Solid rustic German/Austrian food. We went on a very busy night so service was a bit slow but obviously I take into account how busy it was. The atmosphere was also quite fitting, and overall was a satisfying experience. read more

Black Forest Inn - German Near Me - Stanhope, New Jersey

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I was fully prepared to come in here and unapologetically grade on a curve - I always feel a little bad for this area of NJ when it comes to the gastro scene, and I want to support a legitimately unique enterprise like this. This was, sadly, not a good meal and based on expectations easily one of the most disappointing experiences I've had in recent memory. I came here yesterday with my top-tier chum from the Kingdom of Sussex, along with my #1 Honorary Young Pup Chum, fresh off a 20-mile walk down the Sussex Branch Rail Trail - so a bit tired and very hungry. Black Forest got me (and my appetite) in the best situation for them, in theory. Unfortunately it stayed just a theory. The atmosphere in here by far is the biggest selling point. I love a good taxidermy situation, and this place had it in droves. We were seated near a bear, and had eyes on numerous other wildlife, preserved for eternity. The stained glass throughout the restaurant is also pretty wild - it feels like you decided to go to church in a European hunting lodge. It's also deceptively large in there, which I discovered later as I tried to locate the bathroom (there is no signage for that) and wandered into two or three different dining rooms. Just wild and really does set this place apart from virtually any other restaurant in the area (maybe the far superior Walpack Inn can lay a claim?). I was intrigued by the Potato Pancakes w/ Applesauce on the appetizer menu, which ended up being the best item I ate. As you can see in the attached photo, they're basically big hash browns. They were good, and the applesauce made for an interesting palate combo. In what ended up being a bizarre theme throughout the meal, the accompanying applesauce came in a small plastic container that you had to open. This to me is one of the more egregious self-inflicted wounds I've seen from a restaurant, but also pretty fixable. This wasn't a crab shack at the beach or a taqueria in Newton - this is a restaurant with white tablecloths. Why aren't you serving the accompanying sides in a nicer dish, like a ramekin? What makes it more mystifying is that they HAD ramekins or something similar - they served the wrapped butter for the stale dinner rolls in it. I genuinely don't have a clue what the thought process was, but it honestly cheapened the optics and is something they should stop doing immediately. For my entree, I went classic German with the veal wienerschnitzel and a side of spatzle. The wienerschnitzel itself was fine - I've honestly had better from a food truck in Jersey City called Mordi's (I just checked and sadly they've closed), but it had no sauce or anything so it was super dry and overall not that tasty as a result. It would have even been an upgrade to get one of their infamous plastic containers of basically any condiment. The spatzle was honestly terrible; I had an excellent version of this at an Austrian restaurant in FiDI called Schilling (which has now converted to a French restaurant, apparently; I can't with these closures. Lord.), and this was just utterly tasteless. My chum likened it to "brain noodles," meaning the noodles you'd use in a blindfold game around Halloween. Fair, but even some of those probably had some flavor to them. Huge miss. I'm not sure why I kept going at this point but I decided to end this situation with the Black Forest Cake. It was a little stale (maybe it's kept in the same area as the dinner rolls?), but it was okay. Could have been worse, so I'm taking that as a victory of sorts. The chocolate mousse within it got positive remarks from my other dining companions in the context of their items, so that's probably the play if you're hitting up the dessert menu. The service was mediocre. Our waitress was very nice when she came to our table, which was infrequent. It seemed like she was waiting for food to come out (which took a while) as the context for a visit, rather than taking initiative to check on us. The Young Pup Chum waited close to 15 minutes for a second soda, which shouldn't have happened, especially given that we were there at a VERY slow time (just before 4pm). And the price point was honestly close to insulting. Neither of us are opposed to plunking down some Jacksons for a nice meal, but getting a bill for $200 (plus tip!) for not great food was not a fun feeling to close out our afternoon. I hate to end this on a dark note, but given that my two recommendations for German food in the area have both closed, you might not have much of a choice but to come here if you're hankering for schnitzel. read more

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We arrived with a group of 12 to celebrate a birthday. We drove almost an hour to visit the closest German restaurant in the area. We first sat at the bar and had a couple of drinks. There were many German draft beers available along with a full bar. We then sat down for dinner and shared multiple appetizers. The standout was the Maultaschen, a German ravioli served in an au jus. The pretzel sticks were good as well but they came with a cold cheese sauce in a plastic container which was offputting. For dinner the majority of the group ordered the veal schnitzel. The flavor was good, but it could have been crispier. I ordered the crispy pork shank which was huge and was easily two meals. It had good flavor and came with an au jus to add richness. Overall, the food was okay, but the service was excellent. I would come back if in area but wouldn't drive an hour again. read more

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All the food was excellent. Beautiful presentation the pride the chef has for the food he sends out shows the love and passion shows Its always an honor to sit down and eat such wonderful dishes put together the menu was perfect we picked a tasting menu which was perfect so i can taste a more variety of German dishes in small portions. I highly recommend black forest restaurant The soup really packed with flavor we had to order two pints to go. Soup and lobster bisque The ambience of this establishment is cozy quaint lovely, beautiful, very beautiful atmosphere. Nobody's loud obnoxious place right now is becoming full. All the workers are very professional the young men and women probably from the Neighbourhood. This is such a great place that even gives young people the opportunity to work these young men and women in this place really work hard and you can see that they're proud to work here and they take extra to provide excellent service impressed with Black Forest restaurant. My compliments to the chef for excellent cuisine and my heart to all the employers who showed nothing but professionalism and establishment I also would like to thank the young man Zion for his professional and courteous service. Well presented with clean uniform prompt service Thank you Zion for your table service in your mannerism and thank you so much for making it pleasant for my wife and I You're truly a great representative of the establishment that you work in. I hope your bosses notices that you are very valuable employee as I can see for myself as a retired professional chef for 37years thank you Yours truly chef Ramos. read more

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After dining here for over 40 years, I finally got a photo with Chef Heinz. He turns 90 in February. A group of us have been getting together since the 80's. Black Forest Inn is always on our foodie adventures. Authentic and reasonable. For me, it was worth flying in from North Carolina to be treated to such an amazing experience. This is a true culinary experience. We've been coming here 40+ years. How is that for a review? read more

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Another review from a poor man. We went here after a couple years since we were last here. We went on Dec. 12th 2025. It is a mixed review for this place so I will do my usual pros and cons and let you decide on it's worth for you. Pros: the food is very tasty and the atmosphere is still very rustic and transports you to the "old world". The Lobster bisque was very tasty (even though there was no lobster pieces to be seen). The Currywurst was tasty for the lady and I fully enjoyed my Chicken Breast with a Porcini Cream Sauce. My father enjoyed the Hungarian Goulash that was a special. (He is Hungarian to boot). Mother thought her veal Weinerschnitzel was decent. The Red cabbage side was very very tasty. The cons: The wait time to get to order, to get any further assistance, or to even get our food was a bit too long for all of our likings. We even saw a couple leave because they said they were waiting for a half hour to order and were fed up with the wait. The prices for everything is very pricey (at least to a poor man). The sides that came with the meal were small. Mother didn't like the spatzle at all. She also thought the veal had little flavor (but her tastebuds have been known to falter) So over all, it was tasty but pricey and the wait time was much longer than wanted. Worth, at least, trying once and experiencing it for yourself. Beyond that, is your call. read more

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We were returning from the HWS T&F County Championship yesterday so we decided to stop in this very authentic German local restaurant. Wow, great atmosphere, very authentic food and great beer . The service couldn't have been more friendly as the servers are dressed in German/Bavarian attire! read more

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I'm not sure why this restaurant is so highly rated. Maybe it's the variety. Or the vibe which is lively old fashioned wood German pub feel. But the food was meh. Particularly the GERMAN fare. For appetizers we had coconut shrimp, Potato pancake, and escargot. The coconut shrimp of course was the frozen kind and it was deep fried well and it was tasty. But it wasn't fresh shrimp. The potato pancake was a winner. The escargot was tasty. For dinner one of us had the wurst, one had Wiener schnitzel, and one had a Caesar salad with blackened chicken. More on that later. The wursts were fine. Nothing particularly special but good. The pretzel was a nice touch. The beer cheese came in a plastic container which was a little low class and it was grainy and not fresh. Hence I guess the plastic container. The mashed potato side was barely existent. It was barely bigger than a half dollar. Strange at that price they're so skimpy. We ordered the potato dumpling as a side - thinking it would be homemade German style and tasty. It was inedible. Literally. It was bland. It tasted stale. And the worst part - you know when oil is not hot enough how the food doesn't deep fry but rather it sucks up the oil like a sponge? And then you know the taste of very oil rancid cooking oil. Well put those together and that's what it tasted like. And it was cold. Terrible. Mind you. This is a German pub. Seems they should get the German parts right. The spaetzel was also inedible. It was old and stale. It too had a terrible old taste. I suppose they make it and freeze it. Or it's just sitting around precooked. Either way it was inedible. How can that be?! The red cabbage was mushy and overcooked but it tasted delicious. The winner oddly enough. The blackened chicken Caesar salad. I was in the mood for light and figured I could taste the others. Glad frankly I passed on the German fare because my salad rocked! They had grilled chicken or blackened shrimp as an add in. I said can they make blackened chicken? And the waitress said I'm sure they could if they do the shrimp. Well it was DELICIOUS. It was moist. And tasty. She even said to me oh my gosh I want one of those now. I told her that should be on the menu! So all in all I can't recommend this restaurant. It's expensive and for the quality of the food it's downright highway robbery. I still can't understand the rave reviews. There are better German options out there. But if you want a blackened chicken Caesar salad. Run there today! read more

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Comfort food, but looong wait. Short staffed. Nice enough outing. Got a drink order wrong, but ice outing. read more

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Visited for dinner on a Friday night in October. Great Oktoberfest menu and German beers . Appetizers, mains, dessert and beers were great. Server was friendly and efficient. Lots of wood, German stained glass, animal heads on the wall - a real German motif and a step back in time. Sausage plate was great. jJaeger Schnitzel was great. Live Misti. By Wayne Wesley Johnson added a nice ambience. Give it a try!! read more

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This place has been around for a long time. The seating is pretty expansive. There are different alcoves all over the place pretty cool for large or small groups. The bar seating is very limited. The service was pleasant and informative but a little slow. We went during Oktoberfest and had a variety of food. The good: bread, escarole , veal ravioli, beer salad, trout app, venison entree, and wienerschizel The just ok: bison entrees, chicken schnitzel, and deserts. All in a fun experience with live entertainment. I do recommend read more

Never going there again the sauerbraten tasted like it was never marinated no bite from the ginger snaps, gravy tasted like it was from a jar not home made. drove over 40 mile to go there and all i got for that was a real German looking restaurant. read more

The food was delish.. service was quick... the decor reminded me of Deutschland... would definitely go back read more

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Excellent - while it's not Germany, it's as authentic a German restaurant one will get this side of the Rhine. Firstly, the decor is heavy wood - just like Germany. They have done a nice job of using tasteful furniture albeit the hints of "American colonial" on some of the architectural appointments. Choice of colors great - reminiscent of late 19c decor. Secondly, the place is immaculate. Clean and tidy just like the Fatherland. It's noticed - so keep it up. Third - staff is very well trained. They are friendly, polite, attentive and efficient. And well dressed ! Who could ask for more? Hauptgericht (main course) - the food. Outstanding - all German menu with most of the traditional recipes along with a coup of American favorites for the tagalong family members who have no sense of adventure. All quality ingredients make the food delicious - good sized portions. Price point is higher than average but understandable considering the quality of food and service. This restaurant deserves your attention. It's one of my favorite places. Only wish it were closer to civilization - it's out on Rt 80 west in Stanhope, so it feels like a destination restaurant. read more

Black Forest Inn - Sauerbraten, sugared dumpling, red cabbage delicious - German Near Me - Stanhope, New Jersey

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We had a great time. The music was fun, our server was the loveliest lady ever. We went for the original schnitzel and it did not disappoint. Apple strudel amazing! read more

The food a as very good. The tasting menu was the perfect size for smaller appetites that will still like multiple courses. The ambiance is old school European. Large rooms, yet with private spaces as well. read more

Extraordinary oasis of comfort food and the warmest hospitality, delightful flavors and thoughtful presentation, generous portions read more

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Food was adequate, service fair . Service not attentive . Food was not served hot , more like semi warm. Would not return nor recommend it. read more

The food and service were excellent. My family and I had a wonderful Father's Day dinner.

Food was delicious and top quality, the service with our server was super nice and he always was helpful, and the ambiance was comfortable and quiet, no loud music and it allowed us to relax in the space. We had gone for my mother's birthday and she was happy with the food and service, would come again! read more

Black Forest Inn - Such - German Near Me - Stanhope, New Jersey

Ordered some pork sausages with tap beer, German food experience. Nice environment and service are excellent, so the food is OK. read more

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Sehr güt! Solid German food, service, and decor! From start to finish, my group of 7 had a great time at this family-owned spot. While it took a while for entrees to arrive, they were worth the wait. For entrees, I super recommend the Rouladen (beef stuffed with pickles and other veggies). For sides, this spot has the best Sauerkraut I've ever had, great Spaetzel, Potato Pancake and Dumpling, and Red Cabbage. My kids enjoyed their Pretzel and German-style Pizza. Then for dessert, their Black Forest (chocolate) Cake with yummy cherry and cherry liqueur filling was divine! With delicious drinks, dishes, and desserts, our tummies were stuffed and all smiles. NOTES/TIPS: * *This spot can accommodate large groups. **Clean gendered bathrooms, plenty of parking. **Live music starting at 5pm on Oktoberfest weekends. read more

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Amazing authentic German food worth the 60 minute drive for us. The staff is friendly and knowledgeable and the tap runs with great German brews not much more you. Can ask for very authentic experience. read more

Authentic and nutty. Nicely prepared foods and live band for a fall celebration. We had mixed salads plus various schnitzels read more

For Father's Day, my wife took me and her parents to the Black Forest Inn for dinner. This is a classic German restaurant that's been on Rt 206 in Byram for many years. Just walking through the front doors, you feel like you're in Bavaria! The dark decor and beautiful bar gives this restaurant great ambiance. We started off with appetizers of Shrimp Cocktail and Bavarian Pretzels with beer cheese. I loved the pretzels! Our entrees ranged from Jaegerschnitzel to the Sausage Combo. Sides of schnitzel, potato dumplings, and red cabbage made for excellent meals. My only issue is that there's a 3% fee for credit cards. I understand doing this through Covid and even small places still doing it, but a high end restaurant like this should not have this fee. Outside of this though, we're ready for Oktoberfest in a few months! read more

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Visiting the Black Forest Inn for Oktoberfest has become a cherished family tradition. There is no lovelier German restaurant with such warmth and ambiance. The food is outstanding! We always order a variety of appetizers to share...schupfnudeln is my favorite! We all love the German potato salad, cucumber salad, German raviolis, potato pancakes....The entrees are equally mouth watering. We all order our favorites and there is always a lot of sampling from each other's plates. I just wish I had room for dessert! The staff is excellent and their clothing adds so much to the atmosphere. I wish I lived closer so I could visit more often. read more

Good German food with corresponding atmosphere. Maybe not the best price wise, but was fun for an Oktoberfest celebration.

The restaurant itself is quaint. The food and the service was amazing we love German food and this did not disappoint.

The service was friendly but the food was not so good. Soaked in deep fried oil which tasted old (potato dumpling, schnitzel). Charcuterie board generous but not served with German bread or mustard? Ambience was the best part of the restaurant. Too bad the food was not worth going back for. Expensive too. read more

Great authentic German cuisine. Reasonable pricing and a beautiful interior. Our server was great.

Service. Food, Atmosphere, OUTSTANDING. Took my wife here on our first date in 1984, go religiously every one of her birthdays, our annivetsary and throughout the year read more

Annual family fave. Great German cuisine and dedicated staff. Always look forward to coming back.

My daughter's birthday. 8 people. Waited 20 minutes for a waitress to come to our table. Waited another 20 minutes for our drinks. Waited another 25 minutes for rolls. Waited another 20 minutes to take our order. Waited 30 minutes for a pretzel with cheese. Waited over an hour for our dinner, and when we did get our dinners, one was wrong and one was missing. Never received the rest of our appetizers. She finally did bring one appetizer after we finished our dinner, no charge, but then it was on the bill and had to be removed. In total we were there 3 hours and 15 minutes. Dinners were basically good. A real downer, but we tried to make the best of it. Musicians were pleasant. read more

A Fun Saturday Evening at the Black Forest Inn! The Black Forest Inn exudes European ambience in its decor. Lots of beautiful stained glass windows and Beer steins. The servers are dressed in German costumes. The entire staff is very friendly and accommodating. We had a 7:30 PM reservation. A lot of people were standing in the reception area. Think the restaurant could have more seating in the waiting area. At about 7:45 pm, we were seated. Kevin was our wonderful sever. Drinks- Spaten Lager and Affentaler Pinot Noir from Baden Germany. The Pinot Noir was excellent! Food- Sausage Combo- Bratwurst, Regensburger & Bauernwurst with Sauerkraut and the Octoberfest Combo.-Smoked Loin of Pork, Roast Pork, Sausage & Maultaschen with two sides. We thought the food tasted bland, but yet fatty. Dessert- We shared an outstanding simple Apple Strudel Finally, we found a great strudel! Musical performers Bud and Linda were enjoyable along with engaging with the audience. The Inn has a large parking lot. Their website offers order takeout and delivery. If we're in the neighborhood, we would come back. We'll stick with drinks, dessert and try some appetizers. read more

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Truly exceptional from start to finish. Their staff is personable and provides solutions. I found the menu easy to process. The food incorporates uncommon components with great taste. I'm completely fond of this restaurant and you'll feel the same. read more

My parents used to come here for special occasions 30 years ago (albeit infrequently since it was on the other side of the county) but I have memories of it being part of the "rotation" with my German family. I took my wife - along with a party of 6 others and an infant - to the Black Forrest Inn last night. I had prearranged a cake and mentioned that it was a birthday celebration in my reservation. Everything started well. The hostess brought us to a smaller room that was sort of semi- private, which I thought was nice at the time, and the waitress took our drink orders. About 10 minutes later a server brought glasses of water and that was that for a while. Fully 20 minutes later our drinks came and we placed our orders. Only 2 of us ordered appetizers and they took another 20 minutes to arrive. Keep in mind- we'd now been seated for close to an hour. The appetizers were done in short order and eventually the dinners showed up an hour and 20 minutes after we were seated. Understanding that it was a Friday night, I kept my annoyance to myself. Sadly, this is the point at which we were completely abandoned by our waitress. Every once in a while I peeked out into the main dining room and saw our waitress chatting with other tables, and generally keeping busy... but we seemed to be getting a complete lack of attention. Fully an hour after our dinners had been served and eaten... I went to the front desk and complained. My wife didn't even want her cake at this point- she just wanted to go home. Her 10 month old niece had fallen completely asleep and everyone was sort of getting cranky. We took our cake to go and left. Some particulars: I mentioned that I come from a German family. I have my own spaetzle press and have been making them for more than 35 years at home. The spaetzle at the restaurant was pretty good- but came in these (maybe?) smaller 4-6 oz ramekins and were, honestly, completely underwhelming. The dinners themselves were okay. Everything came out from the kitchen in covered dishes and ... they'd clearly been sitting for a while. Everything that was supposed to be crispy was soggy. Everything that was supposed to be hot was lukewarm-to-cold. The portion sizes were on the smaller side... I just didn't get the typical German "we're going to feed you till you stroke out" vibe that is so customary everywhere else. Even after we'd made clear our displeasure- the check arrived and no mention was made- nor apologies rendered- regarding the poor service. Wasn't looking for a discount, just wanted some acknowledgement that the ball had been dropped and regrets proffered. I'm usually an obscene tipper when the service is good. Even last night, I tipped 15%... If we'd gotten what we came for, the bill would have been much larger with after dinner drinks, coffees, and so forth. All things being equal - the best part of the experience was with the wonderful lady that called me back to arrange for the $48.00 cake that nobody got to eat. I can't in good conscience recommend this restaurant even though I really wanted to like it. I don't give out lukewarm reviews unless something truly went wrong. If there had been even a little bit of an apology ... might have given an extra star. 3 stars, as it is, is a gift. read more

Amazing from start to finish. Ambience is so cozy, live jazz! Service impeccable and the food was delicious and hot. Two hours from home but we will be back!!! read more

Black Forest Inn - German Near Me - Stanhope, New Jersey

Food was delicious but service was slow. It was a Saturday night and the place was very busy so I kind of get it. I've been here twice and it was good both times. If you like German food in an old world atmosphere you won't be disappointed. read more

I lived in Germany, so I was looking forward to dinner here. I was a bit let down. Pricey too, but everywhere is now.

Ambience is amazing warm and cozy. Food delicious. Special place. Recommend it. Service is nice