Such a cute place! We came specifically so our 2-year-old son could watch the train, and the gentleman seating guests went out of his way to intentionally wait so we could sit at the bar and have the perfect view. That small but thoughtful gesture meant so much to us and truly made the experience special. Service was great, and having the train bring out our food was so fun and memorable. The food was good and very filling, we ordered the Trainwreck, Chicken Fried Steak, and Ninja Turtle pancakes, and everything hit the spot. This place is such a fun, family-friendly experience. We will absolutely be back! read more

Windhill Pancake Parlor - Ninja turtle pancakes - Child's hands rest on a wooden table near a plate of pancakes topped with chocolate chips and orange slices, with a toy car and napkin nearby. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

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Went with my nieces. They enjoyed the train. And had a good time. Food is good and staff was fantastic this was a fun lunch after a day of together. Kids really enjoyed enjoying the fun time and they ate all the food And the train was so fun brings your food read more

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My wife and I stopped in for a brunch meet-up with an Aussie friend at Windhill as this was right on the Fox Riverbank. It didn't disappoint! Our server, Maddy, gave us plenty of time to decide after dropping beverages...coffee was very good. Seeing people's choices around us, I decided on the Philly Steak Omelette (huge, enough for two!), my wife got the Chicken Fried Steak and the youngster got the pick 5 Belly Buster. Bacon was perfectly cooked as was the steak and omelette. Our glasses never did go empty and this place was packed on a beautiful Sunday. The interior has lots of charm and some nice architecture (antique post office facade for the win!) and the old time candy at the cashiers window is a nice touch. Five star service and five star brekkie stop if you're up in the McHenry area. read more

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Very delicious food the chicken was crispy, the French toast was not soggy and loaded well I didn't even need syrup. The cheesy hash browns are to die for!! REALLY good!! The service was fast and very friendly staff. The environment is very family friendly and clean! The decor inside is very welcoming and homey. read more

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We really enjoyed our brunch here! The staff is so friendly, the restaurant decorated so nicely and the food was a nice surprise! We typically don't enjoy brunch or breakfast out anymore but this made us want to start going again! My daughter and I are vegetarian so we were a little limited on choices but decided on the egg in a hole which was AMAZING! And she got regular fries while my husband got waffle whatever you do get waffle fries. They are amazzzzzzing! We also enjoyed a slice of lemon meringue because they were all out of apple. The only thing I did notice is that if we can after brunch we wouldn't have many main course options as vegetarians. They should add an impossible or beyond patty (plant based meat) so the burgers can be made vegetarian! read more

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So we haven't been here in a while, due to the last time we were here. But we wanted to see if things had gotten better so we decided one more time. So the restaurant is under a new owner and only a few things, esthetically changed. They no longer have the old book menus. It is now a double sided menu, with a single little menu for specials. And they still have the decorations but not as much as they used to. The also still have the choo-choo train for the little ones. Food this time was great. Same sized portions, same friendly staff. I had a create my own omelet. My father had the Chili Cheese omelet special and my mother had sausage and gravy and a pecan roll. Everything was great, except my mom's biscuit was a little tough and the bacon i ordered as a side was inconsistently cooked. The one bad thing was the price. We've gone to Palatine Inn, Brunch Cafe and love those places and get same amount of food. But for a lot cheaper. For three people at Windhill it cost $67, without tip and tax. So just be warned. Food is great, but prices arent. read more

First time visiting here for the train experience for our kids. We were lucky to get a spot right in front of train track/kitchen area. We got seated and waited a really long time for a server to come by. This place definitely has A LOT of decor to the point that it's excessive. The restaurant was filthy. We noticed large layers of dust on the light fixtures near the train area. Old Water and coffee stains on the tracks. Silverware was dirty and the water tasted bad. The place was packed so service was extremely slow. My husband and I didn't particularly care for my entrees. He ordered Mediterranean omelette and I had florentine crepes. Coffee was weak. My oldest ordered chicken n waffles and she didn't eat much of it. Server seemed a little Annoyed by my requests and it showed in her body language/facial expressions. Maybe because they looked short handed. Unfortunately, This is a one and done place for us. read more

Windhill Pancake Parlor - Coating of dust - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

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Yikes!! I so want this place to be delish- it's an ok place- The newly re-done inside and out is just great- warm and fun and especially for kids so much to see- the menu is fun has common good breakfast food choices but the lower than desired rating comes from the food preparation and presentation- the portions large but gloppy - the biscuits bread and cinnamon rolls crumbly and stale ish- - I ordered the cinnamon roll thinking yum and was delivered a roll cut up and refried with burnt edges- ( they were kind when I sent it back) eggs for scrambles and omelets browned - eggs should be yellow - and not tough like rubber-meats not great quality- if they could get consistent good chef lower the heat on the grill -this place would kill it!! read more

Grandmas house is always good. Fair enough prices for these days. And this skillet is really good. Very nice home like atmosphere. read more

Windhill Pancake Parlor - The perkolator skillet, garden omelet. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

I've been coming here on and off for years. Busy times and quiet times. I myself have never had an issue with the food, service, etc. I've been seated in the front and back rooms and always had a pleasant experience. There is also easy parking. There is a nice area about 1/2 block away where you can take a walk overlooking water, boats, etc. (McHenry Riverwalk) read more

Staff is very friendly and welcoming. Food is great. Menu has a variety of food. Food was awesome. We visit there every time we are in town. read more

Windhill Pancake Parlor - Over easy eggs, hash browns , sausage, bacon, and toast. - A breakfast plate featuring fried eggs, hash browns, sausage links, bacon strips, and toast, with a glass of soda and a plate of bread in the background. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

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The big news for this update is that the owner kept her word and changed all the decor in the place. It's so bright and fresh and welcoming, I love it. Now to the food and service- I had the steak sandwich it was all it could be. And the staff is all great, so helpful and accommodating. We went for dinner for the fish fry, my husband gave his seal of approval, so did my son and daughter-in-law. All in all , it's a great place for dinner. read more

I was a little hesitant about this place because the photos and the decorations were a lot but I actually really did enjoy this place! The menus are in actual books and I thought that was super cute! My boyfriend and I were both in the mood for sandwiches apparently so he got the triple club sandwich and fries, and I got the chicken and rice soup with a Turkey sandwich (soupandwich). My only complaint about my order was that the sandwich with the soupandwich is super small. It's just a half sandwich, which I expected but the soup was filling and really creamy! We got the mimosa flights and didn't expect much from it, but they were strong and really tasty. Def would come back! Street parking and there's a small lot across the street! read more

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Lovely family resturaunt, great food, good portions to fill you up. Old school. Country decor. Coffee is amazing. Staff is very friendly even gave us a to go cup of coffee before we left. Waitress was attentive , making sure we needed anything else. A hidden gem to get local food. read more

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New owners are doing some redecorating. When i was there today - our seat was at the bar and our meal delivered by a train! watching the kids at the bar was magical ! read more

Windhill Pancake Parlor - Your bill comes by elephant on the train! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

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It has been a while since we were at Windhill, so we decided to head back. I had the Swedish pancakes and my wife had gluten free pancakes. Both were excellent. Service was wonderful. We definitely recommend. read more

Stopped in a couple weeks ago while my sister and her daughter were visiting. The food was as amazing as always! The service left something to be desired. We felt as if we were putting the waitress out of her way to even order. Not a great first impression for first timers. read more

What a cute little gem in downtown McHenry. Excellent comfort food with great service. The place is all decorated for Easter. Very nice ambiance. read more

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I was in the area for work. Ate here everyday this week! Their soups are delicious! Great service. Love the decorations for Easter coming up ! I prefer to give money to mom and pop restaurants than chains any day! read more

Great service, lovely atmosphere, food was terrific and it was a very relaxing visit. Try them!

We went Saturday afternoon around 1 Pm & restaurant wasn't too busy. Our server took our order, forgot to bring our soups out. Then brought out our lunch & dropped all the toppings of my sandwich on my lap and the floor. After a few minutes, I noticed all of the drinks (all 5) at the table were completely empty. I had to stop the hostess to get refills. Seeing as how the restaurant was pretty empty I won't be back. I don't understand why the service was so bad when the restaurant was pretty empty. read more

Found another delicious diner! Why did it take me two decades to find these local hidden gems? Just proves it's never too late to try a great local eatery. This one was recommended by a friend. Came here for lunch on a Friday in January. Love that street parking (free parking) is easy to find and right by their front door. Enjoy the full-on Christmas decorations. Every. Where. It's beautiful! They even have Christmas foods and drinks on their Specials Menu. I ordered soup and half sandwich: New England Clam Chowder is thick and very flavorful without being too salty. Reuben was made perfectly and oozed with meat and sauerkraut filling. Served with sauce on the side. Be sure to take a peek of the kids bar in the rear to see the train track. read more

Windhill Pancake Parlor - French Dip Sandwich - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

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We had a family reunion this past week and went to Windhill for our last meal together before family members started departing. We had reservation for 20 and it was the best experience! We all raved about it. The ambiance is nice and relaxing. The food was absolutely delish! And the service....well, the service was truly stellar! Our server, Allison, is top tier and handled both large tables like a bistro for two. Everything was on point...from ordering to clean up and everything in between. Thank you Allison! Thank you Windhill! We'll definitely be back to indulge in your wonderful place! read more

It's changed drastically since I last visited a year ago. They took away the charm, no more menus in old books and all the funky quirky decor is gone. Seems like they changed owners or something, just not as great as I remember but the food was still pretty good. read more

Windhill Pancake Parlor - Swedish Pancake - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

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Today was our first time eating here. We have heard a lot of good things about the place so we had visitors from out of town and took them there. We all enjoyed our meal had left overs for the next day. Will certainly be back was a great experience and the food was A+. Hope that helps someone decide on a place to go to eat. It also helped us to look at the menu before we went. The waitress took good care of us we were there around 11 am and she had a number of tables to take care of. Big Thank you to Windhill........... read more

Wow! Great breakfast that will be more than you can eat! Great service and great food! Highly recommend !!! Come hungry read more

Today we decided to have brunch. It was pleasantly busy, the wait was only about 10 minutes. The updates to the interior were very nice and look very FRESH. The menu additions looked deliciously INTRIGUING. I ordered the Florentine crêpes- chicken, fresh spinach, Swiss cheese, onions, mushrooms, and hollandaise sauce. When my order arrived, WOW, I was blown away by the HUGE serving size and the taste was outstanding. I also ordered a side of Turkey sausage patties which were also very flavorful. I will definitely be ordering this again!! Mom ordered the Western Skillet- ham, green pepper, onions, and cheddar cheese mixed with hash-browns and a side of toast. She said "I liked it!". We also both enjoyed their signature coffee! As usual, they have the seasonal decor up, which is always a great time and very fun!!! I will definitely be making this a consistent stop for brunch. I mean, who has a flight of waffles, like how delicious does that sound? Yummmmm!! I liked the menu before but I'm a foodie and now I really want to try about 10 things that really caught my eye like the Bang Bang Shrimp Eggs Benedict! Definitely go check it out! They have a Friday Fish Fry too that I never knew about! Today was a great day!! read more

The service was so friendly, as soon as we arrived everyone was so nice and we were able to get a table pretty quick even with the Holiday rush. We ordered the crepes to share and then had an omelette each, maybe too much food but everything was just so good. The entire restaurant was decorated with full holiday spirit and it was so much fun. Overall would love to go back on my next visit to McHenry! read more

Windhill Pancake Parlor - Bananas Foster Crepes, Veggie Three Egg Omelet, The Hangover Three Egg Omelet - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

FUN! That's what I see when I walk in the door. I'm not a fan of early holiday decorations but walking into this restaurant there is no doubt that Christmas is upon us! BAM! The place was very busy but we were able to get a table pretty quickly. Christmas decorations EVERYWHERE far and wide! They even have a train at counter seating that delivers diners there their food. My husband and I ordered Biscuits & Gravy Omelettes, my granddaughter (the one with the big eyes) ordered the Farm Mess and my grandson got French toast. I asked for a cappuccino and I was told there was no coffee in it, but I took it just the same. Tasty! I honestly cant remember how the waitress got all that food to the table. I don't enjoy platters of food, but DANG! The omelette was fat and yummy! My family and I left the restaurant talking about what we're going to order next time. read more

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Staff was friendly and the atmosphere was super cute and fun! We sat at the high top and had the train deliver our food!

Great breakfast place. Very friendly and attentive staff. Nice place to meet up with friends and catch up on things in our lives.

My friends said that I had to come over for breakfast so they could take me to a rail theme restaurant where your food and drinks are sent to you on a train so I say I'm down. As you walk in you notice the register is behind an old school train depot ticket window. The train delivery area is a counter section that kids usually sit at so our server says you are four of the biggest kids that I have seen as we sat down. The menu is huge with tons of breakfast items but I wanted something simple so we started with a Bloody Mary as looked the menu over and everything seemed bigger than I wanted so I opted for the pick 4 build your own breakfast so I wouldn't throw food away. The home made toast, crispy hash browns, two eggs and two sausage links would be my pick four. The Bloody Mary was average and came with a pickle spear. The sausage links were skinless that looked like brown and serve and not that good for sausage links. The sunny side eggs were perfect with high runny yokes. The extra crispy hash browns were golden and good. The homemade toast was the star of my breakfast and very good that was lightly buttered, kind of dense with a nice crust. My friends were right because I totally enjoyed having a nice breakfast with family and friends in a different kind of restaurant for a change so I would totally recommend this place. read more

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Such a great family restaurant/diner. Always decorated to the T for every season! Love introducing each of my grandkids to the choo choo train. Their eyes get wide with excitement to see the train come by with their drinks and food. It's one of the only places I will take the little ones (because it's so hard to take little ones out to eat!) This picture is the measure of success. read more

Windhill Pancake Parlor - Success! Dinner has been eaten by all the little ones. It's so great to not have to clean up. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

Adorable atmosphere for kids. Food is blah & overpriced for breakfast. Service was excellent. read more

This was delicious, my brother took me for the first time and the server was really kind. Food was great and the drinks were amazinggg they came with little hats that I just fell in love with, the decorations were pretty and Santa made an appearance! Really strong drinks too. Unfortunately I can't give it 5 stars cuz the guy at the window had a stank attitude and we were smiling the whole time and it was like he was playing Scrooge. read more

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Windhill has yet again impressed me with amazing service. Our morning adventure was after Christmas and the staff were polite and on point. I enjoy each time I come here to just view the decorations. Yes the food as well. If you have children I suggest to try and eat at the bar location as the train is the sight to be seen and how this section is used. Over all I have had great experiences here with yummy tasty food. Read the full menu as each menu item has different things to enjoy. read more

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We actually love love, love this place! Every holiday or special occasion they decorated in that theme and change the food names and styles to that kind of holiday, whenever we have friends, Vermont of town we take them there and it's a 35 minute drive from our home. Did I say we love this place? read more

Windhill is one of my favorite places to go for breakfast or food in general. Everytime I've gone the food has been delicious and exactly how I wanted. Every season and holiday they go all out and full immerse the restaurant into the time of year. Not to mention they have a bar top that has a train bring you your food!? Talk about a kids dream, the ambiance they create is amazing for kids, adults and families all alike. The service is always delightful and everyone is always so happy to be there. I will always recommend this as a top breakfast joint! read more

We'll didn't feel like cooking again, lol. Had to come back for more. Came in for breakfast, but ended up with Linner. My wife had the $5.00 Cheese Burger. ($5 Burger Day today) and she had to have their Potato Pancakes she seems to crave almost every day. She loved the Cheese Burger and of course the potato pancakes. I tried the Chicken Ranch Quesadillas. They were very tasty, of course I had the have the Saganaki. Both were fantastic. I sent pics to my brother and all I received WS "OMG". Today our waitress was Allison, she is very friendly and a very good waitress! read more

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Amazing food, great staff, and cute decor. Wish I had found this place years before.