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Nelsen's Hall Bitters Pub

4.2 (78 reviews)
ModerateAmerican
Closed • 11:00 am - 2:00 AM (Next day)
Updated over 3 months ago

Nelsen's Hall Bitters Pub Photos

NELSEN'S HALL BITTERS PUB ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Outdoor seating
Good for groups
Good for kids

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the label on the table
Nancy G.

Look, you know and I know, that what you're really coming here for, is to join the Bitters Club. We entered the bar and were greeted with a stereotypical Wisconsin bar vibe. We grabbed our seats, the bartender took our order, and somehow in the conversation told us that bitters taste like Christmas. She was lovely, and told us the deal: You sign the card you're given. You down the shot (it DOES taste like Christmas!!!). You dip your thumb in the remaining drops of bitters in your shot glass, and make a thumb print on your card. You sign the guest book. Done, Done, Done, DONE! And, I'd do it again. I even purchased a bumper sticker, because, c'mon, TOURIST!!! There are 2 sides to this place, the dining room and the bar. We didn't eat here, so I can't speak to that, but again, that's not why you REALLY came here....just do the shot of bitters and join us...... 44/2022

Sue P.

Good food old time atmosphere. The door county old fashion is excellent. Don't forget to join the bitters club!

Cheese curds as an appetizer.
Mauro B.

As one of the handful of places that open daily at 11, I decided to have brunch here, and later on dinner. The entire building has an old, rustic wood feeling to it. The bar area has definitely seen years of age, sort of like stepping back in time. The lunch/dinner menu is limited, but the options they provide are plentiful. I opted out for my traditional burger combination for brunch and I was surprised by the quality of ingredients. Impressed by how lunch went, I decided to revisit again for dinner (fancier menu) and I was not disappointed! It may look like a shack from the outside, but if you're looking for some history, a drink, or food...look no further! Pros: Vegetarian options Attentive bartenders Vast lunch/dinner menu Pool table/dart boards/slots Outdoor seating Cons: no AC WiFi available: I tested the speed : 0.12mbps

Dining area
Shunghilaska M.

While this place is a restaurant, too, we went here for gin and tonics. So be prewarned I cannot speak for the food. Our bartender was a really nice guy. Made us feel welcome. Our drinks were really good and stout with Tanqueray. The history here is that a fellow on the island started making bitters to get around prohibition. The 90 proof "tonic" was not banned by prohibition. So Washington Island folks became the biggest drinkers of bitters in the country. The main attraction here is joining the Bitters Club. You are presented with a shot of bitters ($5) and you drink it. When done you put your thumb into the shot dregs and put your thumbprint on your membership card. You are now an official islander with "priveledges". I slamed my shot! It wasn't bad...very clovey. After I survived my sweetie took her shot. We're in! Had cloves burps for the rest of the afternoon. Not that bad...I like cloves. If you're on de island and you want to try something unique it would behoove you to check this place out. We had fun!

We stopped in for a beer after touring the island.  Good draft selection, friendly bartender and a lot of history here.

We stopped in for a beer after touring the island. Good draft selection, friendly bartender and a lot of history. A good place to stop and take in the atmosphere.

Island burger
Kat B.

Historic place in the center of town. We dined inside and joined the Bitter's Club. Food not outstanding but solid enough lunch. Great ambiance and good service.

Grilled Cheese
Eun K.

Great service and great food. The bathrooms were clean too. My daughter has food allergies and the waitress was very nice to double check the ingredients of the buns and hoagie bread. There was no wait which was awesome. Our kids were hungry! You can't sub chips for fries but that was no biggie. Their onion rings were tasty and the bacon in their island burgers were tasty and thick!

Join the bitters club

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3 years ago

Delicious dinner, superb service. We loved the cherry old-fashions! special place Thank you!!

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3 years ago

Service is great, historic drinks, no food on certain days or times. Very helpful people

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6 years ago

Excellent food! Island burger is to die for! Good service! Would definitely come back again!

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Bread & Water - Enjoying a packet of jam

Bread & Water

3.1(39 reviews)
0.2 mi
•$

I'm going to give Bread and Water another 5 stars this year for 2 reasons:…read more1. 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.

Odd little place with mismatched old tables and chairs, kind of like grandma's back porch. Out of…read morecherry 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.

Photos
Bread & Water
Bread & Water
Bread & Water

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K K Fiske Restaurant & The Granary - Whitefish Dill Sandwich

K K Fiske Restaurant & The Granary

3.6(49 reviews)
0.1 mi
•$

We stopped here on a rainy Saturday for lunch. The main bar/restaurant was closed but the outdoor…read morearea was open. We had a dog with us and they had one table that was kind of outdoor/indoor so we sat there as dogs weren't allowed in the bar area. They were training some new people who were learning English which was a little bit challenging. They did a good job though and the owner/manager (?) came over to double check the orders. We ordered cheese curds which were actually really good. We all agreed that we'd come back just for the curds. My kids had a chicken tender basket. Pretty standard. I had the whitefish fill sandwich. It was just ok. The sauce didn't have much flavor and definitely could have used way more dill. I ended up using ranch to give it something. My friend had a fish basket and said it was alright too.

To the staffs credit, they did tell us that the wait would be close to an hour. Many establishments…read moredon't tell you that upfront. So we waited and had a fish basket and fish sandwich. The bun, and the fish sandwich was remarkable, very soft. Unfortunately, the fish was average. Needs more seasoning. I assumed the tarter sauce is made in house but it was virtually mayo with a few diced pickles. Not a tarter I'd expect at a place that sells mostly fish. The coleslaw wasn't bad but odd. I don't believe I've ever had one that's diced rather than shredded. That too needs a bit more seasoning. Overall, would not recommend.

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K K Fiske Restaurant & The Granary - Menu

Menu

K K Fiske Restaurant & The Granary - Island Orchard Cider

Island Orchard Cider

K K Fiske Restaurant & The Granary - Fried fish basket 15 dollars

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Fried fish basket 15 dollars

Nelsen's Hall Bitters Pub - tradamerican - Updated May 2026

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