Windmill Cafe

We were in Pella for the Tulip Festival and stopped for an early lunch at this restaurant on the square. Good that we stopped early at 11:15 because by noon the line was out the door. We seated ourselves and were immediately approached by a friendly and professional waitress. After reviewing the menu I ordered the Pella Burger and my wife ordered the fish sandwich. Both were very good. The burger came with a slice of Pella bologna which definitely added to the flavor. The meals were quickly served. They came with a small sack of potato chips. Fries were available for $3 extra. I saw the fries and I’m glad I didn’t order them as they did not appear to be anything special. All in all a good experience! I would not hesitate to come back to this place.

What a fabulous downtown restaurant, reasonably priced, great food. I had the hot roast beef sandwich, it was delicious and so tasty, my daughter ordered the grilled chicken salad, we topped off our meal with the Oreo cookie pie and a peach pie alamode. When you are in Pella, stop in for a great meal.

This was a tough one for me. Typically I only post reviews when things are exceptionally bad or exceptionally good. However, I'm here because I really wanted to enjoy this place as I love mom and pop breakfast resturants and there really isnt anything else that fills that niche in Pella. The service was fast and attentive but came off as pushy. I didnt feel as if I was welcome to dine at a leisurely pace. I was looking for a place to sit and read while I ate my food on my time. At first I thought maybe it was because the server was young and inexperienced. As I continued to sit at my table, after I had finished eating, the manager started checking in every few minutes and seemed to be hovering. The server didn't visit my table again once the hovering started. Eventually I threw a Benjamin on the table which they walked past for several minutes while I read on, only for the manager to approach, pick up one of the two tickets they had placed on my table and offer to ring me out. At that point i realized they had a counter to check out at. Then she came back and noticed the other ticket. It did not flow well even if it was supposed to be a greasey spoon counter service mom and pop. Ultimately, I cant stress enough how pushy they came off. If I were in New York, Denver, Atlanta etc and there was a line out the door waiting to be seated I would fully understand the rush. This is PELLA, IOWA. There are just north of 10,000 people living here. As someone who spent years serving when I was younger it is a delicate yet vital act to balance your service with the pace of your guest.
The food was satisfactory. Not exceptionally great, not exceptionally bad. I would argue most waffle houses make a better old-fashioned omelet. The hasbrowns were undercooked. The French toast tasted like they didn't whip cinnamon or anything extra into the egg wash. The pancakes were middle of the road as well. What really took the cake for was the fact that the menu explicitly states only one refill for fountain pop. Judging by the rest of the experience I imagine they would die on that hill. This is Murica kids. If they're really a short order with counter service I should be allowed to to guzzle down my little 8oz soda with a heafty side of bacon as many times as I darn well please. I should be able to sip coffee as long as I want and enjoy the atmosphere. I bet the old folks go to McDonald's in this town to meet for coffee in the mornings because they can't sit around and chit chat without someone trying to push them out the door.

Food is great and service is even better! Loretta is an incredible server! P.S. The ranch is perfect. 😁

it was terrible, the woman at the cashier was rude. I went with a friend, and when we went to pay the bill, the woman made me pay a portion twice. Even though I said that I had already paid for the portion, I definitely felt embarrassed and she was prejudiced.

Super friendly staff, great food, hot buffet and nice facilities...I highly recommend it!

We came from California and were in Pella dropping my son off at central College. We were checking out the town and happened upon this wonderful little cafe. Delicious food with generous portions and excellent service. We will definately be back.

Wonderful place to grab breakfast. I'm not from the Pella area, but always make sure I stop by when I'm in town. The lunch menu looks great, and I need to make an effort to get there at lunchtime.

Small Town diners are hard to beat, and The Windmill Cafe is definitely a gem. This place is what you picture when thinking of the small town diners, and that one place everyone goes to. They have a great menu, and I'm sure you cannot order a thing that isn't great! I had an omelette for breakfast, came with hash browns and toast. Great portions so that's nothing to worry about. You will get your money's worth! Also, very good service. The place was bustling, which is pretty typical of small town cafes on a Saturday morning and the staff kept up nicely. Also, check out their daily pie selections. They are something to rave about. Check out the sites in Pella, and grab a bite at The Windmill. You'll be glad you did! 👍

Never ate at the windmill cafe before. I asked the waitress what she recommended she said hot beef or hot turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy. I ordered the turkey version
when it came to the table I thought it was odd to have beef gravy on a turkey dish. It consisted of white bread deli cold cut turkey dry mashed potatoes and salty package beef gravy. I took one small bite and pushed it aside it was terrible. The waitress asked if we wanted something else and I said no thank you she replied well I have to charge you half price for the food. I replied I have to pay for something that was inedible and she said yes. I would not recommend this establishment the food was inedible and the customer service was worse.