I am at a toss between two and three stars. This establishment was not all that. It could had been a dive restaurant or a hidden gem but it was not. As soon as we walked in it seemed that we were a hassle to deal with, we were seated and I went to the rest room. Well the rest room would had been better if it was an outhouse. The door would not close or lock. The room looked like it hadn't been clean in years. Anyway, maybe the place was just busy and was not cleaned yet. I sat down and ordered a drink with my family, my wife and I received ours and it took forever for my daughter to get her Dr. Pepper. Pretty sure they forgot the two times we asked. We continued to precede with our order which my wife and I ordered a German sample meal and my daughter took a burger and fries. I will say this place was not good at making German food, it may had back in the day but it seems family recipes were changed and lost in translation. My daughters burger was good but I could had got the same at Whataburger. The best part of the meal was the French fries. I stuck with two stars because the service was horrible. Every plate that was brought to our table looked as it had someone else's meal still on it. The place looked to be needing a good cleaning and should probably change from a German restaurant to a burger joint. Do yourself a favor and walk to the next restaurant. read more

Rathskeller Bistro - Come in to check it out. Looking around Fredericksburg today. - New American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

We stopped by for breakfast on a spring break Wednesday morning - it was already pretty crowded 15 minutes after opening. A server quickly took our drink order, took a little while, but someone else took our food order. They don't seem to have a kids menu, but they had some decent side options (single slice of french toast, single pancake, english muffin) which worked out perfectly for us. I would have ordered a side of fruit, but the server told me that it wasn't anything special - fruit in syrup. Not sure if that is always the case or if that's seasonal, but I appreciated the tip and skipped it. I had the huevos rancheros - the flavor was good, but it was totally cold. The breakfast potatoes were fried little cubes that needed seasoning. Passable breakfast, but I would seek out somewhere else next time. read more

I am a local & had eaten the fried flounder before... in fact came in because it was excellent last time. Before it was a nice large piece & was thick & very flaky, cooked perfectly. Today, sadly was disappointing. The piece of fish was half as thick( which made it too thin) & not even as large a piece. It was not flaky like before. I have the feeling there is a change in the supplier or the quality. Please bring back the other flounder... so much better. I would even be willingly to pay a couple dollars more for the plate for quality . Service was good as usual. read more

We were really disappointed. To start with I am not sure why it is called a Bistro. The ambiance is "hole in the wall"; but food is not good or authentic at all. We got Wienerschnitzel; there was really no crust and whatever thin covering was all soggy and greasy. The sides were OK. It didn't look anything like the pictures on the menu. Also the sausages were ordinary; out of grocery store like other reviewers have mentioned. It was grilled well. For a German "Bistro" they do not have German beers on tap! I reluctantly ordered a bottle and frosted glass I got was slightly larger than a tequila shot! I hope the restaurant management reads the review and makes necessary changes. read more

Seriously the BEST green beans I've ever had! Tender but still bright green and oh so flavorful. I need the recipe! Chicken fried steak was crispy and tender. The mushroom sauce on the jaeger schnitzel was unlike any I've had before and was so delicious. Plus the service was great. read more

Rathskeller Bistro - Chicken fried steak, jaeger schnitzel - New American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

We found this place while exploring downtown Fredericksburg. It was in a basement of a building and was cute. The food was pretty good however the service was terrible. Every single employee at this place was either on their phone or had headphones in. Even our 2 servers had headphones in while taking our order. They forgot our appetizers which was to be expected since they were paying 0 attention to us the entire time. We waited an extremely long amount of time for our food. Which when looking into the kitchen we noticed 3 of the 4 employees back there texting on their phone. Food was good but not good enough to ever be back. Service was majorly lacking. read more

We liked the vibe here being historic and in a cellar. Great service and quick. Food served quickly and hot. Veal was tender and not over breaded. Menu has a wide variety and so something for everyone. The very best peach Bread pudding I have ever tasted. We shared a helping and it was just right. Would stop in again just for that! read more

Rathskeller Bistro - rear entrance - New American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

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This restaurant is located in the basement of an old hospital from the 1800's. The place itself isn't fancy but has a cozy feeling. There's a surprising amount of seating. I had the Chicken Fried Chicken with the cheddar mashed potatoes, and it was delicious! My only complaint was that the corn served on the side was bland and needed some butter and/or salt & pepper. For dessert, we ordered the Peach Bread Pudding. It was amazing and definitely my favorite part! It tasted very similar to Peach Cobbler. I actually came back a different day just to order more Peach Bread Pudding! read more

Rathskeller Bistro - Peach Bread Pudding - New American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

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This place was referred by manager of the place where we stayed on our vacation to mt hood. We ordered chicken strips basket, clam chowder, buffalo wings, grilled cheese sandwich,onion rings. Person who took order asked how hot we want our wings and I told super hot. Chicken strips were good, onion rings were very good, wings were salty than spicy, my son grilled cheese sandwich was good, but my husband told clam chowder wasn't good, way too much potatoes, fries were not good, no crispy at all, it tasted sort of nothing. It's a ok place, you can give it try read more

Rathskeller Bistro - New American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

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Rathskeller never disappoints- The Rueben was excellent and the wait staff attentive and friendly

Rathskeller has a nice location off the main drag in Fredericksburg. In spite of the name, which in German, roughly translates to cellar tavern or restaurant - this is not really a German restaurant. It has a rather diverse menu - and yes, a few German items. It's decor is very nice with exposed stone walls and nice light colors, but nothing that would make you think it is a German restaurant. More of a Modern American decor and menu I would think. Not really sure what they are going for? We did try their Bavarian and Jeagar schnitzels. They were OK, but not the best I have had. Traditionally the schnitzel is pounded to a thin cutlet (which tenderizes the meat) before breading and frying. In this case the cutlet was rather thick and tough. The sides and the Bavarian and Jeagar sauces were, however, very good! A very nice restaurant. However, if you are looking for German food there are better places in town. read more

On the streets of Fredericksburg you will see a line of people on the sidewalk waiting to go down a flight of stairs. It might not look like much, and you may be tempted to keep walking past, but if you stop and wait for a little while you will find a delectable meal waiting for you in the basement of the old hospital. Surrounded by stone walls on every side the kitchen bustles and hums with activity. This place has a wonderful cozy feel, and the servers take your order and before you even expect they are coming back with your plates! The menu is quite extensive so there is something for everyone. I tried the Stuffed Salmon this evening and it was incredible! It sits on one of the best sauces I have ever had. The rice pilaf and spinach complimented it perfectly. My grandma got the Heavenly Tilapia as she is gluten free, and was beyond pleased with it! I topped it all off with Peach Bread Putting to go, and it was the perfect finish to an already over the top meal. The price is definitely more than I'm used to paying but the quality, service and experience is well worth it. We will be back! read more

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If there is one thing I hate, it is being rushed through dinner. And, yesterday evening, rushed we were. I get the fact that this is a tourist town, but good grief, it's Sunday evening and most of the tourists have left for Pete's sake! After ordering our bottle of Becker Iconoclast Cabernet (a nice, reasonably priced Texas wine, $34 here) we ordered our main course after sending our server away three times to give us time to enjoy a few sips as we perused the menu. I opted for the Bavarian Wienerschnitzel, a breaded veal chop topped with tomatoes and Swiss cheese served with German potato salad and red cabbage. The schnitzel was quite tasty, the red cabbage very good and the German potato salad was OK - not as flavorful as others in town. My wife chose the Fetuccine Alfredo with chicken. She said the Alfredo sauce tasted strange and didn't eat much of it. We both started with a spring mix salad that was quite fresh, and the dressings were good. While I am always careful about rating less than three stars, I believe a two-star rating is appropriate for our experience. The potential is certainly there; they just didn't meet it. read more

Rathskeller Bistro - Bavarian Schnitzel with red cabbage and German potato salad. Fettuccine Alfredo with chicken and garlic toast. - New American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

It's simple. Period. We like the unique atmosphere of the cellar restaurant. It's small and seats about twelve tables. From two tops to a table of eight. No hostess just sit anywhere you please. Since is is in a confined space it is loud in the restaurant. The server was just average pushing annoyed to be there. She was somewhat attentive but clearly not it in the right profession. I had the Greek chicken salad which was surprisingly tasty. It had a nice serving of lettuce and chicken. It came with red onion, hummus and some olive mash. The combination was quite tasty minus the hummus. You had to really dress it and add stuff to it to make it appealing. Except for the hummus the salad was above average. Your food was served relatively quickly which I was surprised due to our servers lack of personality. It's an average restaurant. If you're starving, try walking a little further for a better experience. The food was average. We won't be back. read more

Rathskeller Bistro - Restaurant vibe - New American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

We dined into Rathskeller, a little before 11, we're instantly sat and greeted with "You have two minutes to order." As someone who works in the restaurant industry you do not talk to your guests in that manner much less treat then with such disrespect. As I continued to watch more guests walk in she continued to yell Two minutes for breakfast across the restaurant. The way they were greeting guests from the beginning started the experience in a bad way. They were very hostile while greeting guests saying, "How many and are they all there?" Couldn't tell you how many people made faces like they were unsatisfied just from the beginning. If we weren't super hungry we would have walked out. The kitchen staff was also throwing stuff in the kitchen and laughing their butts off not realizing what all could be seen. read more

Rathskeller Rathskeller is an underground German restaurant. The service is good and the inside of the restaurant is dark and has a nice classic decor. I ordered the sausage plate it has a gray colored sausage a veil (beef) sausage. The red colored sausage is a pork sausage. They are similar in taste and not that salty compared to American sausage. The gray sausage is more subtle taste then the red sausage which has a stronger taste. The sausage plate also has sauerkraut which has a pungent vinegary sour taste it also has bacon. The sausage plate also comes with potatoes with a sour vinegary salty gravy. The sauerkraut complements the sausage well because of it's acidic taste. Another German dish they have is Schnitzel which is like a Fried steak or Japanese Tonkatsu. A schnitzel is basically a fried battered crispy pice of pork. I recommend the Jaeger schnitzel because it has gravy on top. When you order the Schnitzel the meat is juicy and very crispy and slightly crunchy; however I recommend telling the server to put the gravy on the side for the Schnitzel because the gravy makes the Schnitzel crust soggy. This place was definitely something that I don't get often but if your in town it's fun to try something different. The place is fun because it's underground and dark inside. read more

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Spending overnight in Fredricksburg to see the Play That Goes Wrong. Stopped for dinner before the show. Walking in smelled just like the gastatte's I remember from my time in Germany. Yummy!!! I ordered weiner schnitzel, the hubs got jaeger schnitzel. In Germany the schnitzel is pounded flat and is thin and as big as your plate. Underneath would be pomme frites and a fabulous little side salad of some shredded greens with carrots marinated in essig ( Germans have more kinds of vinegar than we do brisket rub). My schnitzel was a breaded cutlet left intact. It was fried to perfection but I missed the melt in your mouth thin breaded schnitzel of Deutchland. Served with red cabbage and German potato salad ( a thin broth type, it was warm but not German really). The hubs jaeger was good but kinda Knorr gravy-ish. And I only saw buttered noodles on the kids menu! Where was the spaetzle??? It was good for a German place in the middle of South Texas! And go at the right time on a Friday night and the place across the street is hopping with great tunes. read more

Rathskeller Bistro - Rathskeller Bistro entrance at the Keidel Hospital - New American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

The meal was great. Service was a little slow but that's mainly because our server was in the weeds, so I'll excuse that. She was great though. The only reason I gave four stars was simply because it was so loud, we could hardly talk to one another. Again, that might be due to how packed the place was. They really can't do anything about the sound since they are in a basement and the sound can't be absorbed by anything. Overall, a great experience. I will definitely come back. read more

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Got the chips and hot salsa for appetizer. Chips came out warm, so good. Had a side salad, fried catfish and the chicken fried steak with the mashed potatoes. Excellent! Fish cooked perfectly, chicken fried steak was tender and the cheesy mashed potatoes tasted delicious! Highly recommend. In the basement so easy to miss. read more

The reviews are misleading... It was not good at all, sausage plate had some potatoes that were terrible and the chicken artichoke had no flavor... we didn't even eat a quarter of the food. Service was ok nothing crazy or great but nothing bad. Cool underground restaurant ambiance but other than that food was not great read more

Rathskeller Bistro - Outside - New American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

We frequently drive down to Fredericksburg for Fischer & Wieser sauces/jellies for our Brownwood Deli operation. We've had incredible food and service each time we've dined with Rathskeller's. We've worked hard in the culinary trades for twenty six years and always appreciate dining out with those who continuously do it so well! As we were enjoying our selections today, a plate of fried catfish was delivered to a diner at a neighboring table. Oh my, the look of pure joy on her face said it all! I know what I'll be ordering next trip. read more

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Love this restaurant. Food is always yummy and service is great. Enjoy the ambiance and owner is so friendly.

Really good service and the food was good. It's just one of those places that is really cramped and crowded. Not my favorite, but I am sure others would not mind. read more

Went to Rathskeller for lunch after having a glass of wine at our favorite winery, Becker Vineyards just across the street. The food and service at Rathskeller were wonderful as usual. I had the French Dip and my wife had the fish and chips. Both were prepared perfectly and the service was fine. One of our favorite places for a light lunch. read more

Always great here! I always get the specialty of the evening for dinner but we went during lunch so had to order from the menu. Wasn't disappointed with the Chicken Fried Chicken, although a couple of times I cut into it, it was only breading, it still was a nice sized portion. Very friendly staff and casually intimate setting. You feel like you're getting away from it all when you head underground read more

My wife and I come to Fredericksburg several times a year and have never had the chance to drop into Rathskeller Bistro until this morning. We eagerly made our way down the stairs and stood in line... the wait was not long however our hostess greeted us by stating "breakfast is closed we only have lunch" , a rude wave to follow her and an eye roll. My wife and I quickly found our eager excitement dashed against the rocks. No words were exchanged and we followed the hostess as quickly as we could. I'm not sure if they eyes roll was directed at us or not but from the beginning we should have known this would be a terrible experience. Next a young gentlemen took our drink order (two waters, a coffee and OJ) when he returned only one water was brought with the OJ and coffee when my wife asked if we could get another water his response was "when I can it's really busy". It was striking that I found myself apologizing for the staff getting the order wrong. Next our waiter arrived to take our order, another young gentlemen with longer hair. He was the best part of the experience and was polite and kind with taking our order. I ordered the Jagarschnitzel with the seasonal vegetables and the red cabbage. My wife ordered the restaurants version of a Reuben that came with turkey instead of corned beef and a side of sweet potato fries. While waiting I found the coffee we burned and almost undrinkable. When the food arrived I found the "seasonal vegetables" tasted like they had spoiled a week ago. Which is surprising considering I can guarantee they were frozen an hour before. I took one bite, spit it out and didn't touch the vegetables. The veal jagerschnitzel was good as was the red cabbage. The "Reuben" my wife ordered had a slice of American cheese, two thin slices of turkey and about a full inch of sauerkraut and a slice of bacon. Considering how underwhelming the sandwich was it was surprising that it wasn't listed as a sauerkraut sandwich. The sweet potato fries also seemed like they came out of a frozen bag and were reheated. The ambiance was very cute if a bit loud. If the food was good and the service was mediocre the ambiance would have made up for it. However considering we paid over 50 dollars for food and left both hungry and and incredibly frustrated we will not be returning. Additionally we will tell anyone who asks that they should save their money and go anywhere else. read more

The service was not great. The lady working at the very front was so incredibly rude. However, the food was really good and and the guy who took care of us in the very back was much friendlier. read more

Rathskeller Bistro - Turkey melt - New American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

The food and service here are great! I got the New Yorker which was delicious and my husband ordered the chicken fried chicken that was absolutely delicious. Really cool historic atmosphere as well, being the basement of the old hospital. Definitely worth another visit!! read more

We came on a Monday night at 6:00 before it got busy. Lot's of tables available, so when the manager who greeted us pointed us to a table in the back corner, I asked if we could sit at the table by the "fake" window that had a light because I have a hard time ready a menu in the dark. She said, fine if you want to wait until I have time to clear it (there were two water glasses on the table--apparently left by the last guest who got tired of waiting to be served). 10 minutes later we were still standing there while she seated several other guests entering behind us. She never even asked the bus boy to remove the two glasses so we could be seated. I guess she's one of those "my way, or the highway" sort of people. I get this restaurant is popular so one elderly couple is the last of their concern, but seriously? We finally seated ourselves, retrieved our own beers out of the cooler, and grabbed a couple of menus off the counter. Apparently she realized we weren't leaving so sent a waiter over. He (Frankie) was wonderful and very apologetic for what he saw transpire. If it weren't him, I wouldn't even give this place a 1. Don't bother. Find something off of main street. read more

i was in Fredericksburg three weeks ago on a Tuesday when Rathskeller was closed. So, this time around, I was in Fredericksburg for the weekend. We decided to give this a try due to the solid reviews. Well, let me tell you, it was just meh and more meh. My date had the veal with tomato and Swiss cheese...he wasn't impressed. I had the sampler with two sausages and the veal with gravy. The sausages were just okay as was the red cabbage and the German potato salad. The sauerkraut was really good. But the best things were the blueberry infused lemonade and the peach bread pudding. So nothing warranted more than two stars -- the two things we liked weren't enough to carry the meal to a higher rating. Sad because I wanted to like this place down in the cellar. read more

We've been wanting to try this place for awhile now and we finally did. First bad impression was an employee on the street level who wouldn't answer a question we asked and just ignored us. We left it to maybe she didn't her us but she looked right at us as we asked. We were seated quickly and the hostess was very friendly. As our waitress took our orders she seemed to be wanting to be anywhere else but work. Not friendly at all. We ordered the avocado crab dip appetizer with tortilla chips. I ordered the chicken fried steak with a side salad and my wife ordered the chicken Cesar salad. Upon receiving the appetizer it didn't look too appetizing. The lemon had started to turn brown. Nothing tasted fresh. But the worst part was we found a clump of some type of fibers on the tortillas chips . We sent everything back and decided to just move on with our meal. The chicken in the chicken Cesar salad was tasteless and dry. The chicken fried steak was not very flavorful. The steak had no seasoning prior to being battered and the batter was just bland. The green beans that I received as a side were mushy and inedible. I was hoping to at least eat my side salad but it was a no show. Upon finishing and starting to leave I asked if the manager was there to just give a heads up on our experience. We were told that there was no manager working. I then asked if there was a lead person or someone who was overseeing the shift. Again was told no. We walked out is disbelief. On a busy Friday night, on one of the busiest weekends in Fredericksburg you seriously have no one overseeing your restaurant. Unbelievable. read more

Who doesn't love eating in a morgue?? It was cool! Breakfast there two days in a row! The portions are huge, definitely shareable! We had the Keibel 3 egg omelette! It's a busy place but tables open quickly. Definitely a go to place for me the next time I'm in town!! read more

Rathskeller Bistro - Keibel omelette - New American Near Me - Fredericksburg, Texas

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We arrived shortly after 5:00 opening and restaurant was already almost full! Was seated fairly soon since it was only two of us. Food arrived super fast but it was fresh and delicious. We had the chicken fried chicken. Ate it before I could take a picture. Perfect amount. We followed up we a shared chocolate lava cake. So yummy! Definitely recommend this place! Friendly service too! read more

My wife and I were guests of local friends that treated us to lunch at this restaurant. I had Apo's Sausage Sampler and she had the German Gobbler. Both were quite good. Service was fine as was the ambiance. I do recommend this eatery. read more

Quaint historic restaurant down in a basement. We stopped in for lunch and it was quite busy. Food was very good. One of the best places for German food in a town that is supposed to be dominated by German restaurants. I had the bratwurst dog topped with sauerkraut and side of fries. The bun was more hoagie and delish. My friends had their gobbler which was kinda like a rueben but with turkey. They said it was great. This best lunch we had while here for weekend getaway. Service was not great. They seemed put off that we were there. In all fairness though they were super busy and the place is pretty cramped. Maybe a slower day would be better. That said, for good German food this place is a must read more

We ate here last night 10/30 and it was awful. Weiner Schnitzel and salmon both dry and overcooked. So disappointing after seeing this is a highly recommended restaurant. read more

I really enjoy this place! Unique atmosphere with loads of history. Good food and friendly service.

My father and brother have both been stationed in Germany. I was born there. We know good German food. This is not it. The service is polite and friendly, but a bit uneven. The Wiener schnitzel is awful. The potato salad is an affront to kartoffelsalat. No one at our table of 6 enjoyed his/her food. It was bland, over cooked, or incorrectly made. We visited while my parents were in town to celebrate their 50th anniversary. My mother could finish her meal. Very disappointed. read more

The outside of this quaint, little eatery seems like something out of Europe. Very cute place with some neat history. I had the Eggs Italian (an omelette) which I very much loved! It was served with some wedged potatoes which were good but could have used a sprinkle of some seasonings. The service was very fast and friendly!! They do only have one restroom so there was a bit of a line on our way out, but that wouldn't stop me from going back. read more

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No one cooking here has ever eaten real schnitzel and especially Jaeger Schnitzel. The sausages looked to be boiled and the jaeger sauce tasted like it had basil and oregano. Almost like chicken parm. The best thing on the plate was the purple cabbage it tasted authentic. What I also don't like is going to a restaurant where the music playing is for the staff and not the patrons. I have nothing against Latin music but it's a bit of a mismatch in a German restaurant. I wish it was better as the place is in an old stone basement and could be a very cool place. Friendly staff but it needs work. We had just left an event where we cooked schnitzel for 200 people to rave reviews. All we wanted was good sausage and now we k ow know why there was no wait at lunch. Maybe it will get better in The future. read more