Anything interesting in Woodstock?

After so many months of lurking, I'm speaking up and looking to the gurus of LTH for some dining advice. My husband and I will be going up to Woodstock this Saturday evening. Neither of us have ever been up there before, and we need to find somewhere to have dinner. We're not looking for anything fancy, just good food at whatever the price point happens to be. I'm not much of a carnivore, so no burger joints or steakhouses, please!
Thanks in advance!

I have eaten at the Jailhouse which is right on the square. It serves pretty solid American food. It's been a while since I was there so I can't remember exactly what I had but it was definitely worth going back. I have also eaten at Pirro's Restaurante which is very good Italian food. We split the thin pizza which had a nice crispy crust. I have heard good things about the two French Bistros but have not eaten there since they are out of our price range. I don't have addresses but just walk around the square and they are all there. Pirro's is on Main St. If you're going to be there in the morning, the little Greek owned diner is perfectably diner-ish and have great omelettes. Also, it was in Groundhog Day and for me, that tickles my funny bone. Sorry that all of this isn't very descriptive. I don't live in W'stock so I am not there all that often to be really helpful.

The best restaurant is Harvest Moon located on the square in downtown Woodstock. Very good place to eat. I believe the Jailhouse has since closed, I wouldn't recommend it anyway.

http://www.harvestmooncafe.net/

My response is not timely, nevertheless, several interesting restaurants can be found in Woodstock. Be prepared to pay a premium for many; however, you may find the food and atmosphere worth it.

Pirro's Restaurante
http://www.pirrosrestaurante.com
228 Main, Woodstock (815) 337-9100
This place has excellent specials that are always delicious and satisfying. The wine selection is thorough. Try the chocolate port! Also, Pirro's is now featuring live jazz every Thursday evening and sometimes on weekends. Why go to Chicago?

La Petite Creperie
http://www.lapetitecreperie.net
115 N Johnson, Woodstock (815) 337-0765
This is a personal favorite. The food is made from scratch and is really like French country fare. If you don't want to spend excessively, try the variety of crepes. The service is outstanding. You may also be treated to authentic French accordian music. Special dining events take place based on themes such as Mardi Gras, Bastille Days, release of Beaujolais Nouveau, etc.

Mixteca 1390 S Eastwood, Woodstock (815) 334-8460
Who would have thought Mexican food could be so fun? I really like the atmosphere and hospitality here. Plus, the food is homemade almost leaning toward "upscale." Try the listed specials as they are unique and tasty. The desserts are inventive and truly Mexican.

These are only a few, but others may have their favorites to add.

Although I live in Woodstock, I rarely eat out in Woodstock as I think that the quality and the value are generally lacking.

Harvest Moon Cafe closed a couple of years ago which was no great loss. The food was expensive and generally not up to what you would expect of a place with an average entree price over $20. Also, the service was poor if you were not ordering a bottle of wine.

Pirro's is a pretty solid restaurant. However, when they moved in to their new digs on the square four years ago, they doubled their priced.

The best meal that I have had in Woodstock recently is at a small pub adjacent to the Woodstock Theatre underneath the real estate office.

The Courthouse and Jail on the square hasn't been good since the late 80's. I guess I'm biased though because I grew up in that place, my father ran it from around '81 until '90. It's changed hands at least a dozen times since then.

My friends who still live in Woodstock swear by the Creperie for something good although I"ve never been. Angelo's, the greek diner on the square, is pretty poor. For breakfast, Three Brothers is a better choice. When I'm visiting out there we usually find ourselves at the above mentioned Pub on the Square. Pretty good bar food.

For mexican, you can't beat El Niagra. It's a little beat up, on the wrong side of the train tracks but always a personal favorite.

Never been to Pierro's but never heard a good thing. Most people in Woodstock inevitably compare it to Joey T's which was in the space before it and thus look down on it. I believe there might be some Rosati's pizza connecton but people still see it as overpriced.

For more info on the general area, here's a rather expansive thread on McHenry County....http://www.chowhound.com/topics/458166

I spent 2 weeks on trial in woodstock and couldnt find anything decent to eat for breakfast lunch or dinner. I wound up eating most of my meals in crystal lake on some sad stretch of highway with a TGI Fridays and a Noodles and Co.

I did rent the Presidential Suite at the crystal lake holiday inn...that was pathetic.

I have tried Angelo's perhaps three times and they cannot master the basics. On the last visit, the chicken was so overcooked that the texture was mealy.

Three Brothers is generally consistent and will benefit from the new smoking ban.

Isabella's is the best of the bunch. They do a lot of things well and try to incorporate a lot of fresh vegetables in their cooking.

Hello everyone,

Planning a trip to Woodstock for the folk festival in July and looking for recommendations. Did a search and couldn't find anything recent. This thread looked promising, but hoping one of the many gentle readers and writers here might have some information that's a little more current. Any and all tips are welcome whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Not so inclined towards white tablecloth fine dining, but would consider if it particularly noteworthy. Also, carryout or specialty food stores might work, since we may wind up doing a picnic.

Thanks in advance. I rarely post here, but rely on this site a great deal for advice and suggestions. You're all great!

omnivore wrote:Planning a trip to Woodstock for the folk festival in July and looking for recommendations. Did a search and couldn't find anything recent. This thread looked promising, but hoping one of the many gentle readers and writers here might have some information that's a little more current. Any and all tips are welcome whether for breakfast, lunch, or dinner. Not so inclined towards white tablecloth fine dining, but would consider if it particularly noteworthy. Also, carryout or specialty food stores might work, since we may wind up doing a picnic.

The ONLY place that I will recommend is in the basement of a building next to the cinema. The Public House has pretty good pub food at a reasonable price.

http://www.facebook.com/ThePublicHouseRestaurants


Pirro's Restaurant is alright. When they were a "hole in the wall" restaurant located in a strip center, their food was creative and very affordable. When they moved to near the square, the prices jumped considerably and the food has just been OK.

http://www.pirrosrestaurante.com/pages/ ... isine.html

I have no other recommendations.

Thanks for the suggestions, jlawrence01, and Public House sounds like a solid option. The festival isn't until the 15th, so I still have some time to do a little research. We may just wind up stopping somewhere on our way there and again on our way home. Or packing a picnic.

Thanks, again!