Winds Cafe

Anyone else have experiences to report from this restaurant?

http://metromix.chicagotribune.com/dini ... eftutility

The Winds Cafe
2657 N Kedzie
Chicago, IL 60647
773-489-7478

I had a decent steak sandwich and fries there about two years ago and liked the ambience, but I've given up on them for service-related reasons. Specifically, they didn't keep their posted hours, and on two occasions I found them locked up a half hour after they were supposed to be open for lunch. Both times I strolled down to El Cid, who were open and just as good. Maybe I should give Winds another shot, because they provide the type of bar-food experience Dunlay's on the Square supposedly was intended to fill -- and they don't screw up or clash with the character of the neighborhood as so Dunlay's does so egregiously. Maybe they've fixed their alarm clocks since my last attempted visit?

i love the winds! the owners are great, it's a family run operation, and well, it just happens to be on my very block.

the hours can be a problem. i'm never home on weekdays, so i can't vouch for lunchtime hours, but one thing i know for certain: they claim to be closed on mondays on their menu, and while they do sometimes close, more often than not, they are indeed open, as they have been lately.

it's really a neighborhood hangout with good food. sometimes it's only one person working the bar & tables. so, if it's crowded, it can get slow. but, usually, it isn't crazy crowded.

the specials are usually good, but so is much off the menu. the steak sandwich, chicken (w/honey lime) sandwich, and burgers are great. my dad swears by their burgers, as they are hand pressed & great flavor. i'd stay away from salads, this isn't the place for that. soups are homemade & tasty (the vegetable has just the perfect amount of spice).

weekends are usually a buffet, chef's style table during the day for $8.95.

this is a place to come & kick back, watch sports, talk to your neighbors. it's not fine dining by any means, but it isn't trying to be....

miss ellen

JimInLoganSquare wrote:Maybe I should give Winds another shot, because they provide the type of bar-food experience Dunlay's on the Square supposedly was intended to fill -- and they don't screw up or clash with the character of the neighborhood as so Dunlay's does so egregiously. Maybe they've fixed their alarm clocks since my last attempted visit?

JiLS,

Based on a recent lunch at Winds Cafe I suggest giving them another try. Service was pleasant, efficient, the bartenderess fixed a mean bloody mary, and my half jerk chicken was moist with a surprisingly aggressive sauce.

Winds Cafe Bloody Mary


Jerk Chicken w/arroz con gandules


Jibarito was a winner with well executed classic construction.

Jibarito


Peter D's meatloaf with real mashed potatoes lived up to it's reputation as king of the comfort foods. The meatloaf looks a bit dry in the picture, but was really quite moist.

Winds Cafe Meatloaf


In addition to the comfortable bar Winds has outdoor seating.


Jeff, Ursula, Carol


Enjoy,
Gary

The Winds Cafe
2657 N Kedzie
Chicago, IL 60647
773-489-7478
http://www.windscafeofchicago.com

G Wiv wrote:Jibarito was a winner with well executed classic construction.

Jibarito

Actually, your jibarito looks much better than many I've had, but I find it hard to believe (though possible, I guess) that this "sandwich" could be eaten as a sandwich. Were you able to grip it in both hands and eat, or did you resort to knife and fork?

Hammond

Mrs. JiLS and I had a very nice, low-key dinner at Winds Cafe tonight. We each started things out with a cup of shrimp and rice soup, which was wonderfully seasoned, but unfortunately a bit past its prime - the rice and shrimp both had been cooked to a mushy texture. Also, the shrimp, while plentiful, were basically without any flavor at all (probably frozen farm-raised shrimp from Thailand or wherever it is Costco gets them; they look like shrimp, but that's where the similarities end). Still, the broth in the soup was excellent, so let's just view the shrimp as fancy oyster crackers, and move on.

I had the fried catfish, which I would highly recommend. Cornmeal batter was just thick enough, perfectly crispy, perfectly browned. The fish itself was firm, fresh and full of the muddy catfish terroir that Mrs. JiLS abhors, I love, and about which each must decide him/herself. If you like fried catfish fried well, this is the place. And on special tonight, it was only $9.95, with fries and coleslaw (normally $14.95). Two very large fillets were twice what I could finish tonight.

Mrs. JiLS had the jerk chicken and rice, pictured and described above, which she relished (and polished off, despite herself). Quite spicy and, reportedly, good not just for the gullet, but also the sinuses.

Winds also has live music (mostly jazz), no cover, four or five nights a week. We'll probably be back for that. Despite my initial reservations about the place a few years back (based on service issues), I'm now becoming a convert and even, maybe, fan of Winds Cafe. I'm certainly anxious to check out the music. Given the jukebox loaded with jazz classics, the friendly family-affair management, very good food and decently-tended bar, I guess I like Winds Cafe more than I thought I did.

I walked by the Winds Cafe in Logan Square last night and there was paper covering all the windows and a sign saying they're closed for remodeling. Their website, too, says they're closed for remodeling and plan to reopen in 30-60 days.

For their sakes, I hope they manage to reopen. Even though I've now lived two blocks from Winds for nearly a year, I've yet to go. I know they have live music at times, which takes a bit of the sting out of the prices, but the menu seems way high for what it is. Especially considering that it's a bar. $14 for half a fried chicken. $15 for meatloaf. $14 jibarito. $12 veggie burger. Seriously?

Plus, the fact that they are usually pretty empty when I walk by at 7:00 p.m. has me worried about the freshness of their ingredients.

[eta: word on the Logan Square discussion board is that they're closed for good.]