About Nelson Cheese Factory
Nelson Cheese Factory sits on Highway 35, the Wisconsin Great River Road, in the small Buffalo County town of Nelson, just across the Mississippi from Wabasha, Minnesota. The building was once a working cheese plant; cheese is no longer made on site, but the shop still fills its coolers with Wisconsin and imported cheeses and keeps shelves of wine, making it a regular stop for anyone driving the river road.
Most people come for lunch. The deli makes more than 20 named sandwiches, hot and cold, from a Reuben and a Philly to the Ham & Brie, the Cheese Maker and the Town of Nelson, plus veggie options, wraps, salads with homemade dressings and soup-and-half-sandwich specials. Sandwiches were listed at $12 each on the 2026 menu, and there is a short kids' menu. From Thursday through Sunday the kitchen also bakes pizzas, from four-cheese to Mediterranean. Ice cream rounds things out on warm days.
You can eat inside or on the outdoor patio, where dogs are welcome, which makes it a good picnic-style break on a long drive. The shop is open every day of the year except a handful of major holidays, and it may close early in bad weather. Groups can phone or fax ahead for larger sandwich orders.
Lavender Bluff Farm in Stockholm is about 20 minutes up the Great River Road through Pepin, so the cheese shop makes an easy lunch stop before or after the lavender fields.
What to do
- Order a deli sandwich such as the Ham & Brie or the Town of Nelson
- Pick up Wisconsin cheese for a picnic
- Have weekend pizza, Thursday through Sunday
- Eat on the patio with your dog
- Grab an ice cream cone on a Great River Road drive
Season, hours and prices
- Season
- Open year-round except major holidays
- Hours
- Daily 9 a.m.–5:30 p.m.; deli closes at 5 p.m.; closed New Year's Day, Easter, July 4, Thanksgiving and Christmas (listed on their website, 2026)
Good to know
- Dogs
- Allowed on the outdoor patio
Tips for your visit
- The deli stops making sandwiches at 5 p.m., half an hour before the shop closes
- Pizza is only served Thursday through Sunday
- Call ahead in bad weather, since the shop may close early
- Large group orders should come from the cold sandwich list
Pair it with a lavender farm
Lavender Bluff Farm · about 20 minutes away
Lavender Bluff Farm in Stockholm is about 20 minutes northwest on the Great River Road.
Getting there
Questions
Can I bring my dog to Nelson Cheese Factory?
Dogs are welcome on the outdoor patio.
Is it open every day?
Yes, 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., except major holidays; the deli closes at 5.
Do they still make cheese there?
No. Cheese is no longer made on site, but the shop sells Wisconsin and imported cheeses.
🗺️ Part of the guide Things to Do Near the Lavender Farm of Lake Pepin & Stockholm, Wisconsin
Checked in October 2026 against the business’s own website and local tourism pages. Hours and seasons change, so check with them before you go. How we check listings · Is this your business? Claim it free
