Start from 21 curated places around Put-in-Bay, OH, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
The Goat Soup & Whiskey
Widely considered the island's top table, The Goat draws on three on-site gardens to build a focused menu centered on fresh perch caught daily from Lake Erie, house-made soups rotated each day, and an extensive whiskey and bourbon list. The outdoor patio shaded by mature trees offers a slower, more deliberate counterpart to the downtown bar scene.
The Boardwalk
A sprawling harborfront destination with a lakeside Upper Deck offering 180-degree views of Lake Erie, best known for its lobster bisque and fresh walleye and perch dishes. The scale of the venue means it absorbs even large summer crowds, and live entertainment on the deck is a regular evening fixture.
Trails & outdoors
Jane Coates Wildflower Trail
A half-mile loop on the island's quieter southern end threading through a Township Park District preserve thick with Dutchman's Breeches, Jack-in-the-Pulpit, and Blue Phlox, alongside habitat for migratory and resident birds. The trail provides the most genuine natural-history experience on South Bass Island, a deliberate contrast to the harbor's bustle.
Scheeff East Point Nature Preserve
An eight-and-a-half-acre protected parcel at the island's eastern tip, managed as one of the last undeveloped shoreline tracts on the Lake Erie islands. Rocky limestone shores step down into shallow water favored by waterfowl and, notably, the Lake Erie watersnake — a species once endangered that now thrives here.
Things to do
Beer Barrel Saloon
Home to the Guinness World Record holder for the longest bar at 400 feet, the Beer Barrel draws as much for the spectacle of the bar itself as for the nightly live music lineup that runs through the summer season. It functions as the island's central gathering point for large groups, with the sheer scale of the room absorbing crowds that would overwhelm smaller venues.
Round House Bar
One of the oldest bars on South Bass Island, housed in a distinctive circular building at the center of the Delaware Avenue strip, with live entertainment most days of the week and a well-worn, beloved atmosphere that regulars have maintained through many decades. Performer Mike 'Mad Dog' Adams has become so associated with the venue that he is essentially part of the building.
Landmarks & sights
Perry's Victory & International Peace Memorial
A 352-foot Doric column rising from the center of the island commemorating Oliver Hazard Perry's decisive victory on Lake Erie during the War of 1812. An elevator carries visitors to an observation deck with views stretching to Canada on clear days, while rangers lead historical reenactments in the plaza below.
Heineman Winery & Crystal Cave
Ohio's oldest family-operated winery, established in 1888, sits above what is claimed to be the world's largest natural geode — a cave whose walls are lined with celestine crystals up to eighteen inches long. The combined winery tour and cave descent is a compact but unusual double bill, with 21 varieties of wine available to taste afterward.