Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik — Restaurant in Sister Bay

I have literally been in Al Johnson's at least 30 times over the 35 years I've been vacationing in Door County, but until yesterday, I had never eaten there. I had low expectations that the food would be as good as their Scandinavian, goats-on-the-roof schtick. Plus, there's always a wait for a table. With so many options, we never actually stayed to eat. We'd browse their nice little 'Butik", maybe buy a thing or two, and eat elsewhere.

But hey, it's mid-March and we tourists are not clogging the two-lane highways on the Door this time of year. And it was Tuesday. Tuesday in March...in Door County. There weren't a ton of other options in town besides Husby's (which I rather like), but the opportunity to finally eat at Al Johnson's minus the crowds and the waiting was too good to pass up.

The friendly hostess seated my wife and me at a prime window seat. While they serve breakfast all day, it was going to be our main meal of the day, so we both ordered main courses. I got the open face Hot Roast Beef Sandwich , while my wife got the roast beef sandwich on grilled limpa. Both were outstanding! I was quite surprised to be asked how well-done I wanted my beef. Usually, such sandwiches are so overcooked that the meat kind of falls apart and you must rely on the gravy for moisture. Al Johnson's roasts their own meat, so they give you an option. I chose medium, which was just perfect for this particular dish. The accompanying mashed potatoes were plentiful and well-made, but the star was the mixture of grilled green and yellow beans with onions and red bell peppers. These were absolutely lovely French haricot-style beans and perfectly prepared.

My wife had a delicious cubed beet salad with her sandwich. It seemed to have a light sour cream sauce and a wisp of cinnamon. She had the cherry pecan bread pudding for dessert. Not very sweet and very homemade-tasting. Delicious.

All-in-all, a delightful and filling meal served by friendly staff at very fair prices for the area. We'll be back, although probably not anytime between Memorial Day and Labor Day. During those months, we'll just enjoy the goats on the roof and maybe a beer in their sister restaurant next door.

Update: Our second time eating at Al Johnson's. I had exactly the same thing I.did last time and it might've even been better this time. Home-style cooking, but better than anyone in my family can make. Everything is so richly flavored and perfectly cooked. My wife's meal included some of their pickled beets. I love pickled beets and these may be the best I have ever had. Bought a jar, which is refrigerated, from...

If you are prepared for a two-hour wait, you won't be disappointed!

After adding your name to the call list, you won’t receive a text message. It’s best to stay close by since they will call your name over a speaker that projects into the gift shop and the front porch seating area. However, there are no speakers in the Beer Garden. Be mindful of the time if you decided to have a drink before your meal.

Our hostess suggested we return 15 minutes before our given time. We arrived 30 minutes early and waited on a bench near the door. We were pleasantly surprised when we were called in a few minutes earlier than expected.

This dining establishment is the most efficiently run place we have ever experienced. The staff is friendly, confident, hard-working, and professional. They move through the tightly packed seating area with ease while providing fast and courteous service. It’s like watching a carefully choreographed dance.

Every staff member takes pride in the work as if they were the owner. We sat very near the bar area and my husband watched several servers come up to the bar to refill the tea bag containers and condiments. He was impressed with the organization and attention to detail shown by the servers when completing the most mundane tasks such as refilling the tea bag containers and condiments.

The staff at this restaurant is very attentive to cleanliness. They check the tables for smudges and thoroughly wipe down each chair. The entire establishment is well-maintained with sparkling clean walls, tables, and floors. It looks like a brand-new restaurant despite serving over 2,400 people a day during the height of the season!

I ordered Fish & Chips, and my husband ordered Swedish meatballs. We were both blown away by the quality, freshness, and taste of it all. We opted to share a warm cherry pecan bread pudding. It was the perfect ending to the wonderful meal.

We had a great time here and will definitely return if we’re ever in the area again!

Sure, this is a bit of a tourist trap - but when it's done correctly - it's a fun addition to any vacation!

Consider this a destination restaurant! Highly...

When we are able, and if there is no wait to grab a table, we like to stop by at Al Johnson's to grab a bite to eat and peruse their gift shop before hopping on the ferry to head up to Washington Island. We usually get the Swedish pancake breakfast with the eggs and sausage. It's pretty decent. It's really nothing to write home about. It's more of a novel experience, as this restaurant is a popular attraction in Sister's Bay, and verily worth an exploratory visit if it is your first time passing through, especially when they have the goats up on the grass roof. But the food is quite all right, and their service is a-okay, with the exception of a rude foreign waitress here and there. Nothing spectacular, just quaint and mostly unpretentious. The waitresses don adorable traditional Swedish dresses, which is always fun to see.

Their gift shop contains many interesting wares of varying degrees of expensiveness, from wool clothing to drinking vessels bearing semi-historical "Viking" emblems. The best times to visit the restaurant are during the off season or right when they open at 0700 when there will hopefully be no wait, as the small town is just beginning to rise and is not yet flooded with tourists and other patrons. There is a decent-sized parking lot attached to the left side of the establishment if you are facing it, and if you're lucky, you'll be able to find parking on the street if the lot is already filled. They have since expanded their premises over the years and attached a beer garden or something off a ways from their restaurant which we have not and probably never will visit because we just generally don't like large crowds. But overall, it's worth a visit just for the experience. So come check...