I'm going to give Bread and Water another 5 stars this year for 2 reasons: 1. Cherry pie is delicious. Plenty of cherries, flaky and melt in your mouth crust. Clearly made right here with love. 2. Great job w Covid-19 precautions: hand washing station, clean bathrooms, all food served in paper board (not styrafoam) to go containers. The most together food service ive seen this year on Washington Island in terms of being hygienic. Sandwiches are straight forward and tasty. Nothing fancy, imho. Don't know about the burgers, we ate those at the Albatross where I think any place on the island would have stiff competition to beat how tasty those are! Don't let the shaby exterior of Bread and Water fool you, food is solid. read more

Bread & Water - Blt on sourdough. - American Near Me - Washington Island, Wisconsin

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Odd little place with mismatched old tables and chairs, kind of like grandma's back porch. Out of cherry pie at noon. I had the the mountain BLT with chips and my wife asked for a simple grilled chicken breast because she was having stomach problems, but the communication between the cook and the waitress (written on paper that we saw) produced a greasy grilled chicken breast. The one waitress was not able to handle the requests from three tables inside and people sitting on the porch. The mission of the restaurant is to serve some operation within the Methodist Church, but a classier approach is needed to assure the customers that once you get past "Bread and Water" there is competence in the kitchen. read more

They claim their Burgers are "charbroiled" but they are just plain burnt. They must get regular complaints because they said their policy was to reduce the bill by 50%. read more

Bread & Water - Burgers are "charbroiled" but they are just plain burnt. - American Near Me - Washington Island, Wisconsin

Amazing food and ambience. Will definitely be back again and hopefully soon. I ordered grilled chicken sandwich and it was done perfectly!

Bread & Water has a casual, breakfast diner vibe with friendly service in broken-in, pleasant surroundings. We stopped in for breakfast on a rainy morning. I had the eggs special and my wife had an omelet. Both were perfectly prepared with fresh ingredients, including farm fresh eggs. Coffee was good and there was a reasonable selection of tea for my wife. A solid spot for breakfast or lunch on the island. read more

Looks like a nice little spot to stop but you may want to pass this one by. Service was very slow and took awhile for us to get our food. Order came out at different times. We noticed the wait staff searching for tables that order specific food. Food was sub par. Burger was burnt and condiments had to be asked for twice. Tomatoes on burger were paper thin. read more

I was very confused on how this restaurant is managed. It seemed like it was just children serving the customers. My family waited over an hour to get food that my 5 year old could prepare better. Who knows maybe they did have a 5 year old cooking the food, it wouldn't shock me! Save your time and eat at the bar on the island. Might be a good idea for a health inspector to stop by and evaluate the restaurant. read more

Had to wait 45 minutes for our order of a Hawaiian burger & a Chicken Wrap. They were not that busy, cook was not wearing a mask! Food was just mediocre. Coffee was terrible! Two sandwiches and 2 coffees was $37!!! I would personally not recommend. read more

The food, amazing, the staff, amazinger! We were on a day trip on Washington Island and decided to give Bread & Water a go. The menus is short but oh so sweet. We tried the grilled chicken wrap and the turkey stack club. The turkey stack was piled high on 3 slices of sour dough and a perfect helping of turkey and bacon, the tomatoes were sliced nice and thin but piled in just the right amount. The chicken wrap wasn't just some plain Jane concoction, it was masterful. The bell peppers and onion sang in perfect harmony with the chicken. We could not help but indulge ourselves in the back deck and the peaceful serenity of the forest. It's an absolute must stop. We will be back again! read more

Had breakfast and it was fine. Also rented one of the rooms attached to this restaurant. Would definitely discourage anyone from doing the same. Shower wouldn't work and no hot water either. When we complained we were basically told too bad. Will not go back. The vibe on the whole island was the same."Too bad. So sad" they know they have you. Stuck! read more

Menu isn't super big but they do have options. I got the veggie quesadilla and it was pretty good. Portions and price weren't terrible for the location. read more

I'd love to give them some slack for Covid but everything was below expectation: the service, the ordering process, wait time, quality. If you are thinking about somewhere else for lunch on Washington Island, maybe go there. read more

Out of soup. Low on glasses. No tomato on burger. Forgot to serve coke. Chicken salad was mostly mayonaise. Pulled pork not edible. The server was very nice, but young and inexperienced. Fruit and cheese plate pretty blah. Where's the delicious Wisconsin cheese? read more

This place is really interesting. The service was good, very friendly. The food was good too, better than expected. I was nervous due to the reviews, but we were hungry and were drawn to it. Our crew of 9 ordered the chicken wrap, egg salad, cheese quesadilla, cheeseburgers and hamburgers. All lunch items came with a small portion of coleslaw, generous portion of kettle chips and sweet pickles. The menu said it would come with beans too, but it did not. Not a huge deal. The portions were generous. The burger people in our group preferred these burgers to the Albatross nearby. A previous reviewer was turned off by the waitress running across the street for supplies. Our waitress did the same- however our feeling on it was that we were happy to see them supporting another local business and also using what the need and not buying in bulk and wasting anything not used. So, kudos to them! read more

We decided to stop here for lunch when one of our favorite spots on the island was closed. The description online sounded interesting and certainly seemed to offer a nice variety. We were seated outside and they had a nice, eclectic mix of napkins that spoke to its unique character. But this is where things went wrong. The menu is not very large and the first thing we were told is that they were out of soup and one other thing. They wee not busy so that was a surprise. When we ordered, on of our friends ordered a veggie burger and he was told after 5 minutes that they did not get their beef and veggie burger delivery in yet so he had to choose something else. Our girls got lemonade with their meals. On the menu it said "no powder used" so we assumed that to mean it was real lemonade. The cook said it was from Coca-Cola therefore it was not powder. We returned it. 5 minutes after we ordered, our waitress went across the street to get some groceries (it was one of two trips to the grocery). The biggest disappointment was the wait. After ordering (and we were one of two tables), it took nearly 45 minutes to get our food. And when we got it, while it was good, it was clear that the salad dressings and the sides came from Sysco. It was marketed as prepared to order, but what I expected that to mean and what they delivered seemed contradictory. I certainly won't go back. read more

Strictly Kayak Rental Review This woman Valerie is only interested in making as much money off of you as she can. While she says "I want to make sure you think this is a fair price", she is not fair nor flexible in fact she took advantage of us arriving later evening knowing herself that no other business was open. We had her exact brochure in our hands showing her the rates she advertises but she insisted that those prices did not take into account our late arrival. We were walk in customers. Most people assume when you arrive to a place like Washington Island you would encounter honest business establishments, especially those with supposed "ministry" connections. This was in no way our experience of Valerie and her establishment. The only reason we agreed to her very unfair price, after complaining that she was going outside of her own printed rates, was that it was my birthday and we wanted to enjoy it paddling. As a business owner myself I am embarrassed by the way she runs her operations. We in no way recommend her to others. The kayak itself and gear were all in decent condition. We were only provided with a sponge for any water taken into the boat. A spray skirt or water pump were needed during our use of the double kayak neither of which were provided. read more

I had the Famous Marianne Chicken Salad and it was good. If I order it again, and I would, I would ask for lettuce and the bread to be toasted. Perhaps even a slice of tomato. The service was prompt and the place intriguing with their boarding options, kayak rentals and kayak museum. It also looks like a great place for breakfast or brunch. Next time I'm on Washington Island, I will be sure to stop in. read more

I've gotta disagree with Audrey, she sounds a bit like she wasn't having the best time of her life to begin with. And, yeah, two people work there, it's their home, and yer on Washington Island fer Peets sake. if you want Applebee's, go to freaking Applebee's! the place is fine, I had toasted ham and cheese, my wife had a well crafted spinach salad and we split the second best cherry pie of the week. I even saw that the guestrooms were nice. read more

We waited 40 minutes for a chicken salad sandwich and a cheese plate. The cheese plate consisted of a couple apple wedges, sticks of cheese, and slices of wheat bread. The chicken salad was good. This place, with a funky vibe, could be good with better leadership and creativity in the kitchen. The wait staff was fine. read more

Awesome place to eat. History of restaurant is Interesting and service was great. Highly recommend to anyone. We were on Washington island for a wedding. Had an egg skillet and it was great read more

This review is for the lodging experience at Bread and Water only. We did not try the cafe. We stayed in the "Heritage Room" at Bread and Water on our recent trip to Washington Island. The owner, Valerie, was very friendly and pleasant. It was clear she wanted to please and was customer-oriented. Despite her friendly demeanor, I just can't rate the experience above three stars. I think that Bread and Water is going for a bed and breakfast-kitschy type atmosphere, but to me it fell flat and the room just felt a bit dumpy. For example, none of the trim or baseboards were installed in the bathroom. It looked like an unfinished home improvement project. The room had a ton of knick-knacks and cutesy furniture in it, but I did not care for the cluttered appearance. I think some people would think it was quaint, but it was just not to my preference. Finally, the door was just a hollow-wood interior grade door. It did not have a deadbolt or a security latch, just a push-button lock like you'd find on a bathroom door. Granted, we were on Washington, Island, WI, so the crime rate is nonexistent, but it was still a bit weird. I put a chair in front of the door when we slept because it really felt like someone could just walk in at any minute. The owner's children work in the restaurant with them and we were woken up in the morning by the noise of kids running in. The walls were really paper thin, which brings me to my next point: the bed was super loud...(get your mind out of the gutter...we did nothing but sleep). Every time you'd move around or roll over though, the metal bed frame clanked loudly on the wall. This was especially awkward because the walls were really thin as I've stated, and I kept worrying we'd disturb other guests or that the other guests would think something freaky was going on in our room (which it wasn't). :) Bread and Water was an adequate place to spend one night, but seemed overpriced (~$100) for what it offered. One benefit to Bread and Water is that there is no minimum- 2 night stay as is common during summer in Door County, so if you need a place for just one night, this is a good bet. read more

Cafe was super cute and clean. Wait staff were very friendly. The chicken planche and the cheese curds were absolutely delicious.

Stopped here for lunch since there wasn't a lot of choices around. It's a cute place. We ordered the BLT and the ham and cheese. The food was fine, but they skimped on the meat. Barely any bacon or ham. Also, we weren't given any silverware or napkins so we never got to try the slaw. Like I said, the food was fine, it did its job. And we sat outside which made for a nice quick break. Most likely wouldn't recommend or come back. read more

Before walking up to this place, a couple stopped me and told me I would be better off going elsewhere. They were very disappointed with the quality of their food. I ended up going there anyway and while the food itself was fine, it took way longer to receive (I'll guess 45 min wait) than it should have. I ordered an omelette which came with a side of potatoes and toast, and my son had scrambled eggs and toast. I think there is only one woman doing all the cooking and it doesn't seem to be an efficient process. The hostess woman was very pleasant but really should be giving out a disclaimer on how long it takes to receive food. I had a toddler with me who was melting down out of hunger by the end of the wait. I know the long wait time wasn't limited to me, there were a number of tables around me complaining. This was on a Monday morning, not peak weekend time. read more

This is a review of the accommodations. We stayed at the Tipping Bucket Farm for days 4 and 5 of our honeymoon. Valerie was a great host and we really enjoyed the stay. Potbelly pig, horses and chickens. What more could you want? read more

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Just blown away.... we reserve the farm apartment months ago. we came up july 2017, with wife and 2 teenagers. we pulled in and the pics on the net were not what we expected. I hate to be nasty, but i need to inform people what to expect.Just shocked. The farm apartment was very run down,we were told queen bed and futon couch, we wanted the kids to expericene a farm and the island. No animals to speak of and there was no futon. just a couch and a small medical bed inside our bedroom ?? really, just weird and there was two doors that were sealed up inside, creepy.. none of us wanted to stay. we asked the owners daughter for a change of venue, not happy. I asked if there was any bigger rooms. I mentioned the carp diem apt. it sleeps 8. She said,it was available. we arrived at the cafe, te room is behind te cafe. It was ok at first, more room at least. we settled up for 2 nights. she said any problems just call... major problem new guys to the island, there is no cell phone reception at all !!!!. if you have verizon your ok, not AT&T etc. no wifi, no phone. So there was major problem, cant call, phone does not work. A land line in hallway (local call) would be helpful, since 2 other renters in building. The apartment very run down, where do i begin, toliet rotted and leaned back. hot water slow. towels smelled like basement. Shower did not work first room, bed held up with a concrete block, the front room closet /water heater had the worst black mold spot i have ever seen. trust me I have been in thousand of homes with my job..... it scared me, closed the door, afraid to tell family. the living room TV did not work, DVD player did not work. The AC was in the window, barley hanging on. It worked thank GOD, but no security. the windows did not lock well and was very scary. the master was ok. But sliding door to a patio that has not seen a lawn mower was awazing. really... There was a weed 6 feet tall right outside.I had my son cut it down with a steak knife. The upstairs loft had two nice beds. upstairs hot, but windows did not open wide. my kids told me it smelled and slept downstairs. expected to have eaten at cafe in morning. open 8 am.... closed ???? WOW, ate across street, very good. I did not hear or speak to Bread and water the entire stay...Cant call. they did not call me. business was closed the whole trip... ??? spoke to owner about our issues. she could care less. very bad experience !! you have been warned. read more

Loved the cooks and staff!!! Delicious food!!! Everything made fresh and to order!!! Cherry coffee is heavenly!!! We stayed two days and had a great experience !! I would recommend this place for breakfast and lunch!!! Love the atmosphere and the staff!! Gotta try this place!!!! read more

Saw one kid pick his nose then continued to make my sandwich, 10/10 would not recommend

This is a pretty spiritual/religious restaurant with a good atmosphere. I ordered the grilled cheese with the choice of Swiss or cheddar and I asked for both and I was char chef 50 cents extra. The bread on the the grilled cheese was well cooked for the perfect amount of time but the cheese could've been cooked for a bit longer in my opinion I ate with 2 other people and they loved there food one god a burger and didn't like the bun but the medium well meat made up for it and one got a chicken rap. I would give the service a 3.5 out of 5 and the food a 3.75 out of 5 but there was no napkins at the table and the table was dirty also so my over rating for the restaurant will be a 3.25 out of 5. read more

Delicious food, friendly service!! Was a nice surprise after reading reviews. Remember your on island time and just sit back and enjoy. So glad we stopped there for lunch. read more

We had a really WEIRD visit to the island so we probably weren't the most receptive to begin with. But the food was really tasty and staff courteous. There wasn't any music or background noise though and we were the only 2 people in there other than the owner who was talking on the phone about taking her kid to the cemetery for a school project. Added to the weirdness. If I do ever go back to the island though I will most certainly try it again and hope for a more lively atmosphere. read more

This was the best stop on my Door County vacation, and will probably be one of the most memorable lunch stops I've ever had. The food was excellent and homemade, but it was the atmosphere that made it wonderful. Even if there were nothing else on Washington Island this would be worth the ferry ride. I could tell the owners were really wonderful people, but had no idea that they are world-famous kayakers (who went from the Arctic Ocean to Cape Horn back in the '80s) until I got back home and looked the place up online. The next time my family and I head up to Wisconsin, I think we'll almost certainly try to stay for a night in the attached rooms and take the kayaking tour. read more

Great little restaurant. Given they are on an island, where everything needs to come by ferry, you don't mind they have a more limited menu. Take the time while waiting for your food to read the story of the woman that owns the restaurant (her epic kayak trip and fostering children). Everything we ordered was delicious, and the quesadilla was the size of the plate. The best part is how generous they are: I forgot my credit card there and didn't realize until the next day when back on the mainland. I didn't want to pay for another ferry ride over just to get it, so the manager offered to drive it down after work to the ferry in an envelope, and the ferry would have it for me to pickup on the mainland at the ticket window! This willingness to literally go the extra miles for a customer means I will stop in the next time I am on Washington Island. read more

We had a 3 night reservation for the Carpe Diem Apartment at this establishment and, immediately upon checking in, we had concerns about the cleanliness and overall appearance. The actual accommodations definitely do not look like the photos on their website and the online description is inconsistent with what is offered. We would have left right away but we had a commitment at an event on the island the next day and we did not have another place to move to. Against our better judgement, since we had no other options, we stayed Thurs night but we then left as soon as we woke on Friday and went to the event. As the day went on and we thought more about our concerns related to the accommodations at Bread and Water, we chose instead to stay at the park where the event was being held and sleep in our cars (this included my sister and her two children plus my two children and myself) rather than return to the apartment. We contacted the owner of the establishment and she offered to move 3 of the 7 people in our group to another location for the rest of our reservation but we instead chose to leave the island a day early, due to the horrendous condition of the apartment and because we didn't want our party split up (leaving 4 people to have to remain at Bread and Water). The owner did reimburse us for the final night that we were not there but she refused to refund us for the night we slept in our cars or give us any other money off because of our extreme dissatisfaction with the accommodations. Based on the severity of these issues, the lack of customer service in addressing our concerns (beyond refunding us for a night we weren't even there) is appalling. This entire situation was very upsetting as we had been planning this trip for nearly a year. Unfortunately, there was no way we were going to stay there beyond the one night we had to because it was so unsanitary and unbelievably disgusting. Issues with our accommodations: · there was an abundance of black mold in the closet of the bedroom · the apartment had a strong, musty odor · there were used coffee grounds in the coffee maker upon arrival · garbage was in the kitchen wastebasket when we checked in · there were significant amounts dust on nearly every surface · the bathroom toilet was dirty · there were insects flying around inside and climbing on the walls · the bathroom door did not close · holes in the floor/walls · TV was not functioning · tons of dirt and dust under the beds · burners on the stove were covered in grease · the door to enter the building was covered in spider webs and dead bugs · lack of smoke detectors · crusty, old food on the silverware and dishes provided · there was sticky stuff on the shelves of the refrigerator · there was sticky stuff on the bedside table in the room with the double bed · there was something crusty all over the front of the TV · overall, everything seemed run down and filthy We have never had such a horrible hotel stay in our entire lives. We consider ourselves very understanding and we can overlook a lot. However, this was beyond anything that is even close to acceptable and the owner's lack of service recovery when we have contacted her multiple times via email and phone to voice our dissatisfaction with this stay is extremely disappointing. We would never, ever stay at Bread and Water again and you should consider yourself warned against staying there as well. read more

We stayed the night at Bread & Water's main lodging (connected to the restaurant). When we arrived a plumber was going in and out of our room. We were told they were having a few issues and that he would be fixing it shortly. He was in our room until 8pm. We couldn't call the owners to complain because we couldn't reach them and all staff left the location at 3pm. Our toilet in our room didn't work so we had to share the one women's bathroom with all other guests. Each time the main toilet was flushed our toilet bubbled and the entire location smelled like sewage. The room was dirty and our sheets and bath towels were stained. I would not recommend staying even if the toilet is functional. read more

Nope the place is a restaurant but some how a church souls like a scam. Food was mediocre at best

This is the worst restaurant/service I have ever experienced. I come in with my mom and my grandmother to have lunch. it's busy, fine we have time. No one sits us. All of the 2 waiters(one might have also been the cook) are crawling around. Some people let us know that they have finished their food and re leaving. They guests clean the table for us and we grab a menu and sit and wait. The menu is 20 year old sheet that has been photocopied a thousnad times, making the text barely legible. The selection is about 4 items for lunch, whatever we are here already. We sit for 10 minutes , no comes to ever greet us. While we are waiting a large group comes is(about 10 people). The crazy-looking waiter takes their order. we think fine, they have a lot of people so she'll be right with us. That was not the case. She keeps going back to other stables and eventually comes to the front. But no us, she greets the people that just came in and want to sit outside. This was the final straw. My mom goes up and yells right at her. Telling her that we have been patiently waiting for 30 minutes and no one has even offered us water or said "Hi". The reply? "I'm sorry, I didn't see you there, I can take your order now." So we tell her "NO!", this is not service, and walkout. This place deserves ZERO stars and EVERYONE should avoid it. got the hot dog stand not too far away(driving) and you'll get the same food and better service. read more

A group of 25 of us dumped on Bread & Water with no warning & from the start Valerie was friendly & open charming us with her desire to be sure we enjoyed out stop. She started by introducing us to the cook who was great. But the food....SO GOOD!!! And she had just made a cherry pie! Because there were so many of us we all pitched in & helped with drinks & getting our food. It was great fun & be sure to go in the Kayak Room...Valerie is one interesting woman!!! And a Guinness Book Record holder!!! read more

This restaurant is so cute and homie, with lodging, a kayak museum, and wifi to fit anyone's needs. The food was so fresh and delicious, it was the best thing we had eaten all weekend. Surprisingly the service was very fast, within 10 minutes, considering how fresh the food was. The staff was also SUPER welcoming and made us feel right at home. 10/10 would recommend this place and we will have to stop back there soon! read more

Three years ago, on a busy summer weekend, my family of four were seeking lodging in Door County, but there was no vacancy anywhere. When we got to the tip of the peninsula we decided that if we could get a room on Washington Island we would cross Death's Door and have our first adventure on the island. We called Bread and Water and owner Valerie answered cheerfully that she had a room. When we arrived, the main property was filled with warm, inviting atmosphere and you could feel the love that went into the place. Our boys were not little kids anymore so seeing our family size, Valerie recommended staying at her Tipping Bucket farmhouse apartment. That was a very magical stay! The farm had chickens, horses, and goats that were friendly enough to pet, the grounds are beautiful and the stars were spectacular! We loved it so much that we have started a family tradition of staying at one of Valerie's properties. I love her commitment to the environment, I imagine most of the quaint items in her apartments are second hand to help the environment and they are a charming touch. These are hearty, inviting rooms that make the transition to island time much easier! read more