West End Restaurant

I love West End! I’ve been going here since I was five and I know some of the waitresses by name. I love how they always have something for everyone and they are always willing to take off the onions since my stomach can’t handle them. I love the food and atmosphere. I definitely recommend this place to everyone!

I decided to give West End another try recently. A friend and I ordered basket meals this time. I made sure to avoid the house salad this go around since I didn’t want a bowl of prepackaged lettuce mix. We did get an order of broccoli bites and they were okay but not worth the price.
My friend ordered the 2 piece fish basket and didn’t eat most of the fish. She was expecting «West End“‘fish and this did not deliver. I don’t know if you have to order the cod to get that type of fish, but this wasn’t good. The breading seemed mealy and the flavor of the fish wasn’t what I’d come to expect from this restaurant. It just tasted wrong as if it had freezer burn or something.
I ordered the grilled chicken basket. One piece– I ended up putting it on the small dinner roll to eat as it was so small and dry. Nothing more than GFS chicken and not at all matching the menu description.
The waitress was better this time around and when she did check on us; was very attentive. Getting her attention took some time when she was busy visiting with a friend who had come in to eat– but overall– she was great compared to last visit.
Was this second chance enough to make me come back to West End? No. If I want food and service that this restaurant used to provide I guess I’ll need to go to Nine Mile. This is a shame to me. I grew up eating at West End and when I didn’t live here the first thing I wanted was chicken or a tenderloin from West End. Sometimes we’d come here right after the airport.
Sadly, those days are over and I hate that I can’t pass on what used to be a family place-​my grandparents introduced me-​to my own children.

So I work in Decatur and alot of the locals brag about this place. So I gave it a shot. I ordered their fish basket and it was the absolute worst tasting fried fish I have ever had. It was really doughy and just had a really nasty taste. I can’t speak for the other meals on the menu but that meal was the worst 1^st impression for a new potential customer and I wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone

I happened across this place quite by accident, and I am glad I did! I would describe the West End as a typical small down café or diner. They have one exposed brick wall with photos which is nice. Staff is friendly and courteous. I always visit the restroom to see how clean they are — because in my mind if they restrooms are dirty the kitchen is also. What I found was a spotless restroom with ample room for the disabled to maneuver.
Their onion rings are delicious, battered just right, and crisp. They could improve upon the flavor, however, by using sweet onions or Vidallia onions. Also the addition of dipping sauce, perhaps with a Ranch dressing or horseradish base.
Chicken gizzard basket was excellent! The gizzards were soft and tender, and not overcooked which is the norm at some places. The batter was light and herbed. Definately recommend if you are a fan of chicken gizzards. The basket is served with a side unremarkable crinkle-​cut fries.
The boneless chicken wings are really chicken nuggets, and are offered with a variety of sauces. The Teriyaki was traditional and reliable in flavor. The Caribbean Jerk was awesome and contained a mixture of spices that set the sauce off perfectly. The Mango Heat was an unexpected treat, and light on the heat. Parmesan Garlic was mediocre, as it was drowned in butter and parmesan; would ask for them to go ‘light’ on the sauce next time so they aren’t so wet. I also enjoyed the Asian Garlic, which also is a traditional sauce at chain restaurants; it was predictable and tasty.
The Butterscotch Pie was delicious, as was the more traditional Pecan Pie.
Prices on everything is very reasonable. A simple dinner costs between $ 10-​$ 15 with deserts (pies) around $ 3 a slice.

Simple country kitchen but the staff personality is a complete fail… rude, rude, rude. If your in the customer service business, and being a server at a restaurant I think qualifies, then come with a smile. Or at least try and fake it, everyone has a bad day or a slow moving morning but I expect more then «are you ready». I know I’m from out of town but it was more then apparent that the locals get the same service. So will I return, perhaps… but I’ll look for other options for sure.

Friendly staff, clean & cozy with a lot of small town charm. Menu consists of a lot of fried foods. Not a lot of alternative options if you are not a fan of deep fried items. A large pie selection to choose from. The Carmel Apple pie is terrific.

I’ve been going to the west end for years. They have great home cooked meals and a friendly staff. I might add that their fish is the best around, though it can be soggy at times. I’d give them 5 stars if they would set the fish on a strainer so that the fish wasn’t so saturated in grease on the bottom. Great place regardless.

Stopped in for lunch. Pleasantly surprised with the meal. Great food, lots of choices, and reasonable pricing. I may go back for supper!

I love the food at West End especially the onion rings! The onion rings are the best of any restaurant around! I don’t usually go there for breakfast but it’s really good! The service isn’t always great but most of the time there are no problems. The owner often comes around and checks on the customers which is rare but nice.

You will never stick to your healthy diet if you eat here on a daily basis, but they don’t claim to have a health food menu. If you wanted to order baked fish and salad, you would do alright.
Where this small, old fashioned café has it going on is in the «comfort foods» they provide (read: fried). The first thing you notice when you come through the door, besides the rustic exposed brick décor and the friendly waitstaff who greet you, is how clean it is. For being over a hundred years old (I think they told me 150 years, but who is counting?) everything is spotless. The bathrooms are cleaner than some dining areas. And as a previous reviewer stated, SMOKE FREE is a big bonus! I was going to rate 3 stars based on the food, but I am so impressed on the cleanliness that it gains another star.
The Onion Rings are perfectly battered (not too much), are crispy and have great flavor. The only thing more I could ask would be for a tasty home-​made, signature dipping sauce.
The Southwestern Cod was tasty and not over baked. The «American Fries» are essentially hash browns and a nice departure from French Fries. The wings are a recent addition to their menu, according to the owner, and can be ordered after 4pm. The Cajun flavor was unremarkable, but the Asian Garlic was very good and so far my favorite. For the brave there is Fire but it was not so hot as to not have flavor. As for the cooking of the wings, the meat was cooked through but the skin a little fatty and slimy. (Yes, I’m very fussy about my wings being cooked perfectly so that you can remove the bones from the flats with just a twist). The owner seemed open to suggestion so perhaps they will perfect their wings as time goes by.
The prices are very reasonable with the most expensive dinner on the menu being around $ 12. They also offer a Breakfast menu and there is an adjacent bar so adult beverages can be ordered with your meal.

I grew up in Decatur and we would go to West End occasionally (my family did not eat out much). I remember always being excited to go there. They always had good fish and awesome onion rings.
I was recently home for a short trip and took my grandma and parents out for supper. It had been years since I had stopped in here to eat. The restaurant looked just as I had remembered it but with a new perk. No Smoking!!! I was so happy they changed to this!
We got there early enough on a Friday night that we were still able to seat ourselves. I had a seat facing the TV which made me happy since Purdue basketball was playing that night. Our waitress was kind and answered any questions we had.
They had a special for $ 1 off their Breaded Flounder with choice of potato, salad and roll. All four of us decided to order the smaller portion (4 oz vs 8 oz). My mom and I had onion rings and a lettuce salad. My dad had french fries and a lettuce salad. My grandma had a baked potato and cole slaw. When our food came, my mom and I could not even see our fish at first. There were so many large onion rings (not complaining here).
Everything was really good! The onion rings were just as I had remembered… big, battered and delicious! The only reason I will not give them five stars is that the fish could have been a little less crispy but it was still really good!
I am very happy that my memories of coming to West End were brought back to life again! I would recommend trying it out!