Okoboji Eats

I hope everyone had an awesome fourth! We spent ours at Lake Okoboji with my side of the family, like we do every year. It was so much fun to bring our little one along this year! She is the first grand baby for my side of the family, as well as the first great niece/nephew/cousin, so she was definitely the center of attention on our trip! Poor babe didn’t know what to do without her fan club around 24/7 once we got home. 🙂

I’ll be sharing a little more about our trip in Thursday’s post, but today I wanted to do a little post about our favorite Okoboji Eats. After almost 30 trips to Okoboji (I’ve only skipped two years ever), we have a definite list of favorite restaurants and food stands that we have to hit up every year, although we’re always discovering new spots as well.

Favorite Breakfast: O’Farrell Sisters, Spudnutz Donuts

No trip to Okoboji is complete without a stop at O’Farrell Sisters for a big traditional breakfast. Serving traditional favorites like pancakes, eggs and French toast as well as brunch items like pulled pork on a buttermilk biscuit, you really can’t go wrong with whatever you choose to order. The restaurant is has been around since 1949 and is open daily from 7-2.

We discovered Sputnutz last year after driving by and noticing an exceptionally long line outside, so we just had to discover what made this place so popular! Known for their potato base, these donuts are sooo delicious and the shop is full of character, located in an old gas station.

Favorite Lunch: Okoboji Store

Our former favorite lunch spot, “The Wharf,” was transformed into “The Okoboji Store” within the last couple years. My favorite thing about The Wharf was the fact that you could eat lunch on the deck overlooking the lake, which is still true at The Okoboji Store, there’s just a different, updated menu! The burgers are salads are absolutely delicious, my favorite menu item being the “Beets Me” salad.

 

Pretending to take a picture of my cousin and aunt in order to prove to you that Dougie McBuckets (gray shirt) likes The Okoboji Store, too. That’s Doug McDermott’s nickname for those of you who didn’t know, or whose husbands had to tell them, ahem ahem.

Favorite Dinner: Minerva’s

My final bout of pregnancy nausea hit just as the entire extended family was sitting down to dinner at Minerva’s last year, but I was still able to give it a go this year! 🙂 This is definitely a nicer dinner place (t-shirts and swim cover-ups probably aren’t appropriate attire), but not extremely pricy. The restaurant overlooks a beautiful golf course, which provides a great spot for post-dinner photos. The menu is diverse – ranging from burgers and flatbreads, to pasta and steak – and always delicious!

Favorite Ice Cream: Nutty Bar Stand @ Arnold’s Park

No trip to Okoboji is complete without a stop here – and yes, it’s really called “The Nutty Bar Stand.” My family always visits after our annual putt-putt tournament down the road at Pirate’s Cove, since the losers of the round always have to buy the winners their nutty bars. Famous for their nutty bars (duh), the shop also serves a variety of other ice cream treats and has been around for 70 years!

Favorite Coffee: Prairie Chick

I’m not usually up early enough on vacation to scout out the best coffee shops, so I trusted the research my aunt and cousin did and took their word for it! Prairie Chick served up a mean iced caramel latte (with soy milk), and my fresh blueberry/strawberry muffin was soooo good! I also gave Arnold’s Perk a try and loved my caramel frappe!

For those of you who have been to Okoboji before, am I missing any favorites? I’m always up for trying new places! Planning a trip in the future? Let me know what you think if you give any of these spots a try!

XOXO, Jenna