The Best Restaurants in Egg Harbor

Chef-owner Blake Schar grew up in New Orleans and trained at Scottsdale Culinary Institute before landing in Door County in 2011, and The Fireside Restaurant is where that background shows up on the plate: shrimp and grits, jambalaya, lobster-and-andouille hush puppies, and cherry-barbecued ribs that fold a Door County ingredient into a Cajun classic. It's about as far from a fish boil as this county gets, in the best way.

Dinner only, Thursday through Monday, starting at 4pm -- closed Tuesday and Wednesday. Worth knowing: the same team also runs Ember at The Landmark and Big Easy Bagel & Beignet, so if you love this kitchen, there's more to try.

Mezzanine sits over Harbor View Park and the Egg Harbor Marina, with wooden communal tables, string lighting, and the best rooftop seat in town. The menu leans into Door County ingredients rather than playing it generic -- smoked-whitefish dip, whitefish chowder, and a lavender-cherry cheese curd plate all show real intention, not just a view to coast on.

Hours are reported inconsistently across sources, so call ahead or check their site directly before planning a trip around a specific time. Time it for early evening if you can -- the marina view is the whole point.

Villaggios Italian Steakhouse moved into the corner of Highway 42 and County E in 2020 -- the same building that housed Trio Restaurant until it closed in 2016. Owner Kim Jensen, who also runs Village Cafe and Pink Bakery in town, brought her existing Juddville restaurant here: fresh made-to-order Italian entrees, steaks, and pasta, with homemade desserts and a wine list.

Open Tuesday through Sunday, 4 to 9pm, closed Monday. Ask for the screened-in porch or the outdoor patio in season -- both are nicer seats than the main dining room.

Ember, The Landmark Resort's on-site restaurant, is perched above Green Bay with one of the best sunset views in the county -- jambalaya and shrimp-and-goat-cheese grits lean into the same Cajun-inflected comfort-food style as its sister restaurant, The Fireside. There's a weekend breakfast buffet too, if you're staying at the resort or just want an excuse to see the view in daylight.

Book a table timed for golden hour if the weather cooperates -- the view is doing a lot of the work here, and it's worth planning around.

Shipwrecked Brew Pub is Egg Harbor's reliable post-beach stop -- house beer brewed on-site in a building with real Prohibition-era smuggling lore, burgers, and pub food that doesn't try to be anything fancier than it is. The Door County Cherry Wheat is the one to try.

This is the pick when you want something quick and unfussy rather than a full sit-down dinner -- good with kids, good after a day at Harbor View Park or the beach.