This is the best breakfast place in McHenry, in my opinion at least. I've been coming here since God knows when, probably 1999. Anyway, the breakfast here is phenomenal and their lunch is great too. Over the years I've had a ridiculous portion of the menu, but they have kept it consistently fresh and new over the years. Windhill is family run, and very well run too.The service is always great, though over the years there have been a few bad apples. Unfortunately, in my most recent trip we had a waitress who just would not take the time of day to serve us- she'd drop and run. But that's neither here nor there. Nevertheless servers are always polite and will do what they can to make your experience great. The food is fantastic. I love the skillets, and they are perfect for a 9am hangover on a Saturday or Sunday morning. All breakfasts come with toast and you can have your eggs anyway you want them. I've heard the omlettes are great and I believe it because that's the only thing my mom gets when she goes. On top of that they have Reese's Pancakes, Belgian waffles, and sides of ever meat imaginable. Additionally, the lunch menu is really great too. They have burgers, sandwiches, and a host of other delicious meals. Do yourself a favor and try a milkshake, they're great! All of the food is hot and brought right out to you. I've never had a poor experience with the food. The ambience is just outstanding too. It's like just sitting in your families dining room at Grandma's. They have the greatest collection of tea cups I've ever seen, with everything on them-from Wizard of Oz to Elvis. Another favor you owe yourself, visit around a holiday. The way Windhill is decorated is out of this world. At Halloween, Christmas, or Fourth of July, this place is decked out. Recently they've added a bar-type seating area for families with younger children. Atop the bar, there are railroad tracks set up on which a train delivers your food. I have not sat there at all as I don't have a young family or anything, but from observation, it's a huge hit. The kids go crazy for that train to come around to deliver their meal or drinks or whatever else it will bring out. With that being said, it's a very family friendly place. If you need a walk after all the food you've just stuffed yourself with, you can always walk around downtown McHenry or on the riverwalk afterwards. Five stars all the way across the board for a family-friendly, family-run restaurant that will have you back for more. Any of the 365 days too. read more

Absolutely garbage. During covid we ordered curbside to-go breakfast. Everything was ice cold so I went in to complain. I couldn't even walk in the front door, the inside looks like an episode of Kitchen Nightmares, there were hundreds and I mean hundreds of beanie babies on stands, pieces of candy and chocolate, and the check out station looked like a bank teller from the 1940s. We left and will never be back. read more

Such a disappointing experience! I placed an order for pick up and was spoken too with attitude and disrespect, and my order was completely wrong! Will not be coming back read more

Was craving pancakes after 2 pm and obviously every brunch place was closed......until we ran across this hidden all day breakfast/lunch and dinner joint. This place upon arrival is exactly out of a movie to say the least. Seriously any person looking to record the typical scene where the main character goes to get his coffee and breakfast..this is the place. We ordered a pancake platter, consisting of your choice of 3 pancakes. We ordered the chocolate chip, banana, and cinnamon pancakes. The service was quick, polite, to the point, and very efficient. The pancakes perfectly satisfied our craving. Why we rated this a 3 is mainly because of the uncleanliness of the utensils and the menu right off the bat was very old and dirty looking. Coffee wasn't that special, as well as the hot cocoa (it was cold) but hey will most likely be back for those cinnamon roll pancakes! read more

We were heading up to Lake County for the day and we needed to find a place for breakfast. Thank you Yelp for turning us on to this place. I picked this place completely at random. I did not read any of the reviews before, which was extremely hard to do. This place is named correctly. You walk in and it feels like you are actually in someone's grandma's parlor. At first I thought that the décor was kind of comforting, but after a while I started to feel "overwhelmed" and started to have sensory overload. There was just quite a bit going on here as far as all of the stuff that was on the walls. The exterior of the building was absolutely beautiful as this 100 year old building is in excellent condition. I can't forget to mention the little train that brings the food out to the people sitting at the counter is a very nice touch. The staff here was great, everyone was really friendly and helpful and efficient and did a good job of taking care of us. I was very pleased. The menu here is quite extensive to say the least. I was really hungry so I ordered quite a bit of food. I started out with some mushroom soup which was very good. My wife and I split an order of biscuits and gravy next. It wasn't the best I have ever had but it ranks up there in the Chicago area for some of the better biscuits and gravy around. For my main course, I ordered the garbage mess. This is exactly how it sounds: eggs, hash browns, sausage, ham, bacon, green pepper, red pepper, onion, tomato, mushroom, green olives, black olives, and three cheeses which are all scrambled together. All I can say is:"Damn that was tasty!" I don't get out to McHenry very often, but when I do, I will be sure to be stopping here again. read more

Well this place was different never saw so much decor in one place This .reminded me of the movie elf with buddy.Ok on to the food sausage egg hash browns toast.Once again a place that doesn't serve hot sausage.Eggs we're just ok one over done one right,Hash browns ok toast a lil burnt.I was the only one in the place when it first opened so I got the royal treatment.Wonder if they were busy if that would be the same.I will go again and try something harder for them to make. read more

Wonderful decor for various holidays around the year. Fast, friendly staff, and such a great variety of items in the menu.

Love this place! Excellent food and service. Make sure to stop in at every season to check out their fun decorations. Very personable staff! read more

The wait staff is ridiculously rude. We came in after making a reservation an hour before hand and the blonde server snapped at us about having 6 people- the amount of people the reservation was made for. She was then our server and we had two school age children with us. But, one of them didn't answer about what he wanted to drink fast enough and she stormed away yelling "he's done." Trust me, we weren't the only customers who heard and left because she was rude. The food is good, but we will not be returning after how rudely we were treated only being there for 10 minutes. read more

Fun atmosphere. Very busy. Always a good sign. In the back there's a model train on an elevated track that brings food out to the kids clamoring at the counter. Very fun. Food was good. I always order basic breakfasts. Two eggs, bacon and hash browns. Mine came with some mini-pancakes. Hard to mess up this kind of breakfast, so that makes it equally hard to impress. That's why they get 3 stars. Was somewhat unimpressed with the mini pancakes. Didn't quite have the punch of flavor I was looking for. I did sample one of the other more elaborate pancakes at the table -- apples and cinnamon and it was pretty dang tasty. The one thing I will say, though, is that the prices seem quite high to me. My two egg breakfast was close to $9. A few dollars too much, in my opinion. And I've gone to quite a few breakfast joints. The rest of the menu items seemed equally high and the guests I was with agreed. But there aren't a lot of choices in the McHenry/Woodstock/Crystal Lake area for fancy pancakes and non-corporate atmosphere. But it did hit the spot before our drive into the city. read more

We are huge on breakfast foods and going to brunch (as you may know from some of my other reviews) and this is another one of the favorites. They have a very large menu, and very fair pricing. They also have tons of decorations and nostalgia, so make sure to give this place a shot. read more

I had the mimosa flight with a jalapeno pepper omlet with homemade toast and corned beef hash. The wife had the western mess skillet. Ambiance and service excellent. Food delicious. Will be back agian. read more

The service at the table was great but, if you're gonna split the check make sure you tell them ahead of time to make it easier on them and you . read more

One of the best restaurants in McHenry and surrounding area. Absolutely must try the eggs italia - one of the best breakfasts I have had in a long time. read more

Windhill McHenry - Eggs italia - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

Ok for breakfasts in my book! Come here on several occasions and the food have always been good, left me feeling slightly over-stuffed when I'm done. Family owned so they can basically do what they want when it comes to service, old standard, be nice to them and they'll be nice back. Simple.They have an adorable little train that serves food to kids if they sit at the bar type area, which is tons of fun. The only thing is they can be very busy on the weekends and their menu is atrocious and overwhelming to look at, being a graphic designer. Otherwise certainly better then eating at IHOP. read more

was unique and the food was good I had the eggs sausage and a pecan roll. They sliced and grilled the pecan roll which took away the sticky and the flavor. We sat at the elvis table and enjoyed reading our book the menue came in . A must , especially for the first time. also played a little slot, a woman next to me won 499.00 , me not so much lol read more

We were ignored the whole time by everyone including our own waitress. Never checked up on us and there was other waitress asking everyone how they were doing and never once came to us. We felt like outcasts and we wont be coming back! read more

First time and had a bad experience the food was ok but what really sucked was the service they totally ignored us they were rude when we tried to get there attention they would just ignore and act as if we weren't even there never again will I come here read more

I LOVE the eclectic nature of this place! They are now offering gluten free pancakes, so dining here with my celiac father just got 1000x easier and more enjoyable! Get there early on the weekends, as they go on a wait pretty quickly and you'll see a line out the door. They have great Benedict's, great omelettes, piping hot coffee and SO much to look at while you dine! Love it ! read more

I truly love this place. Perfect for family or by yourself. Everything, every time is consistent. Quality and friendly. read more

Windhill McHenry - Fabulous! I can't say enough. Fabulous Hash brown casserole. We've been here for Fathers Day (Rsvp) and during the week. Delicious! - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

A terrific place for dining from breakfast to dinner. Food and service were great as was the price. The place is very nicely decorated also with some awesome antique pictures and products displays from the past. The ice cream bar has a train that goes around it. All in all, great for kids and family. read more

Windhill McHenry - Antiques. Awesome. - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - McHenry, Illinois

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Huge breakfast and brunch menu. Very friendly place. We come with the grandkiddos every family visit. read more

We were seated right away even during the rush of a Sunday morning! The coffee, food, and service were all great- the menu had so many options so we will definitely be back! read more

Cute atmosphere --always decked out for the holidays.i have never had an issue with the service . I have only been twice and had the baked potato omelette both times--delicious! read more

This place is very enjoyable in many ways. The decorations at very unique and change regularly. It's a great place to bring your entire family. Aside from the cool atmosphere that the decor brings, the food is just incredible. Portions are very large, and I have yet to find something on the menu I don't like. read more

Our family visited windhill pancake parlor this morning . Cute and quaint atmosphere . Food was horrible. My daughter and I only ate two bites of our "mess" . These are egg dishes with hasbrowns , cheese, bacon . Nothing was fresh . In fact , I didn't see any scrambled eggs. As we sat at our table we could see into the kitchen . We saw one worker scoop out frozen hasbrowns into a container. I'm sure this was what used in our dishes . Seriously bad. Waitress took my daughter's dish off our bill . She should have taken all our dishes off our tab. Never had a worse breakfast. Side orders of pancakes were average at best. Philly steak omelette was ridiculous . Meat was like the steakums from the 70s. Frozen waffle fries in the "omelette". Nothing appetizing here. Will not return . read more

This place leaves a lot to be desired. Overpriced cafeteria food. Too many other places to choose from with much better food and service. Do not waste your money here. read more

We had dinner here after a funeral. We had a rather large bunch. Jen helped us with the menu. The service was good. They were able to accommodate us with only a few days notice. The food was excellent. The waitstaff was friendly and polite. we happen to be there on a day when a face painter was there. The kids really enjoyed this and it also kept them occupied. we were totally satisfied. read more

Had lunch here today and it was delicious like it always is. Had the fried chicken sandwich and seasoned waffle fries. Friend had pancakes and bacon. They were delicious! Gotta go just to see the place! The menu has a lot of choices and it was nice they served lunch early. Will definitely be back to try more on the menu. read more

I liked this Restaurant and always ordered the same Breakfast. Today it was a total disaster. I emailed but never did get a response and waited several days until decided to post. There were not many in the Restaurant. There was a large table of maybe 6/8 in the rear and three at the Children's train and a table of three. We waited longer than usual to be served. The first order came out with the eggs hard boiled and since I ordered Poached eggs and was not at McDonalds, did not order an egg Mcmuffin, I sent them back to the "chef". The second order came and the eggs were so under-cooked that the whits of the eggs were running all over the plate. The hash Browns were saturated. Our waitress came and asked if they were Ok. I did not say one word. She took one look, said, Oh No! and took the eggs back to the "chef". The third time the eggs, I was told later, were cooked by the owner. Thank you. They were Ok. However, the hash browns and the Portobello Mushroom were still covered with the slimy egg from the second attempt to poach eggs. The hash browns were wet and soggy. The Portobello Mushrooms were shiny with undercooked eggs. Most Restaurants will not serve under cooked food for fear the customer would get sick. Most Restaurants would have cooked the whole order again. The plate was not appetizing I just could not eat something that looked pre-chewed. Keep in mind that my husband had all but finished his breakfast while I waited for the "chef" to poach eggs three times. I asked politely for a manager, no one came to the table. I went to the front and tried to talk to the tall man in the blue shirt. I was quiet and polite and did not raise my voice. He said that he could not do anything for me. I asked him to at least look at the plate. He was impatient, reluctantly got up and did look at it but nothing was done to improve the situation or make me feel better. I left the whole plate almost completely uneaten. The Manager ignored us and stomped past our table several times. The management's body language was anger. My husband and I are on Social Security so this is a treat for us. We paid the bill and tipped the waitress, after all she did not cook the meal. My huband told the manager we would not be back and that it was too bad the chef did not know how to poach eggs. The manger retorted, "Yeah Three Times." If it takes someone three times to fulfill an order, then that person needs to go back to Cooking School and learn how to cook the options that are on the menu. There are at least 6 Poached Egg Benedict's' on the Menu. If a customer has to wait until something is correctly cooked three times, a gift certificate or reduction of the bill is warranted. I left your Restaurant hungry and saddened. Sad to say, I just cannot come back to Windhill, my favorite place for Breakfast. My family has been there for Easter for years and my husband and I came as many times as we could budget the treat. I am not angry, I feel so bad for you that you did not do the right thing. read more

I've given this place a few tries, and it's awful every time. The food is terrible quality, overpriced for what you get, the train that brings your food is somewhat of an afterthought, the waitresses are lacking basic customer service skills, overall you can find a much better breakfast just about ANYWHERE. read more

My boyfriend and I came here on a Sunday and it was awesome! There were a few people ahead of us but still only took like 10 mins to get a table. I got the steak mess and it was delicious. Boyfriend got the country fried steak. Also delicious. Will definite come here again. read more

Best breakfast restaurant ever. We love all the decorations. Great service. Windchill is on our "must go to" list when the family is in town. read more

Excellent!! We love it here. Friendly service, great food, decent price and good size portions!! The decorations alone make you feel like you are out of a hallmark movie. We love it! Pretty spacious and you can by things upon check out and they have hand made local stuff you can purchase too in the main entrance. The snoring Santa was cute too. !! Overall really enjoyed this place and the peanut butter milk shake is awesome! Can't wait to keep coming back! read more

This place has amazing brunch! Great place for the family to bring the kids for a Sunday breakfast. Owner is so nice

Such a fun place to eat, good for kids and adults. I love the decor! I love the Riverview table, full of photos of the old Riverview Amusement Park of my youth. It is just so full of interesting things, every table is different. Good food and the best homemade soups. Around Halloween and Christmas expect to see wonderful decorations. They spend about 100 hours decorating. read more

The service was excellent, and my food was tasty. The one very big turn off, was the two employees smoking right outside the front door. Looked to have possibly been the owner. read more

Saganaki omelette!!! Where have you been all my life. We love this place. They even have a small counter where a train will bring out your food for the lil ones. They go crazy with decorations for major holidays. CRAZY. Wait staff is friendly and fresh cooked food with unusual ingredients like chorizo in the sausage gravy. Tasty as heck. read more

I do like it here, but there are some things you should know If you have kids this place is very family friendly and even entertaining. There is a bar for seating (if you get there early enough) where a train delivers your food, your bill, and sometimes sends bubbles into the air. The place is heavily decorated. We were just there today and they were prepped for Halloween. the place looked wonderfully crazy. However, they were also very busy this morning, and often we find when the place is packed the staff is strapped. We had snippy service and even had to wait several minutes to pay the bill. They have guys that run around refilling coffee and water and they are always, by far, the most pleasant people of the bunch. Maybe because they aren't dealing with the same stresses as the waitresses. Whatever the reason, I don't think the clientele should bear the burden. As for the food, I would recommend the funnel cake fries. I know I know, but they are seriously good. Don't get the eggs Benedict. More often than not the eggs are over done, and therefore the meal is pretty much ruined. The Sausage is unusual. It doesn't have a casing and has a peppery bite to it. Personally, I love it, but my kids won't touch it (usually they enjoy this kind of thing), and neither my sister nor husband has the time for it either. My sister actually referred to it as disgusting, which I obviously disagree with. Either way, you have been warned. I think their waffles are one of my favorites, but the omelets are very good too. The pancakes are pretty good, but I wasn't nuts about the pumpkin ones. read more

We were super excited to try this place. The decor is super cute. We were seated promptly at a really small table by the front door. The waitress was nice but didn't offer us water until we asked and we had to ask for napkins and to see the bigger tea selection because she only gave us a Lipton tea bag. She brought my son a kids chocolate milk but not in a kid friendly cup. I would suggest investing in cups with kids and straws The food is alright. I originally ordered a "mess skillet" but the gravy had an odd taste to it ( also almost half the plate was gravy)and the hash browns were so mushy. I couldn't even find my eggs. I had to order something else. My son's kids meal the eggs were super overdone and he kept spitting the bacon out as if it overcooked as well. The host which was a nicer, older lady should tell the patrons in line to not wait with the door open as the cold air comes rushing in and hits the few tables right by the door. The cashier was rude and unfortunately I won't be back. There are way better breakfast places to go to. read more