AL JOHNSON'S SWEDISH RESTAURANT

HWY 42
SISTER BAY, WI
54234

Al Johnson's is a landmark restaurant in Door County Wisconsin. Located in downtown Sister Bay on the main drag, it is hard to miss the log cabin with a roof made of real grass. During the summer months, live goats are let out onto the roof to feed on the grass. This is what Al's is most famous for, and thousands of people are drawn to see this spectacle every year.
I've been going to Al's since I was a small child because I have family in those parts. My cousins worked at Al's for years and I spent some summers working in restaurants in Door County too. I know there are some who say Al Johnson's is overrated, but it has become so much a part of the Door County experience, it's almost impossible to resist.
Al's is really a diner at heart. It's not meant to be a fancy, totally authentic gourmet Swedish restaurant. Many critics knock Al's in comparison to the fine Swedish dining available in, say, the Andersonville neighborhood of Chicago, but this is DOOR COUNTY we are talking about here. And that means families & kids. SOOO this restaurant is modeled after a typical family style diner. In some ways Al's is a time warp to the 1950's era of resort tourism, but many fail to understand this.
What makes Al's several notches above your average Omega Diner however, is the atmosphere. After you open the heavy wooden door you are suddenly transported into a fragrant log cabin flanked by a swedish Butik on one side, where one may purchase anything from a Swedish Dala Horse to Recycled rubber Danish clogs. To the right is the restaurant where you will be greeted by one of the pretty waitresses dressed in traditional Scandinavian dresses. This obviously is another draw. Al's can be a busy place with long lines and many a pleasant wait has been spent in the vestibule, watching the waitresses dutifully performing their craft. You can also meet alot of friendly patrons in the lobby if you're inclined, though I'm sad to say in the past decade or so, the newer generations of tourists to Door County think they're still behind the winshield of their HummVee when it is time to interact with anybody at all.
Once seated, one realizes the spartan, frugal nature of Al's. The stackable plastic Eames chair is de rigeur and the blue water glasses, upon closer inspection, are not fancy Scandinavian cobalt, but Corning Ware. The silverware is from SysCo, etc. One thing they have had at Al's for as long as I can remember are sugar packets with different types of sailing ships printed on them. This is foodservice at it's zenith. It needs to be that way at Al's. Most folks don't realize how many customers churn through the doors of this landmark.
That is why it's almost surprising to be handed the large blue script menus and see Swedish Pancakes with Lingonberries . You breathe a sigh of relief and say "Oh yeah, I'm at Al's, not the PALLAS" . No matter what people say about the other fare, I've never heard anyone complain about the swedish pancakes. They are crepe like, buttery, rich and piping hot. A pewter bowlful of Lingonberry Jam accompanies your order. Lingonberries are rougly the size of a currant, but have a taste similar to a sweet cranberry. The pancakes are served with your choice of Oscar Mayer bacon, sausage, or Homemade Swedish Meatballs. Many folks have ripped on Al's Swedish Meatballs, and I'm no expert by far (I almost always ordered the sausage..... goes good with the lingonberries), but I didn't mind them. They have a strong beef taste to them, and I've long wondered what other game is mixed with the beef, but it's a secret. Perhaps caribou or moose or something. Of course any other diner breakfast fare is available from scrambled eggs to belgian waffles.
Breakfast is served all day long at Al's along with your average diner classics such as a B.L.T. or Club Sandwich, but for a lunchtime treat, try some homemade soup with Swedish Limpa, An aromatic, spiced soft rye bread. Local fare is available as well such as Lake Michigan Perch or Whitefish. Desserts featuring Door County Cherries can also be had.
So, the moral of the story is Al Johnson's IS a tourist trap, yes, but with the amount of business they do, it's good to see they havent watered down the formula that has made them a perennial favorite.