The best Windsor restaurants offer visiting foodies a diverse culinary scene to sip and nibble through.
Our culinary guide to the Windsor Ontario Restaurants scene showcases the city’s diversity in dining. We’ve found the best cafes, bakeries, brunch spots, craft breweries, cocktail bars, sun-soaked patios, pizzerias, diners, old school ice cream parlours, romantic fine dining, and a fancy steakhouse too!
Some of the most beloved restaurants in Windsor Ontario showcase authentic dishes from Ghana to Lebanon, and Thailand to Mexico. Travel with your taste buds and you’ll discover why local foodies rave for the city’s iconic Windsor Pizza to mouth-watering Chicken Delight!
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History Of Windsor Restaurants
Before visiting a new destination I like to first learn about the regions food and drink history.
Windsor is perhaps best known as “that Canadian city across the river from Detroit.” Its welcome sign mentions that Windsor is Canada’s car capital, which was made abundantly clear as the Detroit Auto Show was taking place the weekend we were dining around town.
Windsor has historically been known as a blue collar town, home to hard working families who worked in the auto industry and famous J.P. Wiser’s Distillery.
The diversity of Windsor’s restaurant scene is spread out so you’ll definitely need a car to zoom around town in search of your next mouth-watering meal. Many of the restaurants in Windsor are located in historic Walkerville near the distillery as well as the heart of Little Italy.
The city’s large Italian population can be thanked for Windsor’s unique pizza culture. Windsor is most famous from a culinary stand point for its plethora of pizzarias, which can be spotted in every suburban plaza and bustling intersection downtown.
Today, Windsor is a multicultural marvel, home to a mix of immigrant communities that best showcase their culture through food.
Visit Windsor Ontario Restaurants
Windsor is located in Ontario Southwest. The city is located just across the river from Detroit.
If you’re planning a road trip to Windsor you might also like to stop in and visit nearby destinations like London, St. Thomas, Oxford County and Norfolk County.
Windsor is located 4 hours drive from Toronto so it’s the perfect weekend getaway for couples, friends or families looking to enjoy a tasty urban escape.
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Diverse Restaurants in Windsor Ontario
We spent 3 days eating our way through the best restaurants in Windsor, Ontario. Our goal was to explore the diversity of Windsor’s fun and flavourful food scene.
We visited 8-10 Windsor Restaurants a day to create a culinary guide that highlights the wealth of culinary options in the city. On a weekend in Windsor you can easily enjoy a morning of locally roasted coffee at a trendy cafe and a brunch worth lining up for.
You’ll find plenty of affordable family friendly Windsor restaurants, from beloved bakeries to healthy vegan eateries and old school ice cream parlours. Adults looking for a tasty late night treat can find happiness at trendy cocktail bars, fancy steakhouses and fancy Italian fine dining restaurants.
It’s easy to travel the world with your taste buds on a food tour of Windsor. You’ll find authentic dishes served at restaurants specializing in preparing food from the Middle East, Japan, Thailand, India, Mexico, Ghana and beyond!
We were pleasantly surprised by the diversity of the Windsor Ontario Restaurants. You’ll find vegetarian dishes on most menus, cute cafes serving loose leaf tea and fair trade coffee, pretty outdoor patios, fresh suds poured at craft breweries and the enticing flavours from your favourite international cuisines.
Armando’s Amherstburg
421 Sandwich St S, 519-736-1736
Planning a food tour to visit the best restaurants in Windsor? There’s no better place to start then at one of the city’s famous Windsor pizzerias.
Windsor Pizza is the city’s most iconic dish and most recognized culinary creation. In September, 2022 CBC launched a documentary about the history of Windsor Pizza called The Pizza City You’ve Never Heard Of.
What local foodies today refer to as Windsor pizza can be traced back to the originator Volcano Pizzeria. In the 1950s cousins Gino Manza and Frank Gualtieri, Italian immigrants who settled in Windsor, launched the popular pizzeria. Rumour has it, Gino worked at his cousins’ pizzeria in Detroit. This is where Gino learned to make pizza dough and the decision to open a restaurant in Windsor came.
When it was first opened, the restaurant was just an Italian diner. It wasn’t until the early 1960s, when they installed four-deck pizza ovens, that they started to serve pizza. This is when the restaurant gained notoriety, and Windsor experienced a pizza boom. At its height Volcano Pizzeria had a fleet of 20 delivery vehicles, all iconic Volkswagen Beatles.
We visited one of the OG Windsor pizzerias, Armando’s in Amherstburg to chat with Dean Litster aka Professor Zaaa. He’s won Best Pizza in Canada in 2019 and 2020 at Canada wide competitions. He also competed with the Armando’s team at the Las Vegas pizza expo presenting classic Windsor style pizza and came in third place internationally, competing with chefs from all over the world.
Lister explained that a “Classic” Windsor pizza must include shredded pepperoni (allowing the eater to enjoy a little pepperoni in each bite), canned mushrooms (which ensure the shrooms don’t burn in the oven thanks to their high moisture content), locally made mozzarella by Galati Cheese, and oregano heavy red sauce. A true Windsor Pizza has its toppings added to the top of the cheese and never underneath.
The local fave called a Super is a bit more decadent and available on every authentic Windsor pizzeria menu. The puffy pies are adorned with red sauce, mozzarella, shredded pepperoni, canned mushrooms, bacon and green peppers.
If you’re a pizza obsessive and keen to eat your way, slice by slice, through Windsor’s pizza scene we suggest starting at Armando’s then popping by Arcata, Capri, Antonino’s, Amloze, and Naples.
The Parlour Ice Cream
5881 Malden Rd, 519-970-9665
So an ice cream parlour isn’t perhaps what you’d find on a traditional Windsor Restaurants list but we consider sweet and creamy scoops their own food group!
The Parlour Ice Cream first opened in June, 2020. It’s a family owned business run by the Meloche’s.
Skip inside the spacious Windsor ice cream shop and you’ll find comfy indoor seating and large chalkboards that sketch out the menu. During the warmer months of the year you can lick your cone clean while sitting on two outdoor tables.
The Parlour’s Crystal Meloche shared, “We offer 24-40 different hard ice cream flavours, vanilla, chocolate and swirled soft serve with 15 different belgian chocolate dips to choose from. We also have over 20 different toppings, specialty milkshakes, frozen yogurt, smoothies, coffee/tea, Cheesecakes Factory cheesecakes, ice cream cakes/cupcakes and ice cream cake slices!”
The Meloche family found their inspiration for the shop after visiting the Chocolate Emporium at Universal Studios in Florida. “From the crazy milkshakes to the colour scheme. We wanted to be warm and inviting. Normally you find pinks and blues and lots of colour but we wanted a farmhouse and industrial look. So we have open ceilings painted a dark black, exposed light bulbs, wood tables with black chairs and a very neutral colour on the walls. The best part of our decor is the chalk art. Our menu boards and large wall near cash have a custom chalk art design. We even incorporated our town logo on the wall,” said Crystal.
The most popular items are the Sugarrito (a cotton candy burrito stuffed with the 3 scoops of your favourite ice cream and a topping of your choice) and the Turtle Club, which is named after the local ball club in LaSalle that has been around since 1958 (vanilla soft serve, topped with belgian milk chocolate, pecans and caramel).
All of the hard ice cream products are sourced from Shaw’s, another family run business in Port Stanley near St. Thomas.
Panache
53 Pitt St E, 519-962-5233
Looking for the best Windsor restaurants for late night craft cocktails and bar bites?
Mike and Jody Stojcic first opened Panache in downtown Windsor in 2010.
Stojcic shared, “Mike was inspired to open his own space since he had put his time in at other establishments and realizing that there wasn’t a lot of options for a mature crowd to go out in the evenings. Most of downtown Windsor drew in student crowds at the time.”
Panache Windsor has two distinct sides: after the dinner crowd strollsd home the luxurious space transforms into a party vibe with DJs and bottle service.
Highlights from the Panache menu include Beef Tips with Hollandaise, Lamb Lollipops and Truffle Fries.
The Twisted Apron
1833 Wyandotte St E, 519-256-2665
Windsor’s most beloved restaurant to enjoy weekend brunch is The Twisted Apron.
The popular Windsor brunch spot is currently located in the heart of Walkerville but will be moving into the historic Strathcona Building in 2022.
Visit the restaurant on Saturday or Sunday for brunch and hop in line. The restaurant only takes reservations 2 days a year: Easter Sunday and Mother’s Day. We assure you it’s worth the wait!
Skip inside The Twisted Apron and you’ll find two spacious dining rooms featuring exposed brick walls and sky-high ceilings.
Locals love The Twisted Apron menu as it features classic American brunch dishes with a gourmet twist.
Highlights from the menu include apple, cheddar and bacon stuffed French Toast and Chicken N Waffles doused in hollandaise sauce. They’ve got plenty of omelettes and a Quinoa Pesto Bowl if you’re feeling healthy.
Penalty Box Restaurant
2151 Walker Rd, 519-253-3310
Looking for one of the most beloved Windsor restaurants? Besides Windsor Pizza, the Chicken Delight at Penalty Box Restaurant is the most famous dish unique to Windsor’s food scene.
Owners Karen and Van Niforos first opened Penalty Box Restaurant on Walker Road in 1994. The Greek restaurant gets its name from a mural near the Windsor Arena which said, “after the game everyone is in the Penalty Box!” It has been family owned and operated for over 30 years.
Skip inside the beloved Windsor restaurant and you’ll find a spacious interior with seating for 160 guests. The space is decked out in diner-style sports memorabilia mostly featuring local Windsor athletes.
While sitting by the window during the lunch hour the space quickly begins to fill up but it’s the take out line that really goes to show Windsor locals love this place. Every few seconds a truck driver or group of nurses from the nearby hospital grab a take out bag to chow down on at work during their break.
Penalty Box Restaurant’s signature dish is the Chicken Delight, a pita slathered in a secret garlic sauce, topped with seasoned grilled chicken slices, tomato and lettuce. Other popular dishes include gyro, baby back ribs and burgers.
You won’t find many other Windsor restaurants that have this many awards up to their eyeballs. Penalty Box has been praised as best take out restaurant, best chicken restaurant, and given a prestigious business excellence award.
Be sure to visit the north side of the building to appreciate the beautiful Covid mural that was painted by local artist Derkz. It gained national attention as an homage to the nurses and doctors who worked at the nearby hospital during the height of the pandemic.
Chapter Two Brewing Company
2345 Edna St, 519-915-3118
Looking for the best Windsor Restaurants for craft beer lovers?
Chapter Two Brewing first opened in March, 2018, later launching an onsite kitchen in September, 2019.
The popular craft brewery is owned by Cheryl Watson and Chris Holt. Skip inside and you’ll find a friendly taproom that can seat up to 72 guests and a seasonal outdoor patio.
The historic building was originally the maintenance shop for trains, since it is located a short distance from Windsor’s original train station.
We suggest ordering a flight of fresh craft beer paired with one of the kitchen’s signature dishes, crispy chicken wings, poutine or turkey burger.
Thai Palace Restaurant
1140 Lauzon Rd, 519-948-6161
Looking for the best Windsor Restaurants for Thai food fans?
Thai Palace Restaurant was first opened in September, 2007 by owners Renu and Charles Anderson.
Skip inside the popular Thai restaurant in Windsor and you’ll find an enchanting dining room that seats 80 people. On a sunny day ask to be seated on the intimate outdoor patio it gets ample light at sunset.
Thai Palace Restaurant was formerly a local church. While snatching slippery noodles in the dining room look up and you’ll notice you’re eating where locals on Sunday would be singing hymns on wooden pews.
The restaurant interior is decked out in art imported from Thailand such as pretty paintings and sculptures. The most eye-popping space can be found over a fireplace where you’ll find an oversized wooden buddha mask, Thai crafts and fresh flower bouquets.
Wag your finger down the Thai Palace menu and you’ll find classic Thai dishes like Green Chicken Curry, Tod Mun Pla Thai Fish Cakes, Thai Basil Fried Rice, Gai Pad Med Mamuang Thai Cashew Chicken, and Nam Tok Authentic Thai “Waterfall Beef” Salad.
The Thai menu also caters to special diets, offering classic Thai dishes for vegetarians, vegans and those following a gluten free diet. The kitchen only serves Halal meat.
KONA Sushi Tecumseh
11977 Tecumseh Rd E, 519-735-8333
Kona Sushi is one of the most popular Japanese restaurants in Windsor. The local sushi shop has 4 locations, which can be found in downtown Windsor, LaSalle, Tecumseh and Emeryville.
Eat out at Kona Sushi if you’re keen to experience Japanese food with a creative and contemporary spin.
Skip inside any of the city’s Konda Sushi locations and you’ll find a dining room decked out in Japanese art and bar stools that look over the open kitchen. It’s the perfect perch to watch local sushi chefs keeping busy slicing sashimi and wrapping fresh rolls.
The menu is distinctly North American, featuring signature sushi rolls stuffed with tangy creamy cheese or topped with deep fried pickles and American cheese.
Bento Box specials are available between 11am-3pm and include edamame, gyoza, egg rolls, spring rolls, fresh salads and miso soup.
Funky Chow
2090 Wyandotte St E lower, 226-221-9552
Funky Chow is part of Windsor’s F&B Hospitality Group, which also owns The Grand Cantina and Taloola Café.
The trendy cocktail bar and fusion Asian restaurant opened smack dab in the middle of the pandemic in April, 2021. Co-owner Rosemary Woods shared, “We opened doing takeout only as we built out our dining room and once allowed to have diners in we began offering that as well.”
The restaurant group was keen to open an Asian-inspired restaurant in Windsor’s Walkerville neighbourhood. “I’ve been to Japan twice and am jonesing to get back again. My business partner John is of Filipino descent so he has lots of recipes from his family we wanted to share,” said Woods.
Skip down the steps to Funky Chow and you’ll find a spacious bar, indoor seating for 80 and a cute outdoor patio for up to 16 guests.
Rosemary’s husband Matt owns Architectural Design Firm with a studio in Montreal and Detroit. He created and painted the back wall mural and constructed the restaurant’s beloved Instagram Cat.
Wag your finger down the Funky Chow menu and you’ll find popular dishes like Karaage Japanese fried chicken, Pork Ribs (served with Korean Gochujang or Vietnamese Fish Caramel Sauce) and pretty Boa Buns stuffed with pork belly, tempeh or pickled shiitake mushrooms.
Mezzo
804 Erie St E, 519-252-4055
Looking for the best Windsor restaurants for a fine dining Italian feast?
Filip Rocca and Darcy King first opened Mezzo in the heart of Windsor’s Little Italy neighbourhood in 2002.
Filip explained, “We always wanted to have our own restaurant and being in the industry for 10 years prior to opening, an opportunity came up in an amazing location so we jumped on it. We love hosting occasions for families, from funerals to weddings, and anything in between, it’s an amazing feeling when the public entrusts Mezzo to host their celebrations.”
The name Mezzo was set in stone after countless ideas were bounced back and forth between the two restaurateurs. Since Mezzo is located in the middle of Erie Street, “we wanted to pay homage to its location, as well as its Italian flair. The Italian word for ‘mezzo’, means middle, and/or half. We felt this name was perfect as it described our geography and our unique space, being both a restaurant and lounge,” said Filip.
Stroll into the popular Italian restaurant in Windsor and you’ll find a refined fine dining room and cocktail bar that seats over 190 guests. Mezzo’s famous for its L-shaped outdoor patio which wraps around the corner of the restaurant.
The building was an Italian Theatre in the early 1980s so has undergone major renovations over the years. “We hired Archon Architects to bring our ideas to life. The concept of Mezzo is people watching; anywhere you sit you can see through its glass, doors and windows. We have unique booths that seat 4 customers, all facing out towards the main dining room and also have a small, intentional space in them so you can see the people in the next booth. Also, we have accordion style glass doors that close off one third of Mezzo, so that guests can hold private parties,” said Filip.
The chef calls his menu “Nouveau Italian,” preparing dishes from Italy’s north and south. Highlights from the Mezzo menu include calamari, ravioli and ahi tuna.
Anchor Coffee House
543 Lincoln Rd, 519-915-0626
Looking for the best Windsor restaurants for coffee lovers?
Rachel and Kyle Bondy first opened Anchor Coffee House in January, 2013 at the former site of the Walkerville Printing Press. The coffee shop and bakery found its inspiration in the duo’s love for cafe culture, sweet baked treats and tasty coffee.
Skip inside Anchor Coffee House in Windsor’s trendy Walkerville neighbourhood and you’ll find seating inside for 20 and a small patio out front. The walls on either side of the coffee bar feature a marketplace selling high end coffee equipment, treats by local makers and a lush gallery of potted plants.
Foodies keen to support local food and drink businesses will find Steepl Tea, Willowtree Market, Wagner Orchards, Zone 6 Preserves, Serenity Lavender, and Booch Kombucha.
Anchor Coffee’s Rachel Bondy shared, “We offer a rotating list of coffees from roasters all over over Canada, including Phil & Sebastian, Monogram, Subtext, Chance Coffee and more. We make all of own syrups and tea concentrates in house from scratch.”
Pop by in the morning on a weekend and you’ll find Windsor’s hipster java junkies lined up for a frothy latte and signature Egg Sconewich. During the cool Fall and Winter months we highly recommend lunching on a warm bowl of healthy seasonal soup.
Zuleeats
2760 Howard Ave Unit 7, 519-980-6024
Looking to enjoy a taste of Africa on your Windsor Restaurants tour?
Zule Anakmah is the founder of Zuleeats, which began selling West African inspired cuisine online in September, 2020. In the Spring of 2021 the business grew at local markets and pop ups, officially opening a bricks and mortar take out restaurant in February, 2022.
Ankamah is an immigrant from Ghana, West Africa and proud mother of four. In order to support her family and be available for her daughter with a disability, Zule worked steady midnights as a table games manager at Caesars Windsor. After over 25 years, Zule found herself with free time that she could never have imagined and used it to turn her attention to her one true love, cooking.
With months of Covid lock down, Zule’s kids encouraged her to start an Instagram business. After narrowing down a number of fun food options, their favourite item seemed like a no brainer to sell, Ghanaian meat pies. From an Instagram sensation to a storefront, Zule is supported by her four children who work with her to help spread the flavours of Ghana across the Windsor culinary community.
Skip inside the take out only Windsor restaurant and you’ll find red walls (one of the colours of the Ghanaian flag), wood accents, corrugated metal and gold (all major exports of Ghana).
Zule’s daughter Celesta Ponikowski shared, “We are very proud Ghanaian’s and our goal is to bring you through a cultural experience. Through our food, we also love to educate our customers on the why. Many of our customers will tell you that we use flour chips because white potatoes are not native to Ghana.”
Meat pies are what this African restaurant in Windsor is most known for, as well as jollof rice and jalapeno cheddar chips. Peanut butter soup and fufu are often offered as menu specials.
Shanghai Bistro
2045 Wyandotte St W, 519-253-8880
Looking for the best Windsor restaurants for an authentic taste of China?
Shanghai Bistro is owned by Chester Qichang Huang (Dumpling Maker) and Tony Zhendong Chen (Head Chef).
The popular Chinese restaurant in Windsor first opened in 2017. Chester shared, “Windsor needed traditional Chinese food, not westernized Chinese food. So we brought authentic Shanghai Xiao Long Bao (soup dumplings) to the city!”
The friendly 60 seat dining room features an illustrative mural on the wall, which showcases historic scenes of rural China.
If it’s your first time visiting Shanghai Bistro in Windsor order some of their most popular dishes like Griddle Cooked Green Beans with Pork Belly, Shanghai Noodles, Spicy Crispy Chicken Szechuan Style and Sliced Pork Belly with Peppers!
Nooch Vegan Eatery
888 Erie St E, 519-916-0950
Looking for the best Windsor restaurants for a vegan comfort food feast?
Nooch Vegan Eatery opened in its current location on Erie Street East in February, 2022.
Owner Keith Uruski explained, “Plant based restaurants were difficult to find, especially back in 2018. I thought there would be a niche in the city of Windsor for a vegan comfort food restaurant. We initially opened a very small location to sort of dip our toe in the market to see if there was any interest. It was doing quite well until the pandemic hit and then we had to shift to take out.”
The popular vegan restaurant in Windsor features a spacious dining room as well as a front and backyard patio.
The restaurant is located in a historic building that dates back to the 1900s. “Before it became Nooch it was a well known restaurant called Motorburger. I liked the idea of the space going from a very meaty menu to fully plant based, sort of like an evolution,” said Uruski.
Along with the chef and kitchen manager, Uruski likes to develop dishes that you would never traditionally think to be plant based. The team get inspiration from other vegan restaurants as well as fast food joints and then put vegan twist on them.
Nooch Vegan Eatery’s signature must-try dishes include a Reuben, Gyro, and Big Mock.
WindsorEats
400 Erie St E Unit 3, 519-982-5212
WindsorEats has been in operation since 2004, showcasing Windsor Essex County as a fabulous food and drink destination while operating culinary tours, cycling tours, events, popups and festivals.
Brother and sister duo Adriano and Pina Ciotoli launched a bricks and mortar WindsorEats HQ in April, 2022.
Adriano shared, “WindsorEats is very collaboration focused and we heavily utilize other people’s establishments. The pandemic caused us to reevaluate how we operated our popups, events and tours as it caused many establishments to retreat into their shells leaving us without locations to host us. As a result, while everyone else was beginning to work remotely, after 18 years of working remotely we stayed true to walking to the beat of our own drum and opened a brick and mortar location.”
WindsorEats may just be the funnest place to dine out in the city! Skip inside and you’ll find a rainbow coloured bar and dining room that seats 50 guests. The venue really shines when you step outside as the backyard has a capacity for over 400 foodies to frolic.
The building was formerly an industrial space that housed Waffles Electric. “Throughout the interior there are little odes to the history of the building, including the original Waffle’s Electric sign still hanging and a lightning bolt on one of our beer fridges. It’s a very West Coast feel, with pastel colours and a white breeze block bar.”
The most unique thing about WindsorEats is that the chefs on site constantly change. The patio hosts several chefs/restaurants/food trucks from Thursday to Sunday, acting as food hall of sorts while also being the home to Rico Taco Mexican Street Eats and our own in-house chef. It may just be the only place in Windsor to eat authentic Birria tacos, filled with oozing cheese and tender beef.
The bar menu switches up each week, but staples like margaritas, mojitos and adult lemonades are always worthy of a sip or slurp. You’ll also find plenty of Ontario craft beer and wine.
Neros Steakhouse
377 Riverside Dr E, 1-800-991-7777
Keen to book a romantic dinner at one of the fanciest restaurants in Windsor Ontario?
After trying your luck inside the glowing casino at Caesars Windsor enjoy a meat-centric feast at the hotel’s signature steakhouse.
Ranked as Windsor’s best steakhouse, and winner of the Wine Spectator Award of Excellence for 13 years, Neros offers an elegant ambiance for a carnivorous celebration.
At Neros you’ll find modern upscale dining meets traditional American steakhouse fare. When booking a dinner reservation we suggest requesting a seat by the window, which offers beautiful sunset views overlooking the river and Detroit skyline.
The centerpiece of steakhouse is a spectacular glass-enclosed wine cellar featuring over 1,000 bottles.
At Neros beef aficionados enjoy pairing fine wine with mouthwatering steaks and fresh seafood. Highlights from the Nero’s Steakhouse menu include Escargot with Brie, Short Rib Tagine, Atlantic Lobster Tail, and juicy Angus Ribeye dipped in Blue Cheese and Parmesan Fondue.
Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market
Pelissier St. &, Maiden Ln W, 519-252-5723
At the Downtown Windsor Farmers’ Market you’ll find farm fresh fruit, vegetables, produce and unique artisan food products from the best Essex County has to offer.
The market has been running for 15 years and is located in downtown Windsor on Pelissier Street between Wyandotte and Park Streets, including Maiden Lane West.
There are typically around 70 vendors during the spring and summer months, which operates on Saturdays between May 1st and October 30th. You can visit the market between 8am and 11pm.
In the chilly winter season you’ll find over 50 vendors at Windsor Farmers’ Market, which moves to a nearby parking garage and can be enjoyed November 6 to December 13 on Saturdays between 9am and 1pm.
If you’re visiting Windsor on a weekend we highly recommend popping by on a Saturday morning to grocery shop for the week and indulge in breakfast or lunch. You’ll find vendors selling local fruits and veggies, freshly baked bread and pastries, coffee & tea, honey & preserves, and prepared foods produced by some of the city’s buzz-worthy new cooks.
For those looking to enjoy an al fresco meal at the market we recommend checking out Rasoi India Cuisine, Chlorophyll Vegan Eats, At Long Last Apps and Sawyer Craft BBQ.
Route 42 Diner
2825 County Rd 42, 519-966-5992
Looking to travel back in time while exploring the best Windsor Restaurants?
Visit Route 42 Diner and time travel back to the 50s when Elvis and Marilyn Monroe were the King and Queen of Hollywood.
Owners Paul Sauve and Darcy Zeller took over the popular Windsor diner in 2015. Skip inside and you’ll find a classic diner aesthetic including a jukebox, life-sized cutout of Jimmy Dean, vintage posters and old records dangling off the walls.
The dining room seats 100 guest and features a mix of comfy booth seating and traditional 4 tops.
Route 42 Diner is the best restaurant in Windsor to enjoy all-day-breakfast. You can also find American lunch classics like cheese fries, burgers, shakes and soda floats.
India47 Restaurant
1640 Lesperance Rd, 519-739-1947
India47 is a popular Indian restaurant in Windsor, named after the year of India’s independence.
The Windsor restaurant first opened in April, 2020 during the height of the pandemic. It has won the People’s Choice Community Votes Best Indian Restaurant in Windsor 3 years in a row, ever since they opened!
India47 Restaurant is owned by 4 friends (Paul, Andy, Nick and Ashok) who wanted to launch a high end Indian menu in the city, a divergence from the typical student-oriented fare.
The sprawling fine dining Indian restaurant features 3 chic outdoor patios as well as a cavernous interior that seats up to 140 guests. Skip through the dining room and you’ll find beautiful murals painted on the walls that depict iconic Indian monuments like the Taj Mahal in Agra and Gateway of India in Mumbai.
The strategy of India47’s chef is to be more than a butter chicken restaurant. Although it is the restaurants signature dish, “we want to share a lot more flavours and dishes than North America is used to,” said Ashok.
Highlights from the India47 menu include Chicken Tikka Masala, Samosa Chaat and a creamy tomato paneer.
Tabouli by Edy’s
1614 Lesperance Rd Unit #5, 519-979-9600
If traditional Italian food and “Windsor Pizza,” are the city’s most famous foods, Middle Eastern cuisine and shawarma restaurants come in a close second.
If you’re looking for cheap and cheerful take out local favourites include Hamoudi’s and Shawarma Palace. For a more elevated dining experience we suggest enjoying a romantic dinner at Tabouli by Edy’s.
The popular family-owned Lebanese restaurant has been serving delicious Mediterranean dishes to the Windsor community since 1995.
Skip inside Tabouli by Edy’s and you’ll find a cavernous dining room featuring floor to ceiling murals depicting otherworldly scenes from Lebanon and Turkey.
The menu features classic Lebanese fare like hummus, stuffed grape leaves, falafel, beef arayes, mutabbal, kibbeh and chicken shawarma. Dishes are served with fluffy garlic toum and perfectly puffed pita.
What’s Poppin’
1701 Wyandotte St East, 226-674-1415
What’s Poppin’ is Windsor’s first gourmet popcorn store!
The family-run snack business opened its first location and factory in December, 2020. The flagship store celebrated its grand opening in September, 2022.
What’s Poppin’s Christina Gamble shared, “The building is over 100 years old and was built as the First Bank of Canada. It is in the Walkerville neighborhood that was established by Hiram Walker in 1890. My husband was born a few houses away from our store and his father was a business owner across the street in the 60s.”
The interior has beautiful solid oak shelving and the original brick wall exposed. A favorite feature is the rolling ladder behind the large counter, which offers an old school apothecary vibe.
The Windsor popcorn shops specialty is its traditional kettle corn, which they have been selling at local festivals for over 12 years. The shops 3 most popular flavours are Kettle Corn, Movie Theatre and Dill Pickle.
The Gamble’s are always keen to celebrate other local Windsor food businesses through snack collaborations. “We like to collaborate with other local vendors at the Downtown Windsor Farmers Market. This year we offered a Black Truffle popcorn with the The Mush Hub. Sweet Heat Popcorn with local barbecue sauce maker Felipe’s Blazin BBQ,” said Christina.
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