Crosswinds Restaurant & Bar - Terrific Food, Big Portions, Small Check

If we told you that you could dine out on Nantucket and enjoy Prime Rib, NY Strip, and Filet Mignon for $12.95, or a Traditional Turkey Dinner for $9.95, or All-You-Can-Eat Pasta Alfredo or Bolognese for $7.95, you’d reach for your reading glasses.

No need—you read this correctly. Crosswinds Restaurant & Bar has some of the island’s most amazing deals! If you’re looking for the most bang for your buck, then Crosswinds is the place to go

Located at Nantucket Memorial Airport, between the public terminal and where the private jets land, Crosswinds is open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, serving continuously from 5:30 am till 9 pm, 365 days a year. For guests in a hurry to catch a flight, they have a handy “On the Fly” Grab-n-Go counter with fresh sandwiches, baked goods, and fruit. Call ahead and you can order any item on any of their menus (breakfast, lunch, and dinner) to go. We’ve heard that if you call right before you board your flight from Hyannis, when you land on Nantucket you can pick up your bags and then your meal, hot and ready to go!

Crosswinds offers indoor and outdoor dining. From their sheltered patio, you can watch the activity on the airfield. Kids love watching the take-offs and landings, as do several grownups we know—and it’s quieter on the patio than you’d expect so close to the tarmac.

Their indoor dining room is roomy and comfortable. There are tables that can seat any size party, from couples to family groups. Or you can perch on a tall chair at the counter and watch them prepare your meal. There’s even a full service bar and lounge they’ve dubbed the “No Flight Zone,” where you can enjoy a cocktail or a glass of wine. We’ve shared the dining room at Crosswinds with celebrities on their way back to New York and LA, with locals who know it’s the place to find a great deal, and with visitors thrilled to have discovered one of the island’s best-kept secrets.

Service at Crosswinds is dependably good, prompt, and very friendly, even when the restaurant is packed. Most of the staff has been with the restaurant for some time, so patrons are recognized and warmly greeted. After a visit or two, manager Larry and the ever-present Victoria are likely to remember what you drink and how you like your steak. This small-town, neighborhood ambiance is sorely missed at many island establishments.

Every night of the week Crosswinds offers a different special. Wednesday is Endless Pasta for $7.95, and you can start with 50¢ Jumbo Wings. Thursday they devote to their justifiably famous BBQ Ribs, offering a half rack with all the fixin’s for just $11.95. Friday Night Fish & Chips for $9.95 is always popular, as is the Sunday Traditional Turkey Dinner for $9.95.


Our favorites are the Saturday and Monday night specials at Crosswinds. Both nights feature Chef Prashanth Ravi’s creative talents with Around the World specials: traditional favorites “all corners of the globe” on Monday and “A Taste of India” on Saturday.

Now in his second season at Crosswinds, Chef Ravi has brought fine dining sensibility to the food at this island eatery. He keeps a close eye on everything that comes out of his kitchen, ensuring the highest quality. Nearly everything at Crosswinds is made fresh in-house and that can make all the difference!

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	It’s a bit of a tease to rave about the dish we enjoyed since every week it changes, but we can’t resist: the chef’s Chicken Korma was superb! Made almost intuitively with more than a dozen different hand-blended spices, a trio of flavorful handmade pastes, and a technique taught by his mother and grandmother, the dish is a time-honored Indian classic. Even the accompaniments on this special entree were outstanding: perfectly cooked rice and an outstanding mango chutney.
	Speaking of steak, if you go to Crosswinds on Tuesday nights for their Steakhouse Sizzle, you can choose from a 12-ounce Prime Rib or a 10-ounce New York Strip, or an 8-ounce Filet Mignon, each served with creamy mashed potatoes, a sensational mushroom sauce, and a vegetable for just $12.95. It’s a steal! We particularly like the fork-tender filet, which arrives every time cooked perfectly as ordered.
“Jumbo” is not an exaggeration when it comes to the Jumbo Wings at Crosswinds. Glazed with a sweet and smoky barbecue sauce, the wings are plump and juicy, and a great way to start your meal. On Wednesday nights, they’re “almost free”: just 50 cents a wing!
	 New this season is Chef Ravi’s Grilled Chicken Flatbread, a welcome change from pizza. The Chef bakes his flatbread daily and tops it with large chunks of chicken that has been marinated in extra virgin olive oil, paprika, garlic, and thyme then grilled. Mushrooms, onion, red pepper, and plenty of Monterey Jack cheese make topping with a bold blend of flavors.
	Crosswinds has the best Fried Calamari served on this island! This is one of our favorite snacks to share ‘round the table, and Chef Ravi’s version is surprisingly tender and not at all greasy, with a deliciously crispy coating. The Thai sweet chili sauce he drizzles overtop along with a creamy aioli adds just the right amount of spice.
As the seasons change, Chef Ravi introduces several new dishes to tempt his guests. For summertime, he is offering a Smoked Salmon Benedict at breakfast, and for lunch and dinner, a Honey-Glazed Roast Pork Sandwich, a Buffalo Chicken Wrap, a Chicken Fajita Wrap, a Marinated Grilled Skirt Steak, a Prime Rib Caesar,...
	... and an absolutely luscious Chilled Pear Salad. The juicy slices of fruit are served over a bed of mixed greens tossed with dried cranberries, pecans, and crumbled blue cheese in a tangy balsamic vinaigrette. This salad has a great range of taste, texture, temperature, and flavor and is a deliciously refreshing summer starter!
	Appetizers at Crosswinds can be followed by one of their popular sandwiche or by a classic entree. Their Orecchiette Pasta is a signature dish, the perfectly cooked pasta cupping just the right amount of chipotle cream sauce. Sauteed mushrooms, crisp pancetta, ripe cherry tomatoes, and fresh basil and baby spinach are tossed with the orecchiette, and plenty of parmesan cheese finishes the dish. If you want to take this right over the top, order it with grilled chicken, shrimp, or N.Y. Strip.
	New this summer is a flavorful Atlantic Cod and Shrimp Stew that Chef Ravi prepares from the bounty of fresh seafood around Nantucket. Tomato, kalamata olives, onions, and capers add depth to the rich broth. The fish and the shrimp keep their integrity and flavor in this stew. Warm and toasty garlic bread is served alongside to mop up every drop.
	Also new is a Half Roast Chicken entree, big enough to satisfy the heartiest appetite. The bird is beautifully cooked: the meat moist and succulent, the skin well-seasoned and crisp. This is all-American comfort food at its very best!
	“Breakfast at Night” is a fun option on the dinner menu. Three morning favorites are served: Cheese Omelette, Vanilla French Toast, and Buttermilk Pancakes (with options for blueberries or chocolate chips). At our recent dinner, one of the evening specials was Banana Bread French Toast. We’re not sure if Chef Ravi is planning to add this to his Breakfast at Night selections, but if he does, this moist and flavorful cinnamon scented treat, with fresh fruit and whipped cream makes a wonderful finale for a meal worth a round of applause.

Off-island, we suggest you avoid eating at airports, but here on Nantucket, we highly recommend it!

Crosswinds Restaurant & Bar

 508-325-6265
Open year-round, 365 days a year at Nantucket Memorial Airport
Breakfast served 5:30 am to 2 pm (plus “Breakfast at Night”)
Lunch served 11 am to 5 pm • Dinner from 5 to 9 pm
indoor & outdoor seating • families welcome
Entire menu offered for takeout • “grab-n-go” counter
Dinner Entrees range from $7.95 to $19.95,
most between $9.95 to $12.95
Full bar open Mon.-Sat. 9 am-9 pm; Sun. 11 am-9 pm
children’s parties & private celebrations can be arranged
plenty of free parking