Waking up in your Door County vacation home, to a fresh pot of coffee and some apple cider or cherry donuts from the local market, is possibly the ultimate way to start the day. Picture yourself sipping coffee with a good book on the patio or lakeside. Ahhhh. But if you and your fellow guests need a little more sustenance, we have compiled a list of our favorite Door County breakfast spots. And we’ll start with a couple of staples that have put Door County on the map. But please read through to learn more about some of our new favorites! We asked all of our friends and family members to weigh in…
The place with the goats is the G.O.A.T.
Is Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant really the “Greatest of All Time?” Some of our family members sure think so! Some of us have worked there and loved working there and still love eating there. It’s a Door County institution that has been thriving since the 1960’s. There really are goats on the roof, and the servers wear traditional swedish clothing. The restaurant is open year round and all day long, but we love it for breakfast. Zoe’s order: Swedish pancakes with fresh strawberries and whipped cream with a side of bacon plus hot cocoa with more whipped cream! John says, “It’s hard to beat the Pytt I Panna!” It’s Swedish roast beef sauteed with onions and potatoes, topped with an egg and served with pickled beets.
The Swedish meatballs are also popular. So are the Swedish lingonberries. And Swedish Limpa bread. Pro tip: Sometimes the wait time can be daunting. Put your name in and go next door to the Stabbur Beer Garden to wait it out. Worth the wait!
Don’t want to deal with the crowds? Check out Carroll House Restaurant in Sister Bay. We love it for the friendy service and their homestyle breakfast choices. They have Door County Cherry Stuffed French Toast. It looks amazing, but it’s not the one that won the competition…
The Cherry Stuffed French Toast is calling your name
Sure it was 15 years ago, but the Cherry Stuffed French Toast at The White Gull Inn, won a national contest. Our good friend Bill Weir (name drop!) was on the anchor team that announced the winner of Good Morning America’s Best Breakfast Challenge. He latered traveled to the charming town of Fish Creek to see for himself what makes the menu at White Gull so special. Maybe it’s because you can get those Door County cherries on everything from a bowl of oatmeal to a stack of pancakes.
Another favorite of ours in Fish Creek is down the road at Blue Horse Beach Cafe. People love it so much, there’s often a line out the door. Annabelle loves it for “any of the pastry items!” She loves to sit on the porch with its view of downtown and the water. Brian goes for the iced oat milk lattes every time.
While we’re in Fish Creek, a very honorable mention goes to Pelletiers. Ask for the Door County Cherry Mimosa! And teen Nora says “get the cinnamon sugar donuts!”
Sample the sweet and savory at Sip in Ephraim
Moving on to Ephraim for one of the aforementioned “new favorites.” Sip makes the list several times. Addy loves the “avocado toast, the HUGE cinnamon rolls and the vibrant atmophere.” It’s bright and cheery and inviting. You can sit inside or outside and they serve food all day long. You can order lite (avocado toast) or heavy (Bacon Benny Breakfast Sandwich) and is consistently delicious.
Rebecca says she’s never had a bad meal there and it’s good people watching. Her favorite thing to order is the “A Hug” latte with amaretto syrup and oat milk. “It’s fun to say, hi, can I have A Hug?”
For another unique breakfast experience in Ephraim, Sam will always send you to Good Eggs. It’s a fun, made-to-order breakfast burrito stand. The food is basically an omelet with your choice of ingredients, wrapped in a (very) large tortilla!
The Deluxe Wrap comes with meat, veggies, spuds, eggs and cheese. And, as Sam says, it’s “good food and very filling.”
You’ll watch them make it before they send you on your way. Good Eggs also offers locally roasted coffee, a scone of the day and fruit smoothies. Pro tip: order ahead using the app!
Get breakfast all day in Ellison Bay
Here at Northern Door Vacations we are so grateful for the local businesses on the northern half of the Peninsula. And Blue Bear in Ellison Bay is one of them. (We’ve written about the nights at Blue Bear when it turns into Della Porta for Italian pizza and pastas.)
Blue Bear serves brunch all day and the menu is extensive. From Benedicts and Breakfast Burritos to Power Bowls and Blue “Beary” Pancakes, there’s something for everyone. The kids love their lattes and hot cocoa. The adults love the boozy brunch drinks.
Our friend Kim says her favorite order (and we know this sounds weird) is the vegan burrito and add the meat! It’s filled with black beans, potatoes and pickled jalapenos. She adds egg, chorizo and cheese! “It’s fricken delicious,” says Kim.
Add a side of hashbrowns. And you’re good to go!
As we said in the beginning, sometimes it’s just right to wake up in your Northern Door luxury vacation home and stay put for breakfast. But sometimes… it’s fun to explore. Happy breakfasting!
