Believe it or not, southwestern Indiana has a pretty heavy German influence. So when visiting my best friend in her parents' hometown, I was informed I had to indulge in the meaty chaos that is German food.
Full disclosure, aside from a grilled brat in the backyard, I've never actually eaten German food. I was afraid. So many things with wurst in their names can't be good, can they?
In the end, I chickened out, and got, wait for it, a bratwurst. But not just any kind of brat, this one was actually served on top of a nice soft pretzel with a side of a sort of home fries-esque concoction called German Fries. Everything was very tasty. The brats, were definitely the best I've had, and the pretzel was definitely a thousand times better than the crap we used to serve at the not-Auntie Anne's pretzel stand I worked at in high school (ah repressed memories... go back to being repressed). Overall, I was impressed.
The service definitely had the small town kind of familiarity to it, which was fine, and works well with my best friend's parents' very gregarious personalities. The food did take a really long time to come out, but I'm not sure if that's just because German food takes a long time to cool.
While (no offense to my very gracious hosts) I kind of hope to not have to return to Jasper in the near future, if I ever do, there will definitely be a return trip to Schnitzelbank in order.
I found this restaurant while passing through Jasper and I unfortunately only went here for drinks with the intention to return the next day for lunch, but they were closed for a private party when I came back! Â The atmosphere was really cool, the waitstaff wears authentic gear and the menu looked amazing. Â Prices were reasonable and the beer selection was great. Â There seemed to be about a 20-30 minute wait for dinner on a Saturday night around 5pm, so not bad. Â They had a cute little gift shop that had authentic German goodies (Christmas stuff at the time of my visit). Â I am thinking about taking the trip to Jasper specifically to come here to eat!
Review Source:A friendly and smart staff is a big plus in my book and this place has one. Really wanted to give them a "Yay," however, the flavor of the food is inconsistent with the hype. Items ordered: potato salad, German fries, potato glaze, beef rolladen and mini braztel sandwich. Please keep in mind I'm not a German cuisine fan or seek it out but love to get my beef and carb on when possible! Potato glaze dumpling with gravy was *delicious* but didn't like how the menu says filled with bread crumbs and then seeing a crouton in the middle. German fries were *great*...imagine hash browns kicked up a few notches with just the right amount of butter and mild herbs. Â The potato salad was nice and a good amount/cut of bacon added to it. The steak on the beef was tender/tasty but the filling had *way* too many onions...and I'm a fan of onions! Â The brat was nice but if you've had a good brat from a butcher there is nothing to "wow" you about the one they are serving. Also, the kraut is very sour and the mustard is too sweet for my tastes. A nice surprise was the blue cheese dressing that came with my salad...slightly seasoned and thick enough to use a fork is the bomb in my eyes. Â Overall a safe bet to wine and dine at.
Review Source:My family enjoyed our meals and the experience. Potato pancakes were excellent. Husband got the bockwurst and brought home leftovers back to the hotel fridge for a night, then all the way home from our little trip, and made a sandwich a couple of days later and said it was even better then. I got a pork schnitzel thing that was good. Beer selection was outstanding, and the atmosophere was fun. I think I've only been to one "German restaurant" but have been to Germany, so have been to many actual German restaurants - it held up, in my opinion. Daughter loved the gift shop and especially that they even had a penny machine to add to her collection. I'd go back.
Review Source:excellent food. amazing salad buffet. Â my first time here, even though i'm somewhat of a local (evansville in). Â the staff was excellent. i have family in jasper but was referred to this place mainly by Santa Claus Land (holiday world now). Â so happy i finally made it. Â i drove here from louisville on my way home to evansville. Â too bad i live in LA now, can't come back too often. Â highly recommend this place, especially if you like a long country drive.
Review Source:Theme restaurants like Schnitzelbank live on their kitsch and as an excuse by boring, mostly older-people trying to put some excitement into their life by driving their cars senselessly to places like this.
I had lunch for $10. 2 sausages, potato, sides. The restaurant decor is good. The salad bar is lamely American-style from the 70's. Iceberg lettuce - Come on, Try harder. There was no German style salad option here. Don't get it.
The older waitress was helpful and friendly. But for Pete's sake, would the management please forbid the ladies from wearing white tennis shoes while working. If you're going to go foreign, then do it right. Why not instead wear tennis clothes to fit the tennis shoes.
The sausage was ok. Not sure where they were made. Could have been a huge factory from Johnsonville Sausage. Or, maybe a local butcher? The restaurant should say. Or, make it yourself and proclaim its hand-made on site. Please specify.
I'm happy I went here but don't expect Munich quality food here. Expect run-of-the-mill
My wife and I were passing through Jasper and decided to try this place out. The menus had a "Super 46 Sandwiches" advertisement on it, so I decided to go with the Bratzel (the brother of the "Super 46" champion).
A heaping portion of bratwurst, German fries, soft pretzel and sauerkraut greeted my lonely stomach. The brat and kraut were good, especially with the house spicy mustard added on. The real winner of the meal was the German fries, they were delicious.
For desert we split the Twix cheesecake. There were little pieces of Twix bars on top and a nice carmel filled crust on the bottom. It was a very good end to a great meal. We waddled out to our car and continued our trip with smiles on our faces.
Our entrees were great, and fairly German. It's hard to get German pretzels spot on, but these weren't too bad. The bratwurst was very flavorful, and I can see how it's won so many awards. The salad bar was nothing special and it was a little overpriced for the selection, or lack thereof.
Our server wasn't very considerate of food requests or allergies. We asked for no sauerkraut with our brat and no butter on our vegetables. She wasn't very willing to make these accommodations, so we had to find something else on the menu. I felt this was a little ridiculous.
The ambiance of the place is absolutely great! We loved the gift shop in the front while we were waiting for seating. With limited restaurants in the area, this one was pretty pack. Though, parking was do-able.
I'd recommend the potato pancakes and a slice of the german chocolate pie following your meal. Those were the best parts of dinner.
The plate arrived and I started to go after the plate, looked at my grandmother and laughed 'it must look like I have just gotten out of prison.' I tore up that lunch special while she went to the salad bar. The salad bar looked pretty typical so I just skipped it. I had the fried chicken and it was really good! The vegetables were 'eh and the dressing was pretty good. It came with jello but I didn't try any of it, I don't consider it food.
The ambiance is really nice, the old ladies all dressed up in lil German outfits. They're so adorable! Except we got mean 'ol Bonnie. Sure that she is normally a delight, she appeared to be, but the day she found us she just wasn't havin it.
I think we had the misfortune of arriving late on a Friday night when there was a large party in attendance. We got walked through a server station and seated in a back room and soon were the only diners there, save for a half dozen employees who filtered in and out to take their dinner break.
That being said, the food was good (we had a sausage and some smoked chops) and our waitress was super cheerful. They did not have Gaffel on draft as the menu said, but they did have a good beer and wine selection.
This place is awesome! Â If you go here, you have to get the salad bar and some bread. Â They make their own butter/ apple butter, which is amazing.
The menu is great. Â I have tried most of the "German staples" and was impressed. Â Everyone I have eaten here with has loved it and always wants to come back... Â Definitely a great place to stop if you are in Jasper.
Definitely a great place to try if you are in Jasper! Â In my knowledge, this is the premier German restaurant in a town that really prides itself on its German heritage. Â I love the spaetzle here and can't resist the soup and salad bar, which is frequently a meal in itself for me! Â It is billed by the restaurant as the best soup and salad bar in the Midwest, and I think I'd have to agree. Â There is quite a variety of menu items available, and they have good specials. Â There is also a shop in the lobby filled with German items to purchase, if you are interested.
Review Source:Some of the best German food I have ever had, we can't make a trip to Holiday World without going here for at least one meal. Â We've been coming here for nine years and have yet to be disappointed.
Their salad bar is great and we love love their pickled turnips and all of their soups.
We order all their German favorites and can barely finish the large servings and their beer selections are marvelous, too!
This is a Jasper institution, but I think they're coasting a bit on reputation.  If you're in town and just want a drink this is hands-down the place to go.  Lots of beers on tap, including German and Czech varieties!  I used to live in the Czech Republic so I really appreciate that, though it also means that I can be a bit picky about "German" food.  The menu can be hit or miss.  I do love the Wurst platter, I understand they get their wurst from a local butcher and the accompanying sauerkraut and hot mustard is divine.  Their other German choices are so so.  Not quite worth the price tag I think.  The prime rib is definitely not "prime."  The fried chicken is good too (though as I put on another area restaurant review, this is Southern Indiana and if you can't make good fried chicken here get out of the restaurant business).  I do enjoy the salad bar.  The variety is fairly extensive and you get some local specialties like pickled herring and Jasper Bakery bread.  Don't order the Apple Strudel if you like authentic German strudel though.  It's more like a walnut coconut apple cobbler thingy.  The staff is very friendly, decked out in their German outfits and the décor is both German and Southern Indiana at the same time which I appreciate.  If you frequent Jasper you should go at least once.  3 1/2 stars.
Review Source:if you don't expect anything but great German food, beer and an authentic atmosphere . . . you will love this place. if you want a steak, a burger, or chicken and fries go to a diner, don't come here looking for that and then cry on yelp. it's a German restaurant . . . that's what they do best . . . and that's what you should order: German food and beer. the wait staff is friendly and very accommodating. prices are good: $8 for a liter of ON TAP German lager! i loved the Hofbrauhaus in Munich, and i love the Schnitzelbank in Jasper.
Review Source:This place has the best Fried Chicken Ever. Â They also have the most homemade salads on the salad bar you can imagine and a great beer selection for Southern Indiana. Â I really have nothing bad to say in total about the place outside of echoing that the liquor bottles on the wall were a bad addition. Â If i could give one extra star to one restaurant in all of my yelp it would be here. Â This place is very inexpensive and the selection is amazing and wait i have not even started talking about the German Food. Â Check my Yelp account- i like German food and this place is right up there with the best but I still say order Fried Chicken and Salad Bar and for a side who cares- go back to the Salad Bar and Drink Beer.
Review Source:I take no joy in this review ...
When I visit my in-laws ... we usually end up in Jasper - at the Schnitzelbank. Â You almost can't avoid it - they advertise all over town (restaurant and banquet facilities). Â My memory has not been kind in previous visits - but, good company, happy times ... you tend to overlook the particulars.
So, returning to Southern Indiana ... Â we found ourselves back at the Schnitzelbank. Â
The atmosphere is decades old ... it seems that they developed their formula in the 70's - and never changed. Â The waitstaff are courteous and friendly - they wear Old German costumes - they really do try. Â One wall of the main dining room is a glass case filled with decorative liquor bottles - race cars, the presidents, the Pope, John Wayne and Elvis. Â This, alone, should set your expectation.
You receive an older style menu (older style dishes) - German dishes, Prime Rib, Fried chicken that sort of thing. Â There is usually a "SPECIALS" insert. Â Nothing is very imaginative - don't expect anything unique. Â They have a large salad bar, again driven by 1970's style ... fruit in Jello, iceberg lettuce with the usual additions, coleslaw, macaroni salad, etc. Â The other end holds a cauldron of soup along with breads (pumpernickel - not homemade). Â It may bring an air of comfort (remembering old times) ... while fresh, none of it is very good.
The entries are not as good as the salad bar. Â I ordered fish - it was less than fresh and overcooked. Â My wife carved her way through a fatty piece of prime rib. Â I avoided the potato side by prefering a green bean side and received a small bowl of canned, steamed green beans - I honestly can't remember the last time I've seen this. Â Alas, I'm used to fresh vegetables.
The high-note is their beer selection. Â And it is very good! Â They serve various German offerings, along with Guinness and domestic drafts. Â Also, a good selection of bottled beers. Â I ordered a Pilsner Urquell ... it came in a tall crystal glass ... tasted wonderful.
Ultimately, the beer is my only reason for the single star. Â I could not recommend this restaurant to others. Â Seriously ... go down the road to the local Subway instead. Â That way, you won't regret the expense of a bad meal.
Seriously, it's overrated.
The fried chicken, fried chicken livers are great - don't get me wrong. Â Call in and get them to go. Â
The biggest amount of their menu is just "okay" and over priced. Â Go in for the plate lunch. Â It's for sure the tastiest value in Jasper. Â The wait staff are nice enough, but they are lifers and have gone beyond caring about their patrons. Â For example, they are not willing to make accommodations at all. Â I'm sure they are capable of making requested changes, but they just don't care. Â
Service always takes forever.
ETA: Â Forget about getting the breaded tenderloin. Â After 30+ years they changed their delicious sandwich to be a processed pork patty. Â Seriously, it's disgusting. Â
One star, dudes.
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