Rhein Haus

If you love food and beer, this is the spot for you! Rhein Haus is a beer garden that serves up pretty authentic German food with a large selection of brews. It is a wonderful spot for a large group and they even have big screen TVs everywhere so you can watch whatever sports event is happening! If watching sports isn’t your jam, they even have bocce ball for you to play while sippin’ your drinks. I love this spot year round, but especially in the summer when you can enjoy their patio!

Whether you go with a large or small group there is one menu item you cannot skip – the soft pretzel. They offer a regular or giant size. I personally recommend the giant size because it is just more fun. Plus the giant size comes with all 3 of their dipping sauces – beer cheese, honey mustard and obatzda (kinda like an onion-garlic thick cheese spread). Their pretzels are so soft and buttery with a nice even sprinkling of salt. My next favorite appetizer is their currywurst. It is sliced brat served with fries and curry ketchup. It is a classic street food in Germany that you can find at almost every corner from street vendors! It is a tasty combination and the curry ketchup really adds a lovely flavor. Curry ketchup has a warm, spice flavor – think of curry powder that is mixed with ketchup. It cuts the sweetness and acid of the ketchup to make it a more rich, deep flavor that I could eat with everything. Being married to a German, we always have curry ketchup at the house because well, it is just better!

Now to the mains! I don’t even know where to start with these because it is so hard to choose from since they all slap so hard. If you are sticking with the authentic German vibe, then I recommend the Schweinshaxe, Schnitzel, or the Wurst platter. If you are not familiar with Schweinshaxe, besides being an extremely difficult word to pronounce, it is a braised pork shank. Rhein Haus serves it with mashed potatoes, crispy brussels sprouts and wholegrain mustard for a wonderful combination. The pork shank is crispy on the outside and perfectly tender and juicy meat inside. It is HUGE though, and you will definitely have leftovers and probably make a mess eating it – but it’s more fun that way! Schnitzel is another traditional German dish, one that is more commonly known and Rhein Haus does an amazing version. It is a thin pork cutlet that is then breaded and fried, served with a shallot butter sauce and slaw. Another version is the Jagerschnitzel that comes with a wonderful mushroom gravy. Jagerschnitzel is a bit heavier, but this is my preferred version since I love mushrooms – if mushrooms aren’t your jam, stick with the regular schnitzel. Lastly, the wurst platter; they have two options. One option is a smaller version where you can choose one of their sausages served with sauerkraut. The second (and better) option is the sampler. It comes with all of their sausage flavors and you can even add their seasonal sausage for just a few more dollars. It is also served with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, but I recommend asking to swap the mashed potatoes for the cheesy spatzle or potato salad (they are just more interesting!). This sampler is not for the faint of heart though, and if you attempt to single this plate, you are either going to have a lot of leftovers or some serious heartburn! No matter what you order, make sure to save room for dessert! The Berliners are my favorite – little donut holes with jam and powdered sugar. And if you’re there on Friday or Saturday, don’t skip their apple strudel with a scoop of ice cream.

I highly recommend going with a large(r) group of friends for this spot so you can try all the yummy food that you don’t want to miss out on. Or just go multiple times and get one new dish every time you go. For their full menu and to check out their event calendar, click here.