(2 forks)
2034 W. Irving Park Rd.
773-472-1749
Dinner hours: 5-10 p.m. Mon.-Thu.; 5-11 p.m. Fri.; 4-11 p.m. Sat.;
4-10 p.m. Sun.
Credit cards: M, V
Noise factor: Conversation friendly (this paragraph as published has been corrected in this text)
First impressions
It’s an Old World look: German beer steins line the shelves and beer advertisements hang on the paneled walls in this small bar. Customers sigh with relief when warm weather allows the beer garden out back to open.
On the plate
No nouvelle cuisine here. Hearty and huge portions of German fare are heavy on the schnitzels and sausages.
At your service
Get there early to avoid a wait. The staff is friendly (“How you doing, hon?”), though rushed at times; get out of the way when servers bear down the aisle with loaded platters.
Second helpings
Any of the sausages (brats, thuringer, knackwurst) sizzle. Fine potato pancakes are crispy on the outside, tender on the inside and served with rich, thick sour cream and applesauce. The top-notch sauerkraut tastes wonderfully of caraway. German potato salad has just the right tang of vinegar and a good dose of smoky bacon bits. The huge bowl of split-pea soup (or goulash) is manna for the winter-weary.
Take a pass
Pork shank is a fatty hock that takes more work to eat than it’s worth. Turkey schnitzel is not a cutlet but a mixture of ground turkey and other ingredients that tastes more like meat loaf.
Thirst quenchers
A long, long list of German beers makes it great fun
to experiment. Try a tall refreshing weissbier with its requisite slice of lemon, or a robust bock.
Extras
With most dinners, you get a bread basket with rye bread and a hearty, thick pumpernickel and the daily soup or a typical green salad.
Price range
Soups and salads, $1.75-$7.95; sandwiches, $4.25-$7.95; main courses, $7.50-$12.50; side dishes, $1-$2.75; drinks $1.25 for sodas to $5 per 1/2 liter of beer.
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Ratings key: 4 forks, don’t miss it; 3 forks, one of the best; 2 forks, very good; 1 fork, good
Reviews are based on anonymous visits by Tribune staff members. The meals are paid for by the Tribune.
