Oh my! Top choice of locals for good reason. Come so hungry and then plan to leave so full. We got…read morethe sampler and made the mistake of trying to eat it all. It's enough for 4 people but the two of us went to town. I most recommend the garlic wurst and the gypsy pork for flavor but if you've never had rouladen then Bodensee's is great and authentic. As usual for me, the German sides steal the show. The purple cabbage, spatzele, and potato salad were perfect. The Erdinger Dunkle and francshicanner (sp?) were excellent drink pairings. I took a picture of the huge tray that came out to the neighboring table as well as our sampler on our table. Service was quick, thorough, and helpful for any questions. Definitely going here for German again!

We first visited Bodensee about eight years ago, and at the time we thought it was probably the…read morebest restaurant in town. Unfortunately, our most recent visit was a bit of a disappointment. What was once a quaint spot with outstanding service and mouthwatering food now feels like just another restaurant. The atmosphere was fine and the service was still good, but the food didn't live up to our previous experience. We both ordered schnitzel--mine with Jäger gravy and my wife's with Gypsy gravy. Mine was decent, but hers was noticeably different from what she remembered. She had really been looking forward to it and ended up quite disappointed. It wasn't a bad meal, but it definitely didn't recapture what made our first visit so memorable.

If you're looking for authentic German food with an amazing river view, this is the place…read more I went with four friends and, as always, it was an amazing experience. This was my fourth time here, and I always bring someone new and everyone always leaves impressed. We ordered the Schweinehaxe, a traditional German dish, and it was absolutely delicious, full of flavor and perfectly cooked. It's definitely something I always go for when I visit because it's a must-try here. One of my friends was seriously impressed. We also had the mashed potatoes, which were very tasty, and one of my friends ordered the meatloaf and loved it. Overall, the food is very authentic, with plenty of traditional German options to choose from. The service was excellent, and the atmosphere is very welcoming. There was even live music, which made the experience even better. Another highlight is the view, the restaurant sits right by the river, which makes the whole experience even more enjoyable. Highly recommend this place. It's definitely one of those spots you keep coming back to and want to bring new people to.

Of all the restaurants we visited this week, this one was by far the best! The outdoor dining along…read morethe river is absolutely amazing and really adds to the overall experience. Jamie was an excellent server--friendly, attentive, and spot-on with recommendations. I decided to try the Rahm Schnitzel, and it was outstanding. My wife chose the Jäger Schnitzel, and it was just as fantastic. If you're visiting Helen, GA, I highly recommend giving this place a try!

Family friendly German and Czech food. We had our dog with us and they found us a placed outside on…read morethe covered porch. The food was good, with good portions. Service was friendly. My grandson loved his spaetzle, my daughter loved her brats. The goulash was good, but not great: I'll have something else next time. Did not go inside, so I cannot speak to noise or ambiance. The porch was nice, though.

Tried this place for dinner based on their reviews. The host was nice. The manager who seated us…read morewas really nice. My server very nice too. My biggest complaint is about the wait encountered. I was quoted about 30 minutes to be seated and was probably a little over that, thankfully with other parties leaving to get progressed through the list faster. Once we were seated though, the first thing our waitress said is that it was going to be another hour before the kitchen would have our food out. In reality, time from seating to getting our food was probably was closer to an hour and a half. I ordered the wiener schnitzel with potato salad and spätzle. Everything tasted very good. I enjoyed my schnitzel. I liked the flavor of their potato salad a lot but didn't care for peas being in it. That was a first for me. The spätzle was good. I did order it with some additional toppings which were missing when it came out. No way I was sending it back. The plain original one was fine and they fixed the check no problem before cashing out. All in all, I would recommend this place on the food if their was not a wait. I would be hesitant to recommend it if you get waitlisted outside because of how long it took the kitchen. I hope they get that figured out. On food alone I wpuld of gave them 4 stars. For me tonight and the overall experience, I have to drop it to 3.

Friendly service. Tasty food and they accommodated my request regarding a change up from the menu…read moredescription for my food. Hubby had a draft pull of Spaten and we appreciated the warmth inside the restaurant on a cold afternoon. On the down side, the bathroom needs attention. A little cleanup in there and a new toilet seat that isn't broken would be great!!

Wouldn't know..we tried to get a table for lunch and they decided to abruptly stop serving in the…read moremiddle of the afternoon during Oktoberfest. It might not be fair to only give them two stars as their food might be awesome but the staff was rude. The food at peoples tables looked mediocre at best and I noticed two tables with plates more than half full pushed off to the side. I'm gonna say most of the restaurants in the area have terrible reviews bc I believe they rely heavily on the "tourist" factor. Out of all of them, this one did have the highest review at the time which is why we chose it. But the service turned us away immediately. I understand it's Octoberfest in lil Germany USA, but don't be rude to your customers bc you weren't prepared :/

This was my first time visiting Helen, Georgia. I came here to visit a friend of mine, and we came…read moreto spend the day here. My friend recommended going to this restaurant and I'm so glad that we did. Why you were waiting on a table as the dining room is rather small you can pick up something from their bakery. They had lots of delicious treats. I did have the cheese danish, which was amazing. For lunch, I started with the tomato basil soup probably one of the best I've ever had. I got the grilled ham and Swiss with potato chips. I definitely would recommend this place for breakfast or lunch however be prepared to wait for the good food. Julie was our server and she was very attentive and professional.

Most authentic meal I had in Helen. Wonderful friendly staff, a great to go bakery and deli and a…read moresmall German product shop. Whether it's breakfast or lunch, you can't go wrong.

It was 22 degrees out today and we were so ecstatic to try the Old Bavaria Inn when we found out…read morethey had a dog friendly indoor section of the restaurant. I feel the food and beer were all very reasonably priced. This restaurant will be the first place we go to on our next trip here because of how friendly the service and restaurant were to us and our pup. Food arrived hot, beer ice cold, and all without too much of a hit to the wallet. What else can you ask for?

This little eatery is hidden down an alley with several other stores. You have to really be on the…read morelookout for it. Right next to copper kettle fudge factory. The poor waiter seemed bored to tears as it was 2pm when I stopped in for lunch and only 2 other tables occupied. From what i could see, it's a very small place. I had the sausage plate with sauerkraut, German potato salad (this was a bit bland and cold, I prefer it warm), and red cabbage. I loved the two mustards provided. This was a decent size lunch portion. I added a glass of draft beer and ordered a slice of Black Forest cake. The cake was okay but I'd skip it if I came back. The beer was cold and delicious. Bit more than I care to pay for lunch ($43.64) but from everything I've read on Yelp about other restaurants in the area, you are paying for being a tourist.

We decided we had to try one of the many marginally scored German restaurants while in Helen…read more Finally selected The Heidelberg and we are so glad we did! They seated us quickly and served us equally as fast! We started with a soft pretzel. It was perfectly warm and soft on the inside. Well, but not overly, salted. Served with a warm ramekin of melted butter as well as a warm ramekin of cheese sauce. Both were delicious options. Additionally, they have 3 mustard options on the table. Perfect start! We then decided to split the Jaegerschnitzel with German potato salad and spatzel. Coincidentally, I specifically wanted spatzel then preferred every other thing we ate to that. It wasn't bad. It was just fairly plain. The schnitzel itself was flawlessly breaded and exquisitely fried. Crispy, tender, delicious! Wow! The German potato salad--warm and yet another WOW! I do not understand the marginal reviews. Yum! Would definitely come back!

Fantastic location, sadly the food is only soso. The first…read moreissue is that there are only the massive dinner portions unless you want a sandwich. If you and a friend are in the mood for the same thing then share a meal for sure. It would be nice if they had a lunch portion available. I ended up with a schnitzel sandwich which is basically just a friend chicken sandwich. It was fine for what it was. My friend got a Bauernwutsteller and it was not good. We had to send it back. The Kartoffelsalat was not very good either. Beer was good. Had high hopes, but alas not to be.

We stopped in here on our quick visit to Helen after helping my family with a move to North…read moreGeorgia. It was a sweltering day outside and the A/C and cold beers were definitely a welcomed sight. The owner and staff we spoke with were so friendly and gave my brother in law (who will be close by now) the run down on upcoming Oktoberfest events and when the best times to visit were to avoid the insane college weekends. We had one of the most delicious pretzels I've ever consumed and I took precisely zero pictures of it because it didn't last long. Inside the shop is small but they have a big beautiful outdoor seating space with games at each table. We look forward to visiting again in the cooler months and checking out their sister store up the road.

This place was just ok. The outside was cute and lured us in. Service was average and more of a…read moreto-go place, not a sit-down place. You order your food up front and can grab it and take it outside. We enjoyed our pretzels and beer here, but wish we didn't have to wait inside for a while before getting our food (or that it could have been walked out to us). Prices were great for the location. Liked the string game outside (where you try to get the string on the hook). A great little stop for a quick, cheap bite. Not necessarily a place to linger.

Wonderful waitress! Pleasant atmosphere and my food was good. The live music and eating outside on…read morethe patio was so nice during the current weather. I loved sitting by the river.

Love this place It's the center of everything. Generally…read morelive music playing, people watching, wonderful beers to choose from and a large chess board and a corn hole set too. Like any good Biergarten, it is the center of town. Love it here!

We really liked this place. After walking around for two hours with most everything closed because…read morewe were here outside of the season, this place was able to provide us with the German food we had been seeking. We had the Wiener Schnitzel and the Bratwurst, and both were very good. Lucas provided us with excellent service. This place does not deserve the low rating. I highly recommend.

When I was in Helen for Oktoberfest we stopped off at Cafe International for a some food and drink…read more I would say overall, it was a pleasant experience. But not much really made it stand out. With many of the spots on the main drag, the food is going to be pricey for the quality/quantity you get. So, keep expectations in line. My guess is that most of there customer base are tourists. The menu was pretty standard for the area along with the tap list. I will say, the service was better than the average joint on the strip. Our servers were friendly and attentive. It also has a nice little patio section that is fully covered. It allows you to sit outside near the water. When I go to Helen again I might end up here. I'm not opposed. But also not going to seek it out.