The German Cafe is located on the lower level of the Cotton Exchange in Downtown Wilmington, NC. There is a parking lot, and they do validate parking. The restaurant opened back in 1985 and has been open ever since. The historic building and German theme add to the experience. The restaurant has seating on three levels, with a bar and some tables when you walk in, and two smaller dining areas on the other levels. The staff even dress in traditional attire. The architecture itself is incredible, showcasing the original 40-foot hand-carved pine beams from the 1860s cotton warehouse. Even the foundational stones holding up the restaurant space are repurposed from old ship ballast stones left behind at the 19th-century port by passing trade vessels! I chose to sit on the middle level because it was decorated with beautiful cuckoo clocks, which fondly reminded me of my own trip to Germany's Black Forest region and of visiting a clock factory there, where I saw the massive cuckoo clocks. For my meal, I ordered the pork schnitzel, which came served with warm German potato salad, sweet red cabbage, and a crisp cucumber salad. The pork schnitzel was cooked absolutely perfectly and tasted so good. I knew German potato salad was traditionally served warm, but I wasn't quite expecting the strong tang of the vinegar, though I thoroughly enjoyed the cabbage and cucumbers. To finish the meal, I debated between the German chocolate cake and the apple strudel. I ultimately chose the strudel for a more authentic experience, as German chocolate cake is actually an American creation rather than a traditional German one. The strudel arrived warm and was incredibly tasty! read more

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I've been wanting to go here, but now I am not. I'm absolutely disgusted to hear that a mother can't even share food off of her plate with her baby/child without being nickel and dimed for it. How could you charge extra for that? She's not even getting extra food! This is shameful. I've attached the post that was on the one of the Wilmington pages. read more

The German Cafe - German Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

All these years coming to Wilmington and I have never tried this restaurant. I had no idea there was a German food place here. Great secret that I have stumbled across thanks to Yelp. First off parking is convenient but costly. Parking lot is right in front of restaurant but it is a pay to park lot. Once I entered the building the young ladies at the bar told me to just grab and seat which I did and they came and enlightened me on their awesome beer menu as well as the main menu. I opted for a lovely German beer off the tap after a nice taste test. Delicious. I went with the pork schnitzel with German potatoes, red cabbage and oh my a side of cucumber salad. Delicious. Unfortunately I was so full I was unable to try dessert. Maybe next time. The place is an old historic building with all the dark charm that goes with old structures. Lots of German decor and even German beer decor. Lovely place and look forward to going back. read more

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Not a great experience. Sorry to say that. Food was plain, no taste. Service slow as the gals talk behind the bar. Country music playing in a German Cafe? Nothing quite added up except the bill. Maybe they had an off afternoon. read more

First, I went to get a parking ticket before entering the lot. When you walk up to the restaurant, it already gives you an ambience of Germany and when you walk in, even more so! The decor is very nice. I was seated with my table in the upstairs area. Our waitress came dressed in the traditional German Dirndl, which was cute! She had a great attitude and a big smile. She took our orders and brought us bread to start. The bread was crispy and warm; I wanted another piece! Then she brought us our drinks. One of us got this beer which was good! Then, we received our meals; wow is all I can say. I got the Wurst Platter which sports Bratwurst, Knockwurst, Kielbasa, German potato salad, some vegetables. They gave me a side of mustard and I usually love condiments on everything but it was so delicious, it didn't need mustard. In fact, it would've taken away from the meal, that's how well seasoned it was. Lastly, we got dessert. I ordered the Apple Strudel and the bread was flaky, crisp, and sweet. It was a great way to end the night! Overall, if you are looking for good German food in Wilmington, you just found your place! read more

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I was excited to come try this restaurant because I love German food. The restaurant is very old and small rooms. I ordered Rouladen that came with a dumpling and sauekraut. The dumpling was doughy and the Rouladen was just ok. We also had the potato pancakes that were not crispy at all. Husband had the schnitzel which he also said was just ok, hes had better. He did like the german potato salad. The dessert were the best of the entire dinner. Service was just ok. I would not go back read more

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The food is excellent! I had a tender pork schnitzel. So tasty. Served with small chopped potatoes and red cabbage. The staff were all outstanding! Great bar, a terrific beer selection. I'll be back!! read more

One of my favorite places!! Went to Germany last year and this place felt like walking back into one of the restaurants there. I love the atmosphere, the low seats and mood lighting, and the food!! Wouldn't change anything about it, really recommend going here! read more

Having traveled to Germany and lived in Chicago where I was able to enjoy phenomenal German restaurants like The Beghoff and Laschet's Inn, I know good pork schnitzel when I get it. The German Cafe has some of the best I have ever had! Their German potato salad was also absolutely fantastic. I must add that finishing the whole meal off with their blackberry brandy was definitely the way to go. Experience it for yourself. You will not be disappointed!! read more

The recent reviews are so accurate. It was seriously lacking in every department. Their hours are incredibly limited and they often stop seating well before their close. Service is poor and barely greeted. Food was so bad. My boyfriend's family is from Germany so they were certainly disappointed. Bland bland bland. Our server rarely checked on us and we never had water. Not going back read more

The German Cafe - German Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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The food and service was good. The potato pancakes were delicious. I had the Rouladen with red cabbage and German potato salad. Others had the Jagerschnitzel which was also very good. It's a nice cozy place located in a renovated cotton warehouse from 1860. read more

My family loves this restaurant. We have been going for many years. The food is wonderful and the staff is so kind. We will continue to go for years to come! Thank you! read more

Visited here for lunch. Lots of German decor, including wait staff uniforms. Nice, attentive waitress. Shared the potato cakes served with sour cream and applesauce. They were okay. Hubby had the schnitzel sandwich and I had the red Reuben. Both dishes came with German potato salad. Both meals had large portions and were very good. read more

The German Cafe - Red Reuben - German Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Our family has eaten at The German Cafe in Wilmington, NC once a year for the past 15 years while we are on vacation. We have traveled to Germany several times and their Weiner Schnitzel, German potato salad and red cabbage rank with the best we've ever had. The homemade Napoleon dessert is not to be missed. The owners have been so friendly and accommodating. Try this gem. A Satisfied Dallas Family read more

Oh my German heart was so happy to find this place! We had a light lunch here to hold us over to a big dinner. Hubby had a bratwurst platter and I had 1/2 sandwich combo (Turkey Reuben). Very good on both counts! Can't wait to go back for a more! read more

The German Cafe - German Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Great hospitality and ambience, as well as good German food. Went as a large family/group and we were well accommodated and our server was fantastic. The wurst plate was a hit, as well as the veal schnitzel. Really enjoyed how thin and crispy the veal was and loved the potato salad. The hours are not as accommodating as most restaurants and you should plan before going but that was a minor issue for our experience. Definitely worth trying and look forward to going again! read more

The German Cafe - Veal schnitzel Jager style - German Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Overall a great place to stop for authentic German fair ! We went on veterans day weekend so was busy and they were out of German beer and German chocolate cake but what we did have was the best husband sad he'd ever had! Rueben and Polska kielbasa German potato salad. read more

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Had a wonderful lunch here - the atmosphere is very quaint and cozy, a great German feel. The staff was very friendly, and the food was completely on point. My wurst plate with German potato salad and kraut was yummy and the portion size just right. Highly recommend to anyone in search of good German food and a lovely environment. read more

Listen up! This little place is AMAZING! I only had the soup/sandwich combo and it was out of this world good. But, you MUST try the German butter cake! Holy smokes that is good stuff. In fact, you might even want to have dessert before your meal. read more

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"To retain respect for sausages and laws, one must not watch them in the making." -Otto von Bismarck (1815-1898) After driving all around the Wilmington area beaches and then drinking beers in downtown Wilmington, it's finally dinner time. The German Cafe isn't on OpenTable (as far as I could tell), so I had called ahead for a table right at their opening time. Because in these days of reduced capacity, you never know how busy a restaurant is maybe going to be. And it wasn't that busy - we were seated immediately when we arrived. Great service from a masked waitress who brought menus and took our drink and dinner orders. I had a beer (another beer, Bruce?) and went right to the worst platter. Wait, that's not right. I had the WURST platter and subbed out potato salad for extra cabbage. Not much later, our meals were delivered. A great looking shnitzel, a fab looking Reuben and my plate of sausages and cabbage. Oh, my. A variety of tasty sausages and the sauerkraut and kotkohl was delicious. A little pot of stone ground mustard really brought out the flavor. Great stuff and good service. Definitely five stars for Wilmington's German Cafe. [Review 14002 overall, 1324 of 2020, number 2642 in North Carolina.] read more

The German Cafe - Dinner Menu at the German Cafe - German Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Disappointing. Hoping for a nice crispy veal schnitzel and instead got a limp, slightly soggy cutlet with a bland potato salad.. Service was very good. I'm not a sauerkraut fan and theirs lived up to my low expectations. If I return I might try one of their sausage plates. read more

German food it so under represented here in the South. I don't know why. It is really good stuff. When I found out there was a German restaurant here in downtown, I was like hell yeah. The German Cafe is located on the backside of the Cotton Exchange. It looks like your typical German restaurant when you walk in. Decorated well and with a historic look and feel. Some of the food is 5 stars, others just okay. The Wurst platter, red kraut, sauerkraut, and potato salad are all very good. The Veal Schnitzel, not so much. I had high hopes for the Veal Schnitzel but it just didn't work for me. The sides for it are all great, but you only get a small portion of each side. German beer is another reason to visit a German restaurant. Unfortunately they only had two on draft, and one was out. Solid 3 1/2 overall. I rounded it to 4. read more

We absolutely LOVE LOVE LOVE this place! We eat here every summer and we have a rather large party (we had 13 this time). We told them ahead of time that we were coming and that most of us love their napoleon dessert! They were able to set aside 10 of them for us (but we only needed 6 or 7). The food is delicious and the ambience is lovely! Our server, Arlee (I think that is how you spell her name) was absolutely awesome! WHEN (not if; but when) we come back next summer, we totally looking forward to this place being one of the best parts of our summer vacation. Thank you to management, the owners and Arlee for......yet again....making this a wonderful experience. Highly recommend! read more

Aw man, what a miss, I already hate writing this review because I was hoping for a really good spot to have cozy German food in Wilmington. The German Cafe may have had its glory years, but in 2022 they've certainly phoned it in. We went on a Friday night and the place was mostly empty at 6:30pm with only other one or two tables seated. My partner ordered the veal schnitzel ($23.95). What he got was a really sad plate. It was clear there was something wrong with the oil it was fried in (not hot enough, or old) as it was soggy, not crispy and extremely oily (see photos). The veal itself was tough also. The sides were just ok, but the vegetable of the day was reminiscent of a microwaveable bag of frozen veggies. I ordered the Rouladen ($22.95), which was only slightly better than the schnitzel. I was most excited about the potato dumpling that came on the side. The texture of what I got was rather "gluey" and unpleasant. Again, more microwaved veggies. Shout out to the red cabbage for being the best thing on my plate! For roughly $23 a plate, I expected the quality to be a lot better. This was not a cheap meal. The German Cafe gets a 5/5 for their beer selection, service, and fun ambiance, but that wasn't enough to make up for the sad dinner we received. Our server was really sweet and gave us a discount on our dinner immediately, almost as if she expected it. read more

The German Cafe - Oily/soggy Veal Schnitzel Platter - German Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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Mannnnnn I really wanted to like it because of the atmosphere and the location. Had hopes. Waitress was friendly but had to get our own utensils (they weren't busy). And then the food came... so we just came back from Germany (Amberg) and comparatively, this food struggled. The schnitzel isn't a schnitzel. It's unbreaded and pan seared. Barely to temp and honestly tasted unseasoned. The veggies and the "dumpling" (knudel) were bland. The wurst plate wasn't terrible. Kraut was 3/10. I really wanted to like the place but the honesty was needed after spending $50 on two meals. read more

The German Cafe - Schnitzel. The picture speaks for itself. Bad. - German Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

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What an adorable authentic little restaurant! We were greeted warmly and seated immediately. It is just as you would expect- dimly lit, wood interior with all Sorts of German posters and decoration. The menu is traditional German food and portions do not disappoint! The sauerbraten was delicious and cooked with a family recipe and the roulaten was moist and tender. Save room for the must have dessert: bee sting cake! Thank me later! :) read more

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I'm giving 5 stars because the restaurant is enjoyable and tasty with a great German beer selection. It's small and the layout is funky; the waitresses and greeters have pseudo German dress and the atmosphere is casual and friendly. I survey the refrigerator of bottle beers as I walk to the table. That way I can order a beer immediately. It's always a pleasure to start a meal with a nice Weiss beer Now the food.... It's a small menu of typical German fare.... Schnitzel, various wurst plates, and my favorite the Rueben sandwich. I've had the Rueben the two times I've been here and intend to have it next week when I go again. The meat is cooked and seasoned perfectly, dressing is served on the side, and the pumpernickel bread is lightly toasted. My dinner mates have gotten sausage options and have enjoyed them. They've commented on the flavors and the crispness of the knockwurst. German potato salad is served warm and the sauerkraut is perfect This is one of my favorite restaurants in the back of the Cotton Exchange building . Don't forget to validate your parking ticket for 3 hour free parking. read more

As much as I am fond of this restaurant, the quality of the schnitzel continues to suffer. As always, relatively simple sides such as red cabbage and potato salad remain fine, whomever is preparing the veal should really take a break and reflect on why they screw up a starboard Germanic dish. Failure to trim the veal is simply laziness (had this happen twice) and leads to un-chewable meat (unpleasant and awkward) and the absolute swing and miss on producing a proper golden crust is just beyond excuse ... as what is served is a wimpy, very thin brown something. As much as I like this place, there is just no excuse. This is a wonderful meal that should be celebrated for what it is ... what I have been served twice is just a celebration of laziness. On the positive side, staff is pleasant and German beer selection is solid. In closing- the cook should really reevaluate why he/she got into cooking. read more

Great selection of German beers and food. I highly recommend the schnitzel, it is so flavorful, paired with red kraut and potato salad. I can't wait to go back and try more! read more

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My second visit here. I had eaten here 30 years ago and loved it then as much as I did this time. I ordered Knockwurst plate and my husband ordered the Veal Weiner Schnitzel. It was so yummy & the atmosphere is amazing. It's located in the Cotton Exchange. read more

The German Cafe - Pork Schnitzel Platter - German Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

Love this restaurant! Get there early when they first open. Parking is free if you park in the Cotton Exchange lot and get validated. Food and Service is always great! Wonderful homemade soups, salad, sandwiches, great German food , beer, the best sweet tea, and desserts. Make sure to have the homemade Streudel or German Chocolate Cake. We are so lucky to have such a wonderful charming family run German restaurant in Wilmington! read more

Just had a great dinner at the German Cafe. Enjoyed the import beer selection and an excellent Reuben Sandwich, with probably the best Thousand Island Dressing I've had in a long time. The brat sampler was also a great appetizer to start dinner with. If you go, be prepared to be seated in what feels like an authentic German restaurant, typical of what you'd find in small city or town center. Desserts looked amazing, especially since they were served with a large dollop of heavy cream! Would absolutely recommend if you are looking for a small cozy old world experience. read more

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There are very few German restaurants located in NC so to find one is a gem. We came in with only about 30 minutes left before they closed and they welcomed us as if we had all the time in the world. Super friendly and very clean. The menu is limited but you're sure to find something. I was thoroughly impressed with every aspect and will go back for sure. read more

The German Cafe - Bitburger - German Near Me - Wilmington, North Carolina

There are lots of reasons for a solid five rating, one they have been making good authentic German food in the same location since 1985. The quaint location of the cotton exchange mall in Wilmington takes you back to old Germany with all the decor and the wait staff wears German style dresses. I have eaten there many times since the late eighties and it is always a treat and special Dining experience. There are not many German food restaurants with good food in my area . We make up reasons to go to Wilmington just to eat here. The veal schnitzel is perfect each time as it's thin layer of tender breaded veal cooked in butter melts in your mouth. They make their own mustard and served with red kraut and German potato salad is the dish I can't refuse . The sausages are always good with a variety of pork and beef. Not to mention they serve German beer on tap and bottle to compliment the food. The desserts are homemade and the very best strudels to be found . You cannot pass up dessert . I always feel privileged to be able to enjoy this restaurant due to the quality of the food and pride of their service . read more

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This place is outstanding. Incredibly friendly staff, charming vibe, and the food is great. I tried the schnitzel sandwich with a side of german potato salad and it was all delicious. Also, any place that has Spaten Oktoberfest on draft is gonna get an A+. Definitely check this place out! read more

Hubby and I have had many meals here over the years and I'm not sure why I haven't given the German Cafe a review. The food is authentically German as is the beer selection. We've spent time in Germany (hubby born there) and the GC delivers! An intimate setting with a few tables on the first floor, several more on the 2nd and 3rd levels. Decor makes you feel as if you've been transported to Germany. It is not grand or chic but homey and warm. The waitstaff is pleasant; service is timely. The schnitzel (veal, pork or chicken) is amazingly thin and delicious. I'm a fan of red cabbage and sauerkraut--both delicious as is the potato salad. And the strudel? Apple, cherry or blueberry in flakey crust. There are other desserts as well but the strudel is our fave! GC is very much a local favorite as it is tucked away from the bustle of Front St in the back side of the Cotton Exchange. Free parking is another plus! read more

Came across this restaurant while my wife and I were strolling the river walk by downtown Wilmington. Decided to go in for lunch and I am so glad we did. I haven't had a decent German meal in many years. My mother was German and I know what good German food is. Believe me, this is it. I ordered a classic German dish, Bratwurst, sauerkraut, and German potato salad. It was served with a side of spicy brown mustard and a kosher pickle. The meal was excellent. It brought back childhood memories of my mother's cooking and from my days living in Germany while in the Army. From now on when we visit Wilmington we will be stopping by for a meal. Five stars from this reviewer. read more

I give it 2 stars just for the good service and the selection of beer and wine. Food was barely edible. Meat so tough it was a struggle to eat. Undrinkable unfiltered tap water and no bottled water. Won't be back. read more

Excellent food. Cooked to perfection. Service is just as good. I always get the Jager Schnitzel and it never disappoints. Would highly recommend to anyone in the area. read more

I highly recommend the Veal Schnitzel and the German Chocolate Cake! I loved it! This is my first of many authentic German meals at The German Cafe in Wilmington, NC. The staff and chef are amazing. I am sure if I drank beer, I would have have much more to add to this review:-). The ambience took me to Germany! 5 STAR dining experience. Danke! Check it out for yourself! Probst! read more