Over the years, we’ve had the opportunity to visit Door County with and without kids. Both have their perks, but we really enjoy our time alone as a couple bouncing around the peninsula. We’ve tried quite a number of spots and have narrowed down a few of our favorite spots to stop around lunchtime. Here are our top Door County lunch without kids recommendations!
Renard’s Melt Bistro
We plan when we leave for our trip based on getting to Melt in time for lunch. Most people probably just stop in for the cheese and other local items, but this is one of our favorite sandwiches. They have various options on the menu, but we’ve locked in on the Honey Truffle melt. The blend of cheeses and toasted bread are a perfect combination, a true adult grilled cheese. The secret here is to add bacon to really step it up. The other melts on the menu do sound delicious but it’s really hard to deviate once you find something you like. Grab a bag of chips and drink from the cooler and head outside to the picnic tables for a nice break on your drive north.
On the way home we like to call ahead and order a few of the take-and-bake pizzas to take home. The bacon cheese curd is amazing, and yes, we pack a special cooler to fit at least 5 of these pizzas to bring home. They freeze well and let us enjoy a part of Door County in between our trips.
Door County Creamery
The sandwiches from Door County Creamery are something we talk about even when we’re at home. They do have a sandwich that rotates every few weeks and some of these have been our favorite. The classic baked Italian is something you should not pass up. The toasted bread with the delicious creamy cheese and mix of meats is quite the meal. This will fill you up, with the bag of chips you get with the sandwich. The Reuben sandwich is also a good choice, just make sure to grab some napkins! Getting this to go and heading down to Sister Bay beach is a great option to enjoy the water views while you eat. We’ve also picked up a few drinks from where you ordered and sit outside at the creamery.
Door County Brewing Company
Not only is this a fun stop for a few drinks at Door County Brewing Company, but even with kids, they recently added the DCBC Eats options for food. The menu isn’t huge, but the BBQ is good and hits the spot while enjoying some flights and games. The nacho box is a good option to split and comes with a unique twist on nachos. Kettle chips on the bottom, topped with mac n cheese, baked beans, onions, and bbq sauce. If you’re up for more of a classic bbq option, the BBQ pork sandwich was delicious with the side of mac n cheese. Of course, add a flight onto these lunch options and enjoy your time out in the beer garden on a nice day.
Wilsons
We’ve talked about heading to Wilson’s with our little guy, but this is still a great stop just for the adults. When we’re child-free, we wait for one of the tables out on the patio to enjoy sitting outside with our meal. The patty melts are our favorite, with the fried onions and the classic fries. Add on some ice cream at the end of your meal, or we order the root beer floats to eat with the burger. The service is fast, so if you need a quick stop to get back to your day this is the perfect option that is central to the rest of the activities in the area.
Pizza Bros at One Barrel
One Barrel’s patio is incredible to spend some time on a nice summer day. Taking this in kid-free allows you to really take your time and enjoy the weather with a few drinks. The restaurant has changed over a few times since it opened, but the recent change to Pizza Bros seems like it will stick. The pizzas have some unique twists, but we haven’t been let down yet. The So Smokey has been our favorite (yes we like BBQ if that’s not obvious yet). The pizza was a good size for two to enjoy, and the crust is lighter so it wasn’t overly filling. Pick up a few flights from the bar and take your time enjoying your time at One Barrel.
Chives Food Trucks
We found the Chives Food Trucks while driving by and the crowd caught our eye. Grab a spot to park on the road and head up the stairs for a few different food options and some outdoor seating with a great view. The spicy chicken sandwich hit the spot, and we split the parmesan fries. Once you see someone else walk away with the fries, it’s hard to turn them down when it’s your turn to order. They do server drinks, so grab a drink and enjoy your time sitting outside watching Bailey’s Harbor.
Grasse’s Grill
A great option in Sister Bay that over the last few years has changed its hours from only having lunch to being back open for dinner. They do carry out ordering really well but have some tables inside and outside for a sit-down meal. Similar to the Creamery, a to-go order at the beach is a great option to take in the water while you eat. The meatloaf sandwich is one of our favorites. With haystack onions and mashed potatoes right on the sandwich, it’s a great blend of flavors and the fries are delicious. Another great option is the Ellison Bluff Bleu burger. A solid blend of bleu cheese, aioli, and onions makes it a memorable burger. To be totally honest, we haven’t been disappointed with any food we’ve had from Grasse’s over the years, these are just two of our lunchtime favorites.
Others
Of course, there are plenty of other lunch stops in Door County, and no we have not hit them all. These are a few others that we’ve tried and liked or have heard are good and just haven’t gotten to try yet.
- Wild Tomato in Fish Creek or Sister Bay
- AC Tap
- Fat Belly in Sister Bay
- Boathouse on the Bay in Sister Bay
- Mink River Basin
- Loft in Fish Creek
