To start with some perspective: this place is a bar. It has a huge bar in a large open room with tables around the perimeter. And since we don't drink, I can only give you a review for food and service. And in terms of service, I was ready to give this place a generous one star with the way things started. We had to wait far too long for our waiter so I went to the bartender to ask if they have Ginger Beer. She said yes that they had some they used for "Moscow Mules" but she was sure we could get them as soft drinks. So when the waiter (who turned out to be a very eager and amiable young man) finally took our order we were happy campers.....only to be disappointed when he returned to tell us that the manager said "no." Our second disappointment came when we asked about the chili and were told that it had no beans. For those of you out there who love authentic chili this is worthy of celebration as it is as rare as hen's teeth around here. Once again, the very sweet waiter returned with a sheepish smile on his face to tell us he was mistaken. What we ended up ordering was a mix of excellent and mediocre. Our beer battered onion rings were the best we've had (Michael's in Towson are not even this good) They came with a yummy dipping sauce-creamy and a bit spicy. (although Michael's dipping sauce is better) I ordered the fried chicken basket and was thrilled to taste the best version I've had in years. I would go back to this place for that alone. Strangely, my husband's brat was not very good considering this is a German themed menu. The fries were quite good-in between a shoestring size and regular. From this we decided that the kitchen excels in its deep fried items. We will definitely go back. They have a throw back spinach salad with hot bacon dressing that is calling to my 1960's self... read more

Went on a rainy Saturday afternoon. Restaurant was not overly busy. Service was attentive and polite. Wide range of beer options to please any pallette. We ended up eating appetizers. The Bavarian Pretzel was huge and delicious. We also sampled the beer cheese fries which were "ok". The Rueben Potato Skins were a favorite for us as well. Will return for sure read more

I LOVE this place! We live in Delaware, but my wife and I come to visit my Mother In Law and she lives literally around the corner from this bar/restaurant. The beers on tap are genuine German beers and my favorite is the Bitburger (sp?). I also like the wines that are on tap. But, the GREATEST item on the menu is the Bavarian pretzel...Absolutely amazing!!! The beer cheese dip is crazy Good! I strongly recommend this place and I also recommend sitting at the bar. Great Bavarian atmosphere! 5 stars! read more

Tonight was my first time eating here and I could not have been more delighted with the food and service! I met a friend for dinner, and it took quite a while to decide what I wanted to eat because there were so many items that looked absolutely amazing! In addition to many of my usual favorites, such as mussels, French onion soup, and cream of crab soup, there were several items on the menu that I wanted to try because they looked delicious and aren't your typical fare for a suburban Harford County bar and restaurant. I started off with fried green tomatoes with crab meat and remoulade sauce on top, which was amazing! I then ordered a bowl of chili, which I rarely order because I'm not a fan of most beans, but the chili was stuffed with meat and came with only a few black beans, which is just how I like my chili. My friend ordered Sticky Maple Black Forest Bacon wings, which were fantastic and I ended up placing an order of them to go. They tasted a little like French toast, which seems like an odd choice for wings, but it totally worked. She also had a bowl of oyster stew, which was heavenly. I'm not a huge fan of oysters normally, but this soup was very good. I really wanted to try several things, and it was hard to narrow it down and still have room for an entree, so I only ate half of my chili in order to have room for a main course. I debated between the champagne salmon and the bacon wrapped filet stuffed with oysters. Ultimately, I went with the salmon because I knew I wasn't going to be able to finish a whole entree and since I like my steak rare, no matter how good it may be, steak is never great reheated as leftovers in the microwave, especially if you like your steal rare. I did not regret my order of the salmon. It came perfectly grilled in a champagne lemon sauce with capers, asparagus, and spaetzel. It was one of the best pieces of salmon I've had in a long time. I saved half for lunch tomorrow and I'm sure it was still taste great. I'm saving the bacon wrapped filet for my next visit, which will be sooner rather than later as there are still several other dishes I want to try. There have only been a handful of occasions where I've been to a restaurant and have been so impressed with the menu options. The dishes I tried definitely met my expectations. There were at least half a dozen other dishes that I would have loved to try and will be doing so in the future. Although the bar was pretty busy for a Tuesday, the bartender on staff, Erin, handled the crowd like a pro. She was attentive, friendly, and very efficient. At no time did we have to wait for any length of time for service. She was very knowledgeable about the beer selection and gave great recommendations. My friend and I really had a lovely meal and we both plan to come back soon. I don't write a huge amount of Yelp reviews, but I enjoyed the food and service here so much that I wanted to spread the word about this new restaurant. Although I don't live in Harford County anymore, I come here pretty often and I will be eating here as often as I can! read more

My family gave mostly positive reviews to our experience, although some dishes were better than others. We all enjoyed the large soft pretzel with dipping sauces. I had the wurst platter (pictured) which I liked a lot. My husband had the curry wurst sandwich which was good. My youngest liked her shrimp basket, but my oldest daughter didn't like her Belgian waffles and fried chicken saying they were both bland. They had a decent size selection of draft beers, something for every taste. Overall it was good and we will try it again. Be aware that the online menu does not match the menu in person, which is not a huge deal, but something to be aware of. read more

Black Forest Tap House - German Near Me - Fallston, Maryland

I have been here another time prior to this visit and both times I have been quite pleased with the food and atmosphere. What made this visit different was when I was talking to one of the food runners about questions I had on the menu, I guess the male manager there didn't like how long the conversation was lasting and rudely grabbed the food runner by the shoulder back into the kitchen completely interrupting our conversation. I would be more understanding if he was needed in the kitchen except my table was the only one in the dining area with 3 people at the bar. I hope if I return the employees and I are treated with a little more respect. read more

Great patio and live music on Saturday nights. Anything on a pretzel roll is outstanding. Excellent selection of draft beer - micros from around the country. The pretzel appetizer is great for sharing too. read more

First visit was not pleasant! Seated quickly and waiter was attentive. That was the high point of the evening. The acoustics are so bad you have to yell across the table to be heard! They need curtains or carpet anything to deaden the noise. Food was ok just ok I had a bratwurst and husband that had a burger-charred on the outside red in the not what he ordered! Beer list ok read more

This is a nice place to hang out. I'm not a huge fan of German food but if you are it's great! The soft pretzel is the best I've ever had. Made fresh and served with delicious mustards. The bartenders there are the friendliest people too. read more

Went here last week and will come back again and again. Great food, great service, great beer....what more could one want! I had the Wurst and Mash which comes with gravy but I'm not a gravy person and they were very nice about my request for no gravy. I got a side of grilled asparagus and it was the best I've ever had and I'm really picky! Love that they have that they have everything from sandwiches to entrees. read more

The loudest restaurant I have ever been to. I first tried the bar side the first time a few months back, so I tried dining room side this time. Thinking it would make a difference. WRONG! Please get some carpet! Not a place when you have a headache. Spend all that money and have to shout at your companions. Unreal. Food was good. Service was good. Maybe GrubHub next time. read more

1st time here. Pork Schnitzel, fish and chips, and Reubens, all outstanding. Pretzel appetizer very good also. Will be back!

Definitely need to install acoustical sound panels in the bar. They can hang from wire or install on to the drywall and they can come decoratively. The bulbs need to be warm not the white bright. Also need some Blue Moon and other more traditional beer. Pretzel was big and soft but the cheese was very runny. We will try it again. read more

New location and the bar is nice. Food is unique and German inspired. I had the brat dish and it did not disappoint. Service needs to be better, but I will definitely be back. Really a good spot for a beer and the food is unique which is a good change of pace! read more

The worst food ever! Never going back! What a waste of my money. The oyster stew tasted like water from the Chesapeake Bay. It was brought out with my husbands dinner entrée which was bad a soft shell crab special and was as bad as the stew. My entree was just as bad, the hunar jager schnitzel was so burnt I couldn't eat It. Terrible place for food. read more

My husband and I went there for Valentine's Day. The restaurant was clean and the service was great. But, another customer was being rude to me. I don't drink. I was talking to the bartender while we were eating. Also, to the waitress. I just let them know how nice the actual Black Forest was. Then I told them my husband was a retired vet and that I was German. The customer who was drinking interrupted our conversation. He was making rude comments to me. I nor my husband did anything to deserve it. We tipped the waitress and walked out. For the staff not to say anything was not right. So I am assuming interracial families are not welcome there. read more

Great food and atmosphere. My 7 year old son had the shrimp basket and loved it. Super huge portion of fried shrimp and fries. Husband got the oyster stew and the beer bratwurst, he said both were great. I got cream of crab soup which was excellent, very close comparison to Jimmys in Dundalk, just needed a few more large chunks for crab meat. Would definitely order it again. For my meal I got a burger, also very good. The burger was on a pretzel bun and served with shoe string style fries. Overall, very happy with the food! Can't wait to go back without the kids and sit outside with the music! read more

This place has the BEST crab dip i have EVER EATEN. Go here. Get their crab dip with pretzels and then get another order of it just because its so good. I got the burger with the crab on it and it was so amazing. The restaurant is so nice on the inside and the workers are very polite. I will go there anytime i am able to. Highly recommend. read more

Go for beer or drinks. Tried it again. Food just flat out sucks. Entertainment can be descent.

We came in on a rainy Saturday night (may have been busier than normal? Idk) with a large party of 10. One of the guests recommended it. The bartender was great- we got a drink as we waited for a table (not a long wait). We sat down and it went a little downhill. The servers were very pleasant but we weren't served waters when we sat down and had to ask twice for them to come. The apps were tasty- would highly recommend! The food was okay- I didn't ask the others but I got fish and chips (fish batter was a little on the burned side) but still tasted decent. And a guest at our table did not receive her food till 20 min after the rest Of the table (ironically the person who recommended it). I had to say something about the delay to the staff- not the servers fault necessarily but the kitchen shouldn't send food out until they have everything for the party ready (our entrees came in awkward waves). The plates weren't cleared quickly- pet peeve of mine- especially with a big party and lots of cups and plates. I wouldn't say I wouldn't come back but there is definitely some room for improvement needed before I'd start recommending to others. read more

Overall this was a mostly good experience. We went at a good time, just before the dinner rush on a Saturday. It was a very nice day so we elected to eat outside. By the time we left it was getting pretty full. First, good selection of beers, which you would expect from a place called a "Taphouse". For food we decided to start with the Rockfish Bites for an appetizer and they were quite tasty. A bit bigger than bites in my opinion, but still worth getting. Nice and crispy on the outside and soft and flaky on the inside. Though they looked oily they didn't come across as that while eating them which is a good thing. I got the Belgian Waffles and Fried Chicken and my wife got the Hunar Jager Schnitzel. When our food came out I thought the waffles looked store bought, but biting into them I could tell they weren't. They were light and fluffy and heavy on the vanilla (I like that). The chicken was cooked very well, nice and crispy, but moist chicken on the inside. The only complain I have about this dish is that it comes in a basket. I know basket are a popular serving platform, but they aren't good for something that is sticky and that you plan on using a knife and fork with, unless you eat your buttered and syruped waffles with your hands, that is. The basket made the waffles difficult to eat. The other thing is that though I was given a ramekin of syrup some had been poured on everything which meant I had no control on the amount I wanted on there. At the end my hands were so sticky that I didn't want to touch anything. Even had my server open the door so I could go inside to wash my hands. I would get them again, though, just would prefer they be served on a plate to make the dish easier to eat. The schnitzel my wife got is chicken and though the flavor was good it was way overcooked. The breading was a very dark brown. As you all know, if you overcook chicken it becomes super dry. She chose to have spaetzel instead of potato pancakes and the spaetzel was good. The applesauce that came with it was also very good. It appeared to be homemade and was a good balance of sweetness. Very little sugar in it which was nice. The service was very good. Our server was not very personable, but maybe she was having an off day. At least she was attentive without being overbearing, so not having a personality can be forgiven. Not like my server has to be my best friend or anything, just needs to be good at their job and she was. We plan on going back at some point because there are a number of things we would like to try. read more

From the second we walked into this place we were blown away. The staff is super friendly and the food was AMAZING. Very clean place. The decor is simple but very nice. If you're looking for good beer, good food and a good time I would highly recommend coming to Black Forest Taphouse. I'm sure whoever you get for a server would be great, but I'll recommend Sam because she did a great job taking care of us as new comers. She was so nice and really made us feel at home and like we made a new friend. I LOVE THIS PLACE. read more

Really great beer list! Went with 3 others and we all had food that we enjoyed as well. Hunarjager schnitzel, the hanger steak, and Black Forest chicken sandwich to name a few of the items we had. read more

We are officially done with this place. We have been here before and it has always been a very mediocre experience, but we figured we'd give it another go. Decided to go there with the family (2 kids) and realized when we got there it would be nice to sit outside where the band was playing. Nice atmosphere outside and plenty of space so you'd think it would be a good experience... Think again. We sat there for more the 15 minutes while multiple waitresses walked back and forth by us without even acknowledging we were there. Finally, at about 20 minutes, my wife had to flag down one waitress so we could at least get drinks. She came over and said, "Oh, no one has been here yet?" Then she proceeded to explain that it wasn't her table, but she'd take our orders anyway. Gee... Thanks... The only reason we didn't leave was because our kids had to eat, so we pressed on. We put in our drink orders AND our meal order since the waitress made it clear that we've apparently had plenty of time to look at the menu. The kids meals came out and they were happy. Then our check was presented to us... Wait what?! My wife and I had not even gotten our meals yet! WTF! It's like she was trying to get rid of us... Fast forward to me choking down my mediocre burger and we were asked if my wife and I wanted another drink. We both said yes please... I never got my beer, but at least my wife did. I decided not to pursue the second beer since we wanted to get out of there... Almost 1.5 hours later and I'm trying to flag this waitress down for the check now. She brought my check and promptly disappeared for another 10 or not minutes. FINALLY, I had to flag her down again and get her to run my card so we could finally leave. Overall, the food is a 5 out of 10 at best and the service... well... atrocious. We are disappointed since the atmosphere is typically great, but the food is certainly not worth being ignored for a while once you sit down. There's a lot to choose from around here so we definitely will not be back. read more

We were sad to see the old restaurant Joseph's go, until we tried this place. I am glad it is a more casual atmosphere. The beer selection is hard to beat for an out of the way place in Fallston. My wife and I enjoyed the food. However I felt a little unappreciated by our waitress who seem to not be genuinely thankful for our patronage. It seems like it can get busy here. read more

Was sat promptly on a Saturday night and the food was excellent. Good selection of beer. The menu is heavily German influenced but with a American twist. Very good service. read more

Agree with others here. Lighting (too bright) and sound (way too loud) make for poor ambiance, and the food was just okay at best. The worst was the polite but awful service. 20 minutes before water appeared, 45 minutes to order, one hour before the soup etc. The poor waiter was overwhelmed and never seen and the staff overall is very young and inexperienced. We won't be back for a while, will give it some time and wait for better reviews to come along. read more

AWFUL! WE visited Saturday, Feb 4 at 8 PM. My wile and I found 2 seats at the bar and sat down, ordered drinks and asked for menus. The new owners had clearly spent big bucks on the renovation. We ordered about 8:05. By 8:45 we were getting really hungry so we asked about our order status but were never told. It came 10 minutes later, just as I had taken money from my pocket to pay and leave. The couple next to us had been finishing some wings when we arrived. They got entrees about 8:50, which they immediately had placed in to go containers. I asked if they would come back and he said "not unless I have 4 hours for dinner." After waiting 55 minutes, our entrees were AWFUL. My Pork Schnitzel Cordon Rouge ($16.70) was dry as a bone. The only reason I ate any was that I was STARVING. I ate 2 pieces of 4. The spaetzle was dry and almost cold, having most certainly sat around in the kitchen. The mixed green salad was nowhere to be found. My wife had the Chesapeake Roll ($19.90) promising "fresh house made crab salad stuffed in fresh split top buttered toasted roll." There was VERY LITTLE crab in the crab salad, which they split between 2 rolls to make the portion look bigger. It was served with potato chips, but not the good ones we all like, the brown, generic brand chips. Our server waited until we appeared finished and finally asked how it was. I was very succinct and clear "AWFUL!" He expressed regret. I gave him my credit card so we could go home and get some food, and I saw him speak to Alex Theodoropoulos, the owner and point over to us. Sadly, Alex did not feel the need to speak to us (maybe "I'm sorry", or even, "how about if that beer your wife had is on the house," or even "get the hell out of my restaurant" - anything but apathy would have been nice). It is a shame, because they clearly spent hundreds of thousands of dollars on the place and I life less than 5 minutes away and eat out once a week. Maybe I'll try again in a few months, or maybe I'll just stick with places with good food and responsive management read more

I didn't have a very good experience at this restaurant. Our waiter took our drink orders right away then disappeared for about 15 minutes. Drinks arrived and we put in our appetizer and food order. Nachos came out after another long wait then over 45 minutes for the food. Our 5 entrees came out one at time about 2 minutes apart. I noticed it was also happening at other tables. No idea why. A couple in the next table sent there meals back twice because they got the wrong food items. Our waiter never said anything about the wait. The food was mediocre at best. read more

The service was great, the apps were very good . The burger tasted like We were eating charcoal. The taste was a very strong charred taste. So get the apps and beer but stay away from the burgers. read more

Good addition to an area with few choices. The space is nicely updated and cozy. The pretzel was huge and came uniquely presented with okay dip. The salmon sandwich needed a sauce. Service was good. Definitely would go back read more

Food was okay, I got a burger that was not cooked to temp, I know it's not their specialty so I won't harp on them for that. The service however was downright terrible. Very slow, only allowed me to try a tiny sip of two beers before I made a decision on what I wanted (picked something that I had before since I didn't like the two samples), and the server was not engaged and did not seem to care. They had a huge beer list, but why be so stingy with letting people try them when a full pour is pretty expensive in comparison to what you see at other bars/breweries? When I was there they did not offer flights either, I have heard from others that this is no longer the case though. I will not be back. read more

I was underwhelmed the minute I walked through the door at my greeting. I had container in my hand that I inadvertently just picked up when I got out of the car, just not thinking. The greeting was about the container not about welcoming me. You can see that the've spent a lot of money on the building, construction is attractive. The pretzel appetizer was very good. I ordered a burger, I didn't expect a frozen burger at the price range and from a restaurant, this is not a fast food place. The other order was sent back once and the second dish that came out was inedible. That being said they did take that dish off the bill and gave us a free dessert which was very nice. The waitress was very apologetic and could not done enough for us, but I would have expected the GM to address the food quality problem because it wasn't that she didn't like the food it would not have passed food inspection. I hope they can get these kinks worked out quickly and much success. read more

Terrible lighting and absolutely no decor whatsoever inside. Blank white walls. Fairly small menu with a paper stapled to it listing 10-15 things that they did not even have. Extremely over priced- $17 for fish and chips that was basically 3 fish sticks with a tiny pile of shoe string fries. Terrible service- two of the three of us at our table got our food, third person didn't get there's until at least 15 minutes later with no apology. I get that new restaurants have kinks to work out, but everything about this place just seemed like they weren't even ready to be open to the public yet. Most likely will not be back. read more

We came on a Saturday afternoon and the outdoor seating area was perfect with the nice weather. The beer selection is expansive with a lot of great options. We shared the Bavarian pretzel, which was huge and delicious! We also had the Chesapeake fried green tomatoes and they were some of the best we have ever had. There seemed to be atleast 1/2 a pound of jumbo lump crab meat on top! Service was fantastic and we can't wait to come back to try some of the other menu items! read more

Had the fish (mainly breading and almost burnt) and chips and I would have been better off going to McDonald's for their fish sandwich. I could have driven to Burger King for the fries (and they would have been better) and gotten back to the restaurant in less than 45 min., the amount of time it took to get our dinner after ordering. Horrible dinner even though the waitress was nice. Happy hour glass of OK wine for $7.25, wonder what the cost would be after happy hour? So sorry, as I like to support local businesses. One more thing, the restaurant is so loud, could not carry on a conversation without yelling. read more

Sausage platter and the wings and sausage combo are fantastic. German reb cabbage is good though a little bland.

My husband and I stopped for a late lunch and we were promptly seated on the patio area. Our server was kind and efficient. We ordered the tuna appetizer which was excellent. For our mains I had a Cobb salad with grilled salad and my husband a burger. The portions were generous and the food was delicious. Would give 5 stars, though we found it a little pricey. I'd like to return for dinner and drinks as they have a breadth of beer selections. read more

I had such high hopes. This is mainly an ale pub. The food was bland and cold and in restaurant area service was terrible

Great food and service! The menu is very diversified and the decor is very nice. We would highly recommend this new restaurant!