Top Deck restaurant at Gordon Lodge is one of our favorites in Door County. It feels like a hidden spot every time you drive down the tree-lined road to the parking lot and walk out towards the bay. After trying just about every other restaurant in the main areas, we found this through another review and stopped out a few years ago. Since then, we’ve been back on every trip since, and lately, we’ve done carry-out as it’s not the best spot to take our toddler. Our Top Deck review is a combination of stops, both carry-out, and dining in person. Keep in mind the prices here are a bit more than other stops in town.
Since there is no section about ambiance, I’ll cover it here since it enhances the dining experience. The restaurant is located on the second floor of an old boat house, with windows on each wall facing the bay. As soon as you walk in, it’s just an incredible view of the water. Sitting at the bar for a happy hour drink before dinner is recommended to take it all in. Once seated, there isn’t a wrong table in the restaurant. It’s not large inside, but we’ve never had to wait for a table. However, during the busy season, I’m sure there are nights when there is a wait.
Service
The hostess is always prompt and available right as you enter the door. Once seated, the staff is attentive and helps with drink orders and reviewing the current specials. We’ve never had bad service, with follow-ups when necessary, but not too over the top that it distracts from the meal or conversation. There have been times when the sun is setting and is overwhelming if you’re facing that window. The staff will watch for this and pull the shade if needed, but once we had a wonderful (I say that in the nicest way possible) person who complained that they wanted the sun. So, the rest of us had to turn our tables, and the staff apologized to the selfish patron.
Food
Over our several trips, we’ve tried just a handful of the items on the menu. Once we found the scallops, it was impossible to deviate. We have seen others satisfied with various dishes, but we stay consistent with the scallops these days.
On our first trip, we each tried a dish that is no longer on the menu or was a nightly special. The special was a seafood casserole, a sad day each time we go, and it’s not a nightly special again. We’ve even tried to time our visits to the day of the week served to try and get it with no luck. If you see this dish as special, we recommend trying it out. We can’t remember what was in it or find any documented record, so apologies for the lack of details.
The lobster ravioli used to be a seafood dish, but that seems to have been retired. It didn’t rate very high for us, and we have since moved on to try other dishes. The portion size wasn’t large, only a handful of ravioli with some light sauce. This light of a meal required a stop at Wilson’s afterward for a treat.
The star of the show that we have had is the Seared Scallops. The menu documents scallops, goat cheese, grits, bourbon sweet corn purée, and bacon. Each ingredient has its place in this dish and comes together as a whole dish. Generally, four scallops come out perfectly seared on top of the rest of the dish, with some crumbled bacon over the top. As you take bites of all the items combined, it is a flavorful dish that has you wanting more as you near the end.
Drinks
The bar at Top Deck is a great spot, even if you’re stopping in for drinks. We’ve had a variety of tap beers which include some rotating seasonals. The mixed drinks have all been delicious and hand-crafted. We’ve watched them make each one. The brandy old-fashioned sour and mojitos have hit the spot for a pre-dinner drink on the patio while we wait for our table. The bartender also made a delicious mocktail for our pregnant guest.
There is a nice seating area outside the restaurant by the water. We’ve had success ordering drinks and asking for plastic cups to enjoy outside before or after our meal.
Hopefully, you find our Top Deck Review helpful!
