Need a casual, homey, dimly lit atmosphere with delicious beers, affable bartenders and a free shot of schnapps ? You're golden. The beers are great, and have specifically-shaped glasses. As always when you're not drinking bland American brands, ask for a taste of any beer you seriously consider. The bartender is your friend. The goulash is fantastic. I model my own on it. I'd love to know which paprika they use. Potato pancakes are also great. Laschet's has been one of my standbys for years: it deserves all five of these stars. What do I love about them? They are consistent. You won't "oops!" have a bad experience there. In business school speak: their service offering is well-targeted, well-suited to the niche they have chosen, and impressively dedicated to improving upon the areas that they have identified as their strengths. Walk in the door, and you'll see what I mean. Have a beer, check out the menu, and assess the place. Please let me know if your experience differs from mine! read more

The rouladen is like a german version of bracciola, mmmmm. I usually only eat german food in the winter, I usually feel like going to sleep right after because the portions are huge. Definitely a cool place, good beer list that has some hard-to-find german beers. The highlight of the night is a toss-up between two different events: 1) After we were in there for only 5 minutes or so, the three gentlemen sitting next to us busted out an opera-like german toast, very loudly, but it didn't bother us, we thought it was rather entertaining. 2) After our meal, our waiter brought us each a shot of apple schnapps - AWESOME! How often do you go to a restaurant and get a free shot at the end of the meal? Never! It was my brother's birthday, so he got a double shot. An all around great experience, I can't wait to go back! read more

I will stab you in the hand with my fork if you come try to touch my sausage! Damn good brats at the this little place with tasty German beers. There were moments I expected the Griswold family to appear ala European Vacation and start the singing and dancing while sporting the lederhosen, but instead the clientele of what felt like regulars from before the WW I kept the place rocking and standing room only at times. The hakepeter(germany's answer to sashimi) was tasty and balanced well with the onions and capers. Definitely a must try for carnivores, perfectly paired with a good dark beer as suggested by the barkeep. Waitstaff were nice enough, but sometimes appeared overwhelmed as dry mouth syndrome almost killed this social fish a couple of times...just sitting not more than 3 feet from the bar delusions of an oasis appeared as the taps called out to me... yet I was unable to quench my thirst fast enough for part of the evening. So note to self(remember the emergency flask;p) read more

Fabulous meal! We visited in part from a friend's recommendation and in because Chicago Brauhaus has proved impossible to visit as their days come to a close. The beef stroganoff was to die for, as was the Wiener schnitzel and the sausage plate. The portions are huge - come prepared to take food home afterwards. read more

THEE *Best* German Food on Chicago's north side!! Spoken from a 100% full-blooded German. Have the roladen, it's very close to as good as mom's! Great German beers on tap too. Complimentary after-dinner schnapps are offered free as well - get the peach! My hubby & I have been coming here since 2005. For a while it was at least monthly. The Hackpeter (steak tartar) is terrific, the boots of beer are great, & the waitress we've been getting this past year (jojo) is a scream, love her! read more

I should have known from the moment I walked in and witnessed a server scurrying across the floor, hollering to her table behind her, "Just a minute, Hun! I'm so busy!" I should've known this was going to be a poor experience. Upon being seated, myself, my significant other and my 2 1/2 year old sat waiting for at least 10 minutes before being greeted by an SA delivering water. Where was our server? Who knows? When he finally arrived, I knew I wanted him to immediately put in the food order for my 2 year old, and expected (as any server who knows anything about serving would do) he would come back to take our order and deliver drinks. This is not what happened. The next HOUR was filled with what can only be described as the WORST service experience I've ever had. The server delivered the food for my 2 year old and walked away. I then took my son to the restroom, while my partner sat, prepared to place our food order, the server approached the table then walked away. Upon my return to the table, I notice tables around us receiving service and FOOD (we still haven't placed our order). We finally flagged him down en-route to table in the back corner delivering shots (which he enthusiastically participated in consuming) and placed our food order and asked for the check. Another extended period of time passed and the SA came back to fill our water glasses, at that point I asked if he could find our server and tell him we need our check immediately and our food to go. My 2 year old had long since finished eating and was getting extremely restless. I have been a server, I understand things get busy, but if you're a server with any sense, you understand the importance of timing. I wish I could tell you the server's name, but, alas, he never told us. So, there's also that. Poor service, mediocre food (that was probably made worse because it was lukewarm by the time we got home) and an overall horrible experience. I wish I could say I'd give Laschet's another chance, but why lie? read more

As is my tradition, I am writing a long overdue review after being a customer at this place for years. Simply put, Laschet's is the best German restaurant in Chicago from an all-around standpoint (food quality, service, atmosphere, breadth of items on the menu, and beer selection). Unlike many of the old standby German places in Chicago (Zum Deutchen Eck, Golden Ox, Schuliens, etc) Laschet's has survived the times with their mission in tact, thanks to relatively new owners Matt and Mannie Lodge (Hey, they've owned it since 2007, but the place has been here since 1971!). There are specialties that other places might excel at (Schnitzel at Resis, Goulash at Mirabell, Rouladen at Edelweiss, etc.), but Laschet's has an all-around menu and everything is done very nicely. The new owners have helped to liven up the interior and add a sidewalk cafe, and they very kindly have my favorite, their EXCELLENT Chicken Paprikash available for carry out more nights than the menu lets on. (I hope I haven't ruined my chances of getting it on Thursday nights for carry out now that I've let the secret out!). Whether you are dining in, waiting for carry out, or just hanging out with the regulars at the bar to catch the Cubs/Hawks/Bulls/Bears games, what you immediately notice is the warm friendly atmosphere. And if you scan the place, you will notice that everyone has a smile on their face because they are enjoying themselves. Thank you Matt and Mannie for NOT turning Laschet's into yet another meaningless faux Irish Pub! Danke, Laschet's! Sie sind so sehr gut! read more

Great beer selection. I started with a tasty Stiegl Paracelsus. Enjoying Oktoberfest with friends, we shared a plate of hot sausages to start. Three different sausages with very different flavors, they made the perfect starter. My dinner came with soup or salad - I had an interesting cup of goulash, tasty, lots of meat, and no noodles. Not quite what I expected but very good. My main was roast duck with schnitzel and red cabbage. It was a huge portion of sweet moist duck, decent schnitzel, and fabulous sweet red cabbage. Our server's fun and conversational attitude added to the evening. It's not a huge place, but very German and with good menu selections. read more

Old School German. Great Spaetzle and Weiner Schnitzel and the place has a nice homey atmophere.It's been around for years and has a loyal following. I went there because it is one of the few Chicago restaurants that serve steak tartar (raw meat, baby!) and it was pretty good, not the best I've had..... but sometimes carnivores like me have to take what they can get. I didn't see any WW2 paraphanalia, you know, so I felt very comfortable there. Beer bellies at the bar, football on TV, frauleins laughing, and really good German food. Its a great neighborhood joint. read more

Well I finally made it here... ...and I'm so very glad I did. The place was smaller than I expected, but the atmosphere was one of a nice bar that served good food. Scratch that. Great food. I had the Wiener schnitzel, my friends: thuringer, saurbraten, and goulash. The Goulash won hands down. Best thing on the menu, wonderful. The spatzle is perfect as well. The best beer at our table was the Spaten Optimator (spelling is wrong I'm sure). My Wiener schnitzel (and mind you I spent 3 months in Wien/Vienna so I know my Wiener schnitzel) was good, but a bit thick. I think I prefer the Brauhaus's thinner version. Service was good, as was the crowd and the atmosphere. The shots came as advertised, what a nice way to end a meal. I'll be back. read more

Gut gemacht, Laschet's Inn! This is my favorite German restaurant in the winter. They don't break out the lederhosen-clad oompah band in the evenings like Uberstein and Chicago Brauhouse, and they don't appeal to the over-the-top kitsch decorations like Mirabelle's, which are GOOD things in my book. Surely, there are definitely some German memorabilia adorning the walls and the bar, but they don't scream, "we're trying to create the most kitsch Bavarian experience we can think of" -- the effect ends up being that of a nice traditional Chicago influence in a German restaurant. It's a fairly small space, divided into two split-levels: the bar level where you greeted when you first walk in, with the bar and a few tables, and the main dining level just a few steps up onto the split-level. Overall, it's a very cozy, brightly lit, comfortable and inviting atmosphere. I was suprised to find that most of the diners seem to be in their late 20's and 30's, but there were also older families and obvious regulars. There was one bartender, two waiters and a lady who appeared like one of the owners working the rooms, but they all seemed to enjoy working together, barking out drink orders in German, and exchanging jokes and jovial comments with each other and the customers. Overall, it's a very friendly atmosphere. There is a row of TVs perched on the top of the bar shelf, but they volumn was muted the night I visited. Instead, my focus was on the row of German and Austrian beers on tap -- about a dozen or so with some of the usual suspects (Spaten, DAB, a few hefeweisen varieties) as well as rarer ones (Spaten Optimator, Stiegl (Austrian)), all mostly within $4-5 range, served by a friendly bartender. Our grou p of three did not mind at all, waiting for 20 minutes at the bar for a table on a Saturday night. The dining tables are bunched fairly close together, so our German waiter had to squeeze through the diners to serve us, but the service was prompt, courteous and attentive (despite the physical obstruction), and as the atmosphere is a friendly one, the other diners didn't seem to mind. The dishes are served in huge portions, and our group of three shared two entrees, Goulash and Roasted Veal (on recommendation by our server), and they were generously portioned, well seasoned and prepared right, and of course, served with the delectable Spaetzle other Yelpers have already mentioned. When the dishes were cleared out, our server came over and produced the shooters and poured three generous shots of (peach) schnapps. We lingered around for a bit, enjoying the atmosphere and our conversation, and he showed up AGAIN with the bottle to pour us another round! I jokingly mentioned that I liked my schapps drier, and he offered to give me the "stiffer stuff" which I quickly waived with a smile -- four beers and two schapps were plenty for me. He happened to be taking a short break at the bar when our group was passing by the area to leave, and he thanked us again with a big smile. Lachet's Inn is NOT the place to go if you fancy a gourmet, avent-garde dinner (as German fares tend to be of the meat-n-potatos type), but it's a perfectly comfortable, cozy place for a hearty dinner on a cold winter evening. My friends (never dined at a German restaurant before and are fans of places like Mia Francesca) were thrilled with the dining experience. read more

My wife and I were very excited about trying Laschets Inn due to the great reviews and because we love German food. We could not have been more disapointed. The food was just awful. The checken snitchel was so tough that I would barely cut it. The potatoes were bland and the cabbage tased like it had a cup of sugar mixed in it. We sat int he back of the restuarnt which was dark and depressing. We asked the waitress to turn on the big screen tv (without sound) so that we could watch the Olypmics, but she told us that she was "not authorized" to do so. I was going to give it only 1 star, but I'll give it 2 stars based upon the great beer selection. read more

This is it. This is the real deal folks. Just about five blocks away from the brown line stop of Irving is a very non descript restaurant serving fantastic food and great beer to go with it. When you enter you are first in a bar then proceed upstairs to the restaurant. The place is just dimly lit enough to feel cozy but not too dark. Ethnic music is played inside surrounded by wooden beams and a few simple rustic items that don't make the place look too kitschy. Super quality is obvious right after ordering just appetizers. Potato pancakes crackle with delight. The potato salad is loaded with great flavors of savory bacon and wurst, mixed with classic seasonings Roulade doesn't even need a knife to cut it, the chicken paprikash is DEVINE as is the thick stewed beefy ghoulash loaded with black pepper. Red cabbage sides and the spatzle will not dissapoint. Then there is the beer... I have never been to a German restaurant that had ever served a distinct piece of glassware for EVERY BEER! I thought I was in Belgium for a moment. Ok well one glass was a Spaten that held my Altbier but of the eight different brews served each one had its own distinct glass complete with lettering too. About twelve German beers on tap, and several bottles. Service is extemely pleasant, makes great recommendations, and even let us have substitutes on some sides. Not only that with all the beer and food the four of us drank it was quite reasonable in my opinion. I come from a German family and didn't even really grow up liking German food and I LOVED the food at this place. This is a place every body needs to visit if you love good food and beer to go with it. JUST GO! read more

Erin, the bartender, was our server and she is fantastic. She recommended their signature goulash soup. It was delicious, albeit a little heavy on the chunks of beef. I know, who doesn't appreciate a lot of meat in their soup? It's simple really - The broth was so crazy good that the meat was secondary, hanging out filling up the bowl unnecessarily, damn it. Ordered the steak tartare, which was served spread very thinly on dense bread. Took us four pieces of choking dry bread down before I suggested we scrape the tartare off the bread with a spoon and scrap the bread entirely. Much better. The sauerbraten - one of my all time favorite German dishes - was disappointing. Unlike traditional sauerbraten, the gravy was light in color and not very rich. The meat was cut thicker than I'm accustomed to and it was really dry, despite being covered in gravy. The spaetzle wasn't soft, it was pan fried and crispy, not lightly sautéed. It was hard to find anything I like there, and after two bites, I gave up and set my plate to,the side in defeat. Sausage plate appetizer wasn't even that flavorful. Too bad really. read more

Laschet's Inn ist mein neues Lieblingsrestaurant! For those of you that don't happen to speak Deutsch, Laschet's Inn is basically my new favorite place. After studying in Berlin this summer (hence the Yelping gap) I had been longing for some serious German food at home. Thus, my birthday came around yesterday (woo! 24 feels so much more legit than 23) and thanks to fellow Yelpers, I picked Laschet's as my destination party central with 10 of my friends. Oh, boy did we have fun. Some people may think Laschet's is cheesy and too chotchky-ish, but I thought the decorations and atmosphere were super fun. There were plenty of places in Germany that made Laschet's look tame...trust me. Everyone was very friendly: the bartender I talked to, our server, the old man with the accent at the bar who welcomed me as I came in. Our server (hey! Happy Birthday!) gave our boisterous group plenty of time to decide what we wanted to drink, answered questions, and demonstrated some serious patience in waiting for us to decide what to order. The assortment of import beers we all drank were fantastisch. I got to sip a couple: Radeburger Pilsener, Hacker Pschorr Lager and Hacker Pschorr Weiss, those only being few of the serious selection. For dinner, I ordered the chicken schnitzel dinner, which usually comes with roasted potatoes and red cabbage, but I ordered the spaetzle instead of the potatoes. The dinner came with an option of soup or salad, and I had the goulash. Ohhh, was that goulash delicious. The paprika was dancing on my tongue! And the schnitzel was crispy and tender, just the way it should be (not soggy!) Since I was the birthday girl, our server brought me a piece of apple strudel in addition to everyone's after dinner apple schnapps shots. YUM. Not only did my crew have an awesome time for my birthday, my need for all things Deutsch was satisfied...at least for now. Laschet's--ich liebe dich, und ich wurde dich bald besuchen! read more

For all intents and purposes, the moment you walk into Laschet's Inn you are in Germany. From the mustachioed staff to the yodeling polka music to the authentic, delicious German food (except for the hilarious inclusion of chicken wings and mozzarella sticks...probably some sort of weird German humor). Laschet's Inn, meine liebchen. read more

Fantastic German bar. Great spaetzle, good service and yes I would reccomend reservations if you're planning on a weekend meal. The goulash is brilliant. Also they had a nice range of German beers available. I go with a Alt Bier everytime to compliment that wicked goulash. read more

Great beer, amazingly delicious fresh food, very nice staff, and perfectly German decor. While places like Hofbrauhaus are corporate and feel very fake-German, this place is nothing like that and is truly a little piece of Germany here in Chicago. I say that as someone who has spent some time in Germany eating and drinking at a lot of local bars in Munich, Stuttgart, and Fussen. This place feels as close to the real thing as it gets, minus the German speaking waiters. The food is always good with a great selection of sausage dishes and a wonderful soft pretzel. The prices for food are always higher than I'd expect them to be, but I guess that's due to fresh and high quality ingredients. On the other hand, the beer has always been affordable and there is of course an amazing selection of German beers. Please avoid the fake chains and go to a real German Inn like Laschet's. read more

Laschet's Inn - Great beer, pretzels, and sausages for all! - German Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I'll be honest, I've never been a huge fan of German food to begin with. Nonetheless, ever once in a while i'll have a hankering for a pile of Kraut and a gigantic glass of Doppelbock. This is what brought me to Lachett's inn. We stopped by here on Sunday night and were totally excited once pushing throught the front door to discover we'd be dining in a tiny german cottage! Really cool atmosphere. The food was outstanding. The roast pork dinner was just excellent and the Spaetzl was like dumpling-crack! And the potato pancakes? Believe it. Insanely good. All in all, THIS is the place you wanna go for German food...don't even waste your time in the "Square". read more

I realize I may be pretty liberal with my 5 star reviews, but Laschet's Inn is genuinely one of my favorite restaurants, EVER! I've been coming here for almost 5 years, as long as I've lived in Chicago, and my best friend and I discovered it on google. We've been coming back ever since. I've had a taste of virtually every dinner entree available. However, my hands down favorite is the Leberkase. I dream about it almost every night, and forever I was in denial about it being made with veal. After try number 2, I just didn't care anymore. I feel like everyone needs to try the Wiener Schnitzel atleast once in their lives as well. Some other favorites include: Sauerbraten, Rouladen, & the Goulash. The crabcake dinner also isn't too bad for those who want to deviate from German traditional cuisine. I would also consider their potato pancakes to be one of the best in the city. The beer list is fantastic; you can't come here without trying two or three different ones each time. Spaten Optimator, thank me later. Love the atmosphere, service is absolutely phenominal and makes you feel at home. You can also count on them for the best recommendations. Go! read more

Easily my favorite German restaurant in Chicago. Everything has already been said about this place - but you can be assured that this is authentic and incredibly delicious German cuisine. The beer list is also out of this world. Notable items if you're not familiar with German food: the Hackpeter, Spätzel, Gulasch and Thüringer are my favorite things. Also the Apfelstrudel. I don't care if you don't normally get dessert, for the love of god get the Apfelstrudel. You won't be disappointed. read more

Great authentic German food and beer. This time I had a Rueben. Best fries and cole slaw. My friend had a special which she enjoyed! Topped it off with a Weiss beer. Perfect looking forward to my next visit. read more

We had an excellent experience at Laschet's Inn. My smoked Kassler ribs (smoked pork chops) were excellent and cooked to perfection. My friend had the wienerschnitzel and was equally as pleased. The sauerkraut and German potatoes, excellent. The herring appetizer was a bit too tart but OK. Cucumber salad was a tad soggy and uninspiring. The waitress on duty was super nice, attentive and very accommodating. A++ Liver dumpling soup, only on Sunday? What?!?! My favorite German soup! Serving German chocolate cake? .. .... An American concoction never to be found on German soil! OMG! Very pleased and will return but...... it's not like the late +Zum Deutschen Eck Restaurant and that was my favorite. Highly recommended! read more

On the outside, Laschet's exterior reeks of a foregone era of campy European decorations. Inside, it is like being teleported into a true German pub. The smell of the beer-stained Stammtisch tables, the bosomy waitresses, flags of each region hanging proudly up on the walls...everything is authentic yet new world. Definitely a gem in this part of Chicago! Naturally, we went to town, ordering rouladen, schnitzel, goulash, rotkraut (red cabbage) and spaetzle. The beer selection is off-the-charts here, with so many local and special variations of German beers on tap. To top it off, the server brings over after dinner schnapps, the way they always do it at ski huts and subterranean bars in Germany, to round out the night. I would warn against ordering the apple strudel, as it's made with filo pastry, which is quite a departure from the authentic German/Austrian style. Aside from that, it was the perfect German night and sure to impress anyone who has never tried German cuisine or longs for that simple bratwurst. read more

Laschet's was a perfect breath of fresh air after an underwhelming start to my Oktoberfest celebrations the previous Saturday at the overpriced and commercialized Hofbrauhaus chain in Rosemont. Laschet's is everything that the Hofbrau chain in America is not. It's a local, family-owned dive, of sorts, that is hard to find if you haven't been to the neighborhood. It looks like an established little social club that's been here for decades. Partially true, as my grandparents dined here while my grandfather was still alive. The space itself is actually much larger than it looks from the outside. The bar area is very narrow, but welcoming. Further back you'll find two separate spacious dining areas. Plenty of German brews on tap for reasonable prices. I had a Spaten Optimator, a Weihenstephan Oktoberfest, a Ayinger lager. Can't go wrong with food here, either. I had the leberkase and my friend had the rouladen. After sampling both, I can say that this place features some of the best German food I've tried outside of Germany. If you like bacon, this is your kind of place. The sauerkraut AND potato salad both have small chunks of bacon tactfully inserted in the recipe! You can't beat the prices, either. I have never seen such reasonable prices on such huge German meals anywhere in Chicagoland. I definitely had to take home half my meal for lunch the next day. The oompah band (particularly the guy playing the bells!) and the complimentary shot of schnapps at the end of the meal were the icing on the cake, and capped an excellent experience. I'm normally a regular of Edelweiss in Norridge, but this place is closer to me. Will definitely be back to this classic, neighborhood gem! read more

Best German food in Chicago, hands down. The schnitzel, rouladin, spatzel (which are actual dumpling noodles with brown sauce, the way it should be), and red cabbage are the finest I have had in a long time. There are no gimmicks about this joint: Good beer, outstanding food, decent atmosphere, good service, and a house dressing that is actually Germanic (hot bacon vinaigrette). My loyalites lie with Klaus, but when I can't make the drive to Frankfort, IL , I rely on Laschet's to dish out the best German food in the city. Side note: The Irish girl in me loves that fact that on Thursday nights they have a smoked butt and cabbage special. It is like St. Patrick's Day every day (or once a week) at Laschet's. read more

If you like German food and German beer and really good service, then Laschet's is the perfect place to go. It's not fancy and it's not modern. But it's home-y and worn in, in a good way. My boyfriend had the special, which was chicken paprikash. It came with spaetzle and red cabbage. It also came with mushroom soup (or salad if you prefer) and warm bread and butter. Large portions! I had the thurbinger sandwich, which is a spicy pork sausage. Huge and delicious, served with fries and sauerkraut. We split the potato pancakes as an appetizer (enough for three or four people), which comes fried, with a side of sour cream and applesauce. Bitburger pilsner came in $5 stines. No room for dessert, but I'll definitely be back to try their apple crisp. Also comes with a brandy or liquor aperitif on the house! I want to emphasize how great their service was. Greeted at the bar and seated right away, our server hit all the right notes, friendly and came by the right amount of times. The food runner/busser was extremely polite and took care of clearing and wrapping up our items to go. I had a really great time here and am so glad I made it in. I highly recommend this place for a casual, filling, homestyle German meal. read more

Go here on a Tuesday night, one of the specials is Kassler ribs which are smoked pork chops according to the menu. But I think there is more to this than just smoked pork chops. Now imagine if a sexy little Ms. Ham went out one night and met Mr. Bacon, a corporate lawyer with a spicy side. They quite fancied each other and Ms. Ham took Mr. Bacon home and gave him the night of his life. Needless to say, nine months later there was a new addition to the world and Ms. Ham called him Kassler. That's what the Kassler ribs are like. Delicious, juicy, ham/bacon, smoked goodness. The spaetzel is awesome as are the potato pancakes. If you go on a not Tuesday, get the goulash (or really anything else on the menu, it's all fantastic). read more

I'm being a little generous with the rating, but given how unique this place is (not what I would have said 20 years ago when there were plenty of restaurants like these), I'll give the benefit of the doubt. Classic city tavern as one walks in - moving toward the restaurant, you can see it goes back away. Interesting decorations around the place - a deer head on the wall near the only 8 top I saw. Definitely an older place, but pretty well kept all in all. But as I walked in to sit down and wait for the rest of my group, what I was noticing was the food. Large plates of good looking German food with generous portions. As I sit down and glance at the beer menu (didn't have my reading glasses, so had to wait until my brother showed up for the rest), I see numerous draft options. I go with a Pilsner which was perfect for my taste that night. All arrive and we order - for appetizers we get potato pancakes and the hot sausage plate which included bratwurst, knackwurst and a third one (thuringer?) that is escaping me right now. All were outstanding - the sausages surrounded a pile of sauerkraut. Now about the only time I'll eat kraut is when it's on a Rueben - but this stuff was amazing. Our table had two rouladens and two sauerbratens. Personally, I like the darker gravy version of sauerbraten, but this stuff still passed. Good red cabbage... GREAT spaetzle - some of the best I've ever had. Dinners come with soup or salad (I had a liver dumpling soup that was good). For dessert, we had an apple crisp and an apple strudel at the table. Outstanding - perfectly done. One came with ice cream that was really good - thought it was a homemade brand, but come to find out, they buy it from GFS in bulk. Gotta go there and get me some ice cream! Finally, the dinner ended with an offer of complimentary schnaaps - which 3 of 4 of us accepted. We ended up taking half of our entrees home. And what was nice - no sticker shock with the check - all of this is reasonably priced. After having driven by for years, I finally tried this spot - my only regret is that I didn't try it sooner. read more

First off, I am still really bummed out that they ran out of pretzels the day my friend and I stopped by. Really? I think I cried a little on the inside because I knew deep down I wanted that big piece of deliciously bad for you salty carbs. Mmmm. Oh well. Had the thuringer sandwich with sauerkraut and fries. The thuringer was pretty good (better than the bratwurst my friend had, even she agreed), the fries were average, and the sauerkraut was okay, considering I was having a craving for cabbage...yeah...I know that's an odd craving. The server was really nice and helpful too. Overall, a good experience, but I might try something else next time. read more

Went in for an early Sunday supper yesterday. All of the food was delicious, the beer offerings were fantastic and a great value. The Zwickel was fresh and tasty. Friendly attentive service, generous portions, a great throwback room. Erin has taken great care of us every time I've visited. She knows her stuff, is friendly, and is clearly a pro. There aren't many restaurants like this around anymore. Give them your money. read more

Just went here for the first time last week and must say this place is a treasure. It has that feeling you get at certain places (like Twin Anchors) that if you came here in 1979 everything would have looked exactly the same. . . and some of the staff and customers would have been there then as well. That said, there is definitely a wide variety of age groups and attire - there were twentysomethings dressed to the nines, and plenty of people wearing jeans and ball caps. Even though they're not trying to push the culinary envelope, it is clear they take their food seriously. Our waitress Jo, an older blond woman, was very happy to give us a lot of tips and pretty much ended up ordering our entire meal for us. The biggest hits were: 1) The hot sausage plate - specifically, the bratwurst was some of the best that I've had anywhere. 2) The spaetzle, red cabbage and sauerkraut - sometimes places let these slide and just focus on the meat, but if dinner just consisted of a heaping plate of these three things, I would leave the restaurant happy. 3) The goulash soup, which came as a side, was hearty and the beef was perfectly tender. Another thing I wouldn't mind having as a main entree. 4) At the end of dinner we were each given a free shot of brandy. A nice and completely appropriate touch to the vibe of the place. We also had the Chicken Paprikash, and the Rouladen, which were both fine but which I would probably skip in favor of the above, or trying other items when I go back in the future (and I will!). read more

I found this restaurant by googling "german restaurants in chicago". The reviews were great and the location was close to my daughter's place. I wanted to take my husband here for his birthday since he loves german food, but was concerned that my vegetarian daughter wouldn't find much on the menu. She was pleasantly surprised with the lenten choices. We shared the potato pancake appetizer and took leftovers home. The portions were huge. Our server was great. Very attentive and entertaining. When he found out it was my husband's birthday, he said "then you must have shots!". At the end of our meal, he brought us shots of apple schnapps! He also recommended a wine for me based on my taste and was dead on. My husband had the bratwurst and sauerkraut. I had a couple bites of the brat and it was light and delicious. I had the goulash soup and it was wonderful and hot (temperature-wise) which is a big plus for me because I hate lukewarm food. We will definitely go back. read more

A nice, intimate restaurant with a unique beer selection. The food was good, maybe not the best I've had but I also decided to be a little adventurous with my meal selection. We started off with the pretzel with cheese dip and that was good enough. I ordered the mushroom goulash and wasn't too impressed- but again, this was a meal that was outside of my comfort zone. I did enjoy the spaetzel, so if you can order a side of that, please do (you won't regret it) I would usually order a schnitzel. My friend ordered the pork shank and I had a piece of that and it was delicious. Not to self, order the shank next time. My other friend had the potato pancake and she enjoyed it well enough. All of our meals came with a a salad or soup (clam chowder was the soup of the day) and finished with a shot of apple Schnopps. Overall, this place is worth visiting for the beer. If you come for the food, I would recommend the pork shank and definitely get a side of the spaetzel. read more

I recently spent six months living in Germany. Drinking the beer every night. Eating the wurst every night. I've been gone for a few months now, but this place brought back memories in a wave. I devoured some fantastic chicken paprikash, but the spaetzel is what really did it for me. The spaetzel and the Oktoberfest beers they had on tap. Absolutely fantastic. read more

Is there anything better than bratwurst, lentil soup, and German beer? Methinks not, friends. Laschet's Inn is an awesome place to grab a ton of high-quality German food for a steal. This place is old-school - looks legit out of Germany (unlike the Epcot-inspired Chicago Brauhaus). And there are definitely regulars. But everyone, including our server, was friendly. You can't go wrong with encased meats; we had bratwurst and Frikadellen, which was frickin delicious (hehe). Came with a soup, too. They have some good-looking daily specials to check out, but both of our regular dishes were quite good, too. They have the same menu for lunch and dinner, which is good to know if you're craving a monster lunch or are looking for a more reasonable dinner. Overall, highly recommended. read more

This is far and away my favorite German restaurant in Chicago. German food is not generally the most exciting cuisine- for me it's about quality, and the extras- salads, freshness, hotness, etc. I've found German food elsewhere is generally reheated and pretty bland. Laschet's takes it's food seriously- soup is always served hot. Ingredients are fresh. Find another German serving Hackepaeter (Raw Steak tartar). At Laschet's, order it if they haven't run out- you won't be sorry. When it arrives, dump the onions and capers onto the center of the plate and dip your raw steak on rye bread delight into the pile- Mmmmm. Their salads are good- the blue cheese dressing actually has real blue cheese chunks. A nice mix of greens, not just a solid chunk of iceberg. Atmosphere-wise- Laschet's is a cozy neighborhood German place. If you want Bavarian Blas music and kitsch, this isn't for you. If you want a place where people are friendly and care about your meal- Laschet's is the place for you. Oh yeah, if you play your cards right, your meal comes with an after dinner schnapps too! I was at a place across the street, tried to order their Wurstsalat, and had to point at it on the menu- the waitress didn't know what it was- not in million years at Laschet's. read more

I stopped in here with my roommate for a beer on a whim. We didn't eat because we were planning a bbq later that day. That's probably one of my biggest regrets in life. The plates in front of fellow guests were piled high with encased meats and sauerkraut. Even their salads looked awesome! Their frosty beer steins were large and in charge. Cute patio out back. Loved the hundreds of coasters tacked up behind the bar. Smelled like grandpa's house (even though he wasn't German himself). 46/52 read more

Went to a friend's birthday dinner, had couple pints of the new-to-Chicago Ayinger with my Chicken Paprikasch. Fantastic goulash with a hint of spice, the spatzle was done perfectly and the chicken was a perfect blend of mild heat and richness. Complimentary birthday rounds, dancing in leiderhosen and jokes about horseback polish resistance abound. I couldn't recommend it more! read more

We have driven past this place so many times and never ventured in to check it out. We originally went to another German pub only to find the kitchen closed. This seemed like a nearby alternative. It is very German and not just a restaurant that has a few half-ass Germany type meals, THIS IS THE REAL DEAL. Our server was friendly, although not quick to help with some honest feedback when asked about making choices and I wish the wait staff would have been a bit more attentive to the table with refilling water or ordering another cocktail. It was not a deal breaker because I was enjoying time with my family... The hot bacon vinaigrette house salad was amazing, the right balance of sweet and sour. The roulanden was so perfect-tender , flavorful and a delicious gravy. This is probably the BEST spaetzle I've ever tasted. The same can be said for the red cabbage, which was again a perfect blend of flavors. My husband and son had the thuringer plaste and it was delicious, perfectly cooked and still moist. The complimentary shot of schnapps was a pleasant surprise. I would have no qualms recommending this restaurant as a trusted place for authentic German food. read more