Inside: Follow along as I take you on a delicious tour of Lake County, Ohio. Did you know that Lake County offered so many craft breweries, wineries, fantastic restaurants and hidden gems?!
This post was sponsored by Ohio. Find It Here. and Remarkable Lake County, Ohio. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Eating. Drinking. Hiking. These are a few of my favorite things, and what I look forward to most when I travel. And luckily for me, my home state of Ohio has it all. Gorgeous trails and delicious food.
On the weekends, my husband and I love to go on short road trips to explore different parts of Ohio. We recently headed north (about 2.5 hours from Columbus) to beautiful Lake County, Ohio. While we’ve both visited Lake Erie before, this was our first time in Lake County, and I have to be honest – I’m a little upset at myself for waiting so long to visit.
A food lover’s dream, Lake County offers everything from authentic Mexican, to fine dining, along with craft breweries, wineries, and everything in between. We spent our entire weekend eating and drinking, stopping only to hike along trails and walk on the beach.
It was a pretty perfect weekend, if you ask me.
While there are plenty of things to do in Lake County, Ohio – like visiting some really neat museums, we spent our time really immersing ourselves in the foodie experience. Is there anything more fun than slowly sipping wine with the one you love, nibbling on cheese and fruit, before taking a playful walk along the longest natural beach in Ohio?
How about taking 2 hours to leisurely sample tapas at one of the best restaurants I’ve visited in my adult life, before grabbing an ice cream cone and walking along the beach for an after-dinner stroll?
Foodie travel is definitely my kind of travel. I wanted to share some of our favorite Lake County finds!
Where to Drink in Lake County, Ohio
The Grand River Valley region of Lake County, Ohio boasts the area’s finest wineries. You can visit dozens of wineries! Did you know that this area consistently wins awards for its wine in national blind taste-tests? No need to jump on a plane to California or France, because Ohio offers some incredible wine.
There were too many wineries to visit them all, but here are a few of the ones we loved:
Laurentia Vineyard
A stunning landscape and fantastic, award-winning wine. What else do you need? My husband and I were impressed by the friendly service and the upscale, but unpretentious, vibe of the place. We spent a solid 10 minutes just walking around the property, in awe. While we didn’t order a meal, all the food at the tables around us looked fantastic.
Laurentia Vineyard & Winery
4599 S. Madison Road
Madison, Ohio 44057
Grand River Cellars
Grand River Cellars is another award-winning Lake County winery. I recommend doing a tasting flight – you get to try all the wines in the flight, plus take home a keepsake glass. This was a great way to sample what they had to offer, and I found a few favorites to bring home with me! We also had lunch on their patio and the food was absolutely delicious and affordable, too!
Grand River Cellars Winery & Restaurant
5750 S. Madison Rd (Route 528)
Madison, OH 44057
Debonne Vineyards
The final winery we visited was Debonne Vineyards. The largest Estate winery in Ohio, Debonne Vineyards also features an in-house microbrewery! There were also several casual dining options like cheese and hummus plates, or their outside grill, where you could get burgers and paninis. We were impressed with the affordable prices and the live music on their large patio. Debonne Vineyards also had several award-winning wines!
Debonne Vineyards
7840 Doty Road
Madison, Ohio 44057
Craft Breweries in Lake County, Ohio
If you’d prefer beer, don’t worry! Lake County also features several craft breweries. Here are a few to check out:
Pulpo Beer Co
We totally loved the vibe at Pulpo Beer Co. It’s such a unique concept! For starters, it’s located in a totally stunning, two story building that features not one, but TWO dining options. You’ll love the colorful decor inside. Ohio’s first Latin-led brewery, you’ll find some fun brews that pay homage to their heritage, like the Tropical Thunder, their Pina-colada IPA.
Pulpo Beer Co
3941 Erie St.
Willoughby, OH 44094
Mentor Brewing Company
Mentor Brewing Company calls itself a “Nano Craft Brewery.” In addition to an impressive list of craft beers, they also feature ciders, hard seltzers, and kombucha! Try their most popular brew – the Cardinal Red IPA.
Mentor Brewing Company
9528 Diamond Centre Drive
Mentor, Ohio 44060
For a full list of wineries, craft breweries and distillers, check out this link.
Where to Eat in Lake County, Ohio
Ok, confession time. I ate way too much on this weekend trip. But, you guys! There were so many amazing restaurants and hidden gems that I can’t wait to go back. Lake County, Ohio is DEFINITELY for foodies.
Wineries
Every single winery we visited offered an impressive array of food options. Whether you’re craving something casual, a bit more upscale, or just a good old burger off the grill – the wineries in Lake County have you covered.
Mexican Food
Did you know that Lake County has large Latino population? Because of this, there is some seriously delicious Mexican food to found. We checked out Taqueria La Casita and were completely blown away. Incredible, authentic flavors, generous portions and CRAZY AFFORDABLE. Definitely put this one on your list.
Taqueria La Casita
452 Sorrs St.
Painesville, OH 44077
We also loved Hola Tacos (Pulpo Beer Co is right inside!) Hola Tacos specializes in “street tacos” and we were blown away by the delicious sauces and salsa that they had on the side. Plus, you can sip Latin-inspired IPAs from Pulpo Beer Co as you eat your tacos!
Hola Tacos
3941 Erie St.
Willoughby, OH 44094
Italian Food
We have some pretty amazing Italian restaurants in my hometown, so I can be a little picky with my pasta. But you guys. If you love Italian, you absolutely must check out Pastina Rustic Italian. Full stop. They are a scratch-kitchen, featuring locally grown produce and meat. What does it mean to be a scratch-kitchen? Well, at Pastina Rustic Italian, it means that every single loaf of bread is baked in-house daily with organically-grown flour. It means that their pasta, gelato, and meatballs are made by hand. And you can absolutely taste it. I was pretty much in love as soon as the bread service came out – a crusty Italian loaf, scented with rosemary and olive oil, served with a tomato dipping oil.
Pastina Rustic Italian
9354 Mentor Ave.
Mentor Ohio 44060
Special Occasion Dining
I know I listed it under “special occasion dining,” but I’m also convinced that The Pompadour is always a good idea. Anniversary dinner? Date night? Just hungry on a random Wednesday night? Head to the Pompadour. My husband and I had one of the best meals of our adult life here. And absolutely everything, from the cocktails to the service to the food – was just next level. They feature small plates, tapas-style, so I recommend coming with a few adventurous friends so you can try everything on the menu.
The Pompadour
320 High Street
Fairport Harbor, OH 44077
After an incredible meal at the Pompadour, I highly recommend walking a block to check out the Fairport Harbor Creamery. You can grab cones to go at their walk-up window and then go for a romantic stroll along the beach. We loved their ice cream – and they had some great seasonal flavors, like the “PSL” (pumpkin spice latte) or their Cinnamon Coffee Cake. This cute ice cream shop is also known for it’s “boozy” ice cream. Some of the options that caught our eye were the chocolate ice cream infused with a peanut butter whiskey or the “Boozeberry” – a cheesecake flavored scoop infused with blueberry vodka and a swirl of blueberry jam!
Fairport Harbor Creamery
202 High Street
Fairport Harbor, OH 44077
In Between Eating and Drinking
In between our sips of wine, and bites of heavenly food, we spent the entire rest of our time checking out the beautiful landscape in Lake County. We had an ambitious list of trails and walks we wanted to complete, and barely scratched the surface! There are just too many gorgeous trails.
Here’s a few of the ones we hit:
Headlands Beach State Park, looking towards Fairport Harbor
Fairport Harbor Lakefront Park
Our favorite trail at Headlands Beach State Park takes you to this cool lighthouse. Definitely worth the walk!
We had so much fun exploring all that Lake County, Ohio had to offer. We can’t wait to come visit a few more vineyards and craft breweries and walk some new trails. Do you have a favorite winery or restaurant in Lake County? Leave a message and tell me about it!