Fantastic food. Cute atmosphere and a speculator waitress. Shout out to Noel who made the entire experience that much more special

The food here should get four stars. Great place for lunch and we stop here frequently. Our kids like the soup bar and they typically have 2-3 really good options. I usually try to stay away from meat in burger form for lunch, but they have a great turkey burger. Salads are always fresh. Reason why I gave three stars is that last time we ate there, took a look at the receipt breakdown when we got home - they charged $5 per plate when we substituted fries for chips. This was on two of our orders. To me, that's a crazy up charge. I'm hoping for them it was an error. Guess we'll have to watch that closer next season.... read more

Came here with a large group of 8 adults and a baby on Sunday morning and were seated right away. They have an outdoor eating area which would have been nice on a milder day. We were seated by the soup bar which had about 5 or 6 different soups. The service was very friendly and prompt. I ordered the country skillet (I think that's what it was called) and liked the idea of having sprouts to top the eggs. The hashed browns were nice and crisp. I liked how the restaurant had a mexican flair to it, offering breakfast burritos and horchatas. Free refills on the horchatas too! read more

When I go on vacation I simply must have lunch at the Summer Kitchen. The patio is filled with blooming plants with cozy tables nestled under vine covered trellises. Ironically the Summer Kitchen is known more for warming autumnal soups than anything else. The trained cook in me tries to object to their overly thick consistency, but for some reason it all works. I particularly like the mushroom and wild rice and be sure not to skip the bread. My favorite lunch offering is the cashew chicken salad. Not because it is inventive, but simply for its predictability and honest flavors. Enjoy. read more

Summer Kitchen - Door County - Cashew Chicken Salad - Breakfast & Brunch Near Me - Ephraim, Wisconsin

Stopped by this place on a whim. We were camping in Door County and I had plans on making breakfast that morning, at our campsite, but the skies were looking ominous and I knew there was no way I was going to get a fire built, have coals ready and food cooked before the storms came so out we headed, looking for a breakfast spot when we happened upon The Summer Kitchen. And I am so glad that we did. First of this place is cute-seriously cute, almost to the point of being cheesy. But some how it isn't cheesy, it's cute in the best possible way (and I am a guy that usually shies away from "cute"). There is so much here to look at and explore. My first thought was that they rely on that cuteness to draw in customers and probably just sit back and coast when it comes to the food, but I was wrong. The cinnamon rolls were warm and soft, with just the right amount of sweetness-so many cinnamon rolls I've had are overly sweet. These were still very sweet but not sickeningly so. All of our breakfast entrees were excellent and the coffee was good also. My only complaint was that my dish had Mexican chorizo in it, but could have used more as I could hardly taste it. I understand wanting to go light as chorizo has a habit of overpowering many dishes, but this could have used a bit more. Other than that, it was a great breakfast and I highly recommend checking the place out if you find yourself camping in Door County on a rainy day, or even on a beautifully sunny day. read more

The food here was just okay. It is overpriced. The service left something to be desired as well. Came here on a fall afternoon, and yes there were people, but the staff was stressing me out! they were running around saying how busy it was, and honestly it just came off as them being rude. I don't know if I'd recommend this to anyone, the service was that bad! The food was just okay (i had mexican, my mom had a salad). The soup was just okay, and like the others said overpriced. It ended up costing me $35 dollars for that meal, and to be honest it was about $25 dollars too much! The outdoor seating was the only positive I had in this dining experience, but with a view of 42, even that isn't that great... read more

What cost more 2 fish boil dinners or 4 cups of warmed over mediocre soup? If you pick the fish boil you wrong!!!! $28 for 4 6oz cups of soup & pieces of dried up bread!! stay clear of this place my friends!!! way way overprice, if you go please ask to see how big the "cups" are before ordering you have been warned! read more

If I were asked to rate their soups and only their SOUPS I would give it 5 stars! My wife even bought their soup cook book. Don't go expecting a glass of wine or a bottle of beer. Our server, Anna, reported that Ephraim is a 'dry town'. I think that they had 5 different soups available this evening. All three agreed that the soups are excellent. The lasagna had too much spinach for the taste of one in our party: 3 stars. One person had quiche. I tried it and thought it pretty good: 3 or 4 stars. I had the shrimp scampi. The shrimp was good but the Caribbean vegetables were bland and forgettable although colorful. The baked potato was OK: 4 stars. I think that the one person who had desert (dutch apple pie) thought it was good. Really nice use of plants and cute interior with a gazebo room. Sorry to say this to Yelp but the map sucks. Water St. is the same as Hwy. 42 but it's on Water St. north of "downtown". Service was good-very good but Anna appeared to be overworked. She was very cheerful however. read more

Its a family owned place.. I went there for breakfast .. It has a nice ambiance.. The french toast was OK . Did not find anything extraordinary ! read more

The place was almost empty when we got there and I can see why now. You get a teacup of soup with your meal and this apparently is the trademark of the place. I got the tomato dill basil soup as it was the only one that appealed to and it was very heavy on the dill. Dinner was a so-so BBQ chicken for the wife and broiled whitefish for me. Had to use a lot of salt and pepper to add any flavor to both of them. Entirely forgettable. So many better places to go. read more

A great spot to eat! Service was quick and food was good. The staff were incredibly friendly - felt like I was catching up with an old friend! Overall has a great ambiance and a place I would recommend! read more

Went here because they had vegan options. My sandwich was soggy. The meal was way too expensive for what it was. Not even the bread was good. Go somewhere else. LOVE the decor though, so at least they have one thing going for them. read more

Super yummy complimentary chicken dumpling soup served with fresh bread and butter. Sandwiches are served with fruits, what a treat. read more

My family has been going to the summer kitchen for 8 years. We've never been for breakfast but the dinner is amazing. It is a little on the expensive side but totally worth it. They have an all you can eat soup bar, that is just out of this world. I had the veggie sandwich that they made into a cute face with cheese and tooth picks. A staple of this restaurant is the cherry drink that tastes just like cherry pie! Also all of their pies are to die for. Huge portions, and the staff is always chatty and kind. I recommend it strongly. read more

This place looks cute on the outside and inside, but we had the most unfriendly, rude waitress that made our experience so that we will never be returning. She was the one with the long black hair. Her tables were not full and we tried to get her attention more than once to refill our coffee and she finally came over with an attitude and purposely overfilled my coffee mug so that it spilled all over. All she said casually was oops and walked away. The food was just ok, I cook better breakfast at home. read more

Outside eating we were surrounded by beautiful gardens. The staff was friendly. They have the best tomato soup I have ever eaten. Even bought some to go. read more

Not terrible. The soup was good, albeit very salty and over priced, but good. Wouldn't probably go back, however.

This is a phenomenal place for breakfast! Our family comes here every time we visit door county and it never disappoints. The service is always top notch! Clarissa was our server this time and she was awesome!!! Highest recommendation!!!! read more

Absolutely delicious!! So cute! Wait staff was so friendly. Everything was good with our group, I especially loved the French Toast!!!

Soups are outstanding, but $5.95 per teacup full is a bit much. The big burrito had more rice than meat & was very bland, even after asking for hot sauce. My wife's "Daily Special", the beef chimichanga, started bland and moved toward actually offensive, with a large chunk of foul-tasting fat. Cherry pie a la mode had good cherries and good quality ice cream, but the crust was doughy/damp and tasted unpleasant. Pie was not juicy, but gelatinous, unfortunately. Noticed after leaving the "Daily Special" was charged at the regular rather than the reduced Special price. Lunch for 2 was $50 with tip. Never again! read more

Tomato soup best I've ever had. Been coming here for over 30 years, too! Love the soup selection & think more restaurants should do it. Also enjoy the chicken salad & the homemade poppyseed dressing. Love that they use sprouts at this restaurant too - healthy & tasty! Only gripe is soup is expensive but for one or two times a year I'm willing to pay $5 for it (thus less one star). Bottom line is go & enjoy! read more

The Athenian salad was unbearably salty. I told the waitress, but I was still charged (even though I didn't eat the salad) $15 for it. If you want soup or bread, this is your place. But for a real meal, don't go here. read more

Just visited Door County 1st time for a family vacation. This placed look inviting. Stay away. Bad slow service. Ok food. Way over priced for soup and sandwiches. Ask to take home left overs. You get a deli tray and a baggie. Order chicken tenders. You get 2 for $8. Bad bad bad experience. Shock at $120 bill. Begged for pitcher of water. Such a bad start to our family vacation. Avoid this place! read more

Meh. Saw lots of cars here at breakfast and lunch - so having had other plans at those times decided to have dinner here. Daughter enjoyed the soup and I enjoyed a salad. She had a grilled cheese sandwich and I had Breaded Shrimp that was meh. Meal not worth the $35 charged - not by a long shot. read more

Place has declined in quality over the years Soups no longer taste really good and some seem to contain toxic levels of sodium. Bread on soup bar borders on inedible. Ridiculous prices remain. read more

Killer Soups! I can only give them 3 stars as their prices are beyond ridiculous, $12.95 for a bowl of soup, REALLY?

The Summer Kitchen 10425 Water St Ephraim, WI 54211 The Mrs. loves Door County and has been there several times before we meet. We spent a full week in Door Country in September 2015. The Mrs. had been many times in her past visits to Door County to the Summer Kitchen restaurant. The Mrs. wanted me to experience the Summer Kitchen, we went on Wednesday September 23, 2015. When we arrived there was a single waitress and a single waiter and the kitchen chef. The waitress came by to get our order and while I was talking to her she turned around and walked away and left me in mid-sentence. The Mrs. explained it away as though the waitress had a hearing challenge. Then the waiter came by and took our order. The Mrs. had her empty glass, waiting for a water-refill at the hedge of the table, the waitress passed our table half-dozen times and never offered to fill her glass with water. After our food was served the waiter came by several times and turned his back to me and would ask the Mrs is there anything else she wanted or needed, but never asked me. You see, we are an interracial couple and Im African-American. The Mrs. never got drift of what was happening but it was obvious neither the waiter or waitress wanted to serve me or had any desire to be hospitable and professional with me. I could feel the tension and how hard the waiter and waitress worked to ignore me and make me feel uncomfortable. I will never visit The Summer Kitchen restaurant ever, its is obvious a racist staff that works there. Either the owner is blind and doesnt care how his restaurant is run or the waiter and waitress are the owners. A racist restaurant, beware if your not white!. I will never visit The Summer Kitchen ever again!! read more

This was a delightful stop for dinner and breakfast! We loved the healthy menu. I had an ahi tuna steak salad for a light dinner and the breakfast special--French toast made with whole grain bread & topped with yogurt and berries. It was perfect. My husband's quiche was delicious, too! The flowers and fountain just outside the windows made it extra special! read more

They have great soups and pretty good Mexican food. However the service and pricing is what led me to give them 2 stars. They are completely understaffed when I went in for a mid-week lunch. I think there was just one guy running around and he was doing his best but it was slow. Also if you want to split a meal and get the soup you have to pay $5.95 and only get one small cup of soup. Seriously...it can't be that expensive. Even with a full meal you only get a cup of soup...lame, I wanted to try a couple but wasn't allowed to. You can't call it a soup bar and only get one trip. read more

The soup is AMAZING! I understand that a lot of people are saying it is expensive, which is true in some degree. To me, 15 dollars for all you can eat soup when is tastes delicious is a good deal. The reason I am giving four starts instead of five is because the soup is the only thing on the menu that is super good. I have ordered a sandwich before and didn't enjoy it immensely. My boyfriend got the burrito one time and I thought it tasted terrible, but he liked it (he likes everything, lol). However, having said that we will continue to go back every time we are in Door County because the soup is just that good. If you go there don't get burned by trying something else and order the soup right away, you wont be disappointed! read more

The Summer Kitchen Restaurant is know for their soups and they are very good. I like it for lunch. Get the soup and bread all you can eat, and you will be happy. They have a great selection of soups and all I have tried are very good. My only reservation would be the prices. I think the prices are a little high. Still it is worth a stop for lunch. read more

Cute and quaint little spot! We came for breakfast on our way out of town. The outdoor character of the place drew us in and the food and service were just as great!!! We had a large party and our waitress did such a great job! All orders were correct and food was delicious. My son who always orders pancakes when we are out, said it was the best he's ever had. I had the quiche which was amazing. Everything was great! Thanks so much and thanks again to our friendly, efficient, and patient waitress. read more

Loved this place. Little soup cups with some items. 4 different soups to choose from...some bland but all homemade and you can tell..chicken dumplings was the best. Fresh tasting food with spot on fruit...grapes and melon. Refreshing. read more

I love soup. Especially homemade soup. That was so awesome. I love bread. Bread and soup. So good. My mom got cream of mushroom and wild rice while I got cabbage. So good. I love cabbage. Best cabbage soup I've ever had. It wasn't too salty or thin. The broth was great. I also had the tuna fish sandwich which was also excellent. The bread was grilled to perfection. Greasy and soft but still crispy. Sooo good. The service was great too. It's a little weird that you have to tell them how much you want to tip when you pay, though. I mean, my mom and I are good tippers (both old servers) but I can only imagine it's very uncomfortable for people who don't tip so well. You can run but you can't hide! Everyone will know how cheap you are!!! Next time in in Door County, I will absolutely go back here. read more

Friendly, quaint breakfast spot that's ideal for the perfect way to start a day! Try the quiche, it's a Jeffrey recommended way to win.

I think best breakfast in door county. Enjoy the outdoor patio, great selection for breakfast - healthy stuff as well as omlettes.

Went here for breakfast one morning. Had a great breakfast of pancakes with apples. What I was expecting was simple pancakes with apples on top, however what I got was pancakes with apple slices baked into the pancakes. Was a great breakfast and it was nice to sit in the little enclosed area looking out on their garden. To see the birds coming and going was very peaceful. Service was friendly and my coffee cup was never empty. read more

We were here a few years ago and now in October 2014. always a selection of 5 homemade soups and homemade bread at the soup bar. My husband and I both really like this place. Very eclectic decor. read more

We decided to try Summer Kitchen for Breakfast. It had good reviews and found that over all the food was not bad, but nothing to write home about. When we arrived we were seated right away. Our server a young man came and got our drink order, and then brought them and took our meal order, so far so good. I thought everything was going along well. The place started to get several more customers after we arrived but we received our order without too much delay. After receiving our food it was like we had the plague. Our server passed by with no inquiry if we needed anything. After we finished eating we put our plates on the opposite side of the table so there could be no mistake we were done. He passed by at least 1/2 a dozen times taking other peoples orders and serving them their food. After about 10 minutes of me staring at our server even though he tried avoid eye contact he finally asked if we were done and if we wanted a check. He also asked another table near us the same question. He brought our respective checks and took our payment. He walked around another 5 or more minutes with them tucked into his apron before he ran our credit card and brought the receipt to sign. What started out as what would have been a great review turned out to be a poor one. The staff is very friendly, and most everything else was acceptable, and it clear that the staff works very hard. The problem is you can't abandoned your customers who have been served their food. I understand the logic of once the customer is served their food that can't do anything but stay and pay, where as if you haven't ordered, or if you have but haven't received your food you can walk out. Because a lot of their customers are visitors to the area and are unlikely to be returning customers, if you have to offend someone why not a stranger rather than a regular customer? I won't go back even if I am in the area. read more

First, we did not end up eating here for dinner. The prices for their sandwiches (wraps, etc) were too expensive as compared to other restaurants in the area...$13-$16. We left and ate at another restaurant in Sister Bay. Not sure why I gave it two stars but... read more