Forget what you think you know about Windsor’s “popular” spots. Our data dive revealed some shocking truths about who’s really winning the local restaurant game. Some of your favourite places aren’t even in the top 100 (yikes!), while some hidden gems are absolutely dominating online.
Before we reveal the rankings, a quick note: We left out the big national chains (sorry, East Side Mario’s 👋) and focused purely on local spots and regional chains. Why? Because we’re all about keeping it real with actual Windsor-Essex data.
👉 Want to know how we got all this data? Check out our methodology at the end of the article! 🤓
Ready to see who made the cut? Let’s dig in! 🍽️
The Local Champions 👑
Find out which restaurants get the most website visitors in each Windsor-Essex city. We’ve ranked the top performers based on monthly traffic to show who’s really winning online.
Windsor
Penalty Box and Capri’s traffic volume is for all their locations*
| 🏆 Rank | 📍 Restaurant | 📲 Traffic /mo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🥇 South Windsor’s Penalty Box | 2,366 |
| 2 | 🥈 Capri Pizzeria | 1,895 |
| 3 | 🥉 Gladstone Commons | 1,016 |
| 4 | Sofos Greek Restaurant | 843 |
| 5 | Harbour House Waterfront Eatery | 746 |
| 6 | Cucina 360 | 710 |
| 7 | Amloze Pizza | 707 |
| 8 | The Mini Restaurant | 662 |
| 9 | The Grand Cantina | 577 |
| 10 | Fogolar Furlan Windsor | 435 |
Tecumseh
Naples, Antonino’s, and Kona’s traffic volume is for all their locations*
| 🏆 Rank | 📍 Restaurant | 📲 Traffic /mo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🥇 Basha’s Shawarma | 2,024 |
| 2 | 🥈 Naples Pizza | 224 |
| 3 | 🥉 Fong’s Villa | 180 |
| 4 | Kona Sushi – Tecumseh | 170 |
| 5 | Johnny Shotz | 158 |
| 6 | Antonino’s Original Pizza—Tecumseh | 158 |
| 7 | El Patron Mexican Grill | 61 |
| 8 | Capital City Pizza Co. | 19 |
| 9 | Casa Miro | 8 |
| 10 | Hi-Ho Diner | 8 |
Amherstburg
| 🏆 Rank | 📍 Restaurant | 📲 Traffic /mo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🥇 The Meal Prep Company | 247 |
| 2 | 🥈 Craves Poutinerie – Amherstburg | 210 |
| 3 | 🥉 The Salty Dog | 190 |
| 4 | Pointe West Golf Club | 159 |
| 5 | Bull’s Eye Pizza Amherstburg | 92 |
| 6 | Pepper Cat | 84 |
| 7 | Royal Sushi House | 58 |
| 8 | Gilligan’s Fire Grill Amherstburg | 46 |
| 9 | Hole In The Wall | 38 |
| 10 | Ure’s Country Kitchen | 27 |
Leamington
Antonino’s Original Pizza & Gyros and More’s traffic volume is for all their locations*
| 🏆 Rank | 📍 Restaurant | 📲 Traffic /mo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🥇 Imperial Diner Leamington | 317 |
| 2 | 🥈 Gyros and More | 114 |
| 3 | 🥉 Antonino’s Original Pizza— Leamington | 112 |
| 4 | Taqueria Ajua (BEST TACOS IN TOWN) | 281 |
| 5 | La Toxica Mexican food | 37 |
| 6 | Pho Saigon Restaurant | 283 |
| 7 | Freddy’s Restaurant | 901 |
| 8 | Oven 360 Leamington | 280 |
| 9 | Hot Tacos Mexican | 501 |
| 10 | Hot Tacos Street Food | 23 |
Kingsville
Capri Pizzeria & Bar-B-Q traffic volume is for all their locations*
| 🏆 Rank | 📍 Restaurant | 📲 Traffic /mo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🥇 Capri Pizzeria & Bar-B-Q | 1,895 |
| 2 | 🥈 El Diablo | 361 |
| 3 | 🥉 Koi Sushi Kingsville | 186 |
| 4 | 50’s Diner | 185 |
| 5 | The Grove Brewing Company | 124 |
| 6 | Thompson Manor Steak and Seafood | 123 |
| 7 | Beach House Grill | 46 |
| 8 | Mettawas Station Mediterranean | 35 |
| 9 | Cindy’s Home & Garden | 20 |
| 10 | Elite Restaurant | 13 |
Essex
Many restaurants in Essex do not have a website.*
Armando’s Pizza traffic volume is for all their locations*
| 🏆 Rank | 📍 Restaurant | 📲 Traffic /mo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🥇 Armando’s Pizza – Essex | 272 |
| 2 | 🥈 Original Michigan Diner | 127 |
| 3 | 🥉 Billys Taphouse | 1 |
| 3 | 🥉 Shine Hospitality Inc. | 1 |
Lakeshore
| 🏆 Rank | 📍 Restaurant | 📲 Traffic /mo |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🥇 Armando’s Pizza – Belle River | 272 |
| 2 | 🥈 Parkside Grille at Rochester Place Golf Club & Resort | 261 |
| 3 | 🥉 Pizza House | 232 |
| 4 | Kona Sushi – Lakeshore | 170 |
| 5 | The GOAT – Tap & Eatery | 135 |
| 6 | Oven 360 Emeryville | 71 |
| 7 | Casa Mia Ristorante | 42 |
| 8 | Twigg’s Bar & Grill | 25 |
| 9 | Lakeshore Punjabi Bazaar | 9 |
| 10 | Green Nest Restaurant | 4 |
Most Popular Cuisine Types in Windsor-Essex 🍱
| 🥰 Cuisine | 📍 Restaurants | ⭐️ Rating | ✍️ Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇🍔 American | 89 | 4.4 | 37,102 |
| 🥈🍜 Asian | 81 | 4.3 | 26,604 |
| 🥉🍻 Bars & Social Venues | 72 | 4.4 | 38,965 |
| 🍕 Pizza | 69 | 4.4 | 18,774 |
| 🕌 Middle Eastern & African | 60 | 4.4 | 21,719 |
| 🪷 Indian & South Asian | 47 | 4.4 | 22,193 |
| ☕ Breakfast & Cafes | 38 | 4.5 | 11,480 |
| 🍟 Fast Food & Takeout | 37 | 4.5 | 6,787 |
| 🌮 Latin & South American | 36 | 4.5 | 8,350 |
| ✈️ European | 31 | 4.5 | 16,213 |
| 🥙 Mediterranean | 24 | 4.5 | 8,261 |
| 🥤 Beverages & Snacks | 24 | 4.6 | 6,364 |
| 🌏 Specialty & International | 14 | 4.6 | 1,577 |
| 🐟 Seafood | 14 | 4.3 | 5,088 |
| 🏢 Venue & Event Spaces | 13 | 4.5 | 2,250 |
| 🍰 Bakery & Desserts | 8 | 4.6 | 4,079 |
| 🥗 Vegetarian & Healthy | 8 | 4.7 | 1,647 |
Review Reality Check ⭐
Alright, time to see what Windsor-Essex really thinks about its restaurants! 🍽️ We dove into thousands of Google reviews (yeah, we’re that nerdy 🤓) to see who’s getting the love and who’s… well, getting the feedback they probably didn’t want to frame on their wall. From “WOW BEST FOOD EVER!!!! 😍” to “my dog wouldn’t even eat this 🐶”, here’s how our local spots stack up.
The Review Titans 👑
Top 10 most reviewed restaurants across Windsor-Essex.
| Restaurant 📍 | Rating ⭐️ | Reviews ✍️ |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 The Loose Goose (Ouellette Location) | 4.5 | 2,522 |
| 🥈 Jose’s Bar & Grill | 4.3 | 2,443 |
| 🥉 Athidhi Indian Restaurant | 4.5 | 2,398 |
| Dairy Freez | 4.6 | 2,388 |
| Windsor’s Penalty Box | 4.5 | 2,167 |
| The Lumberjack | 4.2 | 2,131 |
| Spago | 4.7 | 2,050 |
| Taka Japanese Sushi and Thai Food | 3.9 | 1,861 |
| India Paradise – Windsor Indian | 4 | 1,765 |
| Spago South Windsor | 4.5 | 1,732 |
How Windsor-Essex Rates its Restaurants 📊
Fun fact: Our only 2-star restaurant is Cafe 377 @ Caesars. But we’re pretty sure those reviews came right after someone’s poker face failed them or the slots suprisingly didn’t hit 🎰😭
| Review Rating ✨ | Restaurant Totals 📈 |
|---|---|
| 5-Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 34 |
| 4-Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 576 |
| 3-Star ⭐️⭐️⭐️ | 43 |
| 2-Star ⭐️⭐️ | 1 |
| 1-Star ⭐️ | 0 |
Windsor Restaurants Yet to Go Digital 🤷🏼♂️
Ready for a shocking stat? A whopping 37% of Windsor-Essex restaurants STILL DON’T HAVE A WEBSITE IN 2024! That’s right—246 local restaurants are missing out on the digital game. In today’s world where 85% of diners check the menu online before choosing where to eat, that’s like having an “invisible” restaurant!
And here’s the kicker: restaurants with a strong online presence see a serious boost in revenue. Even a half-star improvement in online ratings can increase revenues by 5-9%!
So no, your Facebook page from 2018 doesn’t count as a website (you aren’t fooling anyone 🤡). With over a third of Windsor restaurants still offline, there’s a whole lot of money being left on the table!
By The Numbers:
🚫 No Website: 246 restaurants (37%)
💻 With Website: 419 restaurants (63%)*Quick note: We use the term “website” loosely here. While we didn’t personally visit all 700+ sites (we like our eyes un-melted, thank you), many websites lead to a web designer’s favourite friend… Error 404 – Page Not Found. 🏺💀 TLDR – the number is much higher than 37%.
The Most Delicious Streets in Windsor-Essex 🚗
Ever notice how some streets just seem to have ALL the restaurants? We mapped out every food spot in Windsor-Essex to find our region’s true foodie streets.
Let’s break down Windsor-Essex’s tastiest streets…
Who’s Got The Most Stars? ⭐
Look who’s leading the pack in customer satisfaction! Ottawa Street and Howard Avenue are tied (if you get want to get granular technically Ottawa has higher decimal points) for the highest-rated restaurant scenes (4.6 stars). Not too shabby!
But what’s really impressive? The sheer number of reviews on Wyandotte Street—over 32,000 people have shared their opinions about their dining experiences there. That’s a lot of food critics! 🍽️
| 🚏 Street | 📍 Restaurants | ⭐️ Rating | ✍️ Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Ottawa St | 18 | 4.6 | 8,566 |
| 🥈Howard Ave | 19 | 4.6 | 10,561 |
| 🥉 Erie St (Windsor) | 20 | 4.5 | 9,158 |
| Talbot St | 42 | 4.5 | 7,594 |
| Erie St (Leamington) | 19 | 4.5 | 4,794 |
| Wyandotte St | 75 | 4.4 | 32,124 |
| University Ave | 22 | 4.4 | 9,542 |
| Tecumseh Rd | 78 | 4.4 | 29,487 |
| Dougall Ave | 25 | 4.4 | 12,270 |
| Ouellette Ave | 22 | 4.2 | 10,053 |
The Traffic Champions 👀
When it comes to actual website visitors, Tecumseh Road is the undisputed champion with 4,000 monthly visits to its restaurants’ websites.
But here’s the shocking part: Talbot Street, with its 42 restaurants, has 64% of spots without a website 🤮! That’s like having a restaurant with no front door—how are people supposed to get in? 🤔
| 🚏 Street | 📲 Traffic /mo | 😢 % Missing a Site |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Tecumseh Rd | 4,000 | 25% |
| 🥈 Wyandotte St | 2,900 | 36% |
| 🥉 Dougall Ave | 1,900 | 36% |
| Talbot St | 800 | 64% ☠️ |
| University Ave | 800 | 50% |
| Ottawa St | 700 | 33% |
| Erie St (Leamington) | 700 | 30% |
| Ouellette Ave | 700 | 45% |
| Howard Ave | 500 | 26% |
| Erie St (Windsor) | 500 | 30% |
Windsor’s Biggest Restaurant Chains 🌟
| 🏆 Rank | 📍 Restaurants | 🗺️ Locations | 📲 Traffic /mo |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 🥇 Naples Pizza | 16 | 224 |
| 2 | 🥈 Armando’s Pizza | 10 | 280 |
| 3 | 🥉 Capri Pizza | 10 | 1,895 |
| 4 | Gyros and More | 8 | 182 |
| 5 | Oven 360 | 6 | 71 |
| 6 | Antonino’s Original Pizza | 5 | 160 |
| 7 | BullsEye Pizza | 5 | 100 |
| 8 | Kona Sushi | 4 | 170 |
| 9 | The Bourbon Tap & Grill | 3 | 23 |
| 10 | Loose Goose | 3 | 182 |
Mapping Windsor’s Restaurant Scene 📊
Rating Our Cities ⭐
Let’s settle the age-old debate of which Windsor-Essex city has the best food scene! Kingsville’s coming in hot with the highest average rating at 4.52 stars. Maybe there’s something in the wine out there? 🍷
Leamington, Tecumseh, and Amherstburg are in a three-way tie at 4.48 stars—we’re sensing a friendly rivalry here! Though with nearly 180,000 reviews, Windsor residents definitely have the most to say about their food. Chatty bunch, aren’t we? 😅
| 🥰 City | 📍 Restaurants | ⭐️ Rating | ✍️ Reviews |
|---|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Kingsville | 32 | 4.52 | 11,911 |
| 🥈 Leamington | 64 | 4.48 | 12,740 |
| 🥉 Tecumseh | 22 | 4.48 | 7,243 |
| Amherstburg | 32 | 4.48 | 7,142 |
| Essex | 22 | 4.46 | 4,391 |
| Lakeshore | 29 | 4.45 | 7,452 |
| Windsor | 434 | 4.41 | 179,839 |
Which City is Driving the Most Traffic 👨💻
Windsor’s flexing with almost 25,000 monthly website visitors, while Essex… well, with 72% of restaurants missing websites, they’re really committing to that small-town charm! 😅 Meanwhile, Tecumseh and Kingsville are neck-and-neck in the digital race (about 3,000 visitors each), but Kingsville’s doing it with more restaurants offline—now that’s efficiency!
| 🥰 City | 📲 Traffic /mo | 😢 % Missing a Site |
|---|---|---|
| 🥇 Windsor | 24,897 | 34% |
| 🥈 Tecumseh | 3,010 | 32% |
| 🥉 Kingsville | 3,001 | 38% |
| Leamington | 1,472 | 52% |
| Lakeshore | 1,221 | 52% |
| Amherstburg | 1197 | 28% |
| Essex | 401 | 72% |
If You Own a Restaurant (Keep Reading 📖)
Listen, we get it. Running a restaurant is hard enough without worrying about the digital stuff. You’re busy making amazing food, managing staff, and keeping customers happy. But here’s the thing—your online presence (or lack of it) could be costing you more than you think.
The Numbers Don’t Lie 📊
- 85% of diners check menus online before choosing where to eat
- A better online presence can boost revenue by 5-9%
- Over 1/3 of Windsor restaurants are invisible online
- Your local competitors are getting thousands of website visitors monthly
Here’s Where We Come In 🚀 We’re launching something special for Windsor-Essex restaurants: One-page websites that actually work. We’re talking:
- Live in under 7 days
- Built for mobile (because that’s how people search nowadays)
- Easy to update (menu changes? No problem!)
- Analytics dashboard to track your success
- Automatic social media and review integration
- Smart automation to handle customer questions 24/7 (coming soon!)
- Newsletter campaigns that actually get opened (coming soon!)
👉 Set up a call with Tim to get started + a free coffee (let someone else serve you for a change ☕️)
The best part? No huge upfront costs. We’re offering simple monthly payments because we know restaurants need their cash flow for, you know, actual food. 🍝
Stay in the Loop! 📫 Want to know what’s next in Windsor’s restaurant scene? Subscribe to locally invested newsletter:
- Monthly data insights about Windsor restaurants
- New feature announcements (cool stuff coming! 👀)
- Digital marketing tips that actually work
- And yes, probably some food puns (we can’t help ourselves)
FREE Restaurant Insights Specific to WINDSOR-ESSEX 👇
Methodology & Notes (The Really Exciti… pa..r….😴💤)
Wondering how we got all this juicy data?
Here’s a peek behind the curtain (warning: it’s pretty nerdy! 🤓).
How We Did It:
- Data Collection 🤖
- Scraped Google Business Profiles across Windsor-Essex
- Searched every city, neighborhood, and “restaurants near me”
- Used AI and language models to help categorize everything
- Traffic Analysis 📊
- Ran website URLs through ahrefs (fancy SEO tool)
- Analyzed traffic patterns and trends
- Combined data in good ol’ Google Sheets
- Quality Control ✨
- Manual checks for accuracy
- Removal of giant chains and non-Windsor-Essex businesses
- Fixed restaurant categorization (fun fact: many restaurants just list themselves as “restaurant” instead of their actual cuisine type—not great for SEO, folks!)
- Cross-referenced data points
Important Notes:
- Traffic numbers typically underestimate actual visitors (especially for newer restaurants)
- Some restaurants might have slipped through our digital net (sorry we aren’t perfect 😮💨)
- If we missed a restaurant and you think you might impact the rankings. Tell us – we’ll add it!
- Data is best used for comparing restaurants rather than exact traffic numbers
- Website traffic doesn’t include social media or Google Business Profile clicks
Think of this like a restaurant ranking system—it’s not perfect, but it gives us a pretty good idea of who’s cooking up the most interest online!
