This was my first time visiting Helen, Georgia. We came here with a group of friends that all spend time at Oktoberfest some time ago and were looking to reconnect without having to fly to Munich. THIS was my favorite place of the stay, and the most authentic. You sit at benches/picnic tables, the food is spaetzle and schnitzel, the drinks are reasonable and the feel is pure German. If you have ONE stop, do Bodensee...and if you're staying for the weekend, make this your last meal. Highly recommended!! read more

Bodensee Restaurant - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

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We had a great time. There were several options of the menu, and a kids menu for our little one. Service was great and there's a small parking lot towards the back with available parking if you get there early enough. Staff here is lovely. Even though we got here one busy night, everyone was attentive to what we wanted. The little one got a chicken tender plate with fries and a side of veggies, and my husband and I split the platter for two. Our waitstaff forgot our veggies, but quickly helped resolve this when we brought it up. The veggies came out tasting delicious. The platter for two was great, tons of meats and a great side dish of gut friendly foods. I wish the sauce was on the side, but it was a nice flavor. The reason for 3 stars was the musical entertainment. I wish there was an option for 3.5 stars, I don't think 4 stars accurately represents this restaurant. The musicians were so talented and got us all excited to be there. It was great to hear some guests know some songs, which added a unique atmosphere to this restaurant. We'd def go back, but prefer another German restaurant when visiting Helen. read more

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The food here is always amazing! We went early on a Friday night. They weren't too busy. Our waitress, Heather, was awesome! We had the pork knuckle (haxe) served with gravy, sauerkraut, and potato salad. The pork was cooked well, but soft, with the gravy all over it. I've never had it served that way before, but it was delicious. We've been here several times and I always get the goulash soup. It's so good and reminds me so much of being in Germany. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Gulasch soup. So good!! - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

Ambiance let's start there, community tables, large patio and loud. Service was fine. Food came out immediately which in this case was not a good sign! Food- if I could ever give zero stars this would be it. I researched which German restaurant out of all the Helen choices. Reading the bio of the chef chose this one. My husband sampled more meat options than I did and he got physically sick from it. We did the sample platter for two. I won't go into details but it was just bad. I am of Eastern European descent and this was the worst sauerkraut ever. Like I said, I opted out of the Wurst options but did sample most everything else. I got a piece of strawberry cake to go, still lacked flavor . Please choose any other place in Helen. I hate to say that but.... read more

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We first visited Bodensee about eight years ago, and at the time we thought it was probably the best restaurant in town. Unfortunately, our most recent visit was a bit of a disappointment. What was once a quaint spot with outstanding service and mouthwatering food now feels like just another restaurant. The atmosphere was fine and the service was still good, but the food didn't live up to our previous experience. We both ordered schnitzel--mine with Jäger gravy and my wife's with Gypsy gravy. Mine was decent, but hers was noticeably different from what she remembered. She had really been looking forward to it and ended up quite disappointed. It wasn't a bad meal, but it definitely didn't recapture what made our first visit so memorable. read more

Let me just start with service, chefs kiss!! Kristina was amazing! She had us at ease from the get go. She was helpful with menu suggestions, funny and didn't hover but was always right there when we needed anything. The food was awesome!! Started with Escargot and Potato Pancakes, super delicious! We all ordered Schnitzel but with different gravy and Spaetzle noodles, the lunch portions were still super filling and tasty! The atmosphere felt like an authentic Biergarten with German music playing the entire time. The decor was perfect! We would definitely return for a fantastic German experience!! Thank you so much! read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Dining hall - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

Parking for this place is a few feet away but at least they have their own parking area. All the servers were friendly and accommodating. Feels cozy and welcoming inside. They had a couple of guys providing the music. It just gave us a happy feeling while enjoying our dinner. We went to this place for dinner. My husband loved their garlicwurst with the german potato salad and sauerkraut. I gave the schweinbraten, spatzle and sauerkraut a try. To top it off, we both had dessert. I tried the special for that night which was a flaky pastry with boston creme in between the layers. That was so delicious. It was light and not too sweet. We will definitely go back to this place when we go back to Helen. the place! read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Reisling - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

Came here for lunch and had a great experience! Lunch prices were reasonable, and I ordered a Chef's Schnitzel with a side of Spaetzle and Bavarian Gravy which were all fantastic. Service was great, our waitress checked on us frequently. Atmosphere also felt homey, and I liked the decor. The only negative was the acoustics. It felt loud inside because sound travels even though there were only a few other tables of people. I'd still come back though if I visit Helen again because I loved the food! read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Chef's Schnitzel with a side of Spaetzle and Bavarian Gravy - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

Terrific service. Arrived a little early and seated right away. Our server was so sweet, she said she'd been there for several years and it was evident she enjoyed her job. Family of four and we all enjoyed our meal. Good schnitzel and beer. read more

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This is a cute, very casual but very clean restaurant and beer garden. I had a delish Hugo spritz and the beer was also good. I had the chicken schnitzel with jager gravy - excellent! The hubs had bratwurst and liked it. We took the apple strudel home for desert and it was awesome. Our waitress Koren was great - very friendly and helpful. We really enjoyed. read more

Oh my! Top choice of locals for good reason. Come so hungry and then plan to leave so full. We got the sampler and made the mistake of trying to eat it all. It's enough for 4 people but the two of us went to town. I most recommend the garlic wurst and the gypsy pork for flavor but if you've never had rouladen then Bodensee's is great and authentic. As usual for me, the German sides steal the show. The purple cabbage, spatzele, and potato salad were perfect. The Erdinger Dunkle and francshicanner (sp?) were excellent drink pairings. I took a picture of the huge tray that came out to the neighboring table as well as our sampler on our table. Service was quick, thorough, and helpful for any questions. Definitely going here for German again! read more

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We love this place. One of the few authentic German food spot in Helen. A required visit when we are in town. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Haus platter - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

The atmosphere is casual and lively, with a covered outdoor patio that's even pet-friendly in good weather, and occasional live music adding to the experience. Service tends to be warm and welcoming/ Overall, Bodensee is a solid pick for a taste of German cuisine in Helen. read more

The food was amazing! Thank you Yelp for helping us find this place. Victoria was a great server! read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Restaurant - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

This our must stop place when we're near Helen. We sit at bar get some beers and dinner. Never disappoints, service is always great at the bar. A true German gem you don't want to miss!! read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Pork Schnitzel, Spaetzle & cabbage. - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

This restaurant was only a short walk from the condo I'd rented. In fact I think it took longer to find the entrance which was on the side between the Biergarten and the actual restaurant. In fact I thought I was walking into the kitchen but the restaurant was around another corner. The meal was delicious! The smoked pork chops were tender and whatever the sauce was just added to the flavor. The sausage and sides made this a filling meal. In fact, it made 2 filling meals. Will definitely eat here again should I visit Helen again. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Haus platter: Smoked Pork Chop bratwurst garlic wurst, potato salad, sauerkraut - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

This was my first trip to Helen and picked to try this place based off of the reviews and I am so glad that I did. The entire town is so cute. Walked in for lunch, they have a two large sides for seating. The staff was all friendly and our server was fast. Everything we got was absolutely delicious. We started with the brie cheese with vegetables, which was very good. I got the chicken schnitzel with Bavarian gravy (onion cream gravy), a plain bratwurst, and their potato salad. The bratwurst was authentic & delicious, and the potato salad was so good. The schnitzel was the star though as expected. The gravy, devine. I also got to try a bite of the Spätzle special that came with cheese and bacon. So, so good. All in all, everyone loved everything. There were no wrong choices. Probably will be the best meal of this trip. If you're in town and were debating on swinging by, I'd highly recommend it. read more

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This place is great and I recommend it SO much! Everyone else in the comments about the great food and location is spot on. What I would like to say though, a hostess should be warm and welcoming, correct? They're the FIRST person a customer meets and that's how we get an impression of the place. She needs a massive attitude adjustment. Being on your phone and just letting my family and I walk in looking like idiots once we are there is just awkward. Once a server told us we walk in from the hostess stand outside, I had to walk back outside just to be walked right back in. And she was not friendly with any of her responses. If she wasn't there that'd make sense that I missed her but no. She was there the whole time. Get off your phone, stop talking to your friend and work. I'm still giving 4 stars because the food was amazing and our server noticed her attitude and made us feel welcome after her poor attempt at her job. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

Be ready for a really long wait for the food, but they will keep the beer flowing and the entertainment hopping. I ordered the curry wurst and it was good...I prefer a bit more of a traditional curry flavor. The staff are extremely pet friendly which we appreciated very much since our puppy joined us for our lunch. Overall a really great experience! read more

Bodensee Restaurant - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

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We only paused here for a big ole soft Bavarian pretzel and some beers. They were out of cheese for the pretzels, so we only got packaged mustard but was that a deal breaker in this charming German inspired town nestled in the north Georgia hills? Heck no. Service was fine, and there was an accordion and a tuba player milling about the place, bringing German music and comedy to the atmosphere. We enjoyed our very brief visit on a Monday afternoon during October fest. Stop in and try some local German fare and enjoy the music. I hope to visit again on my stay here in Helen. read more

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This is a really delicious place for German food in Helen, GA! We came for lunch and sat in the beer garden area, which was nice because the weather was good. Each of us got something different, and everything was delicious! I really enjoyed the spatzle and beef stew dish. The lunch prices are also really reasonable, so I would definitely come here to try more of their dishes. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

Be prepared to get stuffed. This is probably one of the most authentic restaurants in Helen, GA. Inside, and Patio seating available. It took a little bit for our server to get to us but once he did he was quite attentive. We ordered a sampler for 2 that was plenty for 3-4 people. The food was really good. Only complaint was the pork snitzel was really tough and barely able to cut through it with a lot of effort, possibly just a bad piece so would try again. The country music played in background took away from a German experience but we would definitely return and try again. Oh we ordered all our sauces on side. 4 different gravies provided. Only thing missing was German mustard not sure why they would only provide packaged Guldens mustard. With that we still enjoyed a great meal and would go back read more

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A friend and had lunch there today. I ordered the Goulash meal with Spatzle. Totally disappointed. First, I've never been served goulash on a plate with rotkohl and something I'm not sure what was. The Goulash was not hot. I added the spatzle to the Goulash to try to improve it but there wasn't enough sauce and it didn't help. The biggest disappointment was I could NOT get any taste of paprika, that's a seriously important ingredient that apparently was left out. My friend only ate about half of her meal, not impressed. She was born in Germany and I lived there and continue to spend a lot of time there. We know what we ordered should taste like. First time there, won't be going back. read more

I've waited two years to return to this place, and I was not disappointed. The owners that run this place walk the walk when it comes to authenticity. The menu has a section with a Romanian German fusion which explains the Gypsy gravy options. My food and service were spectacular, and please be prepared to wait if they're busy, as they've built a new Biergarten and doubled their capacity. Still, our waitress was so patient and pleasant, given the husband at the table next to us had a MELTDOWN on his wife about not knowing what he had ordered. We also had an accordion and tuba player enter in their Lederhosen and perform, and it was pure magic. Highly, highly recommend. Only minor critique is the garishly bright and different colored light bulbs in the inside dining room (they need to all be incandescent and a bit dimmer), and there was another small dining room that seemed to be closed and used for storage. Also, a couple of exterior picnic tables outside seemed to be for employee to take smoke breaks and you get to see them right as you enter. Ambience needs to be tightened up just a bit but otherwise, this is a must stop in Alpine Helen. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Hauspfännle - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

My FAVORITE spot to eat at Helen Ga! It gets missed sometimes because its not by the river. The schnitzel was beautifully season! I mean so much flavor you don't need any sauce with it! The potatoes are a must! I would've gotten spattle, but you can't go wrong with potatoes. I also got a German beer, shocker for me because I'm not much of a drinker. I recommend getting the grape fruit beer. Its very light, I almost finished my glass. The goulash was ok, I wish I got more beef. This was a very great trip, and Pay in cash for a discount ;) read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Beef Goulash Soup - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

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We ate at the Bondensee on Monday .sat in the Beer Garden . I ordered the Chicken Schnitzel Platter, husband had the Brat Platter. Portions were huge and authentic delicious with plenty left over for the next day to eat in the cabin. The service was outstanding ! Jeremy was very attentive, friendly, and a very good server. Highly recommend! We went back on Tuesday later to just have a glass of wine and beer as we walked in Jeremy was standing at the entrance and remembered us and welcomed us back. Best food, service etc. Kudos to Chef and staff. Thank you and hope you are recognized. read more

Great schnitzel and spatzle. Has the pork and added the jager gravy which was delicious. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Schnitzel with jager gravy and spatzle - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

Food: delicious Ambience: fun and warm Service: friendly and helpful This definitely gives the feel of an authentic German restaurant. We arrived a little before 9pm on a Friday evening and they still served us. Even though the menu mainly includes beef, pork and chicken, they also do have fish options to accommodate most parties. I had the chicken schnitzel and it exceeded my expectations. It was so crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside. The gravy was so flavorful and the portions were satisfying. I paired my chicken schnitzel with the red cabbage and it was the perfect tangy taste that complimented my savory meal. The German potato salad was also very good with a nice taste of dill. Trust me! The food tastes way better than it looks. And is satisfying without leaving you super heavy. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Chicken schnitzel with red cabbage - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

Three weeks ago, I visited this restaurant with two friends while traveling in Helen, Georgia. During service, a server accidentally spilled oily soup onto my jacket, leaving it heavily stained. Accidents can happen in any restaurant, so I tried to handle the situation calmly and asked to speak with the manager. A woman who identified herself as the owner came to our table, acknowledged the situation, and gave me her business card and a handwritten note (attached). She offered two options: the restaurant could arrange cleaning or reimburse me if I purchased a replacement jacket. Because I was traveling, we agreed that I would buy a replacement and send her the receipt. The original jacket I purchased was no longer available, so I actually chose a less expensive replacement. I then sent the receipt by text message as requested. After receiving no response for about two weeks, I followed up again. She replied once saying the receipt image was unclear, so I immediately sent it again. Since then, I have received no response for more than two weeks. At this point, it has been over three weeks since the incident. What is most disappointing is not the accident itself--mistakes can happen anywhere--but the way this situation has been handled afterward. The owner personally assured me that the restaurant would take responsibility, yet after that initial promise there has been no follow-up, explanation, or response despite multiple attempts to communicate. I will pursue the appropriate channels to resolve it. read more

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Very authentic and delicious German food. Service was fantastic also and we enjoyed sitting outside.

We have been here multiple times. We almost always visit this restaurant since our discovery. We have tried a few places but this is so far our favorite... We love taking our friends here and trying different things. So far we have tried the pictures attached. All of these fed our group of 8 adults. The platter was more than enough for 4 ppl. I also love the veal and chicken schnitzel. read more

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Poor service. Have been here previously and had a good experience so we decided to return. Ordered same platter and it was an extreme disappointment. When brought up to waitress she addressed with a snide attitude. Atmosphere was excessively noisy. When leaving owner asked if we enjoyed and when we said we were disappointed his response was "well if you don't like it just go home". Eating of a 1 is extremely generous. read more

Wanted to give it 5 stars because the food tastes amazing BUT two things happened: we waited for an hour after ordering and all 4 of us got let's say stomach issues within an hour after eating here and I had to rush to the public bathroom.. I know, not the review I wanted to write. We got there and waited in line to get a table. By the time we got a table it was past lunch time but the waitress was a sweetheart and let us still get lunch price because they took a while to come to our table plus the time we waited before. We placed our order and waited. And waited, waited for an hour. People next us that were sat at the same time as us got their food and we waited. They had some live music coming twice while we waited which was enjoyable but man we were hungry and we hadn't ate all day. After an hour, the waitress came and gave us some free potato soup as an apology for the wait but then the food came right away. My husband ate a few spoons of the soup and started his meal. My friends tried the soup and ate a few spoons of it. (Btw we got 2 soups, one for my husband and I and another for the other couple). I ate the rest of my potato soup because it was so delicious! Anyway, I finished the soup and ate my chicken schnitzel which btw was amazing! The chicken schnitzel, mushroom gravy, spatzle, were delicious! My friends and my husband also enjoyed their meals. We were all happy at that point since we had finally ate. We paid and went for a walk. Then we all started feeling gassy. I was feeling the worst and unfortunately and I had to go find a bathroom. After that, we left Helen because everyone was feeling gassy. We are assuming it was the potato soup since we all had it in common and I was the one feeling the worst and I was the only one that ate the whole soup. Anyway, I do love the food here. I've been here twice. Just won't eat the potato soup again unfortunately. And I hope no one else got sick that day. read more

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This establishment has a hof to the left and the restaurant to the right. It resembles a German restaurant. We arrived late on a Monday evening.It was mot busy, but it still took a minute for a server to seat us. We ordered a hefeweizen and potato pancakes to start. The pancakes came with sour cream and apple sauce and were tasty. If you don't like onions, be warned. There are onions in these pancakes. We then ordered a pork schnitzel with jager gravy and sauerbraten. Both were good, but I could have used extra gravy. The pork schnitzel came out as two large pieces. The side of red cabbage was a bit overcooked, but it could have been because it was later in the evening. It was sweet and could have used more vinegar. Overall, it was better than most German food I have experienced in restaurants. I would go back to try other items like the goulash. read more

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We really wanted to love Bodensee because it has so much potential, but the experience was disappointing mainly because of the service. The food itself was ok. It didn't taste bad once it finally arrived. The issue is that it took almost two hours to come out. When we asked our waitress what was taking so long, her response was, "It'll get here when it gets here." That pretty much summed up the attitude we experienced the entire time. There were no updates, no apologies, and no sense of urgency or care. I ordered the schnitzel, which was decent, but it was clearly missing sauce. We later found out that the sauce has to be ordered separately. That would have been completely fine if the waitress had bothered to mention it, but she didn't. This place has a great concept and could be amazing, especially in a town like Helen. Unfortunately, the service made it feel like no one really cares, which completely overshadows the food. I hope management takes this as constructive feedback because with better service and communication, this could be a great spot. read more

This place is amazing!!! First off it's very clean and well taken care of. The staff is wonderful and really took cared of us from the time we walked up to the door. Mike was a fantastic server. He knew the answers to all the questions we asked. Now, the food. First of all it was absolutely delicious. We had a pretzel to start off and it was perfect. We ordered pork schnitzel with cheese spatzel. The meal was cooked to perfection and the portions were huge. We took home 2 to go boxes. This is by far the best meal we have had on our vacation! Thank you Mike and everyone here! I would have given this more stars if they were available!!!! read more

Horrible food and service. We had the Sampler for 2 with sides. It all was inedible and the staff did not care that all the meats were over cooked and dry lacking any flavor. There are better restaurants in Helen like Hofer's, Heidelberg and hofbrauhaus. read more

My husband and I went to Oktoberfest and wanted some German food. We decided here since most of the places were out of food and he really wanted Jägerschnitzel (schnitzel with mushroom gravy). When we first came in, we were greeted and seated immediately. We sat outside as it was pretty packed indoors. It looks pretty clean indoors when I went to use the bathroom. Bathrooms were decently clean. Afterwards, the service went downhill and I was more amused with the attention from the cats. There's three cats roaming around outside and they were super cute! The waitress was sweet, but not as attentive as we would have liked. It wasn't as packed outdoors but it's okay, we understand and are patient with our food. Our water refills and final check took a while though. Knocking off a few stars due to the food: Giant pretzel with beer cheese: 8.5/10 - it came out nice and toasty! It was delicious, perfectly toasted, and with the warm beer cheese was perfection. We loved the pretzel and were excited to see what's to come! Jägerschnitzel: 6/5 - my husband has lived in Germany for a while before and has eaten plenty of Jägerschnitzel and this missed the mark. The schnitzel patty wasn't as flavorful and barely breaded. It looked pan fried and tossed in gravy. The mushroom gravy looked a bit odd and funky. While it was decent, it wasn't worth the $27+ price tag. My husband said it was flavorless. The Spätzle (German egg noodles) were okay, not the best. He wasn't impressed with the dish and was pretty disappointed. House platter: 6.5/10 - This came with three different types of wurst (Bratwurst, Garlic wurst, and Smoked Pork wurst) with potato salad and sauerkraut. The smoked pork wurst and potato salad were the star of the plate and it was pretty darn good! I loved the potato salad and it was a little tart, creamy, and the potatoes were a good consistency. The smoked pork wurst was juicy. You know it's a good sausage when you bite into it and it has that signature snap! I didn't taste much flavor from the garlic wurst nor bratwurst the garlic wurst lacked color. The platter came with two packets of mustard and I used a lot of it to add flavor to the bratwurst and garlic wurst. The sauerkraut (fermented cabbage) was tart and tasted fine but I've had better. Overall, I don't know if I would get this again. After we were served our food, we were pretty much ignored and checked up on like once. I had to flag the server down for our checks and a to go box. As I mentioned, the server was nice and sweet and we totally understand how busy things get. However, we felt like we were sitting at the dinner table for a while, even though we were ready to leave. My husband ended up drinking my water since no one came to refill his glass. The staff are friendly though and if we're in the area, we will give this place another chance. The platters were a good size. Maybe it was just an off night. read more

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I wish I could give this place a 5 star simply because the people were super friendly. Service was 5 stars. But the schnitzel. You cannot run a German restaurant and serve schnitzels that are not at least close to authentic. We had the pork version, no veal available, and it was not tenderized with a meat mallet. It came out pretty thick, not crunchy, soggy and full of oil. Also no basic seasoning detectable. Making a schnitzel is so easy and fast. No excuse for this. They were able to make excellent chicken tenders for the kids menu. Those were crunchy, not soggy, etc. Anyways. Too bad. Can't recommend the place for schnitzel that is for sure. Also not a single German appetizer on the menu. And the sides were ok. The red cabbage was ok. Not great. They need to get a local grandma to fix these things. read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Dining area - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia

Service at Bodensee was very good! I had the Beef Goulash appetizer since I wasn't very hungry, they do have two other beef goulash dishes that come along with other fixings but mine was absolutely delicious! read more

Bodensee Restaurant - Beef Goulash (Appetizer) - German Near Me - Helen, Georgia