Eating is a big part of any adventure (at least for me) so we wanted to share some of our and our guests’ favorite places to eat in Bayfield for lunch and dinner.
Here are some wonderful lunch options in Bayfield (days and hours vary, some are seasonal):
- Pier Plaza Restaurant and Pickled Herring Lounge located in downtown Bayfield offering both dine-in and take-out and seasonal outdoor seating. Pier Plaza has some tasty and interesting appetizers (such as Steak Naan, Greek Poutine, and Cilantro-Lime Chicken Nachos), delicious sandwiches (but we love the Beef, Shroom & Swiss Burger with onion rings), homemade soups and chili, and salads.
- Bayfield Inn Lakeside Dining and The Deck (seasonal outdoor dining overlooking Lake Superior) located in downtown Bayfield. Menu changes seasonally. Offering a number of different salads and sandwiches as well as soup for lunch in the dining room which overlooks the Lake. Enjoy a great meal in a beautiful setting.
- Manypenny Bistro located in downtown Bayfield at 201 Manypenny Avenue. They are best known for their pizzas (we like the Works, but we have never been disappointed in any of their pizzas). The Bistro has a number of sandwiches and salads, even some with a Turkish flair. There is a wide variety of menu options so you should be able to find something that is just right for you. This is our go-to delivered pizza and guess what, delivery is free!
- Starlit Kitchen is a small take-out restaurant in downtown Bayfield offering sandwiches, soups, and burritos (wraps). Grab something delectable to take with you on your Apostle Islands cruise or perhaps for a picnic on one of the incredible nearby trails such as Houghton Falls trail, which has some wonderful brownstone overlooking Lake Superior ideal for a picnic and soaking in the sun while gazing at the sparkling water and Madeline Island.
- Morty’s Pub, a pub located in downtown Bayfield offering hamburgers, chicken and fried bologna sandwiches, fish tacos, and don’t forget the Wisconsin cheese curds. And while you are at it, try some of the local beer.
Looking for dinner options, check out some of these gems:
- Pier Plaza Restaurant and Pickled Herring Lounge located in downtown Bayfield offering both dine-in and take-out and seasonal outdoor seating. In addition to the lunch options described above, Pier Plaza offers a number of dinner options including short ribs (one of our favorite dinners at the Pier), shrimp, pasta, and a Wisconsin favorite, the Friday night fish fry.
- Bayfield Inn Lakeside Dining located in downtown Bayfield. Menu changes seasonally. Offering a number some great appetizers (our go-to are the Drunken Mussels when they have them) and dinner salads, as well as a variety of dinner options including scallops, prawns, Lake Superior trout and whitefish a few different ways, steaks, and pasta. It is a beautiful setting to enjoy a wonderful meal.
- Landmark Restaurant at Old Rittenhouse Inn located in downtown Bayfield in an historic building. Offering a Five Course Dinner as well as ala Carte. The menu changes, but there are usually beef, chicken, seafood/fish and pasta options. Reservations are recommended.
- Manypenny Bistro located in downtown Bayfield at 201 Manypenny Avenue. In addition to their pizza and sandwiches described above under lunch, the Bistro offers several dinner entrees including pasta, fish, chicken and ribs. This is our go-to delivered pizza and guess what, delivery of any menu items is free!
- Portside Restaurant located at the Port Superior Marina just south of downtown Bayfield. Offering both indoor and outdoor dining as well as take-out. We recommend you dine-in to take advantage of the incredible views overlooking Lake Superior and one of the largest marinas in the area. Portside has a “Wisconsin Supper Club” feel offering a variety of dinners and sandwiches. Fridays and Saturdays, Prime Rib is on the menu, yum!
- Copper Trout located in downtown Bayfield offers a variety of options for dinner, including pasta, pizza, some “signature dinners” (one of our favorites is the Wild Trout Madeline), whitefish and beef options. They often have specials that are worth checking out.
- Gruenke’s Restuarant located in downtown Bayfield offers lunch and dinner seasonally, as well as a fish boil in the summer on certain evenings. While we are not big fans of fish boils in general (they tend to be rather bland), they are something to experience. On summer nights, there is something magical about cooking and eating outdoors. On the menu you will find sandwiches as well as dinner entrees including Lake Superior white fish and trout, steak and pasta. Gruenke’s is known for their white fish livers if you are the adventurous-eating type (we tried them once for the experience).
There also are loads of dining options in the surrounding areas of Bayfield, including The Fat Radish in Cornucopia, Good Thymes and Dalous Bistro in Washburn, and Deep Water Grille and the Local Bar in Ashland, just to name a few.
If you are looking for a place to stay in the Bayfield, WI area, check out the number one rated bed & breakfast in Bayfield — Pinehurst Inn Bed & Breakfast. For two years in a row (2021 and 2022), Pinehurst Inn has been named the Best of the Best by Tripadvisor and has been ranked in the top 25 Inns and B&Bs in the United States. Pinehurst Inn offers eight unique guest rooms on 3.5 acres of incredible trees and gardens, the perfect location for rest and relaxation. And included in your stay is a hearty homemade three course breakfast to start your day off right. Guests rave about the breakfasts, so we have posted some of the recipes just in case you want to check them out.
Happy Eating from Pinehurst Inn Bed & Breakfast, Bayfield, Wisconsin.