Hearty & Homemade

Door County Coffee in Carlsville sells more than 100 types and flavors of coffee—often drawing inspiration from the region, such as its Death's Door dark roast and Door County Christmas recipe with hints of cinnamon and nutmeg. Grab a cup of coffee to-go from the drive-through window, sit down for breakfast or lunch in the in-house café, or even join a behind-the-scenes tour of the roasting operation on Fridays. 

Ellison Bay’s Kick Ash started with Carol Ash’s gluten-free granola, but then her husband, Chris, perfected the art of java to complement her cereal. It’s the perfect place to kick back and relax with a latte, a spiked coffee, or hot chocolate. Sample a cookie, muffin, or granola cake while sipping and shopping for gifts in the converted church-turned-café overlooking the bay. 

Look for the stately coffee shop, Roost + Banter, in downtown Baileys Harbor, where you can warm up by the fireplace and enjoy seasonal menu offerings, daily soups, and creative drinks. The Sweet Sparrow, for example, is a latte infused with black sesame and white miso. As winter gives way to spring, sample a lavender matcha, steamer, or latte, paired with a housemade pastry.

Belly up to the bar at Door County Brewing Co.'s taproom in Baileys Harbor, which keeps toes tapping all year long with live music. The beer garden features three fire pits, where dogs are welcome to socialize with their owners. Move inside for refreshing, winter-warming drinks like Oktoberfest Märzen, with notes of orange herbal tea, and Polka King Porter, a desserty beer with hints of caramel. 

Find the ultimate pizza-and-beer combo at Pizza Bros and One Barrel Brewing's shared space in Egg Harbor. The wood-fired pizzas feature such mouthwatering toppings as smoked mozzarella and bacon jam, and pair perfectly with brews like Door County Trolley Red, a cherry lager, and the Cookie Monster chocolate milk stout. Firepits dot the patio, and a fireplace inside near the bar keeps the space warm for imbibing.

Dig into brisket chili or the soup of the day, perhaps prime rib-vegetable or cheeseburger chowder, at Casey’s BBQ and Smokehouse. This Egg Harbor eatery offers a Door County twist on Southern barbecue cuisine. The brisket in its brisket chili—along with the pork, ribs, and chicken—is smoked over cherrywood with a signature rub. Enjoy a barbecue melt or a grilled cheese on Texas toast with a bowl of soup while cheering on the Packers during NFL season.

Coyote Roadhouse is known for its “Kanga Reuben,” because it sits on the north end of Kangaroo Lake, but you can also order the sandwich in soup form, along with other creamy soups on rotation, from carrot bisque to tomato-Parmesan to French onion. Looking for heartier fare? The Baileys Harbor restaurant makes a mean Hold Onto Your Shorts Chili; pair it with a loaded Bloody Mary topped with peppers, mushrooms, onions, and olives.

If you’re hankering for some homemade bread or a sweet roll to go with your soup, then head to Scaturo’s Baking Co. & Café in Sturgeon Bay. This homey spot serves up four different soup offerings every day—cheesy potato, Italian wedding, turkey-and-white-bean chili, and a soup of the day—plus a wealth of desserts, including doughnuts, cookies, cupcakes, and pies.

Sister Bay Bowl offers six lanes of bowling—where you'll keep score by hand, just like in the old days— along with supper club fare: hearty classics like steak, broasted chicken, and a biweekly fish fry. Kids can get their fill of traditional Midwestern favorites, too, with their own pint-sized plates of steak or barbecued ribs. Head for a delicious history lesson at Nightingale Supper Club, which opened in 1913 in Sturgeon Bay. Timelessly elegant, its dining room is known for serving an array of steak and seafood specials every day of the week, and, of course, cocktails, starring the county's official fruit, the cherry. Whether for a special occasion or a cozy date night, Nightingale's rich flavors offer some of the county's best supper club dishes.