Breakfast at Windhill Pancake Parlor in McHenry Illinois: Eating Out in Chicagoland

Windhill Pancake Parlor is a charming restaurant in McHenry, Illinois, about 35 miles far northwest of the City of Chicago. McHenry is near The Chain of Lakes, which is a popular water recreation area in the Chicagoland area. Recently we ate breakfast at Windhill. This article is a review of Windhill Pancake Parlor.

Windhill Pancake Parlor is a breakfast and lunch restaurant. They are open daily from 7 am to 3 pm. They also open on Friday nights, but that is the only evening they are open.

Windhill Pancake Parlor is on Route 120 (Elm Street), in downtown McHenry. The restaurant is located in a building that dates back to the turn of the twentieth century. There is a brief history of the building and restaurant on the menu cover. In 1934 the building was turned into Holly's Filling Station and Ice Cream House. Holly's hired a waitress who eventually purchased the business. In 1977 the building was turned into a pancake house. The family that purchased the restaurant is still running it, although one of the daughters purchased the pancake house from her parents in 2004.

The restaurant is situated on a corner lot, just west of the bridge that crosses the Fox River. There are a few decorations and flowers in front of the restaurant. We walked up a few stairs into the building. There is a foyer area at the entry. When we opened the door into the restaurant we were delighted with the charming decor.

The owners of Windhill Pancake Parlor love antiques and display their collection proudly. The walls of the restaurant were covered with antique cups and saucers, decorative plates and memorabilia. The decorations always look clean and I have wondered how much work it must take to keep them that way. The pictures and mementos are grouped and categorized. There is a table with "Wizard of Oz," pictures and plates hanging next to in. Across the way is a table with a Shirley Temple theme. There is a fireplace mantle in front of a large shining mirror. On the mantle is a large model of a sailing ship.

The owners seem to take great pleasure in decorating for holidays, particularly Christmas, when the restaurant looks amazing.