nice and surprisingly big/spacious restaurant and cafe. I initially came to do some work, and treated it like a cafe. unfortunately the coffee menu is pretty sparse and leaves something to be desired (just iced tea and coffee), but it seems like a wonderful place to hang out as a bar. there's lots of fun items on their menu, and I also tried the pretzels, which came out fresh and warm. I saw they also have bar trivia and would definitely come back to try more foods on the menu! the service was friendly and the space was nice, particularly the booth and corner seating by the entrance with large windows. read more

I ended up at Black Forest Brooklyn by accident. I had plans to drink and watch The Knicks play at a spot nearby but that place was packed with people desperate to catch the bartender's attention. I wasn't in the mood to beg for drink service and I was also at "hangry" levels. Left out of there and I walked into Black Forest Brooklyn. Best decision I had made all day. It was cozy and dimly lit inside. The atmosphere was more like a pub than the usual loud, beer garden. They also had The Knicks game showing on the big screen at the bar but this place wasn't spilling over with people. I asked for a menu and decided on a burger of course! Out of pure greed, I requested a double. I did NOT need a double. My burger was sooo good. Patties were perfectly well done and the cheese was smooth and melted nicely. The sautéed onions added extra flavor and I really liked the shoestring fries. I'm more of a steak fries person but these were great! I asked the bartender to suggest a beer that had a Blue Moon quality since they don't actually serve that brand. She gave me a sample of something from the tap that was on point, so I went with a full glass. Whenever I'm craving the perfect burger and beer combo, Black Forest Brooklyn will be at the top of my list from now on. read more

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Black Forest is by far the very best German restaurant in Brooklyn. We lived in Germany for 4 years and can really appreciate good German food. They have excellent German (and other) beer on tap. The menu has a large selection to choose from. We've been in several times and have never been disappointed by the food. Service is great and the place is comfortable and clean. read more

How can you come to New York without celebrating Oktoberfest? Ya can't! So our party of eight walked over to Black Forest Brooklyn, grabbed a table and ordered a ton of food and steins of beer. I ordered their Chicken Schnitzel with a green salad and German potato salad. I really enjoyed this choice. My stein of Stiegl Goldbräu Austrian Märzen beer was perfect. This was a great place to spend a Sunday afternoon. read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - Our Oktoberfest - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Classic German Beer Hall atmosphere and beers with big soft pretzels with table side service, but with Brooklyn exceptions like vegan sausage, impossible burger, and kale apple almond salad. Grateful my beer loving vegan partner can come and enjoy the atmosphere that otherwise may not be so inviting without the addition of these exceptions, now if only we could win trivia nights too! The backyard welcomes dogs to dine outside under covered patio tables in case of rain, which made it an easy choice for a Saturday afternoon in the spring. read more

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A very chill beer garden, with attentive staff and a great variety of beer. I came with a couple of friends and ordered the 13 beer tasting (very generous tasting) and a pretzel to share. It's like an Oktoberfest type of bar. read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - 13 Beer tasting - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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I've been hyperfixated on the combo of soft pretzel, mustard, and beer since i had it on the super bowl. Lo and behold there is a biergarten in my neighborhood and a vegan brat to boot. The brat is more trader joes soyrizo (extremely seasoned) than a brat but im not mad. Sauerkraut was aight. The pretzels are scrumptious and the beers, esp the one w banana are a delite. Will be coming here again to scratch that specific itch read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - Giant pretzel, vegan brat - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

My wife and I have been coming to Black Forest many times over the years -- probably more than ten visits. We always loved this place, even during COVID times, when going out was difficult. Unfortunately, today was very disappointing, and we realized that the restaurant has changed for the worse. I hope the owner reads this review and takes some action. First, the food: we always order the four-sausage platter with sides, but this time it was terrible. The sausages were dry, burnt, and blackened, nothing like the juicy and tasty ones we had before. Honestly, they were almost inedible, as if they had been frozen and poorly cooked. Second, the atmosphere: instead of German or European-style music, there was loud rap/hip-hop playing, and the TVs were showing women's basketball. This is not what we expect from a German beer hall. We come here for the German atmosphere -- beer, pretzels with mustard, sausages, and a European vibe. Third, the restroom was disappointing. The only soap available was a pump bottle sitting on the counter, and the pump didn't work. I had to take it apart just to wash my hands. Clearly, it's refilled often, but this setup looks unprofessional compared to a proper wall-mounted dispenser. Overall, the atmosphere felt completely wrong, and the food was truly bad. We will not be returning for at least six months. Please do something to bring back the quality and authenticity that once made this place so special. We plan to visit your second location soon and hope for a better experience there. Thank you. read more

Biergarten in Brooklyn, ja? Fort Greene, ja? Big portions for such German stomachs, ja? A pretzel so majestic that not requires cheese but onlee mustard and still tastes hot and fresh out of zee oven, ja? Strong appetites for manee people, ja? Ze sausage platter for four people eez perfect for zat, ja. All saltee, all perfectlee cooked and served beauitufullee ja, in an array of formeedable fashion and make you feel proud of such meats displayed before you, ja. Zee Spätzle, which eez German pasta, ja, eez zuper fresh ja. Ja, zee mushroom gravee eez zomething zat eez incredible as a side. I highly recommend it, ja. In fact, all zee sides are so delightful and fresh, if not for zee fact that the German potato salad has onions in it. Zat eez zee onlee con, ja? Danka Black Forest, I will be back, ja? read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - Giant Pretzel - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Wow wow and wow! I can't believe how perfect every dish was. The meal portions and employee responsiveness were impressive. I didn't anticipate becoming a regular here. The food makes the visit worthwhile. This place satisfied me fully. read more

Went here for dinner with my coworkers. We ordered chicken schnitzel, which comes with 2 sides of your choice. I opted for the potato salad and sauerkraut. My friends ordered the fries and mashed potatoes. It was my first time having schnitzel, and it was SO good that I ended up eating everything! The beer was refreshing and such a great pairing to the schnitzel. The service was very quick and the staff was friendly. The only complaint I have is that the restaurant's lighting is very dim and we had a hard time reading the menu so I had to use my phone flashlight. Eventually, one of the employees did give us small electric candles that helped. Otherwise, this was a great place to come with friends for dinner! read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Had a wonderful experience here with my husband and kids. We were all very satisfied with our meals, the customer service was good- and we appreciated the inclusive vibe as well. Will definitely go back the next time we're in the area read more

I got the brezel, mashed potatoes, and spaetzle. All 3 were great. I wish I got the kasespaetzle. He got goulash and soup. All was good. We played Tuesday night trivia. We had a lot of fun. I would come back again. The waiters worked really hard. read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - Brezel - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

Came here after coaching a game over at Brooklyn Tech field. We ordered the Brezel and the original Flammkuchen (FK). The FK was great my favorite part about it was the caramelized onions really gave the flatbread a sweet and savory balance. The Brezel was warm but not enough salt compared to other German brezels I have had in the past. The server was great and prompt in coming to the table to take the order for the group. read more

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Super delicious german draft beers + foods here! You have to order on your phone and pay, then the food comes out pretty quick! I actually liked this way of ordering and paying - very efficient. We ordered to share: 1) 0.5 liter draft original hofbrau, 2) brezel, 3) pork schnitzel with house potato salad and shoe string fries, 4) bratwurst. Draft original hofbrau beer - so delicious! I don't drink a lot so this size was just right for me (they also offer a 1 liter one). The beer was so smooth and refreshing! Bretzel - this was the smaller sized pretzel that came with a mustard dipping sauce. The pretzel was delicious but wish it was a little warmer. The mustard was strong so we didn't dip the pretzel in it that much. Pork schnitzel with house potato salad and shoe string fries - highly recommended! The pork schnitzel was so delicious, tender and crispy and well seasoned. The house potato salad was outstanding - has pickles on it so it made the potato salad even tastier! The shoe string fries was delicious as well - better than mcdonalds fries! Bratwurst - it was delicious and savory. It comes with a mustard dipping sauce. We are not fans of mustard so we tried it once (sorry for wasting it). Super chill and comfortable seating areas! The staffs were friendly and nice. Delicious german draft beers and foods within brooklyn! We enjoyed ourselves here very much and will be back soon! read more

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I randomly popped in while having a walk on a Friday. This is a pretty authentic German biergarten that emulates the "open air" vibe with skylights. The menu has some variety but I wanted that brat basket! I had a half glass of kolsch to wash it down. It was perfectly perfect. The bartender, Julian, was a gem. I walked in and immediately was greeted. It was a little empty when I arrived but it VERY quickly picked up with 2 5 tops and a few singles. He handled it like a pro. I'll be back for sure. read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I came here last week with friends to watch the Colombia -Uruguay game . My friend got tickets so we were seated right away and the tickets came with beer. I got the dunkel but the original haufbraus is also a great lager. The waitress was accommodating and overall it was a fun place to watch the game. I'll have to go back again for a regular night. read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - They have a large drop down screen for sports games - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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This is one of my absolute favorite spots in Brooklyn and my go-to German restaurant! I love the interior and how chill it is. The artwork is so beautiful! The staff is always very nice and we're usually seated very quickly. The prices aren't too bad and the food is delicious! We were here recently and had our usual: a currywurst sausage and a pork schnitzel with a 1L of Grapefruit Schofferhofer beer. The currywurst is always full of flavor and the sausage is always juicy and succulent and full of flavor! I love making a sandwich with the pretzel breadloaf it comes with. It comes with a side of fries that I love dipping into the curry sauce. It's very tasty! The pork schnitzel is tender and flavorful as well. It's a sandwich on a brioche bun with tomato and lettuce and a side of fries. I fell in love with grapefruit Schofferhofer because of this spot! It's one of my absolute favorite alcoholic beverages and a favorite that I always have whenever I visit Black Forest. Overall, this is a nice spot with delicious food and a great selection of beers. It's a perfect spot for chilling with friends and has some great small businesses around that are worth checking out afterwards! read more

After continuing to frequent this establishment, due to the excellent food, I finally figured out how to delete my prior review (which wasn't so flattering due to service). But I believe in giving credit where credit is due, and the service here has GREATLY improved, at least from my perspective! The portions continue to be great and the price is right! I recommend it to all Brooklynites and those looking to enjoy the ambience of Fort Greene. I believe you won't be disappointed! read more

All you need to know: -Excellent beer selection. You'll find stuff here that likely won't be in any other German bar elsewhere in NYC -Food was phenomenal. Get a pretzel roll. -Server couldn't have been nicer -Open, welcoming space close to the subway 5/5. Don't miss it. read more

I love the inside and outside space. This location has skylights inside and the patio garden of the Smith st location is beautiful (summer). I'm a fave of the contactless order system for both Black Forest locations. Food options are good but limited. However, they have a great cocktail list which can be hard to find at beer inspired places. read more

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I think Black Forest is great. Good, reasonably priced food & drinks. It's the best in the summer time when you can sit outdoors and enjoy the weather while eating and drinking. The workers here are usually nice, but there isn't a lot of interaction with them because of the online tab thing they have going on. I'd recommend the giant pretzel and spaeztle with mushroom gravy! read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - Chicken sausage - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Wow! We so enjoyed our visit. You order from your phone. Everything comes immensely fast. The waiters were so kind! The food was phenomenal but the drinks were over the top out of this world (enjoy your beer in a boot). One of the best meals I've ever enjoyed. You MUST try the giant pretzel. read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - Giant Pretzel & Beer in Boot - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I like the food. But do not order food from there. I ordered on Seamless and the food never came. Restaurant never picked up the phone for either Seamless or me. Called the Smith Street location and they told me they can't get in touch with them either. Horrible. Will never order again. read more

"0.5" Nothing is wrong with the beer but come on. Put a little into the customer service people. I understand when restaurants make mistakes or miss an order. But when you call attention to it, it should be fixed. And then when it's not fixed you should be apologetic not defensive. I waited for 40 minutes for a simple beer, well I mean it was a draft, and got a huge attitude. I didn't curse, I didn't cry, I just asked for the 2nd time. The bartender acted like I personally insulted her family and turned it around on me: not cool. I make mistakes all of the time. Own up. read more

The hostess there last night was incredibly rude We had to wait over 30 minutes for our table (when we had a reservation) and she was a complete jerk to us the entire time I love the food/beer here, but she treated our whole table like garbage from the minute we arrived I honestly don't know how she is employed in hospitality, should be fired immediately read more

It's Octoberfest but since I'm not drinking I will amuse myself with a love story, Bavarian-style. _ For this week's random restaurant pick is this German beer garden in Brooklyn with a romantic origin. Owner Ayana and Tobias says, "We grew up in Germany's Black Forest, but only met in Brooklyn." _ Sweet! I find love more intoxicating than beer ! I enjoyed their flatbreads, schnitzels and wursts! _ @blackforestbrooklyn @eater_ny #curious_eater #bavariancuisine #germanbeerhall #beergarden #brooklyneats #brooklynrestaurant #lovestories #foodlover #germanfood #octoberfest2019 #octoberfest @ Black Forest on Smith read more

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My partner reserved one of the "cabins" for a date night, and felt incredibly embarrassed after doing so because Black Forest was so awful. The "cabin" is a plastic hut with a desktop-sized heater (think about 6" by 3"), which was not on before we got in to the cabin, so it was freezing. The door was wide open and there were already holes in the plastic. Realizing this, the host assured us "it warms up quick." It doesn't, and it didn't. The cabins had no light; our only light source was the bodega we found ourselves sitting in front of. We couldn't take off our coats/hats/scarves. We tried to because we had dressed up nicely for the occasion, but that was ultimately a waste. All ordering done online, including tipping. You have to tip upon ordering, which means they don't have to provide really any service whatsoever and still get a tip. You're seated around the corner from the restaurant entirely, and you have to walk to the restaurant bar to pick up your drinks, then walk them past the various pan handlers on the street to get back to your freezing cabin. We did not receive any service--no water, no "how is the food?" The server opened the cabin door slightly and handed the dishes over to us and left. We got our food 15 minutes before the 60 minute time limit was up. Almost as soon as we received our food, an employee came by to let us know that they had another reservation coming up in 20 minutes, so we should "hurry." By the end of the night, we paid nearly $100 to sit, freezing cold, outside of a bodega in a tent. The subway station was warmer than our cabin. We wished that we had instead just ordered take-out and watched a movie, then put the money towards something far better. There are so many businesses really struggling right now, and it's a shame that this place is overcharging for perhaps the worst NYC restaurant experience I've had, yet stays afloat. Pretty much, buy a couple of bodega sandwiches and a bottle of wine and you'll have a better night than you would if you went to Black Forest. read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - The "heater" in the "cabin" lol - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

I've been to this Black Forest location a few times and it's a nice go-to spot for a easy casual night out. There's beer. The sausages are good. And you can hear your friends talk. The restaurant/bar is quite spacious and they have adapted to scanned toast tab menus as many others have. Solid choice for any night of the week. read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - Sausage platter with 4 sides - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

This place is 5 starts considering the food quality, beverage selection and general vibe. The reason some patrons have complained is the ordering process which does require you to be somewhat tech savvy. But in today's world, NYC restaurants can't survive without operating efficiently. Cut them some slack and use your phone to order some of the outstanding beer, German pretzels and other dishes! read more

Nice to have an authentic feeling German restaurant in Fort Greene! The Bratwurst and Kasewurst meals were great. Brezel was delicious too, their mustard is AMAZING. Would definitely return, ample indoor and outdoor seating. Service was a bit slow. The portions were HUGE so come hungry or leave with leftovers. read more

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Place disappoints. I hate begging a bartender or waitress for a drink and it's a German beer bar.

Love the QR code menu and ordering on your phone, it cuts down on wait time or trying to flag down your server! Had the pork schnitzel with fries & house spatzle, highly recommend! Schnitzel was thin and crisp, while the fries were crunchy and not too oily (passed the next day leftover test). First time having spatzle and will get it again. The thin dumplings have a great texture and the gravy is tasty, I ended up dipping instead of pouring the gravy over to avoid sogginess. read more

I find it really weird reviewing things right now, but leggo. Everything was contactless and the only time I interacted with anyone was when the food and drinks came. Ordered everything using an app, paid for everything using an app, and tipped using an app. It was nice being able to just get up and go when everything was over. Ordered a mojito and a Froze, both were good, I thought the Froze could use a little more flavor though. Split an impossible burger and a side of fries...that burger tasted amazing and had a slight char to it. Was not expecting that at all. Other than the prices, I thought everything was good. read more

My recent visit to Black Forest was quite disappointing. They apparently "have a new menu" so upon ordering, my friend and I each learned that our choices were no longer options. This could have been pointed out beforehand. I mean, who removes a cheese plate from a menu--really? Actual items we received were a bit of a mixed bag. The German Old Fashioned was way too sweet, as was my friend's Currywurst. The more traditional Nurnberger wurst with sauerkraut and garlic mashed potatoes was on point, though. Service was brutal. Slow to begin with, and absent after we received our food. I could not find our server (Eduardo) and quite literally had to wander around and find someone to get us our check so we could (barely) get to BAM on time for a movie. Honestly, I'd go lower, but I've been to Black Forest before and generally enjoyed, so there is some goodwill built up. There was a holiday party going on and it was somewhat--though not overwhelmingly--crowded. Hopefully it was just a bad night, but I feel much more reluctant to come back here than I ever would have expected. read more

Terrible experience at this place. Servers complained to us about how overwhelmed and backed up they were. Our waiter tonight was rude and said we had to order everything at once even though we said we wanted to take our time with beers and apps. Food was cold despite being delivered to our table at the same time time as our appetizer because apparently they were "too busy" to stagger it even though we specifically said we'd like to have it spaced out. Half the tables were empty. Another server offered to send over the manager to make things right after she acknowledged the poor service level, but that never happened. All this after we, earlier tonight, demanded a refund from the Smith St location for overselling their Oktoberfest event that my family looked forward to enjoying. Upon arrival there was nowhere for us to sit and they said it was first come first served despite our pre-paying over $200 in advance with a reservation. Stupid us for trying to still give this place our business and salvage the experience despite being so disappointed at the first place. So disappointed to see this place decline after years of loyal patronage. read more

I love brunch. I love German food. I love beer. Black Forest Brooklyn has all of the above. I rallied up some peeps to try out their brunch last Saturday. I was not disappointed. Actually, I already know that I need to go back. There are items I missed that looked mouth watering like the over sized pretzel!! And some of the crafty beers. For an additional $19 you can get UNLIMITED drinks (mimosa, beermosa and Bloody Mary's) for 2 hours. I was on aunt duty after brunch so I stuck to the one beermosa. The beer actually cut back on the acidity of the orange juice. It was a great breakfast boozy brunch beverage. On the food menu, I was drawn to the rolled omelettes. You get to pick three ingredients, it comes with salad and potatoes. I had to have kale, goat cheese and smoked salmon. When the food arrived the potatoes were cooked just right. The salad was well seasoned and actually had flavor. Normally the side salads are left behind because of their boring existence. On the table there was a collection of mustards and ketchups. Even the the Berlin fave condiment Curry Ketchup was in the basket. There was a lack of hot sauces. And what they brought when you asked was a tiny bowl of some sort of chili paste. Spicy-madness! This place is located in Fort Greene. We had to move our chair a couple times to let some strollers through. I like that the restaurant has a variety of seating. There's the intimate window catching up sofas, the anti social bar, the small intimate four tops and the rager large tables. There's also cute German decor like a collection of cuckoo clocks. Adorable spot for brunch and the food is a nice change of pace. And a great neighborhood to walk around and work off the feast. I will return for the German breakfast, spaetzle, potato latkes and apple sauce. Lecker! I can't wait. read more

Black Forest Brooklyn - German Near Me - Brooklyn, New York

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Excited for tickets to the last night of October fest, but ended up being disappointed by the experience. Arrived early for 6 pm reservations. Told to sit anywhere (even thought we reserved indoor seating). Many tables were dirty as the wait staff didn't have time to clean up. The atmosphere was lively, however the place was quickly slammed. We cannot blame the wait staff as they tried their best but were overwhelmed. It took an 90 mins for us to get a pretzel. We were afraid to order a meal, because the delays were so bad. We left to eat dinner elsewhere. We recommend Black Forest hire extra staff and meal runners considering the tickets were sold out. read more

Friend remember this place after our first place for brunch didn't work out. Good thing too! This place was almost empty and worked out for a big group with a toddler. We had our own little corner away from others so we wouldn't be too much of a disturbance to other patrons. The restaurant has hooks on the walls to hang bags or coats which is a nice touch. Wooden tables and benches...very casual and laid back. Without a doubt, you need to order a Reisenbrezel, giant warm pretzel with German mustard. The food came pretty quick after we placed our order. Brunch is a good size plate. Got the black forest benedikt (2 poached eggs, black forest ham, homemade butter biscuits with a side salad). It was pretty good. The German breakfast looks good (and it comes with a brezel - warm pretzel)...have to try next time. The waitress checked on us from time to time and refilled the coffee cups that we're empty. Great service. There is a bar in the front if you want a drink. There are 5 non-gender restrooms. One was a bit wet so went to another one which was cleaner. Nice place, have to try other stuff next time. read more

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So now you have to order on your phone and there is zero interaction with your server. Which is just an excuse for management to cut staff. Which I won't support. I won't be back here again. Shame on this once-cozy spot for choosing efficiency over warmth. Also the prices are out of control $40 plus dollars for 4 sausages? You're crazy. read more