It pains me to leave such a poor review; however, I am committed to transparency with our Yelp…read morecommunity.
Let me begin with the strengths: excellent service. Our server was sweet, attentive, helpful. I want to give Cafe International high marks based on this single quality. Alas, the food makes or breaks a restaurant.
The ambience was warm, comfortable and interesting. I enjoyed looking at all the details of decor. I found it to be just "clean enough." One of the two bathroom stall doors would not fully close.
The portions of our dinner plate and appetizer were generous, although, the size of the salad bar plate was fairly small. They definitely intend for the salad to be a "side." The lettuce looked wilted, almost like it was slightly frozen, so we made a salad with mostly tomatoes, mushrooms, cheese and croutons.
Finally, the final bill, around $35, for an appetizer, dinner and two bottled Pepsis was reasonable, especially as prices for eating out are climbing.
Now for the big disappointment: the Jagerschnitzel, our main course, was terrible. The pork was flavorless. The mushroom gravy overshadowed the meat and also lacked notable flavor and the spatzel tasted like balls of flour and water (yep, like little balls of homemade Play dough.) The best part of the dish was the green beans, which may have come from a can. The dinner rolls were ......soft? That's the best I can do.
My husband and I were hungry so we ate what we could but we both agreed it was one of the worst meals we've had out in a long time.
Our potato skins were fine; lots of potato, not crispy but more like a chunk of a baked potato, with melted cheese and real bacon.
We ordered water and couldn't get past the smell of the well water. Our server, who said she lives in the area and is accustomed to it, also acknowledged it can be unpleasant for many. We couldn't order tea or fountain drinks because they use the well water so we had to order a bottled Pepsi.
The menu has many items to choose from. I'm wondering if we would have been better off with a sandwich, something ordinary and difficult to prepare poorly.
The reviews from other Yelpers are so positive I'm wondering if I'm just not a fan of this type of dish. That's possible. I'll never know because I don't plan to return.
