Windsor — Restaurant in Phoenix

Dear management, We were there on day one, literally. We walked in on the soft opening and we’re hooked. The vibe, the food, the staff were all amazing. We went back ever single Friday for date night for years until the pandemic hit in 2020. We loved the service especially and we had our favorite menu items that we ordered regularly.

Now this. Post pandemic. I get it. It’s hard, there aren’t enough people to hire and work. But you have agency over your training and management style. The cool culture of great staff members is gone. (I’ve been noticing for a while) How does one do that? Wreck a culture. I’m sure there’s a book.

My experience last night was terrible. It started off well with friendly service from Rob, then he left and it went downhill from there. Sitting at the bar we expect good service because we are front and center to 3-4 individuals behind the bar. Last night, we were ignored the ENTIRE time. At one point (when our plates were finished and our water and wine glasses were empty for over 5 minutes, maybe 10) the bar back comes over without a look or a word picks up our wine bottle, shakes it to see if it’s empty, then upon discovering there was a glass or so left set it back down and walked away (Please reread that last sentence). I was astonished. Never in my 50 years of going out to dinner has a server expressed that behavior. Then, I finally got so annoyed looking at our finished plates that I piled them up off to the side and the clamor of the silverware finally got attention of the guy 2 feet away.

I do not blame the staff. They are understaffed (I imagine), tired and untrained in the finer points of hospitality (from Websters: the friendly and generous reception and entertainment of guests, visitors, or strangers.)

Ever since Upward Projects took on outside funding to expand into other markets, the focus has been outward. It appears to be all about making money (Don’t get me started on the shortcuts to the menu.) Now the culture and food in the restaurant I loved has been diluted to the level of watered down ice tea. Unpalatable.

So this is what the Windsor has come to. Where did the “people” go? You have live bodies running around serving food. We used to have a chat with the servers. They used to know our names, and ask if they didn’t. And they surely were paying enough attention to refill our water glasses, wine glasses, and clear our plates when we were finished. They smiled, paid attention, and served us with hospitality. You have a number of old-school servers still around and I am sad to say they seem like a dying breed.

I don’t expect much to come from this review, but I am so disappointed with what has become of this amazing group of restaurants that I just had to say something. Maybe someone in management will read this and maybe someone can do something about it. Or, maybe this is part of the new Upward Projects strategy.

If you’ve never been to the Windsor before I’m sorry that you’ve missed out on the great family experience that was once...

My bf took me here for the first time and everything was perfect except for the lemonade vodka drink that I ordered. It was super strong that I only took 2 sips. I didn't want to say anything to the bartender because she was very busy and she was dropping all kinds of stuff in the back. More than that drink dilemma with the bartender., I can honestly say that the place....this awesome place enticed me with it's contemporary/modern/eccentric style and unique food concept. Where we started was the dine&wine area... Which was pretty neat... The ambience was soothing and diversed. I love the menu. I literally took more than half an hour todecide what I really wanted to eat... The menu was so inter-continental which I freaking love. You don't get to see a lot of that anywhere.

I love love lovvvveeeeeeeeee the burger that I ordered. I loved the marinade on my grilled chicken. It kinda reminded me of the BBQ chicken we had at home in the islands of the Philippines. The bread was so moist and buttery. It was full of flavor and I also tried my boyfriend's order I love the pesto and fish combination in one plate. We loved the presentation and the amount of food in the plates... #COMPLIMENTSTOTHECHEFS

WE also, enjoyed the other side of the establishment. CHURN was honestly the "cherry on the top'' of that place. The vintage candies and style of the "SWEET STOP" was perfect. I had hot chocolate and my bf had the apple float. The hot coco was so good I wished I ordered 2 😂 and the apple float was very new to my taste buds BUT!?! I enjoyed it... We questioned the dairy if it was gelato and if it was....then that was a genius mix. I just hope that they take it easy on the cinnamon powder next time... It is a strong component and it easily over powered the other flavors of that cool beverage. More than that .. BRAVO!

I will come back to this place over and over again... For that, thank you for the wonderful first experience. I have love for this beautiful establishment...♥️♥️♥️♥️♥️

I wish I took better pictures but I didn't want to make anybody feel uncomfortable around with my bright camera flash lol but I promise you...the food is wayyyyyy better than this picture.....

Windsor is located conveniently near Central and Camelback Ave in midtown Phoenix, a great choice for our Sunday brunch outing. Arriving at around 11am on Sunday, there were already people waiting in line.

One of the highlights of Windsor is its beautiful and serene backyard, filled with lush greenery and a refreshing mist. It provided the perfect setting for our family, and we were fortunate enough to secure a private corner sofa where we could comfortably accommodate our three children.

We ordered a variety of dishes. The Windsor Egg Benedict with lox and spinach was a standout. The eggs were impeccably fresh, and the combination of the runny yolks on two perfectly toasted muffins was a delight for both the eyes and the taste buds. The vibrant colors of bright yellow and cozy pink added to the overall appeal of the dish and brought a sense of joy and happiness.

Another standout was the Southern Style Sausage & Gravy. Although I'm not typically a fan of sausage, this one impressed me. It was fresh and had just the right amount of seasoning without being overly salty. The flavors blended harmoniously, making it a satisfying and savory choice.

The portion sizes of kids' meals were generous, and the combination of freshly baked fish fillet, orange slices, grapes, and mac and cheese provided a balanced and wholesome meal. Our children thoroughly enjoyed every bite.

Customers were offered the option to order the well-known Churn ice cream right from the table. We opted to visit the adjacent Churn ice cream shop this time to let our kids pick and choose their flavors

Our server, Jacob, was exceptional. Despite the challenges that come with dining out with three young children, Jacob remained calm, patient, and attentive throughout our meal. He periodically checked on us to ensure we had everything we needed, and his friendly demeanor made our experience joyful and memorable. It was evident that Jacob took pride in his 11-year tenure at Windsor and genuinely enjoyed serving customers, spreading happiness...