Full disclosure: I stole a loaf of bread from this store. It's true, folks, no lie. I was around 7 or 8 years old when the family went to Cheese Haven to buy some things for the picnic we had planned later that afternoon. I was told to carry the loaf of French bread as they looked around. As it were, I quickly got separated from my mother and father, and so with bread in hand, I walked out the door looking for them. I found my father outside having a smoke, and when he saw that loaf of bread, well, he wasn't very happy about it, but then again, he didn't make me take it back in either. So, many decades later: * The statute of limitations has passed. * I've made peace with my guilty conscience. * So I stopped in again, a few weeks ago What I found was the same fun, kitschy, touristy place that it used to be. It's full of some things you need and some things you'll just want. They've got an impressive deli with all kinds of smoked meats and cheeses. Of course, all that needs to be washed down with some of their eclectic selection of sodas. Looking for something more adult? They have a huge selection of local Ohio beers and wines. If you're into the sweet and salty, there's plenty of candy and snacks. If you like spice, you'll find a surprisingly good selection of hot sauces too. Their prices are tourist haunt reasonable, so the cash register tally shouldn't be much of a surprise. Cheese Haven is a solid locally owned business that promotes Ohio based products with some good local stuff from all over the area. It'll delight and excite the younger ones and give some nostalgic feelings to the older ones. In any case, it's a lot of fun and a delicious stop while you're in the area. For me? Easily, 5 stars. read more

Cheese Haven in Port Clinton, Ohio, is a well-known stop for a vast selection of cheeses, including aged, smoked, and blended varieties, along with deli items, smoked fish, and wine. We have been visiting for 60 years, and find this shop to be delightful; the nearby retail area has greatly developed. The title of "Walleye Capital of the World" is primarily claimed by two major locations: Lake of the Woods in Baudette, Minnesota, and Lake Erie in Port Clinton, Ohio. Port Clinton offers neat holiday experiences and the smoked cheese from Cheese Haven is a family tradition. Caveat: traffic may be heavy in this area; avoid u-turns. read more

Cheese Haven - Cheese Shops Near Me - Port Clinton, Ohio

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This is one of those places that I go back to time and time again! At this point, I HAD to have tried at least half of their cheeses. Yesterday, we bought the 20 year aged cheddar...and promptly ate the whole block before we even left Port Clinton. read more

Cheese Haven - Cheese Shops Near Me - Port Clinton, Ohio

Right in the retail cluster, this is a nice change from chains and boat dealers. Not as much cheese as I expected, compared to some places in Amish country. But a good selection. Some meats and fish, lots of candy, some wine. We got a few snacks and drinks. Some things on sale at the end of peak season. Lots of parking and easy access, though traffic in the area can be a bear. read more

I'm sure my cardiologist won't like reading this, but I made a stop at Cheese Haven and it fulfilled all my hopes and dreams with curds, whey, and more. The cheese: ok cheese is in their name so you know they come correct. SO MANY cheeses and varieties; aged, smoked, spicy, and more. We snagged a few different varieties. Our fave was the smoked Swiss and the Colby Jack. Lower on the list was one of the dill cheeses; it was crumbly and not as dilly as we would have liked. Prices vary per pound, but each chunk starts around $5 for a chunk and depending on the type of cheese, you could pay &15+ for a chunk. The spreads: all of these were on point. The simple beer mustard was our fave because, beer + mustard. But they have a nice little selection of spreads and pickled things to add to your charcuterie or cheese board. The candy: our kids got handfuls of salt water taffy and could have easily put themselves into a diabetic coma if we would have not imposed candy limits. Lots of cool candies, old school nostalgic options and literally the most comprehensive assortment of Cow Tails I've ever seen (Oreo, Honey Bun, etc) there are some cool retro toys on display and also a nice assortment of cool Pez to purchase. The wine: a really great assortment of Lake Erie wines from local wineries. My mother in law is a sucker for Pink Catawba, so of course we snagged a bottle. Other stuff: we didn't get any smoked meats (much to my chagrin) nor did we try any popcorn, but next time we definitely will. read more

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A fun place to visit while in Port Clinton during tourist season(closes during winter) a wide selection of amazing cheese products, Ohio wines, snacks, candy and goodies. We love to put together the makings of a interesting charcuterie board, some unusual flavor cheeses, and some interesting summer sausage or salami, add some chocolate treats and you're ready to party.. give then a try read more

It's an amazing cheese shop! It's an incredible old-fashioned candy store! It's a must-visit when you are taking a trip to Cedar Point or the Lake Erie Islands. We shopped for an hour and left with bags of candies, speciality popcorn, snacks, root beer, mustards, and a large variety of cheeses including cheese curds. My favorite is the 16 year aged cheddar! There are many vintage toys and other items on display. Employees were very friendly and helpful. read more

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Horrific Experience!!! My 92 year old father wanted their gouda. It was his favorite. We drove there, an hour, from Sylvania for this. As we pulled in he said he had to use the men's room. Elderly men & women don't have the "hold-on" capacity that younger people do. He peed himself because this woman refused to allow him the use of their restroom! Another lady said it was the health department's law, however that was a lie because Ottawa County Health Department said it is not a requirement for them to allow restroom to the public because they don't have a dining room and that it is their discretion for use. Where is your humanity and common sense?!!! There was no health-department police standing by waiting to stomp, and had there been, I would hope that Port Clinton Police & Ottawa health inspectors would have a heart & common sense to overlook the rare, infraction in a cheese shop. No matter how good their cheese may be, if you have a father, mother, daughter, son, aunt or uncle, that they would treat this way, why would you ever support such a heinous woman and their business! Shame on you Cheese Haven for lying & blocking a human right and harming a man's dignity. Sincerely, a loving daughter, LEO, and a common sense woman with a huge heart & giant claws! read more

Service was horrific. The owner was beyond anything I can describe. I am mid 40s and have been a repeat customer since I was very little. This is a highlight of every visit. My family will not be back. I would rate zero if it was an option. read more

Wasn't open all of 2024, couldn't get stuff for New year's eve and won't be able to get stuff for Super Bowl

Ok first thing while walking in lady and her dog rudely shoved her way in front of me to go talk to a woman working inside. Then while walking through the store that was busy and finding a lot of cool and unusual thing i grabbed a bag of jerky that was marked up for 9 dollars what a bargain i thought as we walked up to the line with 50 bucks of stuff i didn't need the line was long one register while the lady with the dog that wasn't even buying anything talking to the worker still . Then she came over to the register to proceed to say next with a horrible attitude then told me that the jerky was the wrong price that they marked it up wrong and would not sell it to me . Needless to say i will never come back and let all of my friends to not give them any of our business again. P.S. SAD WHAT ONE PERSON CAN DO TO A BUSINESS. read more

They charge an extra fee if you use a credit card then they get grumpy if you take a few extra seconds to put your money back in your wallet. Won't be back and I've been coming for years. They also no longer make chocolate cheese, my main reason for coming here over a closer store. Mistreat your customers and they'll stop coming. read more

A customer since I was 5, the food is amazing here. Grab some smoked cheddar blocks of cheese and a mini house knife and crackers, add some cheddar wine or cheddar bacon spread for more enjoyment. Best cheese on the planet all made here! read more

Cheese Haven - a display of cheeses in a store - Cheese Shops Near Me - Port Clinton, Ohio

First~ immediately bookmark this so you don't forget to visit. Not your ordinary stop, but IT WAS SO WORTH THE STOP! We actually went twice. Sunny or raining, this is such a fun place for the family. No admission price, but it will still cost you a small bit as every family member walks away with something great. They should have called it Edible Haven. The cheese alone can take up some time to peruse. So many flavors of taffy(see pic) that meet you at the door is eye candy unto itself. Vintage candy sugar bombs. So many cool toys and items on display give it that memorabilia museum nod. The humorous brand names(see pic) are littered about in all the different food sections. I personally was loving the hot sauce(see pic) and salsa selections. I always want to sample, but perhaps covid has shut that part of life off forever. Not to worry because CH carries `Ass Kickin' hot sauce in 1oz sizes(see pic). Brilliant idea for someone like me that carries hot sauce everywhere. I actually found 5 favorites to return and purchase, but only one was in stock. I could not pass up supporting the Veterans made `The Generals Hot Sauce'. I was blown away by how great it was(see pics). To quench that tasty fire I found myself laughing out loud at the beverage names(see pic). Picked up some nice spicy cheeses for an upcoming poker game. It's like the Simpsons or Family Guy. Kids and adults are going to laugh and enjoy this place. A bag of taffy and an quick 90min of your day is so much cheaper than a family of movie tix and concessions. read more

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The guy behind the counter didn't care if you bought anything are not, very crabby! Rather go to Amish to get my cheese !

First off, who cut the cheese!? HA! Second, why's there no option for a sixth star!? We took our 27-year-old man-child friend here. Not only was he in the Haven, he was in Heaven! What a ride. Our adventure began just as we entered the door--the aroma of fresh cheeses, the colorful array of candies and toys, and the simple joy of sharing in childlike elation with people that were strangers till today. Cheese, man. I'll tell you, we were a bit starstruck at first. We didn't know where to turn! We reconvened for a game plan and decided that a simple aisle-to-aisle approach was best. We hit the cheeses. We hit the chocolates. We hit the drinks. We hit the apparel racks. Never once were we underwhelmed or disappointed. Here are some recs: cheddar pretzels - heck yeah. Cranberry cheddar cheese spread - HECK yeah. Beef & cheddar smokes - heck YEAH! The people were so kind. Admittedly, they seemed caught off guard by our sheer exhilaration being in such a place, but the service was amazing. They were kind, efficient, and helpful. We made our rounds, picked some staple pieces, FILLED our baskets, rang the bell, 'cause CH is swell, and are now on our way home. As we shouted goodbye to Cheese Haven on our way out the door, we were met with equal enthusiasm, but we mourned our departure. 100/10, we will return. This is an experience you WON'T want to miss. read more

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Overpriced everything except the cheese. Staff is super slow and very rude. Skip this place. So many other local markets where they treat customers nicely. read more

Oh Cheesehaven, I want to love you like I used to. Back when I was a starry-eyed lad in my 20s, I would have given you 5-stars and raved about your amazing selection. But now I am in my 40s, and I have been to places like Heini's Cheese Chalet (in Ohio Amish's country), Jungle Jim's (Cincinnati) and the Cheese Haus (Frankenmuth, Michigan) ... and frankly, they changed me. They offer samples like they are trying to entice me into buying that block of 12 year old cheddar, while you offer samples like you are begrudgingly giving alms to the homeless (multiple signs command "one sample per customer!"). They offer samples of a dozen different and interesting varieties of cheese like they want to seduce me into trying something strange and new, while you offer tastes of just a handful of cheese spreads like you only give samples because the sign out front says you have samples, and re-painting it would be too much work. You used to have an amazing selection of wines from both local and national wineries, but now your collection seems to be just a shadow of its former self, and mostly focused on wines with pithy names, like Cold Bitch, Jackass, and my 15 year old son's favourite, Big Red Pecker. Your signs -and my youthful memories- extol the virtues of your many smoked meats and barbeque offerings, but now it seems like you just have a few vacuum-packed fish and some ribs that looked indistinguishable from what I might find at Kroger. Yes, the new owners are friendlier than the legendarily grumpy previous one. Yes, you offer a lot of different cheeses for a small town like Port Clinton (85? 125? I am not sure ... it is a lot). Yes, you have a great selection of candies and taffy. Yes, you have racks of hilarious novelty items like socks that say "Don't wake me, I'm working" and oven mitts that say "Bitch, I am the secret ingredient." But ... I find myself wanting more. This is not the 1970s any more, where gouda cheese is a novelty and feta is exotic. This is the 21st century, where even discount grocery stories like Aldi have 50 different cheeses, Kroger has over 100, and Jungle Jim's carries 1400 cheeses! Perhaps it is nostalgia for the you of yesteryear that keeps bringing me back, or maybe I just love the memory of you. Either way, giving you 3-stars is probably far more generous than what others would rate you if they did not know you in your heyday, or if they were comparing you with other, more contemporary establishments. read more

Cheese Haven - A good selection of cheeses, especially for a small town like Port Clinton. - Cheese Shops Near Me - Port Clinton, Ohio

Let's start off with the cheese, it's so good! Also they have so much more then just cheese. It's worth stopping out and checking it all out. Great staff and they have a lot to look at in the place. Every time I ever been it's all ways super clean. read more

I was disappointed in this stop. Being from an area where cheese is plentiful, I was expecting a larger variety and even samples. Though there were many cheeses, types were limited and not as many as I expected compared to other specialty cheese stores. I was also expecting a greater variety of other items. Though there were some sausages, beef sticks and other items the variety was disappointing. There is also a smaller section with some candies, but again the amounts were disappointing. The service was good and check out was prompt. They do have some interesting items bur a repeat visit is unlikely. read more

If you like tacky, bathroom humor- based merchandise in a store where they have to put up improperly worded signs warning you to keep kids away from certain areas, then this is the place for you. Oh, yeah, they sell cheese, too, but we never got that far. read more

I went into Cheese Haven the other day on my way back from Port Clinton. It was a funky little place. There was plenty of basic cheeses that were priced reasonably and a few deli kinds of cheese. A lot of taffy. Various hard candies, which actually seemed to delight a particular crowd! The clerks were busy but pleasant. I looked around and bought a cheese and left. Interesting. read more

It's unbelievable that a place like yours has no bathroom, my wife had to use the restroom and I wanted shop here. I'm like kill 2 birds with 1 stone, nope no restroom so now we had to fight they the light to get too speedway. You lost me as a tourist customer! read more

We arrived at 3pm on a Sunday, very excited. No samples out, only saltine crackers without cheese left. Still purchased Pimento Cheese spread, because I already know it's delicious. Always a great selection of salt water taffy and mustard... I always buy some local mustard. They carry fun socks, kitchen towels and aprons. The carry so many local wines! Heineman's is my favorite! I always get some wine. My daughter in law loves mustard and they have mustard soda! Crazy fun! read more

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Absolutely one of the worst places you can go. I wish there was a no star option. My wife stopped there today to pick up hot sauce and cheese for my son who is deploying in a few days. She accidentally knocked over 2 bottles of hot sauce. She apologized and stayed were she was, didn't try to walk away didn't try to say she didn't do it. Just stood there... to her surprise she was met by a very displeased lady with her arms in the air and a curled lip. My wife once again apologized and was met once again with a snarl. This led to a very uncomfortable encounter at the check out where my wife was told that they would do her a favor and only make her pay for one bottle. I do want to take this time to say THANK YOU to the gentleman at the checkout that attempted to save some small amount of face for this disgrace of a "cheese store". She didn't knock over a $1,000 chandelier... it was 2 bottles of hot sauce they probably got from a vendor for $2 a piece. Thank you so much for ruining a much needed day off for an extremely hard working mother/wife that just lost her father and is watching her son leave for a year in a few days. Word of advise: go take some costumer service classes. We will not be returning to this store and I strongly suggest, unless you are as perfect as God that you will not visit this establishment either. Because if you break something you will be treated very poorly. Christopher Gregg read more

This place is a MUST-stop if you are near Port Clinton or Lakeside-Marblehead. Cheese haven has a huge selection of everything 'cheese' you could ever imagine. They have fresh cheese in blocks, cheese dips, and many cheese oddities. The store has a giant selection of candy including old fashioned candy like Charleston Chews and specialty candies that you've never seen. They make fresh fudge in 10 flavors. Cheese Haven is also a haven for hot sauces and Wine. They also sell other alcohol and some fun goods like prankster items or gag gifts. The shop has free samples of cheese dip. Try the Spicy beer cheese, wine cheese, and the almond Swiss. We come here every time we go to Lakeside. I will continue to make this a tradition and get some delicious cheese dip and specialty goods read more

Cheese Haven - Wine Selection - Cheese Shops Near Me - Port Clinton, Ohio

This place is okay, but I have been to lots of places with equally as many cheeses to choose from. I'd venture to say that my local trader joes has a larger variety. Cheese Haven just have several types of the same cheese over and over again. Lots of cheddars, lots of spreads, some Colby, some mozzarella. Nothing fun like Brie or goats cheese. They offer some fun wines and drinks. We enjoyed buying some Amish beef jerky there too. The service is terrible. They just aren't friendly. Better than the old man who used to run the place but... Only by a hair. At least he was so rude that it was almost funny. We enjoyed our "spicy beer cheese" spread. read more

Cheese Haven - My son found some "Zombie Brain Juice" at Cheese Haven that he thought was hilarious. - Cheese Shops Near Me - Port Clinton, Ohio

This store is fantastically fun!! A must stop when visiting the Port Clinton area. In addition to cheeses, candy, wines, and other delightful delicacies they have a super amusing assortment of "adult" themed towels, hand sanitizers, pot holders, and socks. And did I mention the local wines!?!? read more

I grew up the town over and just never got around to stopping until last year‍ Cheese haven is a fun little place to stop and sample, and look around. They sell a variety of gifts, wine and cheese. I LOVE their horseradish cheese spread! Something to do when your cruising up the north coast. read more

Yes, they have a lot of cheese and other stuff. But, the inside of the store is a dead zone. Employees don't greet you & ignore you the whole time. Any samples out are old and just have a pile of saltines to use. No bathroom, so if you want to peruse for awhile make sure you visit a bathroom first. Weird. There are so many Alive, fun, yummy cheese stores, barns, spots in Ohio that really care about customer experience, this is not one. Go to Mansfield cheese barn instead. Save yourself this disappointing stop. read more

Nah. Just nah. There's a big ol cooler of cheese, but it's expensive and short dated and honestly nothing too exciting. Go to Whole Foods or really any grocery store for a better selection than this. There's a ton of other novelty crap in the store too, but... it's mostly crap. read more

The Cheese Haven makes me happy LOL. We stopped in on our way back from Walmart with intentions of walking through just to check it out. Cured meats, gimmicky liquor drinks, coffee, kitchy stuff and of course cheese wall to wall is what you get. I picked up some Habanero jerky and some "Wake the Fuck Up" brand coffee and skedaddled but I'd come back for some cheese and more jerky for sure. read more

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Cheese cheese and more cheese! They also have a large variety of candy and novelty foods. Stop by, you won't be sorry!!!

This is a neat little tourist destination in Port Clinton. The cheese spreads to try were all delicious and they had a pretty large variety. In addition, they had a variety of throwback candies from my childhood, as well as the house packaged ones. In addition, there's a decent selection of beverages and liquors, as well as "novelty" items like moonshine pickles, imported Japanese sodas, and fun apparel. The store could've been a little cleaner, and there's no tongs to grab the crackers for the cheese spread so that's a little weird, but if you can get past that, it is a cool place to stop if you're in the area. read more

When I was a kid, I thought Cheese Haven was a grandma's paradise. (Grandma's paradise = boooooring.) All this place offers is cheese, beer, wine, beef jerky, and fancy snacks. Now that I'm an adult, it dawns on me that these are the only things that bring meaning to my life. Seriously, this place alone is worth the trip to this lovely and charming section of the country. Make it part of a day trip or something during the summer, and you won't be disappointed. I personally drop a hellacious amount of money here towards cheese alone, money that would probably be better served going to my wardrobe or 14-year-old car or something. read more

I went to Cheese Haven expecting to be wowed by a unique cheese I could take home and share with friends, like a European explorer returning with silks and spices of the East. Instead, I came home with a decent smoked cheese and some homemade mustard. Nothing amazing. Also, I thought there would be sandwiches or dishes using some of the ingredients sold by Port Clinton. Not so much. Just ribs. The clerk did help me try several cheeses and threw a free Cheese Haven pen into my bag. That was nice. I wouldn't go out of my way to return, but it wasn't a complete waste of time. read more

My family used to visit this shop when I was a kid and I remember my Dad buying me a little stuffed orange tiger. The head was severed off, and the tiger's body was stuffed with cheese and beef logs. My Dad said the man behind the counter told him it was a "one of a kind" special deal. That tiger was great, but after eating the cheese I got sick on the Miller Ferry and threw the tiger overboard into Lake Erie along with my vomit. But seriously, this is a decades old tourist trap that used to be run by a very wealthy, but very angry old man. Now it is under new ownership and they are a bit more generous with the samples, but who cares. The cheese is cheap quality stuff, and you can find a better variety in most supermarkets--and at much better prices. Their horseradish cheese and baby swiss are decent, so if you are going to buy something, consider these. The only reason people used to visit this place was to observe, and sometimes taunt, Mr B. behind the counter. This guy was so wealthy, but yet so rude to the customers. And the signs posted everywhere in the store: Don't Open Cookbooks, Customers only... We once went in solely for the purpose of taking pictures of all of these crazy signs. They had all these signs advertising "The Best Ribs on the Island"...all I saw were grey slabs of mystery meat. There were rumors that the original staff were all part of a Mexican Futbol team that became indentured servants when their plane crashed on Mr B's property! Apparently, the new owners are trying to turn things around, but they have their work cut out for them. read more

I need only a few things to get through life. Sunday crosswords by Merl Reagle, a coney from Detroit once in a while, Vernors and cheese. You will always find cheese in my refrigerator. To say I like cheese is an understatement. I LOVE CHEESE. Cheese Haven is my version of Mecca. Since I used to hang my hat in the Glass City, I could be spotted at Cheese Haven on most Sunday Mornings, that is after a long night behind the wheel of my cab. Yes, I am that serious about cheese. You can count on one hand the number of Cleveland Sunday papers available in Toledo on any given day. Being that I was an obsessive type without access to the internet, driving to PC was the only sure way to score a Plain Dealer and the puzzle within without too much trouble. While on one of these quests, I discovered Cheese Haven. My initial reaction was OMG. Cheese. Beef. Cheese. CHEESE. Ok, I'm nuts. You have to be to live in Toledo as long as I did. I scored a few pounds of their 2 yr old apple cheddar. I loved it and regretted that I didn't buy more. This next part is going to sound gross. On one of my raids, I happened to score some really gnarly 4 year old cheddar, wrapped in a protective plastic sheath. I parked it in the cold box and left it there for 3 years. While cleaning it out (at the request of the Lucas county health dept,) not really, I came across this little gem. Not wanting to be a cheapskate, I called the cheese dude and asked him if my cheese had turned into a science experiment. He told me that my 4 yr old cheddar was now 7 yr old cheddar, and I should remove the plastic and enjoy with a good wine. He also told me that the rule of cheese is this. Hard cheese, scrape off the mold and enjoy. Soft cheese, terminate it with extreme prejudice. On your next trip to Cedar Pointe, eschew the turnpike, and take SR 2. Don't pass, and dont speed. and when you reach SR 53, take the north bound exit and drive until you meet up with SR 163. On the corner will be Mecca sans the kabbah and the minarets. But trust in this. You will be at the center of the cheese world. One last thing.... Mice don't like cheese. If they did, Cheese Haven would be in serious trouble. Very serious trouble. read more

I couldn't imagine a trip home with a stop at Cheese Haven. The beer cheese, smoked meats, and - my favorite - beer cheese. Their butter cheese also is thoroughly amazing. Every holiday season I place a Cheese Haven order, which is a huge hit with my native Californian friends. Just goes to show that California cheese ain't all that. BTW, I'm in my mid-40s, and my mother remembers coming here with her parents as a child. This place has been serving up the good stuff for many moons now. read more

It's fun but make sure you go in with a sense of humor. Pros: This place has an AMAZING selection of cheese and local specialty items. Jams, wine, jams made out of wine... They even have homemade sodas for sale. Decent wine selection focusing mostly on local wines but have some other good ones thrown in the mix and their beer cooler is surprisingly diverse. Cons: Staff isn't the friendliest even under new ownership. I grew up in the area and the grumpiness of the original owner was legendary and was actually considered a big part of the Cheese Haven experience. Also, Candy can be a bit old. Beware of the salt water taffy! If you haven't been here in a while, the new owners have put in a lot of work and it shows! The place is much more open (no more bottle necking at the counter) and it seems a lot cleaner. I think they did well in getting rid of things that don't sell and bringing in delicious items that do. Sadly, they moved the samples behind the counter and clearly are not too happy about handing some out unless you look like you're a buyer. read more