The Wait is Over: Carlsbad’s Newest Hot Spot

Over a year in the making… and the doors are finally open! Carlsbad’s famous Windmill has a new look, and if you think the outside looks better than it did before, you have to see what’s going on inside!  The very first thing that greets you at the front doors is a fun Snoopy mural that says, “never be afraid to reinvent yourself,” and that is just what the owners of the famous Windmill did!

We have been waiting for this fun filled food hall to open so of course, with our office being up the street, we made a quick dash over there for a lunch break to check it out!  It was hard to leave the amazing experience filled with entertainment from all sensories, but we left with full bellies, bright smiles and huge applause!

The 12,000-square-foot adult/family playground is full of family fun and yums! Every corner you turn offers a completely different vibe, allowing you to choose exactly what you want to experience. Start with Brazillian coffee from the Mesteeso counter and grab one of the giant comfy chairs in the library, move on to some delicious Belgian truffle fries from The Fry Fix and toss a few hoops of basketball on your lunch hour.  Or choose a perfect Friday night happy hour and belly up to the huge indoor/outdoor bar with a wide variety of drinks & cocktails to wet your pallet.

The food hall occupies the bottom floor of the two-story building right off the 5 fwy in Carlsbad. If you have been in the area for a while, you are familiar with the large wood-frame structure and infamous Windmill that was built in 1982, and has been home to a few different names over the years. With high anticipation, the Windmill Food Hall (WFH) is finally open and offers 14 different food vendor booths, each very different in design, décor, and taste. All places were hand-picked out of San Diego’s local farmer’s markets and festivals, by owner James Markham and his family. If you’ve never been to a food hall before, think of it as a large mall food court, on steroids. WFH has a variety of amazing and quality food offerings, including everything from Thai food to street tacos, sushi, gourmet burgers and all food in between. There is something for everyone which makes it a perfect gathering spot to eat, drink and play!  Combined with great food, WFH also pairs with good people, good vibes, exclusive drinks, creative craft cocktails, and a ton of unique furniture that is fun for photo ops. Some even offer a good laugh with their snarky quotes like the belly bar tables that greet you with funny sayings such as “education is important, but wine is importaner,” LOL! The food hall is also scattered with entertaining games for all ages like Skee-Ball, corn hole, basketball toss and more.  

Every corner you turn makes you feel like you are in a completely different experience. WFH brings together elements of all moments in time, you will see beautiful murals on the walls, craftsman tool boxes behind bars, antique newspaper imprinted on skee-ball games, old doors repurposed and used as dining tables, walls and tables covered in comical pop art graphics and so much more. In fact, one vendor’s entire business even takes place inside a full-size shipping container situated in the building. This is not your typical cookie-cutter dining experience, every turn offers a feast for your eyes and senses! 

We highly recommend checking out the new WFH!  Meet up with friends, take the family or plan your next party there – you won’t be disappointed.  Everyone will leave happy and ready to plan their next outing at WFH. We know we will definitely be back for more – who is joining us next time!? 🙂

Fun Fact: The fan blades on the large iconic windmill outside the facility had not spun in over 10 years! Until WFH opened, of course. He made sure to restore the engine so the windmill could spin proudly, and word on the streets is that they will soon be adding lights to the fan in the coming months.

Vendors:

The Poke Stand @thepokestand

The Fry Fix @thefryfix

Thai Style @thaistyle_kitchen

RJ’s Sizzlin’ Steer @rjssizzlinsteer

Mesteeso Brazilian Coffee Co. @mesteeso

Notorious Burgers @notoriousslidersandsalads

Lobster West @lobsterwest

Friend’s House @friendshouse.convoy

El Puerto Street Tacos @elpuertowindmill

Cross Street Chicken and Beer @crossstreetcnb

Bread & Cheese Eatery @breadandcheeseeatery

Bing Haus Desserts @binghaus.sd

District 1 Pho 

DoughBalls 

Events:

Free Live Music Every Thursday Starting 6pm

Yoga & Mimosa Mornings – Every Sunday at 9am

@TheWindmillFoodHall

Hours: 7 a.m. daily for coffee, pastries and breakfast burritos. Food booth hours are 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. The bar and some food booths will be open until midnight.

Where: 890 Palomar Airport Road, Carlsbad CA 92011

Phone: (442) 287-8485

Online: windmillfoodhall.com