Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant in Door County, Wisconsin has goats on the roof — and Scandi specialties inside. As travel writer Leslie Long tells us, it’s oh, so Swedish! There are many beautiful sites to be seen in Door County, Wisconsin. We touched on quite a few of them in a recent article. Here, we take a closer look at where to eat in Door County, a restaurant that elicits double, even triple takes. Come along as travel writer Leslie long takes us to Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant.
Yes, those are goats on the grass roof. And yes, they are real.
Pickled herring. Lingonberries. Swedish pancakes. Cardamom-infused breads. Those are some of the foods my Swedish mother loved, passing her tastes on to me. So on a recent visit to the beautiful Door County peninsula, I couldn’t wait to visit the legendary Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant.
Located across the street from the water in pretty Sister Bay, it’s been around since 1949 and is still going strong. When Al Johnson opened the original place, he was known for doing everything himself, only taking occasional fishing breaks between breakfast and dinner service.
In 1960, he met his wife Ingert who imbued Al Johnson’s with her fine sense of style and love of Scandinavia — making sure it had an authentic look and feel. She also added a gift shop where guests could peruse a wide range of items imported from Scandinavia. Called the Butik, it’s grown to include Dansko clogs (a cult favorite — and they have a huge selection), whimsical socks, clothing, hand-knitted items, ornaments, linens, jewelry, books, imported foods and the restaurant’s popular branded items — Al’s Swedish Pancake Mix, lingonberries, Swedish jams and more. Once customers discover the Butik, they often don’t mind waiting for a table to open up.
The Butik at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant where you can shop before or after a meal.
You can find several tongue-in-cheek items in the Butik at Al Johnson’s.
The world famous goats on high at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant
In 1973, Al’s friend Wink Larsen gave him a goat named Oscar for his birthday, putting him up to graze on the restaurant’s sod roof. This tradition has continued and now a handsome group of goats arrive each morning to roam the gently sloped roof, drawing constant crowds down below.
Are they real? How do they stay up there? Where do they go at night? Those are some of the questions I heard while watching them myself. One goat stood so still that it was hard to believe he wasn’t a huge stuffed animal.
Arriving at around 9am, they happily graze until around 6pm when they walk down a ramp at the back of the restaurant and get transported to their nearby farm. They aren’t there in the winter — or when it’s windy, rainy or too hot — but on nice days during the rest of the year, the goats are up there for everyone’s delight. They’ve proven to be so popular with visitors that the restaurant installed a streaming Goat Cam so they can be observed from anywhere in the world.
The goats come in a variety of colors, body types and shapes, and hair lengths. Al’s even gives them all names. We were told that in the morning, at the farm where they live, any of the goats have the opportunity to make the trip to Al’s if they want. However, there are certain ones that are eager to go and others that simply have no interest. So it’s the first few on the truck that get their day in the sun, on the roof, taking in the beautiful views of Sister Bay across the street.
It’s not unusual for a group to gather and take pictures of the goats on the roof.
And now for the food at Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant
Much of the food served at Al Johnson’s is Swedish and Norwegian in origin. And while the restaurant is crowded all day long, breakfast is the most popular. Even if you’re a late sleeper, it’s nice to know there’s plenty of time to get there since breakfast is served until 3pm every day.
Sit down at your table and a friendly server in traditional Scandinavian finery will soon be by to take your order. I opted for The Swedish Pancake Special with eggs and Swedish Meatballs (tender and meaty) while my friends went for the Swedish Pancakes alone, piled high with strawberries, cherries and whipped cream. Combined with fruit, these buttery, crepe-like pancakes were so amazing, I couldn’t stop sending my fork across the table for yet another bite.
The homemade coffee cake reminded me of my mother’s with its warming scent of cardamom and a dish of lingonberries was on every table.
If you visit for lunch or dinner, there are other delicious Scandinavian choices, all served with the homemade pickled salads I grew up with. Havarti Grilled Cheese on Swedish Limpa Bread is served with pickled beets and baby spinach and the Swedish Meatball Sandwich comes with tangy pickled red cabbage. Being that Door County is surrounded by water, Al’s also serves walleye, perch or whitefish sandwiches. A cucumber salad, much like my grandmother used to make. comes on the side.
And for a full-on Swedish fix, there’s the Homemade Pickled Herring Plate with pickled beets and imported cheese. Pytt I Panna, a Swedish roast beef hash, is also served with those delicious pickled beets. Desserts include homemade pies, strawberry shortcake and rice pudding.
Coffee cake, Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries, eggs and Swedish Meatballs at Al Johnson’s. Photo by Courtney Drake-McDonough.
Settle in at The Stabber Beer Garden next to Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant
The Stabber Beer Garden, next door.
The restaurant was renovated in the ‘70s and the leftover logs were used to build a beer garden out back. With a handmade wooden bar serving local Wisconsin brews, plus wines and craft cocktails, it’s a great place to sit outdoors under sunny yellow umbrellas, taking an occasional walk over to check out those adorable goats.
While Al passed away in 2010, the restaurant is still owned by his wife Ingert. Today, the couple’s three children, Lars, Annika and Rolf, run the business with the kind of love that can only come from a long legacy and a beloved family tradition. From the size of the crowds and the quality of the food, they look to be doing a job Al Johnson surely would have been proud of. — Article and photos, unless otherwise noted, by Leslie Long.
If you go:
Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant & Butik
10698 N. Bay Shore Drive, Sister Bay, WI
920-854-2626
Summer hours, 6am-8pm
Hungry for more? Read about some of the other things you can do when you visit Door County – after a hearty meal at Al Johnson’s of course.
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