13 must-visit Door County restaurants, from Chives to White Gull Inn
There are plenty of reasons to love Door County — the miles of Lake Michigan coastline dotted with acres of parks and trails, the quaint New England-esque towns tucked into cozy bays, the homegrown restaurants serving fresh-caught whitefish, cherry pie and plenty of local beer and wine.
But there’s one thing Door County north of Egg Harbor doesn’t have: chain restaurants. No McDonald’s, no Starbucks, no Applebee’s.
The lack of chains was more a product of tradition than law until 2010 when a Green Bay business owner tried to bring a Subway to Sister Bay. Residents and longtime visitors pushed back.
"The peninsula is unique," Janet Wilmoth, a Chicagoan who frequently traveled to the area, told the Journal Sentinel at the time. "Once you start letting chains in, you're going to change the culture."
Amid the pushback, the business owner withdrew his proposal, and Sister Bay revised its zoning ordinances to ban “formula” restaurants.
Today, Door County retains its mostly chain-free charm, with plenty of local options from a wood-fired pizza joint with a killer beer lineup to a James Beard Award semifinalist where reservations fill up months in advance.
Everyone has their favorites — AJ Dillon’s love for the wings at AC Tap in Baileys Harbor is no secret — and no list could highlight every great eatery on the peninsula. But here’s a look at 13 must-visit restaurants, in alphabetical order, that define Door County — some worth a visit for the food, others the experience.
Unless otherwise noted, all of these spots offer outdoor seating and are open year-round. Hours can vary by season, so check the restaurant’s website or social media pages before you head out.
Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik
10698 N. Bay Shore Drive, Sister Bay
This restaurant is as well known for the goats on its roof as for the Swedish pancakes served inside. The goats are outside typically from late May through mid-October, depending on the weather. (You can check live cameras on the restaurant’s website to see if they’re out before you visit.) Inside, the pancakes are served with lingonberries, strawberries or cherries, and are joined on the menu by other Nordic items including Swedish meatballs, pickled herring and pytt i panna. There are American dishes, too, from salads and burgers to sandwiches and fried fish. Next door, the restaurant’s Stabbur serves as a beer garden with a limited food menu.
Dietary notes: Gluten-free options available upon request
Kids menu: Yes
More information: (920) 854-2626, aljohnsons.com
Chives
8041 Highway 57, Baileys Harbor
A certain former Packers quarterback was a fan of this restaurant’s first location in Suamico, and its Door County location continues the fine dining tradition worthy of a four-time NFL MVP. The menu changes with the seasons and features everything from oysters and mussels to burgers and chicken. Vegetables and other ingredients are grown onsite, and owner JR Schoenfeld’s daughter Jessica Morse bakes bread daily for Chives as well as Barringers, Schoenfeld’s Fish Creek restaurant. In addition to dinner, Chives serves weekend brunch.
Kids menu: No
More information: (920) 839-2000, chivesdoorcounty.com
Chop
2345 Mill Road, Sister Bay
Chop joined Door County’s casual fine dining ranks in 2012, specializing in steaks and seafood. The food is complemented by an extensive wine list, plus cocktails and craft brews. Get there early to enjoy a three-course meal for just $29.95 (5-5:30 p.m. only). Outdoor seating on two levels provides plenty of space for enjoying dinner al fresco.
Dietary notes: Patrons should speak with a manager about allergens.
Kids menu: Yes
More information: (920)-854-2700, chopdoorcounty.com
Door County Creamery
10653 N. Bay Shore Drive, Sister Bay
A visit to anywhere in Wisconsin isn’t complete without a cheese shop stop. Cheeses made with goat milk are the highlight here, with a variety of chevre, cheddar and more available for purchase in the store alongside other goodies like cookies and goat-milk soaps. The counter-service restaurant offers salads, sandwiches and gelato made fresh daily with goat milk. Beer, wine and nonalcoholic drinks also are available.
Dietary notes: Gluten-free options, plus others that can be made vegan
Kids menu: There are kid-friendly options, including a kids pizza roll
More information: The creamery is open seasonally, typically late April through October. For more, call (920) 854-3388 or see doorcountycreamery.com.
Harbor Fish Market & Grille
8080 Highway 57, Baileys Harbor
On the quieter side of the peninsula, Harbor Fish Market serves seafood, steak and more in a comfortable dining room that offers views of Lake Michigan. Instead of a fish boil, the restaurant serves a three-course New England lobster boil, finished with homemade Door County cherry bread pudding. That lobster also shows up in weekend brunch options, including a lobster Benedict and a lobster roll.
Dietary notes: Gluten-free options
Kids menu: Yes
More information: (920) 839-9999, harborfishmarket-grille.com
Jackson Harbor Soup
1904 Indian Point Road, Washington Island
This restaurant could survive on its location laurels alone, a last-minute spot for lunch before catching the ferry from Washington Island to Rock Island State Park (or an “I’m starving” spot after getting back). But the soups, salads and sandwiches are as great as the location, which offers views of its namesake on Lake Michigan. A post-hike beer or glass of local hard cider awaits patrons, too, and yard games outside keep visitors entertained while they wait for their food on busy weekends.
Dietary notes: Gluten-free and vegan options
Kids menu: Yes
More information: The restaurant is open seasonally, typically mid-April through November. Washington Island is accessible only by ferry from Northport (Washington Island Ferry, year-round, wisferry.com) or Gills Rock (Island Clipper, Memorial Day weekend through the beginning of October, islandclipper.com). Cars and bicycles are permitted on the Northport ferry. Jackson Harbor is on the opposite side of the island as the ferry dock, about 8 miles away.
For more on the restaurant, call (920) 847-2589 or see jacksonharborsoup.com.
Roots Inn & Kitchen
2378 Maple Drive, Sister Bay
Vegan, gluten- or nut-free options are usually an afterthought at most restaurants, but they’re the focus at this bed and breakfast in a historic home in Sister Bay. The options, which the restaurant touts as vegan “comfort food,” don’t disappoint even the most loyal meat and dairy eaters. But there are dishes for them, too, like the bratwurst made with organic pork from nearby Waseda Farms. Guests of the Inn, which has six bedrooms, get to enjoy a full breakfast as well, plus complimentary beer and nonalcoholic offerings.
Dietary notes: Gluten-free, nut-free and vegan options
Kids menu: No
More information: The restaurant is open May through November. The Inn is for adults only. For more, call (920) 854-5107 or see rootsinnandkitchen.com.
Waterfront Mary’s Bar & Grill
3662 N. Duluth Ave., Sturgeon Bay
There are plenty of pubs throughout Door County, but few offer the waterfront views of this tropical-themed bar and restaurant, tucked into the Beach Harbor Resort along the southern border of the often-overlooked Potawatomi State Park. It’s reachable from the park, via the Ice Age Trail and short jaunt on Duluth Avenue. Outdoor seating options abound, from a covered patio to the expansive lawn overlooking Sturgeon Bay to the fire pit area used for fish boils (reservations required). The menu features traditional pub fare, from soup (including a Door County chowder) to burgers, plus weekly specials including a Friday fish fry. Bloody Marys are a favorite on the drink menu, which also includes Caribbean-inspired offerings like the Door County cherry mojito. Live music on the weekends makes this a good joint for late-night fun, too.
Kids menu: Yes
More information: (920) 743-3690, waterfrontmarysbarandgrill.com
Waterfront Restaurant
10947 Highway 42, Sister Bay
Another waterfront gem, this one is of the fine dining variety, serving an ever-changing menu with stunning sunset views. Seasonal offerings include everything from oysters and broiled white fish to tenderloin skewers and prime rib, along with extensive cocktail and wine lists. Nearly every table in the dining room offers those sunset views, but the patio is the prime spot to take them in.
Kids menu: No
More information: The restaurant is open seasonally, this year May 12 through November, and has a dock for patrons arriving by water. For more, call (920) 854-5491 or see waterfront-dc.com.
White Gull Inn
4225 Main St., Fish Creek
There are a handful of places to enjoy Door County’s famous fish boil, but this bed and breakfast offers that and much more. The stuffed French toast, packed with rich cream cheese and Door County cherries, is a longtime favorite on the breakfast menu. Cherries also make their way into pancakes, oatmeal, preserves for toast, and pie. That pie is served as part of the fish boil alongside Lake Michigan whitefish and potatoes cooked in a kettle over a fire outside while guests watch. The spectacle culminates in a fiery boil over that serves performative and practical purposes, ridding the caldron of the fish oils that had risen to the top and providing plenty of Instagram-friendly photo ops for guests.
Dietary notes: Gluten-free bread is available for breakfast
Kids menu: There is a children’s rate for the fish boil
More information: The restaurant is open year-round, but fish boils are served on Friday nights only in the winter and Friday-Sunday and Wednesday nights in the summer (reservations recommended). For more, call (920) 868-3517 or see whitegullinn.com.
Wickman House
11976 Mink River Road, Ellison Bay
Even before it was named a James Beard Award semifinalist for outstanding restaurant in January, Wickman House was a destination for casual fine dining in Door County. The homey interior of the historic lodge welcomes guests for elevated meals featuring local ingredients, many supplied by an onsite garden. A large, creative cocktail menu reveals owner Mike Holmes’ background tending bar and managing restaurants in New York. The restaurant sets aside some space for walk-ins, including at the bar, but reservations are strongly recommended and often fill up months in advance.
Dietary notes: Gluten-free options, when available, are noted on the menu.
Kids menu: No
Outdoor seating: Yes
More information: The restaurant typically shuts down for a couple months in late winter and early spring, with reservations for the next season opening in mid-March. Check their Facebook page, call (920) 854-3305 or see wickmanhouse.com for more.
Wild Tomato
4023 Highway 42, Fish Creek & 10677 N. Bay Shore Drive, Sister Bay
If Door County’s vibe is sophisticated yet accessible, Wild Tomato is the poster child. The popular restaurant serves a variety of tasty wood-fired pizzas made with local ingredients at locations in Fish Creek and Sister Bay. Options include the Green & Gold, featuring grilled chicken, bacon, grilled broccoli, spinach and cheese curds; and the Fun Guy, with five types of sauteed mushrooms, spinach and caramelized onions over a garlic cream base. Proceeds from a monthly Donation Creation special go to a local nonprofit. Waits for a table or takeout can be long during the busy season, but outdoor bars at both locations provide a robust lineup of craft brews for enjoying while you wait.
Dietary notes: The restaurant has gluten-free crust but warns patrons that while they do their best to prevent cross-contamination, those with severe allergies or Celiac disease should not dine there “due to the high volume of flour in the air.”
Kids menu: Yes
Outdoor seating: Yes
More information: (920) 868-3095 (Fish Creek), (920) 854-4685 (Sister Bay), wildtomatopizza.com
Wilson’s
9990 Water St., Ephraim
A Door County landmark on par with Al Johnson’s, Wilson’s has been serving ice cream to locals and visitors for over a century. Today the diner’s red-and-white-striped awning serves as a beacon for not only ice cream but also hamburgers, hot dogs, sandwiches, salads and more, including a variety of ice cream creations from the old fashioned soda fountain and homemade root beer. Tabletop jukeboxes add to the ambiance.
Kids menu: Yes
Outdoor seating: Yes
More information: Wilson's is open seasonally, typically mid-May through mid-October. Call (920) 854-2041 or see wilsonsicecream.comfor more.
Contact Chelsey Lewis at clewis@journalsentinel.com. Follow her on Twitter at @chelseylew and @TravelMJS and Facebook at Journal Sentinel Travel.
Editor's note: An earlier version of this story did not include the fact that there is a Little Caesars north of Sturgeon Bay, at 5493 Monument Point Road, Egg Harbor.
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: 13 must-visit Door County restaurants, from Chives to White Gull Inn
