Canal Wigwam — Restaurant in Madison Township

The moment you walk in, you are bombarded with that classic delicious assortment of diner sounds and smells. Is that a hint of maple syrup in the air? bacon, waffle batter? And just as quickly you hear the happy sounds of chatting customers, 80s music, the sizzle of the grill.

When you step in your mind may also wander onto the timelessness of this place. A restaurant has been operated at this locations for over 120 years and since the 1940s it has been the "Gathering Place" for Canal Winchester. When you step in, you aren't just eating, but you are joining a community, a family really, of folks who have gathered here for over a century.

As I soak in the sights and sounds, I have alway been quickly seated the many times I have been here, and when the diner is packed to capacity, the staff works quickly to get you in as soon as possible.

They serve your classic diner breakfast and lunch foods and have lately been expanding into some healthier more modern options such as their excellent Avocado Toast. They have daily specials which are all excellent (all you can eat Walleye Friday is a particular favorite of mine along with the seasonal pancakes). The coffee is classic diner coffee on the smoother side, as opposed to the more bitter options some diners have. God knows I have drank enough of it to fill a pond at this point.

The Wigwam is truly the quintessential shining beacon of what a small town diner experience should be like. The owner, Teri, and her staff are fun, kind, and welcoming folks, and while Teri may tease you if you deserve it, it is all in good fun.

At the Wigwam you are more than a customer, you are family, and I can't think of any higher...

Well after going here for roughly a year now I'm finally getting around to a review. The hardest part of reviewing the Wigwam is everything good about this place has been written over and over. I just can't say enough about the place. The food is awesome. We've had probably half the menu and never a complaint. I like sitting at a table towards the rear and watching them cook my food. It's very interesting and there is some showmanship going on in there. The chef is a master of both presentation and taste quality at the grill. It's always been my opinion that you can't get real biscuits and gravy or chicken fried steak north of the Mason Dixon. WRONG!!!! The chicken fried steak here is some of the finest I've ever had. It's not my grama's but it's right there. The biscuits and gravy are proper and taste great. There's an art to making a biscuit that's light an fluffy and not heavy and uncomfortable. The Wigwam has it down to a science. I've never had a bad one. All in all if you've never been here, do your self a favor. Go and go hungry portions are good sized. Now for my favorite part, the pies. I had the good fortune of being able to buy a whole pie on one visit. I'm hooked. If you like the pie don't deprive yourself. Ask for a whole pie and it may be a few days as they are homemade by a ladies I believe is the owners daughter, and they are well worth the wait. I'm waiting for one right now. Apple crumb. Remember that. Try some or order a whole. It's heaven. We were just there yesterday but heck, it's sunday morning and I've made myself hungry. We're off to the Wigwam. Eat well folks!...

A friend and I ate recently [11-16-2023] at Canal Wigwam at 4 S. High St. in Canal Winchester, Ohio.

A group of us from Columbus had been planning to tour the Motts Military Museum [about five miles to the west in Groveport, Ohio] that same day during the early afternoon; my friend had suggested that he and I eat first at Canal Wigwam.

We missed the right turn onto N. High St. from U.S. Rte. 33 southeast [there may have been a missing sign at that intersection] so we had to go into Fairfield County and back [first on Diley Rd. and then on Hill Rd.] before reaching the parking lot for Canal Wigwam.

Entering Canal Wigwam had been like walking into the 1960s.That restaurant has been in continuous operation since 1899; it is clear that there is a lot of history there.

My food choice had been The Favorite Omelet [diced ham, mushrooms, onions, and cheese; served with home fries and toast]. That meal had been delicious and had been quite filling.

Taking photographs of the outside of the Canal Wigwam building had been challenging because the building immediately to the south [a former Chase Bank location] had been under construction and had been wrapped in blue plastic.

I remember having to press my head against the blue plastic so that would be able to be sufficiently far away from the front door of Canal Wigwam so that I would be able to include the entire front door in my photograph.

If you are in Canal Winchester and you are looking for some delicious food in a 1960s-style diner, I strongly recommend...