I recently discovered that in all the years that I've been coming here, that I've never checked in via Yelp. Weird. For years this place was a regular pit stop while out on the motorcycle. It's a hot spot for motorcyclists of all types as well as car tourers. Over the years they've added a wine shop to go with all the other foods and cheeses they sell. This place can do turn anyone back into a kid again. Typically I see the biggest baddest looking biker licking an ice cream code with a smile. Their sandwiches are freshly made and a tad different and better than most places. Their ice cream is the best thing on a hit summer day in the middle of a motorcycle ride. I always leave with a bag of super fresh cheese curds, some beef sticks, and more cheese curds. The only thing they are missing is fish from the dairy ice cold milk. If you're driving by you've been on a long drive already so make a pit stop. read more

This past weekend, I went on a girls' trip to Wabasha, home of the movie Grumpy Old Men. Wabasha is a small, sleepy town located on the Mississippi River and just a stone's throw from Nelson, Wisconsin. Nelson may not be a well-known town, but it is home to The Original Nelson Cheese Factory, also known as the Creamery. The founders of the Nelson Cheese Factory made cheese and butter for over 100 years. While they no longer make their own cheese, the store sells cheese from Wisconsin and around the world as well as a gourmet selection of food and fine wine. They are best known for their homemade ice cream, and when we stopped by on a Saturday, the line for ice cream went around the store. The wait was well worth it. The ice cream at Nelson's was the creamiest I have ever tasted. They only offer a few flavors, and no fancy waffle cones, but this ice cream doesn't need any embellishments. I ordered the French Silk and it was deliciously smooth with soft vanilla and chocolate swirls of ice cream flecked with rich chocolate chunks. Each bite was a like a taste of heaven. Plus, a scoop only costs one dollar! The next time you find yourself on the road, make sure to stop by Wabasha and head over the border to the Nelson Cheese Factory for a creamy, homemade scoop of ice cream. read more

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The food is mediocre, at best, and awful most of the time. I wouldn't waste my time or money eating here. Couple that with the fact that they're massive Trump supporters and they have lost me and my family as patrons when I come to visit. read more

Constant flow of people coming into this small town creamery. They had a wide variety of cheeses available and we elected to go with their Nelson style (kind of like Colby Jack) and Smoked Swiss. I can't comment on the ice cream, sandwiches or wine but everyone else was ordering them steadily. The Smoked Swiss cheese is one of my favorites that I've ever had! Great flavor in that one, but the Nelson style cheese was just average. Cool little shop with a nice patio in the back to enjoy some of their options. read more

Absolutely loved this place!!!! When in Wisconsin, you must try cheese curds. The location is adorable. They have a good selection of sandwiches, soups, cheese, wine, and ice cream! They have a sitting restaurant area with a fireplace. the curds were delicious, truly were. Savory, fresh, and priced right. The garlic curds had a subtle taste. The actual market area had an amazing variety for such a small location. The cheese platter was awesome. It had a great assortment (pictured) Wine was great too. I tried the ice cream: the white chocolate raspberry stole my heart! read more

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Stopped here on our way back from the pie shop. We wanted sandwiches to balance out the pie we had consumed. There was a long line, so we got in it because that's what humans do. We had enough time to look over the menu, so that was good. As we reached the front, one of the people behind the counter asked what we wanted. Hubs said we were getting sandwiches. Person barked at us that they were only taking ice cream orders and the food had to be ordered "there" and pointed at another register that was six inches away. While we stood there and tried to figure out what was going on, another person barked at us about ordering ice cream. Finally another person who must of been the only one paying attention at customer service class, I think his name was Kyle, said he would gladly take our sandwich order at the appropriate register. So apparently, there are supposed to be two separate order areas for the food and the very popular ice cream. This is not clearly marked anywhere with signage, so take away here is that if you are wanting something other than ice cream, just ignore the line and walk up to the front, ignore all the dirty looks from the people waiting in line, and stand in front of the empty register with no one at it. Makes perfect sense right? We managed to get our sandwiches ordered and picked up some cheese curds too. They do not fry them there, you just get a cold bag out of the cooler. There are a ton to choose from, so that was fun, but it was a little strange to sit down at a table with our sandwiches and pull the curds out of their plastic package. The sandwiches were really good though! Fresh with well thought out combinations of ingredients and sauces. I didn't feel the need to add mustard or anything. I would return for the sandwiches if I was passing by again. I wouldn't take a special trip out or anything (it's like an hour's drive from Rochester). We did not try the ice cream because the ice cream people were so rude that I did not want to deal with them again that day. Perhaps another time I may give it a try. read more

Incredible hidden gem on the drive down the Mississippi! Their selection of deli meets and cheeses is impeccable and you MUST sample a grilled cheese sandwich (or 2 as I did) given the fantastic local blend they use. This rating is elevated to a five star due to the European ambiance they create (French outdoor cafe) around the creamery. Just outstanding. read more

Nelson Cheese Factory - Cheese Shops Near Me - Nelson, Wisconsin

Great selection of cheese and wine. Sandwiches and soups are top-notch. A favorite stop when we're in the upper Mississippi valley. ... But my recent visit may be my last. The Keep America Great, Trump in 2020 hat that was hanging overtly behind the register made me think twice about ordering at all. Please keep your politics to yourself. read more

We stopped for lunch. Chicken salad sandwich was good. Philly steak sandwich was excellent! Avoid the hot chicken, boys said it was not real chicken. Tasted like sawdust. read more

Such a neat place. They have hot and cold sandwiches and excellent soup! Treat yourself with delicious ice cream after. That's only the beginning. Tons of cheese and meats and wine and some craft beer! There's definitely something here for everyone. It was real busy when we stopped in! But it was clean! And everyone was in masks. Cant wait to go back! read more

I love the feel of this place. My friends and I will make the drive down here to grab some sandwiches or a pizza and catch up. Afterwards we will finish it off with a scoop of ice cream. Sitting outside on a nice summer day is perfect too. read more

Fresh local cheese and meats. A very extensive selection of sandwiches (which are very good). We always get the garlic and plain cheese curds and the smoked string cheese. You can also purchase wine, other foods, they make pizza (which I've never tried), and have hard packed ice cream. read more

This is one of my favorite places. I try to stop every time I visit home. The smoked string cheese is amazing. read more

Nelson Cheese Factory - Cheese Shops Near Me - Nelson, Wisconsin

Nelson Cheese Factory is a must if you're traveling along the Mighty Mississippi. Nelson is just Northeast of Wabasha (where my lovely grandma resides) into Wisconsin. It's an old, small, and somewhat decayed Mississippi river town. NCF is one my favorite places to stop by when I'm in the Southeast Minnesota neighborhood. Half of NCF's space is dedicated to an extensive array of cheeses, wines, other little treats, and a service counter for ordering soup, sandwiches, and the always popular $1/scoop of ice cream (try my favorite, maple nut). I'm not well versed on much of their menu, but the sandwiches are hearty and oh so delicious. They also serve pizza, which I've only eaten with my eyes. The Mediterranean pizza is on my list for next time. There's plenty of room to sit, as they have two seating sections inside. One section has more of a wine bar feel, while the other is more casual. The ambiance is clean and cool but full of life. If you don't feel like sitting inside, take your ice cream outside to sit back on their patio, watch bikers pull up and drive off, and enjoy old river town life. Nelson Cheese Factory, what a gem! read more

The Nelson Cheese Factory has an awesome atmosphere. The patio is a great place to eat lunch in the spring, summer or fall--the trees are gorgeous on the bluffs! Very disappointing that they no longer make their own cheese. Oh, and that super cheap ice cream? It's Kemps. Good, yes. Cheap, yes. Homemade? No. read more

The food was good they have a great selection of cheese and wine. A nice hidden restaurant in a small town. The only thing I didn't like is them showing there support towards a presidential candidate. You have to remember you are running a business you have all types of people who would like to stop and check out your establishment. Why ruin that by showing support to either side? Just my two cent. Other then that great food! read more

The place looked really great from the outside and maybe even better once we walked in. They had a very attractive lunch menu, but we had lunch plans elsewhere, which was a bummer. So we really just went for the cheese. Unfortunately, it wasn't really a "cheese factory" at all. They even told us they don't make cheese anymore. I guess they just use other cheesemakers' cheese and put their label on it. We got some cheese curds, which were very average at best. They were so salty, even too salty for this saltmonger. I also tried the garlic cheese curds, which were just the plain ones tossed in garlic powder. Not impressed. The service was rather unfriendly. I told the lady at the counter that the bags of curds were nearly impossible to open, cause they were tied in tight knots (which seemed pretty idiotic) and the lady said they have to tie them like that so people won't open them and take some out while they're shopping. Pretty bizarre. She wasn't apologetic. If you're a tourist like me and looking for some good cheese, I don't think this is the place for you. But the lunch menu looked really good, so I am giving an extra star just cause I'm optimistic like that. read more

Very tasty sandwiches.In fact the best tuna sandwich I ever had .I've only tried four kinds but loved each one , they are big and fresh.They have lowered sugar sodas that are local (ish) made and real good also. read more

The word is out on the place if you're traveling through the river towns along the Mississippi: "Don't miss the Creamery." People come mostly for the ice cream offered in varying interesting flavors at very reasonable prices (about $1.50 for a large cone). However, there are cheeses from their own cheese factory, as well as from all over the world, a big trendy sandwich bar and many international specialties and wines that one would be hard pressed to find except in larger cities. Nelson is therefore popularly sought out and the lines can be long. You've got to try it so you can say you've been there! read more

Nice variety of cheeses and wines along with miscellaneous items. There is a wine tasting room to just sit in and enjoy a glass of wine. It has a fire place and nice seating. There was another area to sit for lunches. I enjoyed a mint choc chip ice cream cone. read more

Great food, wine, beer, and cheese. Definitely the best cheese curds in the world. All in a beautiful setting along the Mississippi. It's the best of Wisconsin. read more

Not at all following health/safety guidelines. We've been here in the past (and love the one in St Paul) and generally like their food. We stopped particularly because we knew they had outdoor seating and Covid rates have been very high in the area. However, we were very disappointed at how the shop was being managed. Unlike other places we visited in the area, there were no limits at all on the number of people in the store. When we arrived it was quite crowded. There was minimal distancing and many people entered not wearing masks. This was not being monitored by the shop. Crowds were milling around without any social distancing and no attention to current public health requirements. Despite being hungry, we left after seeing the shop's complete disregard for health and safety. read more

Like a good Midwesterner, I enjoy a Wisconsin cheese curd every now and again, but when it comes down to it, let's face it: A cheese curd is what it is: a squeaky, flavorless, non-distinctive or stinky, for that matter, curd of cheese. Given Wisconsinites seem content with the curd as their claim to fame and mainstay in the battle between California and Wisconsin cheeses, my vote between the two would sadly have to be in the Cali camp. Thank God Nelson Cheese Factory has some of this available for sale in the retail store and on the menu of the adorable wine and cheese tasting bar adjacent to the store. Quite to my delight, the gazillion ppl long line was for the ice cream, not seating for the wine tasting. As, when choosing between ice cream and wine, my clear choice is always wine, and the two don't mix. The wine selection was to my surprise, for this Harley Davidson biker vacation hot spot, very selective and affordable! I'm pretty sure the mark up was a mere dollar or two above retail. I will most definitely take the Wisconsin side again when traveling from my hometown to the Twin Cities, for a chance to stop again at this adorable little treasure trove of a wine/cheese and ice cream shop in the Beautiful Mississippi River town of Nelson. read more

Very cute place. Ice cream is good but not much of a selection. I constantly see people outside when driving past eating it so I think I expected a little more. Lots of cool food items to buy though. Menu is typical of a place you would have lunch at. Lots of really high quality sandwiches that you can pair with wine or cheese. They have an enormous wine selection and even more cheese to pick from. Overall the place is really nice. read more

Nelson Creamery is quite the sweet little spot! We come here monthly and are always so impressed with the food, large and flexible menu, the quality and the wonderful ambiance of the place. Sitting by the fire with a glass of wine, gorgeous landscape and delightfully friendly staff? Yes please! They have a large variety of imported cheeses, meats, wines and other gourmet groceries as well as a whole cafe menu of hot or cold sandwiches, soups, salads, pizzas (pizza available only on weekends), espresso, tea and ice cream... Needless to say, there is something for everyone. This is a delightful must-see/experience! read more

My family completely enjoyed our visit to Nelson's. The staff was very nice and accommodating for us. Loved the food and the atmosphere and the icecream! read more

We Love the place, awesome ice cream and sandwiches are Great... We come there so often that everyone knows us by names or by the dogs we have in our automobile. It is very romantic place in the fall and winter months. We always sit at our table next to the fireplace and have them chill our Wollersheims Blanche wine. Pretty much the whole family works there and I am very proud of the father, Great work ethics. read more

This was a truly fun place to go with a LOVELY atmosphere, loads of gourmet food items (giftable wines, cheeses, meats, preserves, candies...) and delicious menu items as well! The staff is warm & friendly. Try the 1/2 chicken salad sandwich with a cup of cheese soup. It's a treat! We relaxed by the fire in the cozy lounge area, watched the snow fall, sipped wine, ate great food and listened to smooth jazz... Kinda perfect. read more

My husband and I swung through here on the suggestion of the visitor's center in Red Wing. The gal in Red Wing suggested we stop for ice cream so that's just what we did on our day trip around the lake. First things first... the ice cream was ok. The smoked string cheese was good. The service was horrible. There were maybe 3 or 4 people in line for ice cream. Not a HUGE amount by any means from the sounds of other reviews. There was a young man who scooped up our ice cream with no enthusiasm - that part I really don't care about. The older gal that rang us up was in such a foul mood that it totally soured my impression of the place. She was gruff with me, gave me no courteous smile and absolutely NO thank you. I just spent over $10 on a small pack of string cheese and two ice creams. A thank you would have been appreciated. We sat and ate our ice cream and cheese out on the beautiful patio. The patio was empty except for a couple of other tables. It was late afternoon so the sun was bright and we strategically placed ourselves under a couple of umbrellas to avoid the direct sun. 10 minutes into our time on the patio the young man that scooped our ice cream came outside and started closing the patio umbrellas that surrounded us. So as soon as he had lowered one umbrella the sun was right in our faces. There was no one else on the patio. The least he could have done was waited for us to leave OR came up to us and asked us if we minded him closing the umbrellas. After our lackluster experience at this place I would find it difficult to suggest this place to anyone. The wine and cheese selection was good. The ice cream was tasty, but not amazing. It was just ice cream. If you're ok with bad service and crabby staff then by all means please visit. read more

I have been here several times over the years and the food is OK, but the wait times and service are terrible. There isn't a reason to wait so long for sandwiches. And that's with very few customers! When it is busy, they cannot cope - you will be sorry you went. The food is not worth the terrible waits and service. read more

We are native New Yorkers and so, I like to think, we have a pretty high threshold for rude behavior. However, on my first (and last) visit to this very quaint Wisconsin shop, the shop girl was so incredibly rude to my 88-year-old father (I know. Aren't old people annoying?! They move slowly and can't hear worth a damn!) that even I had to insist we leave without the wine and cheese we'd gone there to purchase for Thanksgiving dinner. I'll just pop over to Surdyks instead--and I suggest VERY strongly that you do the same. read more

Good spot. Lots of tasty drinks and dairy stuff. Excited to check it out again!

If you like cheese, you should go here. If you like meat, you should go here. If you're in the area, you should go here. They have a very wide variety of everything. including ice cream and drinks. The cheese is pretty awesome! We got cheese curds, a sharp cheddar and a cheese with some kind of meat. All were made in Wisconsin. Yum! read more

Always have to make a stop to Nelson Cheese Factory when I am around. Have to pick up some garlic cheese curds & sometimes a scoop of ice cream. read more

On Mother's Day afternoon, the Nelson Cheese Factory was packed. No surprise...it's always packed here. The staff kept the line moving and was friendly to their customers. I heard the rum cherry and chocolate cone combos was delightful. In the somewhat separated dining are, I had a New England Sav Blanc (which was just okay) and the mushroom brie soup (which was out of this world). I highly recommend the Nelson Cheese Factory and make a point to stop here whenever I am in the area. read more

A must stop! Great ice cream. Fabulous service. Good prices. Super cute inside. Really a fun treat of a place. Reminds me of Sonoma. Kind of upscale, kind of country. Really neat! read more

A lovely old building, beautifully restored and decorated on the inside. There is a wine tasting area as well as a retail are to purchase cheese and wines. If you're lucky to be there when they're pulling the fresh baguettes out of the oven, do yourself a favor and get one! The cheeses are excellent. No surprise, this place gets crazy busy in the summer time. read more

This place has evolved over the years. It's nothing like it used to be, the prices have went up, but they have expanded the store quite a bit. It's a pretty atmosphere, and you will leave feeling satisfied. read more

Clean and always friendly. I love this place sometime you need to try a sandwich they are amazing. The ice cream is great and the shop is so fun to get specialty cheeses and meats at. read more

My favorite spot in Nelson! Love the atmosphere and selection. The fresh cheese and assortment of quality goods are awesome. I love to stop by after work for a glass of wine and cheese board - can't beat the wine selection! Even better in the winter time with the fire is going. Stop by and check them out! read more