Windsor Pub
 Akron, Ohio        Date of Visit  05/10/12       Facebook Page 

After our second and last unsuccessful attempt to try Pudgies Eatery during their “business” hours, I remembered a sign which stuck in my memory in front of a pub right up the road. I couldn’t remember the name of the place but I did remember the sign. It makes a bold statement, especially with Louie’s right up the street. The sign is still there and the place is actually open so we sauntered inside.
 

One Bold Statement
 

We were greeted by the thumping of 80’s music and the acrid smell of disinfectant. We slid into a booth and were quickly approached by a young lady who looked like a shorter Hailey Dunphy from Modern Family. She did pretty well but I have a feeling, after looking at the patrons, most of her tips come from lecherous and inebriated old men instead of her skills on the floor. Given the sign we were definitely getting a burger. We also ordered a half dozen wings and the Friday fish dinner special.

The wings were fine but the sauce could have used a bit more kick and they certainly could have been elevated by the distinctive breading found on those at Louie’s. The Windsor doesn’t claim to have the best wings though, the burger was the claim. The fish was mediocre. It had a light smell of ammonia but not so much it couldn’t be titrated by a few dashes of vinegar. The fries were pretty good and the cole slaw was fine. Not bad for a place that obviously makes its bank around the enormous bar.
 

After perusing the menu I chose a burger called the Big Bill. A three quarter pound monster topped with lettuce, tomato, bleu cheese dressing and hot sauce all surrounded by a Kaiser roll. I also upgraded from chips to the Windsor Chips which are breaded and fried to be served with some sour cream. The chips were really pretty tasty, Hailey had suggested as much, if you’re from the Akron area imagine large coin shaped jojos and you have the idea. The burger was actually pretty good and did evidence some effort at standing out.
 

The beef is a pretty course grind giving it some texture and had been seasoned with something (soy or worcestershire maybe) which gave it a dark hue and earthiness. It was also the first hot sauce/bleu cheese dressing combo which worked pretty well. It would have been better if the hot sauce stood out a little more. Truth be told it is certainly not the best burger in the world, it’s not the best in the country, the city or even on the street. Louie’s has them beat hands down except for the potatoes.

It is better than you would expect at a place most people are just swinging through to enjoy a couple cases of cheap beer to forget about their crappy lives. They could get away with serving something a lot worse. I was much more surprised to find it wasn’t bad than I was to find it wasn’t the best in the world. No surprise there. The place really started filling up as we got ready to leave. Almost everyone was sitting at the bar. The burger is probably oversold and underappreciated.