Party of 8 Wonderful service Great neighborhood spot Amazing and diverse menu options!! Perch was delicious Hawaiian burger... what? Was very good Of course the chicken. THE CHICKEN flexible for a vegan with us Beer cheese Mac, oh my read more

Went there for my 15 anniversary. No steaks were available. At 5:00 pm. Got the raved about fried chicken. It was dried up and crusty. My wife's chicken parmigian was okay by her standards. Very disappointed. read more

I have been to the Wooden Shoe several times and have recommended it to others because the restaurant consistently has good food, good service, and a nice atmosphere. The last time I went, my partner and I were one of the first people seated in the restaurant. It was quiet until the staff put on some music. It was a little loud until other patrons arrived and were seated, and thankfully, someone turned the music down so it receded nicely into the background. Service at the Wooden Shoe is always attentive and friendly. I even happened to overhear another table where a woman asked for a dish to be remade due to dietary restrictions and was very apologetic about the misunderstanding, and her server kept reassuring her she had nothing to apologize for and that accommodating her dietary restrictions wouldn't be an issue. And the food is delicious. The restaurant offers a variety of yummy food, but my personal favorite is their dessert. Their hot butter cake is amazing and they have a rotation of cheesecake flavors that will always please. If you are ever in Minster, OH, I would stop and eat here! read more

Stopped by the Wooden Shoe this week for bite to eat, and a bourbon. Bar was quite nice, not very busy, however a nice selection so I ordered my bourbon neat from the friendly bartender. Then I ordered my food, the most popular dish, so I was reminded more than once. The Fried Chicken Dinner. Geez, I'll say it was fried! Probably more than once. When it arrived, nearly 45 minutes after ordering it, I strangely looked at it, as if it was eatable. The bartender asked if something was wrong, I simply said, well it certainly looks done, probably too done for taste. It was darker than chocolate. Bartender came back, and asked if I wanted a to go box, I said I definitely would not. It's at this point where, it obvious to anyone who's ever worked in a food service job, to ask if I wanted to get something else, or would like to speak with someone to help the now situation. None of these things happened. Instead I was told many excuses to what may or may not had had happened to my food. My favorite was the excuse for the unbeatable food was because they had a new cook/chef, of which according to the bartender, didn't have clue what the F#$k he was doing, and how the new cook was so terrible and shouldn't be there cooking in the first place. Then the bartender walked away to go wait on other customers. No box, No Check, No Good Bye, and definitely No Thank You! My last encounter with anyone was, the bartender, as I stood up, I said, Well I guess the cook should be fired, along with some others, The bartender said, yeah, I guess so, You have a good night sir, very condescending! I said .... umm, you too. Strangest Restaurant Experience Ever. But I will definitely not have an Experience like that one again , at least not at the wooden shoe. read more

Fun atmosphere! The drinks and food are awesome. Perfect portion and tastes delicious. The new high tables are fantastic

My dad wanted German food so I drove him to Minster. He remembered the Wooden Shoe as a nice German restaurant. Apparently, that changed after Covid. No cabbage rolls, so we ordered Reubens( we thought from the lunch menu) and sauerkraut balls as an appetizer. The sauerkraut balls looked like they were pulled from a bag in the freezer and microwaved. Not appetizing. The sandwiches, on the other hand were delicious. They came on marbled rye. I got French fries and Dad ordered cole slaw. We both enjoyed our meals. It turns out we were charged for the dinner Reuben, which was $2 more each. Not worth complaining about. We just paid the bill. Wait staff was pleasant and filled my drink once. When asked how our food was, I was honest about the sauerkraut balls assumption and she said they were freshly made. You can draw your own conclusion from the picture. So, if you want a Reuben sandwich, I recommend this place. Can't, however, recommend anything else. read more

The Wooden Shoe Inn - Sauerkraut Balls - American Near Me - Minster, Ohio

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We had a delicious lunch after church! We drove a little distance to try this place and we were pleasantly surprised! Our waitress was exceptionally good. The food was delightful and cooked to order! Sunday has a special menu apparently so it is pretty limited, our waitress encouraged us to come back for the full menu as well! Sides were à la cart and making a meal could be a little pricey. The only negative I can say about this delightful little restaurant is that they do not have fresh brewed iced tea! Please consider adding that Owners! ! And for those that do drink alcohol they do have a full bar! read more

The food is amazing. The service is lacking. We waited 3.5 minutes while the hostess and server finished a conversation (non-work related) I ordered a glass of water and received it about 3 minutes before I finished my meal. We requested Loaded Potato Skins. Our server told us "we don't have potato skins." So my husband pointed to the Loaded Potato Skins on the menu, and asked if this is a recent change... she said, "oh yeah, ok, we do have them." Then she asked if we wanted to go ahead and order dinner (our mistake) we ordered our entrees and salads. A few minutes later we heard a server ask the couple at the next table if they'd like bread for the table. (They have bread?) Our salads arrived 6 or 7 minutes later (no skins?) so we asked if we could get some bread for the table as well... which was excellent. About 15 minutes later our entrees arrived. Still no water. We asked if she knew where the potato skins might be. She said that they would probably be out soon. We said that we did not want them after dinner, and she said that she'd "try" to get them taken off the bill. I reminded her about the water, and she had another server bring it out (and set it on top of my husband's iPhone!) Then a server hung a bottle of disinfectant and a rag on the back of a chair next to us. Come on, now. This place is beautiful and usually very welcoming. We were very disappointed with this visit. They did take the skins off the bill. The owner is very nice and he expressed that he is striving for great service (we understand that this is tough right now) We'll probably wait a few months before we go back. read more

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Food was was terrible! Paid 75 dollars and everything was greasy and bland and they for got a lot are cold slaw , butter for the roll.

We were very pleased with our lunch. I had a "real" Ruben. Their own cooked corn beef as advertised and piled high. My husband had the grilled shrimp Caesar salad. He said it was the best shrimp he has had around the area. read more

My husband and I had dinner there on a Saturday night - was not crowded at all. We had pretzels and beer cheese as an app and the pretzels were piping hot and extremely soft and the cheese was thick and creamy. I ordered fried tenderloin and whipped redskin potatoes and they may be the best mashed potatoes I've ever had in my life. My husband ordered the perch with mashed potatoes and we both raved about our meals. It was so good, we were still talking about those potatoes the next morning. This is a hidden gem! Will be going back soon to try more delicious looking items on the big menu!!!! read more

Food was downright delicious. I ordered the garbage pizza, fries, Mac n cheese, pretzel and beer cheese, chicken chunks, and pork belly. Also ordered a Kentucky Mule. Food hit the spot and was extremely delicious. Will certainly come back. read more

My dad has been aching to try this place since they reopened, and he wasn't disappointed. It seems much more upscale than it used to be, but to good effect. The chicken dinner was very similar to the old chicken dinner, and the schnitzel with spaetzel is great. Also enjoyed the sauerkraut balls; they come with Thousand Island dressing, and I thought I might like tangy mustard more, but I should have trusted them - the dressing was great with it. Chicken needed a little salt; sauerkraut balls were a little soft and I kind of wish they had a little more structure, but they tasted great. We didn't eat in (got takeout) but my dad was impressed with the improvements and said the tables were well spaced out. We will be back to try more. read more

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We enjoyed a dinner at the Wooden shoe inn in Minster Ohio to celebrate a friend of ours 40th wedding anniversary. Due to the coronavirus and limited seating, I made reservations on a Tuesday for Saturday. The restaurant sent me a text message immediately after and also a confirmation text the morning of my reservation. Loved this! We were greeted by 3 young people who were extremely friendly and communicated fully that they were getting our table together. Within a few minutes- we were brought to our tables. The renovations that they did to the building were impressive. I nice environment for a meal and spending time with family and friends. Our waitress Laura was extremely friendly and attentive to us We enjoyed the appetizers of pretzels and beer cheese and sauerkraut balls - both were delicious! We ordered items from their fried chicken (some with the waffles) - my husband said best he has had in 2 years, others of us had more German style meals like the pork schnitzel or tenderloin pizza. All us us loved the food! Obviously homemade! The wooden shoe beer was enjoyed by myself and my husband. They also had domestic and a large liquor selection. The chef Joey Phlipot came out to speak with us after we all complimented him of the food. We will be back! read more

The Wooden Shoe Inn - 1 of the 2 main eating areas - American Near Me - Minster, Ohio

There are things to love & not love here. I love the vintage feeling of the place - it's truly authentic like stepping back 70+ years in time. But I don't like the worn-outness of the decor & furnishings. The food is decent, but it is a bit on the high side for what you get, and the menu is extremely limited, with mostly fried things. It's peculiar seeing people in a restaurant like this drinking big mugs of beer, but they do have a bar (you walk through it to get to the dining room). The servers are always nice, and so are the other diners. The town of Minster is quaint & very well maintained. If you're in the area then The Wooden Shoe is a completely legitimate option. But I drove there just for the dining experience & was a little let down. read more

Food was excellent service little bit of tunnel vision but all in all will be back Worth the 50 mi. Drive read more

I was in town on business and as always I consulted my iPhone Yelp app to find a local favorite. Well this was a small town and not any Yelpers so to speak. Stopped in the Wooden Shoe and thought I'd give it a try. While the service was friendly it seems time has passed this place by a very long time ago. As you look around you see things that haven't been cleaned in years. I went with their "specialty" which was half of a chicken. It appeared to be deep fried. Of the 5 pieces they serve with the meal the breast was really the only eatable one. The french fries were good enough, the slaw too vinegary for my taste and the roll was a day old and stale. This is still owned by the original family who opened it originally but either they no long care to keep things clean and put out a good meal or they don't have the energy. On a bad note and I can't be sure it was their food but I was extremely ill later on that night. I will not go back and I would not recommend until the Food Network goes in with their "Restaurant Impossible" team and get's them back on track. To be there that long they must have been really good at some point in time, but that time seems to have passed them by :-( read more

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Recently went home to visit my Dad and we took him out to dinner at the renovated Wooden Shoe Inn. What a fun night out with great food and excellent service. We ordered the fried pickles, pretzels with beer cheese and sauerkraut balls. All were fantastic! Ordered the fried chicken and waffles along with the spinach salad with chicken. Everything was delicious. We particularly enjoyed the super cold mugs of beer. Would love to order some of the mugs! Great job with this establishment and hope you keep it up! read more

Probably the most unique of all the bars and grills I have been in. The rustic charm and soothing atmospbere of the small town of Minster OH., indulged my appetite for a relaxing meal. Although I did not get to experience the local people, the bartender was exceptionally friendly and helpful with my questions. The place was clean and so were the restrooms. The fresh lake perch tasted very good, without the after taste of most fish. Although fried, the breading was not to thick and complimented the home made fries. My salad was fresh and although many did not appreciate the cole slaw, i found it a refeeshing end of my meal. Lastly, the single beer was amazing. A thick dark brew with a smooth finish. The Warftiener Dunkin, the queen among all the beers as the translation puts it. I bet Oktober fest will be a smash here. read more

The Wooden Shoe Inn - Warftiener Dunkin and salad to begin - American Near Me - Minster, Ohio

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Visited while we were at Oktoberfest. The restaurant is very outdated. The bathroom doors do not have locks. The food was very bland. I have the chicken tinders and my husband had the cheeseburger. The side salad was lettuce only with a cup of ranch. For that we paid $30.00 which is a little high in our opinion. read more

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Ok this place is way cool the people are very nice and the waitress was way cool too, And the cook, well he makes the best wings you'll ever eat second to know one, it's a need to be in minster OH... you won't be disappointed. read more

If I could give the wooden shoe inn 0 stars I would. The service is ok but the food is just ransom, its complete garbage. We ate there for the first time and do not care to go back! The food just tasted awful!! The coleslaw tasted and looked old, after even tasting it I only wonder how many people get sick from eating there. The chicken had to be the worse tasting food on the earth. I cannot make this up. The bathroom was nicely built but the toilets do not work correctly!! They did not even offer to amend the bill. She offered to give us new coleslaw, I said no because It would probably be the same thing and I do NOT want that ever again. Not to mention, the pickles they supposedly make? It looks like somebody has consumed them, then gave them to new customers!! There is also a window in the bathroom, it has a curtain but its literally see through. This has got to be the worse f-ing restaurant I have been too. Save yourself and your money, they are overpriced for horrible food. Not to mention we had to wait over 30 minutes to get our food; when we were the only ones in there. Choose somewhere else to eat, not here. read more

This place is just OK. We stopped in on Saturday evening last week. The food was average. I ordered the boneless chicken breasts. They were a little over cooked and were very bland. The breading had no seasoning at all. It tasted like they were just coated in plain white flour. The fresh cut fries were slightly better but not cooked the way fresh cuts fries should be (double fried). The coleslaw was also bland. It was fresh but little flavor. Nothing but cabbage and what tasted like miracle whip. Our server was very good but that was about it. The wife and I like to try new local places but I have no reason to return. read more

I will not be back. First the good. It was an order to go and the guys were very kind and friendly. Also, it would not be fair if I didn't say the fish taste good. Now the bad. Way over priced fish for lent. I've bought a lot of fish in my life living in this area and being catholic and kind of know what to expect. The portions were extremely small and my total was over $22.00 without drinks. I took a picture because I thought it was one order in one dish. But I was wrong. I'm not going to complain about the interior but at those prices invest some in your property. I'll be buying my fish elsewhere. read more

The Wooden Shoe Inn - American Near Me - Minster, Ohio

Have gone to the WSI for over 60 years for chicken. Back when I was a little tyke and you waited on the sidewalk to get in. Heard it was open with new owners so we gave them a try on Sunday 3/7/21. We would have given them 5 stars instead of 3 if not for a few non-food problems. First, DUMB DUMB DOUBLE DUMB WEEKEND HOURS. They don't open till 4pm on Saturday & Sunday! You always went to Minster for chicken and beer after church! Even if they're not holding church services now they still should be open for the Sunday dinner crowd. Then they have a sign on the front door asking customers to wear masks but have a sign posted inside that some of their staff are exempt due to "mental & physical" risks and beliefs. Many of the staff were not wearing masks when we were there. Not surprising as this place is deep in red country where they still fly their Trump flags. But the un-masked staff did give great service and checked back for refills and such. The new owners have done a SUPER job on updating and cleaning this place up. Gone is the dirty nasty place the Health Dept. shut down. (Sorry Fred!) GREAT decor right out of Fixer Upper with sliding barn doors, new floors, ceilings, nice clean restrooms and the whole nine yards! And they kept some of the great old features like the fireplace, the bar and the WS clock up in the corner. (I pestered Fred for years too sell me that clock!). GREAT GREAT job on the local historical signs and pictures. We go to Minster for CHICKEN!!!! I still think it's a sin to order anything else at the WSI, but they have done a great job expanding the menu for the rest of you Sinners. The new owners have done a FANTASTIC job with the chicken dinners! Just like the old days with the same great taste and a tender white meat breast that the juice runs out of when you tear it apart! The fries were a little off as they were SUPER crispy, but they do fill the basket with them to the point you have to hunt for your chicken. We were greatly surprised by the house salads. Gone is the handful of plain lettuce in a bowl. You actually get a real salad now with croutons and everything! Did miss the basket of bread. Always enjoyed that dark bread with the salt on the crust. The bill was the same as Fred's old "Cash" price at $31 for 2 chicken dinners and sodas. One suggestion folks!!!! "A BONE BASKET". They always gave you an extra basket, or you used the bread basket so you didn't have bones scattered through your chicken and fries!!!! The main reason we may not rush back is the new chairs. They've replaced those old dirty disgusting upholstered chairs with wood & metal ones that are the MOST UNCOMFORTABLE chairs in the world! Even with the "extra padding" my wife and I have, they were still SUPER hard and unbearable. As I write this 5 hours later our lower backs and butts still ache! We may wait till it warms up to go back, order our chicken "to go", and take it over to the lake too eat. A State Park picnic table can't be any worse than those horrible chairs! read more

I'm a fan of the small town diner and that's the feel you get here. Dishes are glass, silverware has weight and the napkin is cloth. The decor is outdated but well taken care of, and the place is clean and uncluttered. My daughter and I split the Chicken in a basket with French fries and a side salad. The chicken is made to order, hot, juicy and crisp, and the French fries are hand cut. Side salad is simple, lettuce and dressing, no frills but fresh non the less. read more

The Wooden Shoe Inn - Beautiful old bar! - American Near Me - Minster, Ohio

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What a joke. Half of the staff doesn't wear a mask and they don't require patrons to wear a mask. If you don't follow safe covid restrictions, post it on the door so you know before you enter. If you don't have a reservation, they make you wait for a table even though there are tables available. We walked out. read more

The atmosphere was gorgeous, very clean and very family friendly. My family of 10 ordered many different items and all of the food was prepared perfectly without missing a single detail and definitely worth every penny. The service was impeccable, very quick and friendly and explained the appetizers and entrees very knowledgeably through their masks. Best dining experience I have had in a long time and definitely will be a place we will return!! read more

Read the prior reviews. I was not at the place they describe. True, nothing is new. The chairs, tables and decor show their age, but everything is clean. The beer is cold, crisp and served in ceramic steins/mugs. The fries with the chicken are hand cut and fantastic. The slaw is nothing special. The chicken is very crisp and delicious, but it always needs some salt. The 5 piece 1/2 chicken includes a neck. Of course it is dated. This is a village of 2K to 3K, whose closest city is Lima. It is an older style family restaurant with a bar. I have been here before and the Walleye and Perch are both excellent. Trip Advisor and Urban Spoon reviewers seem to have a much better opinion of this place than Yelpers. Usually Yelpers are the ones I trust, but the reviewers missed the boat here. read more

My husband and I live in San Diego, and I grew up in a town nearby to Minster. We visit the Wooden Shoe every time we come "home," mostly at my husband's request. He can't get enough of their beer and chicken. In fact, the first time we came, there was a good 20 minutes of silence as everyone enjoyed their food and forgot about conversation. The staff is always friendly, and the beer is cold, fresh and perfect. Ask for a chilled stein, even if you're not really German. I always get the tenderloin with extra pickles, while my family always gets the chicken. Everyone leaves happy. This place isn't where you'd take your prom date, but if you like good food, good beer and a quaint local establishment, this is the perfect place for you. read more

The only fried chicken that I eat. This is the BEST in the world !!! If you haven't tried this chicken with a cold mug of beer ..,run don't walk to get your basket of chicken and be ready for the best. read more

When you walk through the beautifully painted door, you are greeted with a slight spicy smell of wood, and a tastefully decorated Bar. The Bar has several comfortable stools, a separate dining area, and a large flat screen tv. There are no menus, and all waiters and waitresses go off of memory of what they have. Amazing, friendly and very helpful customer service, the associates are sure to make you smile, and the very friendly village-folk provide a very welcoming, comfortable, and not so noisy environment. I highly suggest the dark German beer. My significant other openly stated how the beer even topped his previous favorite, Honey Brown. I ordered the ground sirloin, which had a delicious blend of flavor, expertly cooked (in my Medium Rare taste), and am planning on getting the T-bone the next time I arrive. The village the Wooden Shoe Inn resides in happens to be a tastefully homely German Catholic town. (Although currently surrounded by recent construction as the village makes changes to the main road.) So finally, I highly recommend this restaurant/bar. read more

Best chicken in town?? Heck no. I got the special, which is half a chicken (including the neck). It was deep fried and had no flavor at all. It tasted like they dipped it in flour and dumped it in the fryer. I salted it to make it edible but it desperately lacked seasoning. My husband got the walleye. It was a generous size but also had no flavor. We will not return. read more

Best fried chicken on the planet. I have been eating here since I was a little kid. Always consistent. Hope they are there for another 20 years. read more

Every time I travel to Minster to visit my family, I go to the Wooden Shoe. It is by far, the best chicken in town! The staff is wonderful and friendly and the food is what I look forward to when I come to town. A must-try if you are near Minster! Guy Fieri better come visit! read more

The chicken was fantastic as always. My mother had not been here for years and noticed how it did not look as nice and well kept as she had remembered, definitely aging. Keeping things original and authentic is good, but it was not clean, the restroom was dirty, the floor going to the restroom was sticky to walk on. Another problem was that we could not find a handicap accessible entrance, maybe there is one but it was not obvious. It was difficult for my mother to get in and out with a walker, there is not much to hold on to at the top step. The restaurant has been there a long time, it's time to put a simple permanent ramp in. We saw a fold up ramp along the inside door as we were leaving but that did not help us. Customer service was great, slaw great, French fries were just OK. We don't come through Minster often, but may see if anything has improved in the future. Maybe this was just an off day as far as the cleanliness. read more