The West Wind was founded in 1981, and quickly became a favored dining and meeting place by folks from western Wisconsin, as well as from the Twin Cities metropolitan area.   Founders Clair, Kevin, and Craig Pechacek loved the St. Croix Valley and the people who lived there, and it showed in the great service the West Wind was noted for. Today the West Wind is solely owned by Kevin Pechacek, who has brought the restaurant to another level of dining.  By employing talented Executive Chefs, the West Wind is now noted for continually changing fresh new menu choices, daily specials, a great wine selection, and improved dining atmosphere - while still honoring the long-standing West Wind traditions of friendliness, community commitment, and good value.

In 2003, a total remodeling of the West Wind was completed in the prairie/mission style featuring architecture and decor inspired by Frank Lloyd Wright. As a result, the smoke-free restaurant offers an amazingly intimate and warm, yet still open environment. Take a look at the photos on our web site, or better yet come visit us in person to see for yourself.  The West Wind restaurant and lounge is attractive, comfortable, and inviting; our passion is providing extraordinary service and excellent food, at a great value to our customers.

Meet Our Staff
The West Wind knows how important great service is to the dining experience; they pride themselves in providing prompt and friendly service.  Their dedicated and professional staff is one of the many reasons the West Wind has been so successful for over 27 years.  The dedication and commitment to customer service starts with the owner, Kevin Pechacek.  Kevin is on the premises each and every day, paying attention to all the details, knowing that what happens behind the scenes is integral to a positive customer experience

Meet the Executive Chef The West Wind is proud to introduce its new executive chef, Anthony Leone.  Tony comes to us from the popular San Pedro Cafe in Hudson, where he sharpened his skills in its kitchen.  He began his cooking career making pizzas at San Pedro while he was still at Hudson High.  He graduated to saute cook, completed the Culinary Arts course at St. Paul College, then was promoted to sous chef, then executive chef and general manager at San Pedro. Tony plans no drastic changes to The West Wind's popular menu.  "I don't want to fix something that's not broken, but we'll slant it a bit toward south of the border, while still keeping the popular comfort food items on the buffet and steaks and seafood for which this restaurant is famous."  One new item, a Tony Original, is the Margarita Shrimp Cocktail, in which jumbo shrimp are cooked in butter and lime juice.  They're draped--still warm--over the edge of a huge cocktail glass containing cool guacamole, dilled sour cream, diced cucumber, pico de gallo and the broth in which the shrimp was cooked, all surrounded by a heap of colorful tortilla chips.  M-m-m-m!. Tony's cooking philosophy is straightforward.  "Keep it simple, a dish you feel comfortable preparing, then concentrate on presentation. If the food looks good, that's half the battle."  Told that the Shrimp Margarita was hardly simple.  "It's simple for me," replied Tony, because I created it."  The young chef took up his profession because he loves the hustle and bustle of a restaurant kitchen.  "There's something new every day.  The West Wind is a bit less hectic than San Pedro, more laid back, but here we turn out a lot more food.  Thank goodness I've got an able staff-Ben, Jolene, James, Jerome and Andrew-to back me up."

King Crab Legs	Vegetable Pasta Medley	Chicken Alfredo	Prawns & Pasta

Our Community
Our River Falls roots are deep and strong. Over the years we are proud to have been a part of the community and people's lives. Throughout our restaurant and lounge you’ll see some works by great area artists. Our commitment to freshness and community means we buy produce from our local growers whenever possible. We are a regular destination for civic groups, teams, co-workers, families, and friends. We are involved in many community events, sponsor an annual charity golf tournament, and are host to a popular annual classic car show. We strive to be a good corporate citizen because we live here, too.