Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...
Loading...

No search results found for
“”

Make sure words are spelled correctly.

Try searching for a travel destination.

Places near me Random place

Popular Destinations

  • Paris
  • London
  • New York
  • Berlin
  • Rome
  • Los Angeles
Trips Places Foods Stories Newsletters
Sign In Join
Places near me Random place
All the United States Wisconsin Sister Bay Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant
Gastro Obscura

Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant

Restaurant in Northern Wisconsin comes with a unique feature: a grassy roof covered in living goats.

Sister Bay, Wisconsin

Added By
Lew Blank
Email
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list
CAPTION
Goats with sign   JanetandPhil / Some Rights Reserved
Goat looking up   Keith Ewing / Some Rights Reserved
Two goats on top   Richie Diesterheft / Some Rights Reserved
Goat on the roof   Eden, Janine and Jim / Some Rights Reserved
Goat on the roof   Kim Scarborough / Some Rights Reserved
Entrance sign to Al Johnson’s   Nate Kauffman / Some Rights Reserved
Interior of Al Johnson’s   Yi-Liang (Lucas) Liu / Some Rights Reserved
When the goats can’t keep up   DavidBman / Atlas Obscura User
  DavidBman / Atlas Obscura User
Been Here
Want to go
Added to list

About

The population of Door County, a peninsula in Northern Wisconsin, is only about 28,000. Nonetheless, the county generates around $280 million in tourism revenue each year, or $10,000 in tourism dollars per capita. It’s safe to say that Door County is tourism central for Wisconsinites.

Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant, located in Sister Bay, a tourist-packed Door County town, takes full advantage with an eye-catching sight on the exterior of the restaurant that pulls in passing tourists. The grassy roof is covered with goats. Every summer day, tourists flock around the building’s exterior to photograph, smile, and laugh at the prancing creatures.

It all started in 1973, when the Johnson family decided to renovate the restaurant to look like a log cabin, with a sod roof on the top and all materials coming straight from Norway.

Noticing this, Wink Larsen, a friend of the owner, half-jokingly remarked, “you should put a goat up there.” After weeks and weeks of prodding, Larsen took matters into his own hands and hauled Oscar, a big Billy goat, all the way up to the roof. Despite Larsen ultimately tumbling over backwards and breaking his collarbone, his actions got the Johnson family to take his plan seriously.

Suddenly, the Johnson family began importing goats straight from Scandinavia. To this day, they’re kept at an expansive, 40-acre farm just three quarters of a mile from the restaurant. 

Every summer day, the goats are led up a wooden ramp into the back of a pickup truck, and when they arrive at the restaurant minutes later, they eagerly scamper onto the roof.

Why wouldn’t they? The roof of Al Johnson’s is a verdant pasture and the curvature of the ceiling makes for a perfect rolling hill. The goats eat above while the tourists dine on Swedish meatballs made daily at Al Johnson’s below. 

Related Tags

Goats Restaurants

Community Contributors

Added By

lewblank

Edited By

hrnick, Rin Wolfe, DavidBman

  • hrnick
  • Rin Wolfe
  • DavidBman

Published

April 28, 2016

Edit this listing

Make an Edit
Add Photos
Sources
  • http://www.aljohnsons.com/
  • https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Al_Johnson%27s_Swedish_Restaurant
  • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w-lhqC4yUYo
Al Johnson’s Swedish Restaurant
10698 N Bay Shore Dr
Al Johnson's Swedish Restaurant
Sister Bay, Wisconsin, 54234
United States
45.189865, -87.119958
Visit Website
Get Directions

Nearby Places

Eagle Tower

Fish Creek, Wisconsin

miles away

Nelsen’s Hall & Bitters Club

Washington, Wisconsin

miles away

Washington Island Stave Church

Washington, Wisconsin

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Wisconsin

Wisconsin

United States

Places 182
Stories 29

Nearby Places

Eagle Tower

Fish Creek, Wisconsin

miles away

Nelsen’s Hall & Bitters Club

Washington, Wisconsin

miles away

Washington Island Stave Church

Washington, Wisconsin

miles away

Explore the Destination Guide

Photo of Wisconsin

Wisconsin

United States

Places 182
Stories 29

Related Stories and Lists

When Animals Are Not Where You’d Expect Them to Be

List

By Kerry Wolfe

Related Places

  • Dishes at Aksorn are grounded in deep historical research.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Aksorn

    Time-travel through Thai cuisine drawn from vintage cookbooks and little-known ingredients.

  • This fried chicken is one of Bangkok’s most famous.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Gai Tord Jae Kee

    Bangkok’s most beloved fried chicken spot lets its garlic-burrowed birds do the talking.

  • Chefs Aruss Lerlerstkull and Atcharaporn Kiatthanawat lean into regional traditions.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Charmgang

    This neon-lit back-alley spot deals in good vibes and curries that pack a punch.

  • The khao soi at Gedhawa comes with a rich, coconutty broth.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Gedhawa

    For more than 30 years, this stalwart has been one of the few restaurants in Bangkok specializing in northern Thai cuisine.

  • At Nai Mong Hoi Thod, the oyster omelet is worth waiting for.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Nai Mong Hoi Thod

    This Chinatown hole-in-the-wall serves what might be the ultimate oyster omelet.

  • Customize your bowl with sliced pork, pork balls, fish cake, and offal.

    Bangkok, Thailand

    Rung Rueang

    The porky tom yum soup at this Sukhumvit Road institution has a cult following.

  • The local catch is delicious fried as well.

    Charlevoix, Michigan

    Terry's of Charlevoix

    Line up for ample portions of freshly caught whitefish, walleye, and perch from the Great Lakes.

  • The Cathedral Café has been serving its community for more than 120 years.

    Fayetteville, West Virginia

    Cathedral Café

    Soak in the sacred vibes at this beloved food and coffee hangout inside a former church.

    Sponsored by West Virginia Department of Tourism
Aerial image of Vietnam, displaying the picturesque rice terraces, characterized by their layered, verdant fields.
Atlas Obscura Membership

Become an Atlas Obscura Member


Join our community of curious explorers.

Become a Member

Get Our Email Newsletter

Follow Us

Facebook YouTube TikTok Instagram Pinterest RSS Feed

Get the app

Download the App
Download on the Apple App Store Get it on Google Play
  • All Places
  • Latest Places
  • Most Popular
  • Places to Eat
  • Random
  • Nearby
  • Add a Place
  • Stories
  • Food & Drink
  • Itineraries
  • Lists
  • Video
  • Podcast
  • Newsletters
  • All Trips
  • Family Trip
  • Food & Drink
  • History & Culture
  • Wildlife & Nature
  • FAQ
  • Membership
  • Feedback & Ideas
  • Community Guidelines
  • Product Blog
  • Unique Gifts
  • Work With Us
  • About
  • FAQ
  • Advertise With Us
  • Advertising Guidelines
  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms of Use
Atlas Obscura

© 2025 Atlas Obscura. All Rights Reserved.