long day of work on a Saturday with 8 co-workers and the place was packed which was expected. Let's start with the check-in process. I stepped up to the hostess stand to find one young lady on the phone and the other looking at the seat map. After a couple of minutes the young lady finished her call and asked how many. When I told her our party size she seemed annoyed and said there weren't and wouldn't be any available tables in the dining room and we would have to try to sit at the bar. All the while there was an open table in the dining room empty. When asked about it she stated that was reserved for a party who was showing up 2 hours later. WHAT??? Luckily a table in the bar opened up fairly quickly as well as our fortunes changed with our server who was extremely friendly and took great care of us. In regards to the food....nothing spectacular. I had the pot pie which was decent size and flavorful, but was more broth than substance. Everyone else who had ordered burgers, pasta, and steak all commented that their food was good, but nothing spectacular. Will I go back? Maybe, but the bar has been set and my expectations won't be high. read more

The Windmill & Bar51 - Seafood Near Me - Billings, Montana

Hopefully the kitchen staff was having a bad day. Two persons at the table ordered the Windmill Philly. The sandwich arrived missing half the ingredients. No onions and peppers. When we asked for the ingredients we were given a small bowl of greasy onions. The blt special literally had a 1/2 slice of bacon. The clam chowder was good. read more

I don't really know which way to go with this. The food is okay. The atmosphere is okay, nice even. Suggestion: Management should give the staff a place to gather, chat, be silly, check their phones and eat that isn't at the end of the bar in front of the customers, though. That was a turn-off. The food was okay, nothing to make me say "best ever" and nothing to make me say "ewww". I can't complain. Except about the specialty drinks. The hot buttered rum sounded delicious on a cold day. It was a watered down concoction that had zero flavor. None. I should have just ordered a glass of hot water. Lesson learned there. The service though? Um. No. Not that it was bad, the staff were pleasant enough, they did the minimum, and I mean the minimum. I never had the same person for ordering the food, bringing the food, checking on if I needed anything (wait . . . that one never happened at all), bringing the check and thanking me for my business (wait ... that one never happened either) but I can live with all of that. It just made it difficult to figure out who should get the tip or if I should even leave a tip (I did). Maybe it's different when you're seated in the dining area and not at the bar. Because. Bar. different expectations. Windmill & Bar 51 is an okay place. Might even be a "meh" two-star place based on my visit, but there was just something about it to make me give it three stars. read more

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We have eaten here a few times always good food good service, this evening terrible service, been here an hour original drinks dry, still waiting for them to take a food order, we left won't ever come back. read more

At the time I am writing this review, the Windmill has a Yelp average rating of three stars. Given the great service, overall lip smacking eats, and incredible patio experience (your waitress will kill, pluck, and clean a goose from the adjoining pond table-side if you ask), I think that it is downright criminal that this place has such a low cumulative score. Yes, the kitchen did overcook the clams until they were tough and wizened, but the bivalves came swimming in a delicious garlic butter broth. The steak was also a little over, but still tender and well seasoned. The fried prawns were huge, juicy, crunchy, and perfectly done. My stomach was also done after I plowed through all the great flavors and copious calories - and it was a content sense of extreme tummy distention that I encountered after the meal. read more

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Tried again same overpriced garbage. $8 tap beer and a $14 regular margarita. WTF? Asked about happy hour prices, oh ya I will change that. Sorry I cant do that its after happy hour but I will buy you a round on the house. Get the bill, charged for the "free" round including another $14 margarita that wasnt wanted nor touched. Med rare prime rib = very well done end piece. Sorry that was all the prime rib we have, enjoy the shoe leather. Avoid this place. read more

We have visited twice, the food here is low grade slop. When entering it appears to be a great place. Plenty of room, it's clean, the people up front are friendly. Overall great atmosphere and good service. However the food takes away from everything, I ordered a steak on my first visit and for a Montana restaurant to serve such a low quality cut of beef and try to pass it off as prime is a disgrace. (You live in a state known for great beef, try harder). Second visit thought I would try seafood (again in the middle of Montana I don't expect fresh caught) ordered the fisherman's bounty, first of all scallops should NEVER be deep fried, fried shrimp and halibut looked good but had zero flavor tasted like eating chalk. Had a side of Parmesan truffle fries, you can tell your cook that dumpling the seasoning in a huge pile in the middle of them is ruining them completely. Would have left a one star but the ambiance and good service at least made me feel better about choking this garbage down. Owners should spend a little less time trying to look good and some actually being good. Try harder, Windmill P.s. any group of more than 6 will get charged a 20% gratuity! read more

The service was great from Roberto but the food was "maybe" a 2. We ordered the king crab and the surf and turf and the two meals were definitely not worth the money. The surf and turf was small and nothing special in flavor as well as the king crab... it was boring, zero flavors including the sides. Maybe we should have known better seeing the paper napkins when we were seated. If the food at least matched the price we would have given this review a 5 star only due to Roberto's service. Needless to say we won't be back, considering the shoes they didn't fill with the surrounding competition. If you dine here, know that you're going to a bar with the aspirations of being a higher class dining venue.. Stick with the apps and beer only. read more

We were looked at and treated like we had no business being there. Employees very stoic. The ones who didn't completely ignore us gave us dirty looks, stares & glares. They might have well just told us we were not welcome there, for whatever reason. read more

Looks like my review got deleted even though they said they were wrong. This was one of worst experiences for takeout at a local restaurant. Please try CJ's or Rib and Chop House. Texas Roadhouse or even the Outback will serve you better. read more

The Windmill & Bar51 - Original review - Seafood Near Me - Billings, Montana

This has been one of our favorite restaurants to go eat at and we eat here pretty regularly but came for dinner tonight and found out that they recently changed their menu. They removed their chicken fried chicken which was always my go to and they took off quite a few other items. Definitely not a fan and probably won't be back which is super unfortunate because we enjoyed coming here for dinner so much. read more

Everyone in the restaurant from staff to patrons seems to think COVID is over or they are immune. If I hadn't been with a work-related group, I would have walked out; I was the only person in there with a mask on. Please consider implementing COVID safety protocols for your staff. read more

We had absolutely the BEST server named Ruth:). She is a fairly new employee and you would have never known. She is a natural and a keeper:). Personable, genuine, great eye contact, and amazing personality. We had a party of six, and she never missed a step on our requests. Frankly, she was so great, I would only want to come back if she is my server:). The food is always so well prepared, and hot, I would come back for that, too:) read more