Interesting restaurant, but go more for the experience than the food. It is an old dance hall, bar and restaurant with a history of being a shopping stop over watering hole half-way between Waterloo, IL and the Mississippi River for the past 100 years. There's lots of antiques and Knick knacks jammed into the restaurant. Some are actually priced and for sale in the gift shop. Do not get in a hurry when you're eating here. Also do not get your heart set on a certain menu item as not all items are offered everyday. Dinners come with a basket of huge bread slices, trip to the soup and salad bar, and entree with sides. You can swap the sides. German and domestic beers are available. Food was just okay. read more

See all

This place has gone downhill. We were there for 4 hours with terrible service and food. Didn't get food we ordered. They were out of lots of food that was on the menu. Everything tasted like it was made out of a can. Place was dirty and smelly. Saw a roach on the wall in the dining room. read more

We have not been able to get into this restaurant since COVID. Every time we call for reservations they are closed, most times no one answers the phone. The one time some one did answer all they did was complain about not having any staff and didn't know when they would ever open again. After that I just quit trying. It's a shame because we used to go there at least once a month, before COVID, and the food was very good and the service was great. read more

I made a reservation on Tuesday for a party of 4 on Saturday at 4:30 for a 50th birthday party. We showed up at 4:15 and the building was closed. We called the same number we used to make reservation and were informed they were trying to find help and would likely be open by 5-5:30. Unfortunately, we drove 1 1/2 hours to get here, what a waste. As we were walking back to our vehicles to leave another couple drove up and stated they also had reservations and traveled 2-hours. I understand manpower issues, I don't understand not being called back to postpone and/or cancel. Maybe the foods great, wouldn't know, and will never be back for aforementioned reasons. read more

Delicious traditional food, as another review mentioned they were hit hard by Covid and struggle with staffing so you may have a bit of a wait for your meal but well worth it and very kind! read more

The place is never open!! It use to be a great place to eat at!! The internet has hours on when they're open but every time we've came out, they're closed!! Don't waste your time driving out to go bc they won't be open!! read more

Never open for dining in. Takeout only, and the owner can't guarantee that will happen in a timely fashion.

This family owned German restaurant is a real gem. The German food is amazing and plentiful. They have a variety of German beers to choose from. The service was excellent. The decor is great with steins, nutcrackers and other German treasures decorating the space. This is truly an authentic German restaurant in the countryside of rural Illinois. read more

I honestly didn't want to do this but I feel I have to be honest and factual. I obviously used to love this place. So may fond memories. My fervent hope is the owner takes some steps to bring this wonderful place to its former glory. However as of my recent visit, I cannot recommend this anymore. It's a mess. So many things wrong. You don't start off telling customers a LIST of items unavailable. You don't leave customers waiting for OVER AN HOUR and all you give them is some normal bread and butter and water and very old coffee with a broken cup. You don't advise customers when they call that they should come on a different weekend. When they make reservations, you don't have such bad service. WOW, I came here two times, the first they were closed even though Yelp says they were open. I WANT TO LOVE THIS PLACE like I used to. Please fix it. If I come back and the place is better, I will GLADLY update this. read more

DO NOT EAT HERE! TERRIBLE FOOD AND ROACHES! Absolutely the worst dining experience I have ever had and the food was inedible. I really wish I could give this place an amazing review since its a local restaurant but I cant. We originally made a reservation for 5 people but called back to add 6 more. The, I assume, owner asked if we could come in later so they can accommodate and bring in more people to serve us. They was absolutely fine with us, we understand 11 people can be overwhelming. Walking in your immediately hit with the smell of urine and dust. There was not enough menus for our party and looks like one of the tables was made into the owners desk with everything he needs including a heating pad. Our waiter was nice enough but hit his vape (e-cigarette) while speaking with us and could not keep up with out party. We waited THREE HOURS for our food. A long wait I can handle, IF its delicious. The bread they brought out came with cold stick of butter straight from the fridge. The biscuits the gave us were Pillsbury. We kept having to request refills and majority of the time the refills never happened. My mother watched two cockroaches run across the walls. When we actually got the food we ordered, it was beyond disgusting. I do not know what they put in it, but it tasted like they dumped a whole ash tray in it. Please save yourself the time and money and DO NOT EAT HERE. read more

Drove up and didn't think they were open. Luckily they were. Really a quaint and unique place. Loved the ambiance and the music was great. The only thing I would criticize is that it took 20 minutes to get out my unsweet tea. Ordered the Jagerschnitzel with potato pancakes and sauerkraut. Also ordered the brat bites as an appetizer but was told they weren't serving appetizers. I was very disappointed until I saw the size of the meal that was set before me piping hot and fairly quick. I hadn't eaten all day in anticipation of this meal and I could only eat 3 of the potato pancakes, all but 4-5 bites of the schnitzel and almost all the sauerkraut. The price was VERY reasonable as well!! Will I go back??? Most definitely!!! read more

See all

The food here was amazing! Large portions, friendly owner and chef who explained the menu, helped us find what we wanted. While only open on the weekends, it is worth the trip for authentic German food and an interesting atmosphere with collectibles displayed. read more

Authentic German food is hard to come by these days. Dreamland Palace is not just a delicious German meal it is an experience. It's family owned and operated with an awesome atmosphere. This restaurant was hit hard by COVID and now struggles with reliable staff. As I said it's an experience so please be patient it might take a little longer than usual for the food to come out. It's well with the wait the food is amazing delicious. I had the Palace special which had three different wursts, two potato pancakes, sauerkraut and pretzel bread fresh out of the oven. You must experience this wonderful gem. read more

The place is filthy, fly-infested, and the service is extremely slow. Feral cats right outside entrance. It smells of urine when you walk in and the windowsill is covered with hundreds of dead flies and gnats. They are out of many items. So many, many problems. Got water after an hour. No other drinks offered. No utensils until long after bread and butter served so no way to spread butter on bread. But flies kept landing on bread so I didn't eat it anyway. Food was okay. Cheese sauce was rubbery as if it had been microwaved. Took over two hours to get food served. Very sad as I had heard it had once been a good place. There were only two people working and they were trying but it just isn't working. Only six other diners there besides our party of four and they arrived after we did. The owner is very friendly and entertaining but this place needs a major overhaul if they want to stay in business. read more

I'm giving it one star only because I can't give it a lower rating. We called ahead to make a reservation for 7 and still waited almost two hours. It took 20 mins to get a water refill. Yes we were a lager party. But we were also one of two parties. The online menu is misleading. More than half the food wasn't available. When some of the food came, it was cold. We decided to leave and were followed outside by the waiter. Asking if we were going to pay. We offered to pay for little food we ate, but we were denied that option. I do not recommend goin here read more

After one hour we had a glass of water and then reminded them they said they would bring bread 15 minutes previous. I can't review the food because we gave up waiting. Dirty napkins on floor. One table sat uncleared. Won't be back. read more

Do not drive there. Any hours posted online are wrong and they didn't even open according to the sign on the door. We also called and got no answer. We drove two hours from home on my husband's birthday because he loves German food. What a disappointment. read more

If you want to shop for steins, go here. But the place is filthy, so eating here.... Maybe not. They had no specialty cocktails at all, didn't have 3 or more items on the menu, and couldn't get the register to take debit or credit cards. The food was good, but not worth all of the above. Had wanted to eat here for a loooong time, and it was a big disappointment. read more

Dreamland Palace German Restaurant - Cider!!! - German Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

I love the red cabbage. Their pork chop is excellent had very good steaks there. The family that runs the place are friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. read more

What. wonderful German restaurant! Great service and the food is the best! We will be regular customers from now on.

Very good authentic German food, I had the Black Forest Schnitzel. Extremely good, however the German Potatoes were just ok. However my wife ordered Veal Schnitzel which came with potato pancake, both dishes were very good. Service was a bit slow however very accommodating. Bloody Mary's were very good and a large selection of imported beer and wine. Not a lot of choices is the area, this restaurant is unique and serves decent food. We will return with family living in the area and now that I know the menu better I am sure I will make better choices. read more

Dreamland Palace German Restaurant - German Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

Such a disappointment. I was so excited to go there. I have heard so many great things about dreamland Palace. However, it seems that those might have been memories of a past experience from someone else. I can't really say much good about the place except that it's unique and at least worth looking at all of the antiquities that are surrounding every inch of the space. it took two hours to get an appetizer - we ordered pretzel bites - and they were already already stale when they arrived at our table. Then it took another 30 minutes to get our entrées. The menu was incorrect, I ordered the cod and was told that it hadn't been on the menu for many months. Ended up eating side dishes as my main meal - none of which were anything better than what I could've made at home. We asked three times for water and finally at the end of our meal after we had already paid the waiter remembered to bring us our water. Horrible food in a unique environment, and a pity that this place will probably close it has so much potential with the right owner. read more

What a delightful find! My husband and I were passing through town after seeing a play at the Capital Theatre in Waterloo (an absolutely charming town). We were warmly greeted by Mike, the owner of the restaurant. This is a family-owned restaurant, and they make you feel like part of the family as soon as you walk in the door. They serve authentic German food, and it is absolutely delicious. I had the Jaeger Schnitzel (so tasty!), and my husband had the Black Forest Schnitzel (equally scrumptious). Our waiter was Eric, also a family member, and he made sure everything was perfect. The food is simply wonderful, and the family clearly takes great pride in the fresh meals they prepare. The bread alone is worthy of attention. The restaurant is also loaded with cool knick-knacks, including a huge collection of clocks, and an equally impressive collection of ceramic German beer steins. There is a nice little gift shop as well. The owner, Mike, is also an artist whose art work (sketches of local historic buildings) is for sale on little notecards. Mike is a talented artist who clearly loves Waterloo and its beautiful historic buildings. Other reviewers have commented on the soup and salad bar. I will admit that I thought the choices were a little strange, and none of it appealed to me, but it is authentic German fare. That's what you're there for! I have a bit of a problem with people who go to an ethnic restaurant, and then complain that the food is ethnic. This place is a little off the beaten path, but it is WELL worth seeking out. read more

I had heard about this place for years, so we finally took the trip there from St. Louis. It's a lovely drive through the "Illinois Ozarks" and worth doing. The restaurant itself is quite cute in an old-fashioned way with musical and cuckoo clocks that go off at odd intervals, very amusing. All the food is very fresh. It takes a long time to get, but what we had was outstanding. I particularly recommend the Lighter Side menu, which lets you get half sized portions of these heavy German dishes so that you can walk out rather than waddling. Sausage dishes and stuffed peppers are great. Sauerkraut and vegetable soup tasted homemade. The Black Forest Cake is properly soaked with kirsch. We'll be back! read more

Nice drive from St Louis (35 min). Have looked forward to dining here for years as I am German and enjoy German food. Upon arrival the exterior is cute and the building is right on the main highway . The interior is a combination of, well you have to see it to believe it. German antiques, jewelry for sale, knick knacks galore. The dining room is small and quaint with ample room to handle groups. The menu is varied. We started with cream corn nuggets which were okay. A trip to the salad bar was a waste. It consisted of cottage cheese, red beets, pickled veggies etc. No lettuce or anything to actually make a salad with. My wife and I both ordered schnitzel (mine was veal with mushroom gravy, hers pork with no gravy) Both had what they refer to as potato cakes and applesauce. The schnitzels were good, the potato cakes were paper thin and no taste. The applesauce was okay. All in all the dinner was improved by adding salt and pepper. Dessert was cheesecake and Baklava served cold. Not our cup of tea as they say. But a unique experience. The owner is a very pleasant man who stops by every table to greet you. It was evident by couples who arrived after us that he knew many and they were return customers. read more

This restaurant has a great history and charm. The service was adequate, a little slow, but there were 2 large parties ahead of us. If you like German food, the Dreamland Palace is the place to go. Potato pancakes, German potato salad, spaetzles and more. The food was fresh and hot and delicious. We met with the owner, who was very friendly. It is a bit of a drive, but we'll worth it. read more

Dreamland Palace German Restaurant - Just one wall, there are many antiques and old clocks that are running. - German Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

It was a drive to get to Dreamland Palace but it was worth it. This is a great down home restaurant that serves good primarily German food. We started with the Creamed Corn Nuggets - not really German but very flavorful. You can't resist these. For my main course I had the Alpenschnitzel and it was delicious. The spaetzel was served with gravy and it was good. I also had to try their Apple Studel even though I was stuffed and I am really glad I did (make sure you get it with the ice cream)! They also have a good selection of German beers. read more

Dreamland Palace German Restaurant - Alpenschnitzel with spaetzel in gravy. - German Near Me - Waterloo, Illinois

See all

The closest thing to authentic German food I have found since leaving Germany in the early 90's. The wait is a little longer than usual but we'll worth it, especially if you want fresh made when ordered dinner. Portions were so large we couldn't eat it all. read more

We always loved going to Dreamland Palace German Restaurant for Mother's Day. This year you could tell they were struggling with staffing and the building is definitely in need of repair. It's been around a long time and it's sad to see it in such a state. The owner was there as always and his son was helping as usual. Great food - although they were out of some items and have had to cut their menu down (understandable). The knickknacks and decor are all still there. Walls covered with treasures collected over decades. I gave 3 stars for the food but I cannot, however, recommend it in its current state but do wish the family well and hope things turn around for them. read more

This used to be a great place for really good German food. We had reservations for Mother's Day, but we drove over 20 miles to get there, only to see a sign saying that they were closed. Last year it took over 2 hours to get our food when there was only a few people there. I'm sorry to say that we will not be back. read more

This was my second Time here, and it was as good as the first. I'm of Greek descent, love ethnic food and have always had trouble finding great German restaurants. This is it in the st. Louis area. And got a cup of decaf afterwards, they serve the Douwe Egberts, my favorite coffee. Going back again next month. read more

This restaurant has not only a wonderful atmosphere, but the ethnic food is amazing! While I'm not much of a meat eater, I'm trying the salmon on the last day of 2016, along with the herring in wine sauce! Happy New Year! read more

It was a fun afternoon when we took this pretty drive (45 min from Kirkwood MO) into the country to this 145 year old business near Waterloo IL. It felt like going back in time. Dreamland Palace is owned by a lovely couple who welcomes all patrons like friends. I loved the decorations and casual feel. They serve a good variety of authentic German fare as well as the restaurant basics were on the menu. We ordered Hasenpfeffer (marinated - baked rabbit) and Chicken Schnitzel with ham and Swiss cheese. We started at the soup and 'sides' bar. It was filled with slaw, cottage cheese, pickled beets, carrot salad, pasta salad and more. The fresh rolls were at the table was great. Lots of side dishes too share as well. read more

This place is awesome. It's a hidden gem. They have authentic German food with very kind staff with great personalities.

This place is a step back in time. The decor is very welcoming with the feel like you're in someone's home in Germany. Food is all freshly prepared so for those of you who complain about waiting a bit, that's why. And it's worth the wait. Enjoy some of the freshly prepared vegetable soup and German salad preparations. The owners and staff are friendly and hospitable. Although it's out of the way so we don't get here very often we always enjoy our evening when we come. read more

In years past, the food and atmosphere here was good. Not so much this time. We went to dine outdoors, but were told we could eat indoors (the owner was bragging that they were ignoring orders from the IL government). We only agreed to eat indoors because there was only one other party in the restaurant. We sat at the opposite end of the dining room. The staff was wearing facemasks, but the owner was not. He continually tried to talk to us and the other party in the dining room. I was "this close" from asking him to stay away from us. His staff was very pleasant. The food... meh. With only 2 tables filled, it still took over 30 minutes to get our food. The alpenschnitzel itself was good. It was cooked well. The potato pancake was undercooked and mushy on one side. The applesauce was directly from a jar. The spatzel was overcooked, and was in an extremely watery sauce. It had no seasoning, nor flavor. We turned down the offer for dessert. I have no plans to return. read more

First time there and VERY likely my last. Waited over 2 hours for our food. The best part of my meal was literally my strawberry lemonade. Our waiter was either high, mentally deficit or both. Nathan couldn't understand a simple request to add a bun to an order off the menu. So instead he brought the person in our party two separate orders. Luckily he fixed it on their bill. The food did come out warm but my order of chicken strips, and pomme frites left a lot to be desired. My girlfriend ordered the Black Forest Schnitzel, which wasn't bad but wasn't better than anything I could have made at home. The rest of the food my family ordered was good but definitely not worth the 2 hour wait. And the salad bar was an utter joke. As we paid for our meal we were informed they were busy due to the Maeystown Octoberfest, and a cook calling off due to a family emergency. In my opinion they should have told us about the cook call off adding time to the food. And they weren't so busy when we came in that we were literally one of 3 tables in the building at the time. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place at all costs. read more

We went to Dreamland Palace Friday night for dinner. We had made reservations for 6:30pm. When we arrived the parking lot only had two cars in it. (Not a good sign) We also notice that you could not smell any food cooking when we walked in. Once inside the place was decorated with a lot of cuckoo clocks, beer steins, and pictures of the German countryside and nicknacks. (A little to much) We ordered beer and it came to us warm and in plastic beer steins. The food came to us in a reasonable amount of time and the presentation was good. But the food looked like it was all cooked in a microwave. The mushrooms were out of a can and the sauerkraut was out of a jar. The dinner rolls were hard as a rock. When we said something about the rolls they said that the come in fresh and then they microwave them. The salad bar was a joke, it hade no salad just coleslaw, cold carrots, beats, pasta salad and three bean salad. Even the soup tasted like caned soup!!! Sure wasn't worth the trip :( read more

I want to preface this by saying that everyone here was very nice. The waitress was attentive and helpful, the owner came over to talk for a bit, the staff was fine. The decor was also fine. It was a little silly and over the top with tons of cuckoo clocks, beer steins, and pictures of the German countryside, but it was fine. They had a little gift shop with nick-nacks and German themed merchandise that looked interesting. So why 2-stars? This is a restaurant, and I judge restaurants the most on their food. Frankly, had they not been so welcoming this would be a worse review. I feel bad, but my family drove a long way to try something different and were underwhelmed. The soup and salad bar was basically empty, but the vegetable soup was decent. I was really there for the wurst anyway! Unfortunately, the Dreamland Platter with brat and knockwurst were not especially tasty. Better than what I tried from others though, as a different type of wurst (not sure which) did not taste good and the Jagerschnitzel was more breading than veal. I would not recommend the mini brat appetizer either. I feel bad, because the staff and owner were friendly, but for me to visit again there would need to be some serious improvement. I wanted to like this place but, for all the positives, the food made me ill. read more

This place is great! I love owners , they are so friendly. Mike takes great care of me and is the spirit of gemutlichkeit! I've had just about everything on their menu, and I like the jaegerschnitzel, rouladen, and Hassenpfeffer. The spaetzels are special . Thank you for your hospitality read more