Best German Restaurant in (Almost) Every State

Full of rich, meaty, carbohydrate-dense dishes like bratkartoffeln (pan-fried potatoes), bratwurst (sausage), roulade (thinly rolled meat), and schnitzel (cutlet), German cuisine is some of the best comfort food around. Luckily, you don’t have to book a flight with Lufthansa to enjoy a tall, wheaty glass of weissbier alongside a steaming bowl of käsespätzle (cheesy egg noodles) because we’ve gathered a list of the best German restaurants in nearly every state and Washington, D.C. And if we missed your favorite restaurant — particularly if you know of one in Mississippi or Kentucky where we couldn't track one down.

Huntsville

Not only does Hildegard’s have all the German staples — spätzle, schnitzel, and a whole lot of sausages — but this Huntsville haunt also boasts German desserts and beers. So if you’re looking for the full experience and you’re an Alabama native, check out Holdegard’s for some authentic German grub.

Anchorage

Whether you want to grab a kölsch and a pretzel or dig into a roasted chicken, West Berlin offers the best of German cuisine. We’re especially happy to see currywurst on the menu, a street food specialty that’s difficult to find outside of Germany. Although the dish costs nearly four times as much as it does in Berlin, the delectable combination of curry sauce and sausage is (almost) priceless.

Phoenix

With its liberal public drinking laws and open-air biergartens, Germany’s drinking culture is almost as sacred as the country’s speed-limitless freeways. You can get a taste of the former at Edelweiss Biergarten in Northern Phoenix. This German-Hungarian restaurant has the largest selection of German beer in Arizona, which you can enjoy on the restaurant’s outdoor patio — just like in Deutschland.

Hot Springs

You wouldn’t think that a small town in the Ouachita Mountains of Arkansas would have one of the state's best German restaurants, but the staff at Steinhaus Keller know their schnitzel and sauerkraut. The sprawling menu is full of tasty German treats, including an expansive list of sides. At $25 and up, Steinhaus Keller’s main dishes are a tad pricey (we suggest the small plates for those on a budget), but happy customers say it’s worth it.

Los Angeles

When it comes to food, Los Angeles has got it all — and German cuisine is no exception. While there are over a dozen notable German eateries in California, Wirsthaus stands out with its vegan-friendly menu and beer selection. You can even order a stein (or boot) of beer, which is exactly what it sounds like: a huge boot-shaped vessel of booze.

Colorado Springs

Located in a Colorado Springs strip mall, Uwe’s German Restaurant doesn’t look like much from the outside, and, well, the inside doesn’t look great either. But you don’t go to Uwe’s for the interior decorating; you go for the tender sauerbraten, crispy schnitzel, and homemade spätzle.

New Britain

For over 80 years, this family-owned restaurant has been serving up German-American cuisine, and they do a darn good job. Beyond the food, East Side stands out thanks to its massive two-story restaurant, which includes a biergarten and room designed after Munich’s historic Hofbräuhaus.

Dover

German’s take bread very, very seriously. You can get a taste of Germany’s rich baking tradition at Dover’s Bavarian Bakery & Deli. It’s not a sit-down restaurant, but the pastries, breads, and sandwiches get so many raves from Yelp reviewers that we had to add this place to our list.

This Washington, D.C. restaurant may be called OId Europe, but it's focused on just one part — Germany. Wienerschnitzel, zweibelsteak, and all kinds of sausage are on the menu. As expected, there's lots of different beers, and original German stemware is for sale. Be sure to ask what's available, since it's not all on display.

Sanford

With more than 7,000 reviews on Google — most of which are overwhelmingly positive — Hollerbach’s is a Central Florida institution. It’s no surprise that this place gets packed, but they do have ample indoor and outdoor seating. As for the food, Hollerbach’s makes a mouthwatering schnitzel. According to the restaurant’s website, they prepare their cutlets in the style of the Eifeler-Hof Hotel in Kyllburg, Germany, the town the owner’s family called home.

Cumming

Located in a quaint house, Gasthaus Tirol is a charming German restaurant in the tiny town of Cumming, Georgia, that typifies “gemütlichkeit,” the German word for warmth, security, and bonhomie. The food looks fabulous, too. From towering black forest cakes to massive soft pretzels and foamy German beers, this local eatery might even warrant its own road trip.

Kahului (Maui)

As one of the few German restaurants in Hawaii, Brigit & Bernard doesn’t have much competition. Nevertheless, this eatery ranks in Trip Advisor’s top 10 for the area, and all the fried food makes our stomachs grumble. It’s also one of the few restaurants on our list that offers a wider selection of cuisines, including a full pasta menu.

Boise

Prost! German Pub only offers one potato dish — warm potato salad — which seems like a  missed opportunity in the land of Idaho potatoes. Yet this German pub is an ideal place to drink a couple beers while enjoying some tasty (and completely unhealthy) German finger food. As one Yelp reviewer raved, “The food was so good, my sandwich was yummy [and] the sauerkraut was amazing.”

Lisle

The Bavarian Lodge lives up to its name. With its romantic lighting, wood paneling, and overall rustic character, you might forget you’re in a small Illinois village and not nestled in the hills of southern Germany at a Bavarian grill. The small-town lodge also impresses thanks to its expansive variety of schnitzel, including a veggie and chicken option.

Indianapolis

While the old-timey general store may distract you, be sure to make some time for the food diners say is "excellent." The farmer wurst and curry wurst are well-loved, but don't sleep on the German potato salad, either.

Des Moines

Serving a mixture of traditional dishes and American bar food, Hessen Haus is a beer drinker’s dream. This Des Moines pub features over 175 German and European beers — along with a few specialty cocktails. As is typical for German-style pubs, Hessen Haus has a down-home aesthetic going for it, with exposed rafters and a sturdy wooden bar.

Wichita

Doughy, full of meat, and a Kansas specialty, the bierock is a testament to culinary evolution and America’s history as a cultural melting pot. The empanada-like bun originated in Russia before German settlers brought the delicious treat to the Great Plains in the 1970s. Today, the savory German-Russian pastry is a Midwestern staple, and few do it better than M&M Bierock, a simple hole-in-the-wall drive-thru. M&M’s cheesy, hearty bierocks are the talk of the town in Wichita.

Crestwood

While the limited menu is more about beer than food, grab a soft pretzel with beer cheese and you might get a bit of Germany on your plate.

New Orleans

This relaxed German eatery was founded by Berlin immigrant Sven Vorkauf and has all the beer and foodstuffs any European-leaning customer might want, but with a playful twist. The Drunk Pig is a slow-roasted pork roast sandwich, while the Nola Schnitzel is a schnitzel sandwich with a crawfish remoulade slaw on a muffuletta bun. 

Portland

With an impressive 4.9/5 rating on Google, Schulte & Herr has earned a reputation for serving good, honest German food in an unpretentious setting. Beyond the food, fans of this Portland gem say that the restaurant is particularly affordable, especially since it’s BYOB.

Edgewater

After emigrating from Germany, Karl and Ursula Selinger opened the Old Stein Inn. Since then, the Selingers’ son and his wife have taken over the award-winning restaurant, which was featured on Food Network’s “The Best Of.” This well-liked Edgewater haunt serves authentic German dishes like schweinshaxe (roasted pork shank) alongside Turkish-German döner kebab.

Somerville

Bronwyn offers upmarket German and central-European fare just outside of Boston, including riesling sauerkraut and pork schnitzel. Budget-conscious diners can order the $38 three-course meal, which will let you try a smattering of the restaurant’s best dishes. Despite this eatery’s higher prices, the decor is casual and German, with plenty of Bavarian flags and old-world knicknacks.

Stillwater

Just a few years after immigrating to the U.S. in the late 1950s, Karl and Elizabeth Schöne bought a plot of land and built a restaurant nestled between the pine trees in Stillwater, Minnesota. Today, Gasthaus Bavarian Hunter is still standing, and many of the recipes can be traced back to Elizabeth’s home cooking. Highlights include the eatery’s herring sampler, weisswurst, and rouladen.

Saint Paul

While Germany has an American-style restaurant called Mississippi, we couldn’t find a single German or Austrian eatery in the entire Magnolia state. 

While Germany has an American-style restaurant called Mississippi, we couldn’t find a single German or Austrian eatery in the entire Magnolia state. 

Kansas City

If you prefer white tablecloths to battered wooden benches, then this posh, contemporary German restaurant fits the bill. Elevated entrees like sea scallops with duck liver, artisan greens, and mango vinaigrette will run you $30 and up, but there are few restaurants in the U.S. that do German fine dining as well as Affäre. If you still have doubts, know that an online reviewer described his dinner here as the “best meal” he’d ever had in his life.

Missoula

This brewery serves its own German-style beers along with pub staples like bratwurst, käsespätzle, and frikadelle. And with Bayern native Jurgen Knoller at the helm, you know that this won’t disappoint. If you still doubt Bayern Brewing’s authenticity, know that they brew their beers per Germany’s 14th-century Reinheitsgebot, which dictates what ingredients are allowed in German beer.

Omaha

Beyond bratwurst and beer, there’s not much here that’s German. But as long as you’re not a stickler for traditional German cuisine, you’re likely to enjoy the salads, sandwiches, and brats — and have a great time — at Rathskeller Bier Haus in Omaha. The fact that the restaurant has its own Oktoberfest celebration and plenty of German beer to go around should tell you all you need to know.

Las Vegas

Cafe Berlin sits in a nondescript shopping complex a few miles down the road from the drunken tourists, tense gamblers, and bright lights of the Las Vegas strip. But this eatery’s unimpressive facade belies the excellent German cuisine that lies within. Cafe Berlin serves up all of the German classics — spaetzle, schnitzel, and wurst — in huge portions. And if you’d like to try a smattering of Germany’s greatest hits, the giant sampler plate is an excellent option.

Manchester

Aptly named for its two specialties — beer and pretzels — the Hop Knot serves craft beers alongside an impressive array of pretzel- and sausage-based dishes. Beyond the food, this lively Manchester “hidden gem” is a hit with locals thanks to its diverse events, from karaoke nights to drag shows.

Riverside

Best of the Wurst offers great views and a large selection of German wursts, though it’s not the most authentic of German eateries. Customers can order soft shell po’boys and all-American cheeseburgers along with old-world dishes like Polish pierogies and rouladen.

Taos Ski Valley

A big glass of beer and a warm pretzel in a German-style lodge at 3,000 feet elevation sounds pretty ideal, which is why we’re recommending The Bavarian Restaurant. Located at the Taos ski village in New Mexico, this resort restaurant serves apple strudel, sausages, and, of course, beer — with beautiful snow-capped mountains in view. Nevertheless, this is a resort restaurant, so don’t expect the (expensive) food to blow you away.

New York City

Located on the Upper East Side in a neighborhood that was once known as Kleindeutschland (Little Germany), Heidelberg is a testament to the area’s history. It also serves well-sourced, authentic German food, such as gebratene ente (roasted duck) and schweinshaxe. With its large wooden tables and rustic decorations, you might even feel like you’re in Bavaria.

Pineville

Waldhorn is a beer drinker’s dream. Not only do they have a considerable number of pilsners and hefeweizens on tap, but they also have their own beer club. Members pay a one-time $30 fee, which includes a half-liter stein and discounts every time you come in. Waldhorn’s menu is also notable for its range and authenticity, which shouldn’t be a surprise given owner Gitta Maier professional culinary training in Germany. 

Fargo

At the Würst Bier Hall, customers can order a bacon flight with beer pairings alongside more traditional German bar fare such as a giant Bavarian-style pretzel. In other words, it’s a carnivore’s paradise that will give meat-lovers plenty to drool over.

Columbus

Schmidt’s is more than just a great German restaurant; it’s a bonafide historical landmark that traces its history back to the 1880s, when J. Fred Schmidt emigrated from Germany and opened a meat packing plant in the heart of Columbus’ German Village. That has evolved into a well-known sausage brand and one of Ohio’s top-rated German restaurants, which is saying a lot given its many German eateries. Just be prepared to wait because this place gets crowded.

Oklahoma City

Oklahoma’s best German restaurant, Royal Bavaria, is quite literally in the middle of nowhere, and yet it has thrived as one of the state’s top-rated eateries since the 1990s. That’s in part thanks to its commitment to authentic southern German cuisine, including house specialties such as broiled beef brisket in a sour cream and horseradish sauce.

Portland

From fried potato cakes and fries to schnitzel and roasted chicken, Portland’s Stammtisch features a variety of both small and large classic German plates. Of course, Stammtisch also has an eclectic beer menu, with over a dozen German beers (and a cider) on tap. Like many German restaurants, Stammtisch’s aesthetic is dominated by an abundance of exposed bricks and large wooden tables.

Philadelphia

Yelp reviewers give this restaurant high marks for service, food, and atmosphere, to say nothing of the beer. Try the kartoffelpuffer, which several diners called out for tastiness.

East Providence

While the food at Bronwyn covers Germany and Eastern and Central Europe, you will recognize lots of German favorites here, including spaetzel, schnitzel, and sauerbraten. You can order the house beer by the pint, the liter, or the boot.

Columbia

Just off Interstate Highway 20, Julia’s German Stammtisch is easy to miss. But road trippers and South Carolina natives ought to give this cozy and casual German eatery a chance, especially given its near-perfect reviews on Google and Trip Advisor. Restaurant goers can expect traditional German mains and beers alongside homemade tortes and cakes.

Lead

The Sled Haus, a small-town German pub, combines the best of German and American cuisine, including platter-sized pretzels, crispy brats, and gigantic burgers. It’s the perfect place to kick back with an imported beer and a greasy meal while taking in the tree-lined South Dakota landscape.

Knoxville

With a medieval battlement as its entrance, Schulzes Schnitzel Kitchen would just be a kitschy tourist trap if it weren’t for its pleasant outdoor biergarten and commendable German dishes. Of course, there’s schnitzel at Schulzes, but this Knoxville restaurant also serves brats, pretzels, and wood-fired pizzas. Schulzes is also surprisingly vegetarian-friendly, with its assortment of vegan sausages made from Beyond Meat.

Walburg

You won’t look out of place dressed in a dirndl or lederhosen at Walburg German Restaurant. Well, maybe a bit, but this restaurant does look like something you’d find in Southern Germany. They’ve got the long tables, outdoor biergarten, and colors of the Bavarian flag plastered everywhere — not to mention plenty of beer and meaty dishes like sauerbraten and schnitzel.

Mendon

Countryman’s Pleasure is a quaint German-Austrian restaurant in the heart of rural Vermont. The charm of the eatery’s New England architecture is reason enough to dine here, though patrons say the food is also delicious. Highlights include veal schnitzel, chicken cordon bleu, and strawberry-rhubarb pavlova.

Mendon

Countryman’s Pleasure is a quaint German-Austrian restaurant in the heart of rural Vermont. The charm of the eatery’s New England architecture is reason enough to dine here, though patrons say the food is also delicious. Highlights include veal schnitzel, chicken cordon bleu, and strawberry-rhubarb pavlova.

Madison

The Bavarian Chef has been lauded for its hearty homemade German food since Eckhard and Bruni Thalwitz opened the restaurant in the 1970s. The top-rated restaurant, which has two locations and a food truck, offers creative house specialties like fresh trout served in lemon butter, breaded pork with bacon sauce over a bed of vegetables, and a Rheinland-style sauerbraten with sour raisin sauce.

Leavenworth

This Bavarian-style Leavenworth haunt has all the gemutlichkeit, wurst, schnitzel, and beer that you’d expect from a respected German restaurant. Plus, walking into this decades-old restaurant is like traveling to Bavaria without a passport (as Andreas Keller promises) thanks to its wood-paneled booths, idyllic murals of southern Germany, and cozy vibe.

Huntington

While this fun, laid-back eatery has tempting sausages and giant pretzels galore (they proclaim 569 miles of sausage have been cranked on the premises), save room for their giant cream puff. Flavors change daily, so repeated visits may be needed.

West Allis

In the 19th century, Germans immigrated to Wisconsin en masse and were the largest immigrant group to settle in the Badger State. Unsurprisingly, Germans restaurants abound in Milwaukee, the country’s “most German American city.” But Kegel’s Inn stands above the rest. Established in the early 1900s, this Wisconsin institution serves loaded bratwursts, a variety of schnitzel, and a host of seafood dishes. Kegel’s also looks the part with its cobblestone exterior, biergarten, and historic stained glass windows.

Teton Village

You’ll find this Swiss-German-style lodge at the base of the Rocky Mountains’ Teton Range — and it’s something to see. With snowy mountains as a backdrop, this sturdy wooden lodge houses one of Wyoming’s finest German eateries. The restaurant’s old-world Alpine delights include bratwurst fondue and papet vaudois (sausage served over leeks and potato). But note that a meal here will be expensive.

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