Cancel

Open app

Search

The Rathskeller

3.9 (798 reviews)
Open • 11:00 am - 10:00 pm
Updated 3 months ago

Services - The Rathskeller

Venue rental

The Rathskeller Photos

Business Info

THE RATHSKELLER ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Classy
Casual
Live music

You might also consider

Recommended Reviews - The Rathskeller

Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
Yelp app icon
Browse more easily on the app
Review Feed Illustration

Reviews With Photos

Pilsner. Prost!
Brian V.

German restaurant/ beer garden located in or close to the Mass Ave / Mile Square area of Indianapolis. If you are looking for authentic Bavarian food and a list of beers that adhere to German beer purity law, this is the spot! Mind you, I was a tourist in town for a weekend. First of all, the space is very unique and interesting. Like one of those places where I don't think you could re-create if you just made it today - like it felt genuinely historic or worn in. When I first walked in, I thought it was in the wrong place because it felt like a cultural community center or private club or something. I kept walking through and headed downstairs where I then saw a bar where I was greeted. I was told to go find a table and a server would come by shortly. When my server finally came, she was very friendly and helpful. I wanted a delicious meal similar to what you might find at a tailgate without going to an actual tailgate. Because I was heading to a Colts game after this. I ordered the Bavarian Platte - combo of kielbasa and bockwurst served with sauerkraut, German potato salad, and a variety of mustards. The meal also comes with a large pretzel with sinus clearing hot mustard. It's seriously no joke. This meal seriously hit the spot. And with my limited knowledge or experience with German food, I felt like this was very authentic. I really enjoyed everything including the sides. I also ordered a refreshing German pils to wash everything down. It was more relaxed and felt like a quiet morning spot when I went. But I can imagine this place gets pretty crowded and lively in the evening.

Kellerbar
Amy W.

The Rathskeller is in historic building with lots of character. The venue is huge with a traditional dining room, outdoor biergarten, and an in-between kellerbar for those wanting a more casual indoor dining experience. I really enjoyed the oxtail soup, which was hearty and perfect for a cold night. The pretzel was quite salty and more dry than I would prefer. Would definitely reorder the soup next time but pass on the pretzel.

Black Forest cake. Amazing.
Karl A.

We ate in the bar, and the service was excellent, the saerbraten was perfect, order the small plate as an appetizer and red cabbage, and it will match perfect perfectly with the dinner. Then the Black Forest cake.

Pretzels with mustard
Kristen D.

Without a reservation, my family and I were able to get a free-for-all table in the bar area. The service was quick and the food was good. It felt very traditionally German inside, with the decor and features of each German state. The service quality was decent, but I have been here before with a reservation, and it has always been good. I just chalked it up to them being busy. Two of my family members had an error in their orders. My mother ordered no cheese and extra sauerkraut on her reuben and received no cheese or sauerkraut. We were in a bit of a hurry, so she was fine without it, but was a little disappointed. My aunt ordered a canned beer without a glass, and her beer came inside of a glass. My order was correct, but my tenderloin was a little on the soggy side instead of crispy. Overall, I was a little disappointed after hyping up the restaurant so much. It was a spur-of-the-moment decision to come here, so maybe a reservation would have rewarded us with a better experience.

Fried Pork Tenderloin sandwich
Patrick G.

This place is a gem. It's really big with an old school rustic vibe. The food & drinks are fairly priced & delicious. Portions are generous as well. The service was some of the nicest I've experienced.

Black Forest Cake

Excellent service by Michelle with a fantastic meal made this dinning experience wonderful.

Vincent Y.

Service was great and the staff were friendly, ordered a German bratwurst and Jäegerschnitzel. I think the cuisine just isn't for me as I wasn't a fan of the plentiful amount of sauerkraut on the bratwurst and on the side with the jäegerschnitzel. It's a good place for an ample meal, just not for me. The bratwurst was good without the sauerkraut in my opinion, it was a little too powerful on it.

Tuna Salad and German Potato Salad
Katherine A.

If you're in the mood for fabulous, authentic Bavarian cuisine and a great experience, the Rathskeller is the BEST place to go in Indianapolis. This iconic restaurant has been in business longer than I can remember and is located in the historic Athenaeum Building. I recommend reservations for dinner but, yesterday, we were able to walk in for midday lunch with no wait. We sat in the bar surrounded by deer and moose heads and stone walls. It does feel like an old German castle. Danke, our server, was friendly, attentive and efficient. Water and food was served quickly. The lunch menu has many German options and a few Indiana favorites such as Pork Tenderloin. Their German breads are phenomenal. We had a starter German pretzel, that was warm from the oven. The German mustard has an amazing horseradish flavor that wakes up your tastebuds. I had the tuna sandwich on marble rye. The sandwich is large and the marble rye absolutely delicious. The tuna is creamy and flavorful, by far the best tuna sandwich I've had in a while. The German potato salad is served hot and is FRESH and perfectly tangy and sweet. Portions are generous. My hopelessly Midwestern husband had the Pork Tenderloin which is served on a Kaiser roll. The tenderloin was perfectly seasoned and tender with a perfect breading. He gave it a rare "5" ranking it among the best in Indiana. He also had the wedged fried potatoes that he said were very good. We explored the building after lunch, which I highly recommend. The building was designed by Vonnegut and Bonn in the mid 1890's and is German Renaissance Revival style and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places. Rathskeller does events; I've been to weddings and work dinners and the food is always top notch. There is metered street parking nearby, but it's hard to find on weekends. The building is old and there are a lot of steps. There is an elevator and ramps for some accessibility. I highly recommend. Great food, great service, amazing architecture.

Brat and kraut balls
Iva H.

We made a reservation here before a show at Old National. It worked out nicely as we could park at the theater and walk across the street to eat. On show nights I would recommend a reservation as they were quite busy. We easily got waited on and served with plenty of time before the show. The inside of the restaurant makes one almost feel as if they are in a restaurant in Germany. It was beautifully decorated with lots of carved wood trim and stained glass. Our server was friendly and helpful with menu items. It's best to bring a large appetite as their entree servings are huge. The complimentary bread they serve is large warm pretzels served with two diffferent types of dipping sauce. They were yummy. I had the brat and kraut balls with my meal and it came with three different sauces. I also had the soup of the day which was tagessuppe. It was creamy potato with sausage and so good. They also serve cocktails, beer, and wine.

Shashank S.

Great place to go for a St. Patrick's Day festival. Lasted a few days in 2024 and had a blast. We went on one evening and saw world class Irish dancers and bagpipers. Mood and ambience was very jovial. Excellent food options typical Irish fare. Naturally they have corned beef. I went for fish and chips. Plus a pint of Guinness. Only disappointment was the Guinness was in a plastic cup. We all know how it tastes better poured properly in a proper Guinness glass. In spite of that bar service was quick and lines were pretty short about 6 -9 people due to several bartenders .

Warm Brie appetizer
Barbie M.

We had great service and delicious food. We had a relaxing dinner and didn't feel rushed.

sausage sampler
Danielle M.

We ate lunch at the Rathskeller during their German Fest. We got seated right away. Their food is always amazing! We started off with the chicken cordon bleu fingers that are stuffed with cheese and ham and served with honey mustard to dip them in. My all time favorite app is their stuffed mushrooms. They are cheesy, creamy, and have such good flavor! Pretzels are served before your food comes out. They come with spicy mustard and it definitely has a kick! I asked for cheese and it was just alright. I got the schnitzel and it came with a lemon sauce to dip in. The sauce was not my favorite. It came with sauerkraut and their German potato salad. Both were delicious!

Jennifer F.

A local suggested this restaurant to us and I can't recommend it enough- even if you're vegetarian like me! It's got a very cool German hunting lodge/bier garten vibe. The service was great (thanks to our awesome server Alyssa (sp?) ). And the food was delicious - but beware the spicy mustard! My husband had the rouladen which he said was good. The only bad thing about my Greek pasta plate was that I was unable to eat it all. The beer is good, the food is bettered and service was excellent. (Vegetarians beware there is ham and bacon in the sauerkraut)

See all

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

4 years ago

If you are German, this is the place in Indy for you! Great food, great drinks, great atmosphere. A+

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 1

9 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Dust B.
110
10
2

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

4 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

9 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Jon A.
3552
892
988

15 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 8
Oh no 0
Photo of Kelly S.
2677
1557
7026

13 years ago

Helpful 7
Thanks 0
Love this 5
Oh no 0

17 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 5
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

16 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0
Photo of Scott L.
1492
48
6

10 years ago

Helpful 5
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0
Photo of Ashley M.
152
30
14

7 years ago

Helpful 1
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 6
Thanks 0
Love this 4
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 6
Oh no 0
Photo of G B.
1
100
85

5 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

15 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 3
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

10 years ago

Helpful 2
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

12 years ago

Helpful 4
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

13 years ago

Helpful 3
Thanks 0
Love this 1
Oh no 0

6 years ago

Helpful 0
Thanks 0
Love this 0
Oh no 0

Page 9 of 20

The Rathskeller Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - The Rathskeller

Are kids allowed to eat in the beer garden?

No, they can't even enter.

Is there a dance floor and music?

Yes, outside! There's also a banquet room inside where they sometime host dancing

Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

You might also consider

Verify this business for free

People searched for German 568 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

Verify this business

Heidelberg Haus - My wife and I got our wedding cake here.

Heidelberg Haus

4.5(344 reviews)
7.5 mi
•$$

Cadillac decaf coffee, i've never really felt passionately about decaffeinated coffee until I…read morevisited Heidelberg. I've driven by the Bakery, so many times and wanted to stop, but I was always in a hurry. My sister and I went in and we each got a dessert and because it was four in the afternoon, we got decaffeinated coffee. The refills were free and we sat at the little counter like we were at a diner and enjoyed everything about this iconic little bakery. The decor is a eclectic. We just took our time and looked around and laughed at so many signs and odd little things that were placed over the years. On the way to the ladies room, you will find out that the gentleman that started the restaurant fought in one of the world wars, and you will see his worn out shoes, his uniforms, his letters of accommodation and Learn his story. Now let's get to the desserts. We shared some type of a wonderful lemon pastry and a black forest cake. Best black forest cake I've ever had. Savored every bite. We were able to buy the last of the springle's that they had made from Christmas. FYI, if you don't like black licorice don't buy Springerle's but you can only get them at Christmas because it's a German tradition and they won't work in the summertime because of the humidity. Things that I learned that day. We saw that they had a dinner menu with a huge variety of different bratwurst and assorted sausages that we would like to try sometime. We ended up spending an hour and a half in a beautiful little place that we thought we were just going to stop and grab desserts to go.

Love this place! We have been coming here to get birthday cakes since I was very little! There…read moreare so many cakes and pastries to choose from. We usually pop in to grab items from the grocery or to pick up things from the pastry case. Today we had lunch here too! Service was friendly and quick. We came in right before a big rush (around noon on Saturday). Highly recommend!

Photos
Heidelberg Haus
Heidelberg Haus - Cakes and balls

Cakes and balls

Heidelberg Haus - Pretzels

See all

Pretzels

Edelweiss Restaurant - Great salad with pasta salad and I liked the cheese spread with the crackers too!

Edelweiss Restaurant

4.0(62 reviews)
9.2 mi
•$$

I really, really wanted to like this place. As my husband and I have both enjoyed German food…read moreabroad, we were excited to try the menu for this restaurant. When we went on a Friday night, there was live music on the biergarten's patio, but it was so loud that even indoors, you could not hear your conversation. Upon arrival, even though we had a reservation, and there were only four other tables dining, service was pretty slow to be seated and the poor waitresses seemed overwhelmed. I will say the waitstaff is exceptionally friendly, even with a busier biergarten. The food, I'm sorry to say, leaves much to be desired. Presentation is unappetizing, and as some other Yelpers have mentioned, the meal is definitely not a feast for the eyes. I wish I could say the flavor was better, but everything was bland and underseasoned. My husband, who's never met a sauerkraut he didn't adore, could not even finish his meal. The portions are small for the price, but honestly, the flavor was so underwhelming it didn't matter how much was on the plate. The decor seems very throwback, replete with tourist tchotchkes and and faded pictures of Germany. The dark wood paneling does lend a moody, Germanic air, and from what I understand, they have a large selection of beers on tap.

The food is great. German Food is hard to come by, and this is much closer than the Rathskellar…read moreDowntown, or Heidelberg House in Lawrence. I typically get the Sausage Trio, which provides a good variety to sample. One suggestion is to call before you come, since it is a smaller restaurant and may be busy during the buffet, or may close early because it is slow.

Photos
Edelweiss Restaurant
Edelweiss Restaurant - Rueben, Potato Pancakes  Kartoffelpuffe, Sauerkraut

Rueben, Potato Pancakes Kartoffelpuffe, Sauerkraut

Edelweiss Restaurant - Polka band

See all

Polka band

Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt - Grilled Bavarian honey ham & raclette sandwich on a French baguette

Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt

4.4(19 reviews)
0.0 mi•Mile Square

First time at Athenaeum Christmas market and we had fun!…read more The best about it was it wasn't as crowded as Carmel. It is not expansive as Carmel but we still enjoyed the experience. I loved the cute mug, and the hot cider was great. I especially liked the food from Rathskeller- I highly recommend the brat n kraut balls- they were delicious. There was live music which I enjoyed a lot.

Our first visit here was enchanting. Looks like it's the third year that the Athenaeum…read moreChristkindlmarkt made it's way to town. Went on a Saturday. Parked in the parking garage next to the Athenaeum with a parking app for a reasonable price and spent hours in the area. Had lunch at The Rathskeller and came back to visit the market for snacks and mulled wine/ciders/drafts. The treats included the raclette sandwich, bacon lollipop, German potato pancakes (Kartoffelpuffer), Brauhaus pretzel, German bratwurst, schnitzel, gingerbread cookies, baked goods. The process for picking up food orders could be improved upon. Told to come back in 20 minutes and came back but the server appeared confused when we told him our order, then said wasn't ready yet, saw other people who ordered after us get their orders, and eventually after a couple more inquiries received our order. A pager system or a number/now serving screen would be useful way to communicate ready orders. Took home a cute collector mug and got to drink my tasty mulled cider from it while there. If I had decided to get another drink, it would be $1 less for subsequent fills. It was entertaining to watch the costumed characters tease the children and guests and the various performers cross the stage. There were a couple of artisan stalls to peruse as well. Really appreciated the heat lamps scattered throughout the area as this season was chiller than usual. It's a brief stop that brings the holiday spirit!

Photos
Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt
Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt - Ahhh..Bavarian pecans

Ahhh..Bavarian pecans

Athenaeum Christkindlmarkt - CBS 4 chose a nice little market to show viewers.

See all

CBS 4 chose a nice little market to show viewers.

Kuma's Corner - Neurosis burger

Kuma's Corner

4.2(817 reviews)
1.6 mi•Fountain Square
•$$

Really large portions of food here and a great location in Fountain Square…read more I'm excited to come back and try the burgers. The Mac and cheese and jalapeño poppers I had were good. Mac and Cheese: you can choose your own add on! I had bacon and caramelized onions added to mine. Poppers: very unique, had a chili cheese filling instead of cream cheese. Tons of beer options, but I didn't drink on this occasion.

My husband wanted a good burger but because I'm vegan, it needed to be a place with an option for…read moreme. After researching, I found Kuma's Corner. They have a vegan option. Convenient location. Zero proof drinks. There were some reviews about long wait times, non-toasted buns and the cost but the write up of the place itself gave me nostalgia vibes for a place called Cobra Burger in Richmond, VA so I had to try my luck. I really wanted to love this place, as I've not found anything like Cobra Burger here in Indy. When we arrived, around 6:45p on a Thursday, the patio had a good amount of people, but inside was pretty empty apart from the bar. We sat at a two top in the bar area. The music was at a pretty low volume, especially considering the amount of reviews that said otherwise. Our server was also bartender, so it initially took her a couple of minutes to come over, which is understandable. She took our order for drinks and then after bringing them back for the food. She was nice and provided good service although juggling tables and the bar, plus she was also pregnant. It took a very long time for us to get our food (close to an hour), despite three guys working the line in the kitchen, banging out burger after burger. The food arrived, hot and correct. Both my husband and I were disappointed that the reviews were right and the burger buns were not toasted. Non-toasted burger buns actually make the burgers harder to eat and less enjoyable. My burger was decent for a non-handmade vegan option; for the price my expectation is amor sophisticated/handmade creative one, but I am thankful that they had a vegan option at all. My husband thought his burger was just okay and that he's had better ones around Indy, so we probably won't be dining here again. For the size of the burger, they should bring you ample napkins without having to ask because it is very messy trying to eat them. For two burgers with fries, one small mac & cheese, and three beers (one regular and two nonalcoholic) before tip the bill was over $80. Now, if the food was top-tier fantastic, I would say fine but being that it was more middle of the road it's a bit pricey.

Photos
Kuma's Corner
Kuma's Corner - Caesar salad

Caesar salad

Kuma's Corner - The Famous Kuma

See all

The Famous Kuma

The Rathskeller - german - Updated June 2026

Loading...
Loading...
Loading...