I absolutely wanted to love this place as many of our friends have raved about it. At 5:30 on a Saturday night, we got the last table. Hostess didn't provide menus, so by the time the server showed up, we weren't ready to order, but did order beer. Everyone enjoyed their beer. We placed our food order at 5:45. I ordered the pork cutlet cordon bleu, which came with mashed potatoes and red cabbage. Our food came at 6:50!!!! During that entire 65 minutes we never once saw our server to order another beer or to even inquire as to why it was taking so long. Our friends got their food first, and then our food came out 5 minutes later. Our server never returned to check on whether we were happy with meals or not. We grabbed her as she was walking by to get our check (because we were now going to be late for a show), and also asked for to go boxes. She brought the checks, but no boxes. We had to grab a bus boy to bring boxes. As you can imagine, we were totally annoyed with service. As for the food, it did come out very hot. The pork was so fried, I couldn't really taste the cheese and ham inside. I neglected to notice that the mashed potatoes were served with gravy, which I don't like, and was only able to eat around the edges. The red cabbage was good. Overall, not impressed. read more

Had the sauerkraut balls and two schnitzels. All were pretty good. They were out of a lot of draft beers though. Service was slow too. Old man with gray hair took care of us. No pep in his step. We'll be back to try it again though. read more

Awesome food, great service and atmosphere. Highly recommended a visit soon. Beer!!!

I was so excited to see rouladen on the menu. I chose to stop here for an early dinner because of it. It is one of my very favorite German dishes, but I do not make it often as it is somewhat labor intensive. I've had the pleasure of eating it back when Schnitzelhaus was open in Tampa and at the Edelweiss Inn back in Chicago. A well-made rouladen should be tender from a long braise. The onion bacon, pickle, and mustard should marry together in each bite, blending those bold flavors together until they are more than the sum of their parts. ... but this one had none of those qualities. It was tough and dry. Even the sauce was not enough to save it. It was ridiculously under seasoned. As a rule, I do not salt food in restaurants because I expect that it comes out of the kitchen with enough seasoning to make the dish sing. When the server offered me salt and pepper, I found it odd and declined it. Then I tasted my food. It was like they were cooking exclusively for people who cannot have salt in their diets. Even a liberal sprinkling of salt couldn't fix it. The spatzel was no better. Somehow, what I was served was chewy. I can only imagine that the dough was overworked or the spatzel was over cooked. Certainly, there was no salt in the dough or in the water it was cooked in. Sadness. I make a pretty mean spatzel. Even Chef Mike at Schnitzelhaus praised my recipe and technique. I felt like I should've gone back to the kitchen and given them a quick run down. Really, the only saving grace was the red cabbage. It was pretty darn perfect. That was the one thing on my plate that I gobbled up. The service was fine. Ambience was good, too. My hang up is that the food was generally lackluster. read more

The food went downhill so much that no matter how much beer you drink it will not improve the taste. A few years ago they had to quickly change cooks and it has not been the same since. read more

I've been going here for years because the food was good and the prices were reasonable. Unfortunately, my recent experience was disappointing. I ordered the farmers platter including roast pork, sausage, bacon, potatoes, and sauerkraut. In all fairness, the sauerkraut and potatoes were good but really, it's hard to mess those up! On the other hand, the pork roast was mostly fat and the sausage was bland. The plate was served on a skillet but that wasn't necessary because the food was barely above room temperature. I had coffee and strudel for dessert and the strudel was good but cold. The coffee was lukewarm and was very weak. I'm done with the old castle. read more

Excellent curry wurst and their pretzels. Great selection of German beer. Live accordion music on Friday nights.

We came to eat around 2:00 on a Saturday. Not too busy. Our waitress was great. The food was tasty. The pricing was wonderful! Will come back when we are in the area to try new items. read more

Old Castle Restaurant - Chicken Sandwich with German Potato Salad - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

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I've always like German food but my last visit there food took well over a hour. Another table who arrived after us got their food ate it and they left before our food was delivered. Some of my food was cold when delivered maybe I hit a bad night. Doubt I'll return read more

My husband and I heard many great things about Old Castle Restaurant and we were so excited to finally try it. To taste a little of everything, we ordered the Smorgasbord, potato pancakes and a pretzel . When we got our order home all of the sauces or gravies for the meat included in the Smorgasbord were missing. This made EVERYTHING lack flavor and the meats were very dry without any gravy :( The spatzle was looked days old, was overcooked, and had no sauce either - just inedible without any flavor. We also did not get our potato pancakes. The only sauce that we did receive was the Hunter sauce (additional cost) which was delicious. When we called to remedy the situation, the employee on the phone said, "I know I put everything in your bag". This took the disappointment to the next level! Who has time to call and make up stories?? We only called to get what we paid not for their staff to imply that we were being dishonest. Dry food on a Saturday night when you had such high expectations was a real let down and a waste of money! read more

Old Castle Restaurant - Smorgasbord For Two - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

I didn't have the full experience because I wasn't super hungry and got takeout. I ordered the potato pancakes which were yummy with fresh apple sauce. I've never had homemade apple sauce before so that was fun. What I enjoyed about this place was they had live music, an accordion playing holiday music which was fun and funny at the same time. read more

While the food itself was outstanding, the service was by far the worst I have experienced. Everyone in my party greatly enjoyed their dishes, I would personally go back just for the perfectly prepared pretzel and the variety of dipping sauces. Hats off to the kitchen! Unfortunately, the stellar food was overshadowed by the abysmal service. From the moment we were seated, it became apparent that our sever James was disorganized, inattentive, and apathetic would be an improvement of his demeanor. It was over an hour after we were seated that we received our entrees, and the check-ins to our table were minimal and basic requests (for more water or napkins) we had to address with other proactive servers/bartenders who were readily available. I will say that this poor service does not appear to be an issue of the overall restaurant, but one bad apple amongst the team - many other parties came and went during our time at Old Castle. I look forward to coming back and enjoying the stellar food, but hope for far superior service than what was experienced today. read more

Food was okay, had the Jägerschnitzel and it was tough and the sauce was greasy. The ambience was nice and the service was good.

Atmosphere - just OK. This restaurant crams more tables, into what is a small space, than virtually any that I have ever seen! When you enter the restaurant there is a host(ess) stand 2 feet away. No more than a handful of people can stand and wait to be seated. The restaurant is extremely noisy and the staff seems harried. Service- Sub-par. Although our server was pleasant, she was completely inattentive. It took over 15 minutes to receive the beers we ordered (and we were seated next to the bar!) and more than a hour passed from the point in time when we ordered our entrees and when the food was delivered. Not once did our server stop by to ask about our meals or if we needed anything. Food - Average. I ordered the veal schnitzel. It was served hot. The portion size was generous and the veal was tender. However, it was heavily breaded. Value - Below average. Prices are reasonable and portions are large. I can accept that our poor service is a one-off. However, the thick breading on the schnitzel is a problem for me. If someone were to ask for a recommendation for a German Restaurant, I would be more inclined to recommend Edelweiss in Bradenton. read more

Didn't like it!! Service was awful 6of us entered restaurants first was served last one hour later read more

REally good authentic German food. Very happy that it's right in my neighborhood. Tend to take it for granted. because the location isn't so prominent. A little small inside, but food is very much worth the effort. read more

Love the atmosphere and the food! We had slow service once but the food made up for it and other times the service was fine. I can def. recommend for a good food experience. read more

Short review: Want German food? You should eat here. Longer review: Had a family dinner as we passed through Ruskin. Location is neatly tucked away in a shopping plaza. I liked the decor and it feels cozy. The food was quite good. I had the Black Forest pork schnitzel with spaetzle and rotkohl. The schnitzel was perfectly cooked and seasoned. Rotkohl was nice; sweet and bit sour. Was not a fan of the spaetzle. I liked that it wasn't over buttered, but it was a bit chewy. Wife had the Hungarian goulash, which is beef tips in a paprika pepper sauce. She had mashed potatoes as the size. The goulash was quite tasty and the tips tender. Mashed potatoes were made from scratch and tasted wonderful. Kids had the sausage plate and chicken schnitzel. Their sides were French fries, mashed potatoes, and carrots. The kids didn't like the sausage, but we tried it and tasted great. They liked the chicken and the carrots. I can't tell you about the carrots, because they are all of it. French fries were cooked well. I was excited to try a German beer, but they were out of draft and bottle versions of the beers I wanted. I will mention that we were concerned with some of the comments regarding service. We experienced no issues there. We were sat within minutes of arrival. Server was courteous and visited us 6 times during the meal. I imagine it can get quite busy at times. read more

While I love stopping here for food and good German beer my friends and I will not be stopping anymore as it seems with all the political things hanging in the back bar they must only want to cater to one political party. read more

Old castle does not disappoint. Ordered the schnitzel a la papa and it is !! Love coming here and how great the service, food and drinks are time after time. read more

Old Castle Restaurant - Schnitzel a la papa with jalapeño and cheese in the middle - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

Once you walk inside, you would never know you are in a strip mall unit in Central Florida. The food is authentic and impeccably prepared. It served by a staff that gets the Bavarian notion of Gemütlichkeit! The beer selection is nothing short of exceptional and if you can't find something to drink from the list of well over 20 brews, you just don't like beer. read more

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Great food!! Authentic German cuisine. The service was not great, but not horrible....just barely enough.

This place is really fun and eclectic. The decor is very impressive and surprising! We didn't expect this from the outside strip mall. The food was absolutely delicious. The pretzel sauces were UNBELIEVABLE! The mustard didn't quite taste like mustard, there may have been a "secret" ingredient that made it creamy and delectable. The dragons breath spicy sauce was equally tasty. Loved it! The veal jaeger spaetzle was soooooo good! WE WILL BE BACK! read more

This is a wonderful little family restaurant that is easily accessible from I-75 at the Ruskin-Sun City Center, FL exit. The service is fast and friendly. Good selection of German beer on tap. The restaurant has outdoor seating for good weather and is decorated in a casual European style. The food is fabulous! On this trip, I had the pork schnitzel, which was cooked to perfection, along with homemade spaetzle and mushroom sauce: the Jager Schnitzel. But I've tried other dishes there, and they are all consistently good. My server on this visit was Nora, who was attentive and helpful without being intrusive. If you're passing through town, do yourself a favor and give the chain restaurants a miss -- try Old Castle instead. read more

Old Castle Restaurant - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

If you like German food , as I do, then this is the place for you. The food and beer are excellent.

Fairly big menu with good prices. Authentic German favorites with lunch specials as well. Ambiance is great for a nice German feel.

I love the traditional German food here! Their sauerkraut is my favorite! The big pretzels with beer cheese are delicious!! Enjoyed the tap beers!! read more

Authentic German food and beer. Good food and service. Small and quaint restaurant with live German music. Sadly too small for dancing

Nice little authentic German restaurant in Sun City Center. All staff is wearing a mask, which is nice to see. read more

Old Castle Restaurant - Beers and Dining area - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

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überlegen! The best German restaurant I've ever found stateside. Bewildering beer selection, complimented by an exhaustive menu of Teutonic table fare. I can see myself becoming a regular. read more

We had an absolute blast eating dinner here!!! The service was FANTASTIC the food was AMAZING and the beer was DELICIOUS!!! Can't wait to go back!! read more

Old Castle Restaurant - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

Great German food, great beer selection, great prices and *super* great service from friendly Fraulein Yessi. We were a party of five on a very busy Saturday night. The kitchen did a terrific job and Yessi got our food and beer to us without any delay. We even got in for happy hour (on a Saturday!) saving $1 off all our first beers. The two of us had potato pancakes, hog wings (try 'em!), side salad, three 17oz beers, sausage platter with 3 delish sausages, sauerkraut and pan fried potatoes and 2 Underbergs...$66 plus tip. As Ahnold said (even though he's Austrian) "I'll be back!" read more

Old Castle Restaurant - Flammkuchen "Flatbread" Sauteed bacon and glazed onions on a creamy sauce ($8) - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

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Old castle gets a 3 out of 5, the atmosphere is great, the service sometimes makes you feel like you might be in East Berlin 1965, but they are mostly quite pleasant. They have a great selection of German beers and you can certainly have a great time sampling all of them. The food on the other hand is very hit or miss, most of the food is quite good, but the Brats (a signature dish) have been over cooked and dry each time I have tried them. Old Castle is definitely worth the visit, but don't expect to be wowed by the food. read more

Not impressed by the seating, it's cute but it's small and tight the entertainment is German and pretty good, we have to wait 35 minutes because we didn't know we could call in a reservation . They have outside seating but they don't serve outside. They asked a couple members of our party if they wanted appetizers, but didn't ask me anything, I wanted Schnitzel and Pomme Frits but instead I am sitting here waiting for them to come back before I can order. Super SLOW. The Schnitzel I had was veal but wasn't very good. I give it a 6 out of 10. The fries were okay. It was an experience while I was in Sun City Florida. But I won't do it again. Tomorrow I am off to a different city and different restaurant. I will review it also. read more

My family tried this place on Father's Day. Overall, the experience was nice. We loved the live music and the interaction with the diners. It made me feel as if I were back in Germany sitting in a Fest tent. The service was a bit slow. However, it was pretty busy. My husband got the rouladen; my daughter and I got schnitzel. She was supposed to get Wiener Schnitzel, and I ordered Jaeger Schnitzel. My husband got the full dinner portion, and we got the lunch portions. My husband also ordered a German beer, which was wonderful. The lunch portions were a bit small. The schnitzel was good, the gravy was a bit cold so it congealed a bit. I wonder if it sat on the range for some time before getting to us. The spätzle was good. My husband said the rouladen was "ok". I tasted it and did not care for it. However, I am not a huge rouladen fan. And he's spoiled, as his mom made it all the time. Everything could have used a bit more seasoning as well, but I suspect that they cater to the retiree crowd here and keep the salt and spice to a minimum. I think the food has potential. I'd like to come back and try some of their wurst platters. I loved the atmosphere. We will give it another try. read more

UPDATE TO PREVIOUS REVIEW No response. Old Castle took our money (and a large tip) for an incomplete order, and continues to NOT respond. I guess this is the way they treat paying customers. Caveat Emptor! We will not be returning to Old Castle. Repeat customer - LOST. read more

Excellent food and service. Authentic cuisine. Great atmosphere. Yummy, yummy, yummy and delicious

We've been going to German restaurants for many years. Some are very good and some are not. I would put this restaurant in the middle or slightly below. Service was great, the sauerkraut balls were delicious, the beer was outstanding and served cold in a nice mug, and the dessert was also quite good. However, the sauerbraten was tough and very dry, and the spaetzle needed salt (no salt and pepper on any of the tables). My wife's Jaegerschnitzel was very tender and tasty. read more

Love their beer and delicious food! My fav is the Knights snack, pretzel with beer cheese and I believe the dish is called Gypsy Schnitzel

Tried this place After wanting to go here for a while Got the 40$ combo platter sampler for two Enjoyed it The Hunter gravy is terrific read more

Old Castle Restaurant - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida