Nelson Creamery Great River Road

Restaurant Review – Nelson Creamery, Nelson Wisconsin

People shopping for cheese, lining up at the ice cream counter, and placing their luncheon order.

About 50 cars filled the Nelson Creamery customer parking lot on a Thursday afternoon in little Nelson, Wisconsin on Hwy 35 – the Wisconsin Great River Road Scenic Byway. Same thing happened last year. We were through Nelson last year mid-week about the same time for our annual fall River Road Color tour and the parking lot was full then and in fact there was somewhat of a traffic jam in front of the Creamery as people were looking for street-side parking. Lots of people sitting on benches in front and walking around eating ice cream cones. So we figured the Nelson Creamery must have some terrific ice cream to get so many people to stop here. Last year stopping just wasn’t on our plans, plus it was really crowded. But we made a note of a must stop the next time we were passing through.

Nelson Cheese Factory Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato
So October 19, 2017, on our fall color drive from Winona to Wabasha, we did stop, initially to get an ice cream cone but ended up getting lunch as well. Once inside the Creamery we discovered ice cream isn’t the only reason people stop there. They have a huge selection of Wisconsin cheeses, an extensive wine collection, a wine tasting room, and indoor and outdoor seating for dining. Great sandwiches, soup and pizza bring people here as much as the ice cream. There were two separate ordering lines, both quite full. One for ice cream, one for lunch food service. At the luncheon counter, you order your sandwich or pizza, pay for the food, leave your name and seating location (inside or out) and a server will bring you your order when ready.

On a sunny day the Creamery’s secluded patio offers a most pleasing dining experience.

It was a pleasant sunny day so we dined in their cozy outdoor patio. The food service was courteous and fast. The wait for our order wasn’t very long considering they were quite busy. Kudos to the management for good staffing levels and competent help. Our hot toasted Pita Veggie Sandwiches were jam-packed with garlic hummus, guacamole, kalamata olives, cucumber, red pepper, tomato, onion, sprouts & feta cheese. Super yummy. The sandwich menu is quite extensive and there are soups and salad too, plus their personal pizza offerings.

Good food, reasonable prices, fast service, nice ambiance inside and out. We can see why Nelson Creamery is a favorite among travelers on the Great River Road.

Links:

Nelson Creamery – Nelson, Wisconsin

Upper Mississippi Great River Road Scenic Drive

A fall scene between Alma and Nelson along Hwy 35, Wisconsin’s Great River Road Scenic Byway.

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