Wilson's Restaurant & Ice Cream Parlor

Wilson's has sat across from Eagle Harbor on Water Street (WI-42) in Ephraim since 1906, making it one of the longest-running restaurants in Door County. The building is easy to spot — look for the red and white awnings as you roll into the village. Inside, the old-fashioned soda fountain, jukebox, and fountain-counter seating have been kept largely intact through successive owners, giving the place a feel that hasn't been engineered for nostalgia so much as simply preserved through it.

The menu stays straightforward: home-brewed draft root beer, ice cream sodas, sundaes, flame-broiled burgers, and sandwiches served counter-style. The root beer float is the order most riders associate with the stop, and it's made on-site — not poured from a commercial tap. Outdoor seating puts you a short walk from the harbor shore, which is the practical reason this works as a turnaround: park the bike, order at the counter, find a bench, and watch the harbor while you decompress before heading back south on 42.

A heads-up for busy summer days: when the line builds, a hostess works the front porch managing the flow, and the place can fill up quickly on weekends. Ordering by phone for carryout is an option if you'd rather skip the wait and eat outside.