When I mention eating lunch at the Underwear Factory, I get the tilted-head, quizzical look. In all honesty, the restaurant, Earth Wind and Fuego is located on the ground floor of the Underwear Factory Building. It shares space with the North River Roasters and Coffee House.
I happened upon this delightful eatery because I was looking for grass-fed beef burgers in the area. Not wanting to settle for my usual places, I was happy to discover Earth, Wind and Fuego. After browsing the menu, I realized it offered everything I wanted, so I hopped in the van (along with several passengers) and drove over to Poughkeepsie.
Underwear Factory Building Charm
As the name implies, the Underwear Factory originally housed an underwear manufacturing operation. Thanks to an expensive and well-executed renovation, the 143-year-old building now houses restaurants, art studios and apartments.
The restaurant reminded me of something I would see in lower Manhattan’s Village area. The open kitchen setup and comfortable furniture complemented the original 143-year-old brickwork and the new highly polished wooden floors. As a patron you have the option of sitting on comfy couches, dining at tables or sitting at the “bar” to watch the chef prepare your food.
Artwork from local school-aged artists decorated the walls. I really wanted to take photos but didn’t want to disrupt fellow patrons. In order to capture the true feel of the place, I would need to take photos when the establishment was empty or get permission from each patron. Maybe I’ll grab some photos on another day when things weren’t so busy. I’m old school. I don’t like taking photos of people without their permission and posting it on the internet.
One Stop Shopping
I visited Earth Wind and Fuego with the intention of having lunch, but upon arrival, couldn’t resist the smell of freshly brewed coffee. So after putting in my food order, I had to grab a cup of coffee from the North River Roasters. I was delighted to see that North Roasters served coffee in real ceramic coffee mugs instead of cardboard or styrofoam disposable cups (guess this shows how frequently I visit Starbucks). While they prepared the food, I sipped my coffee.
I ordered the Sofrito Chicken sandwich along with a salad. Because I try to omit excess carbs, I asked them not to put the chicken on the bread (yes, I’m one of those people). That request didn’t fluster them. The rest of the crew had grass-fed burgers, salads, vegetable chips and a true Sofrito Chicken sandwich bread and all. Our drinks consisted of refreshing cups of infused water. 
Great Service, Delightful Atmosphere, Great Prices
All in all, it was a pleasant experience and we all agreed that we would visit Earth Wind and Fuego again. The food is fresh, locally sourced and tasty. All that and it’s reasonably priced to boot! The atmosphere is delightful and the service was pleasant.
Earth, Wind and Fuego serves lunch weekdays (sorry no weekends) between the hours of 11:00 am and 2:00 pm, so if you’re thinking of visiting, make sure to get there during the three-hour window.
