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    Black Forest Cafe

    3.9 (59 reviews)
    Closed Closed

    Black Forest Cafe Photos

    BLACK FOREST CAFE ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Casual
    Outdoor seating
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - Black Forest Cafe

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    Menu
    Jim E.

    I'm not gunna lie, it's a little weird being on the German American Festival grounds when it's not the end of August. But where else would you go to have good German food?! The Black Forest Cafe is open year round (but NOT during the GAF), but check the hours as it varies. If you've got some German heritage in you, you'll feel right at home. The carved wooden bar and the giant coo-coo clock are IG-worthy. Likewise the giant Nutcracker. The menu is pretty vast with lots of traditional German dishes to chose from. And even some American fare for those less adventuresome in your group.

    Fireplace
    Irina G.

    If you're looking for ambience and atmosphere- this is definitely the place to visit. Located in the forest, great in the summer time since they do have a patio and ambience inside is pretty cool. Staff is very friendly and the portions are large. However, the food was very blah...dry schnitzels and barely any flavor. Didn't really taste the difference between chicken and veal. Pretzel was big but nothing spectacular.

    Gen.and Tim
    Genevieve K.

    The food was authentic, tasty and piping hot. The serving sizes were huge. We left with enough leftovers for another meal and the prices were reasonable. We love the back patio with comfy chairs. The sun was shining and the beer was quenching our thirst. Highly recommend doe family get togethers and meet ups with friends. Huhnerschnitzel

    Black Forest Cake
    Brooke M.

    What a great find! If you want authentic German food this is a must. Both adult and kid friendly. The kids chose the hot dogs and fries which they both enjoyed. We started with the shareable pretzel which is huge. It's very soft and was perfectly cooked. You get four dips which allow for lots of great combos. For dinners we enjoyed the jagerschnitzel and huhnerschnitzel. Both were perfectly cooked and super flavorful. The German potato salad was spot on. For dessert, we had both the carrot cake and Black Forest cake. While both were delicious, the carrot cake was the favorite (no nuts).

    Walkway to entrance.
    Rene M.

    I sure hate to rate this place so low as the service was great and the ambiance was super, but I can't justify a higher rating due to the lackluster food. The schnitzel was crisp and tasty, but the gravy was cold and the spaetzel was so bland I couldn't eat it. The sauerkraut was ok, but nothing that stood out as homemade or authentic German. The beer was good and the outdoor seating area was a nice option, but nothing special. The interior reminded me of an inviting hunting lodge (minus animal heads) or a German-like pub. A brick fireplace highlights one end of the room and a giant cuckoo clock is at the other. I'm sure the clock is loud, but I would have loved to have heard it. A small bar area is within the main seating area. The location is a bit hard to find. It's within a park at the rear. Follow the signs. Parking is expansive. There is a decent walking distance to the main entrance but it's flat and handicapped can use walker or scooter without too much trouble. Hours on Yelp differ from posted hours. Currently they are open w-f 11a-9p. Based on location I doubt it gets very busy. We were the only people there at 2:30. Sure wish the food had been better as I live the quaintness and uniqueness of this place.

    Erin E.

    Ok, so I would have given this place 3-4 stars if it hadn't been for the drunken labile owner ruining the entire dining experience. Food: Better than average. Our potato pancakes were a tad soggy (needed strained better), and our pork shank lacked the delicious crispy skin, but overall it's good German food, exactly what you'd expect with a great and I mean GREAT beer selection. Staff: Top notch, especially our waiter Garrett. He was fast, funny, polite, informative and attentive. He KNEW that menu and made great food and drink recommendations. Our bartender was a peach! Ambience: DUSTY, like a THICK sneeze your way through dinner crust of dust. You could see LAYERS of dust on the "roof" over the bar and the coocoo clock was encloaked with the same. The whole place needs a good scrub. The music was LOUD and weird... thriller, then top gun sound track, eye of the tiger, then oasis. Forget conversation. Now for the "fun" part: There was a drunken LOUD disruptive man in a hawiian shirt at the bar, still being served. Now it started off funny- dancing to thriller, "sucking brains" out of small children, loud laughter, and then it escalated to intrusive and slightly creepy dancing as he gyrated his way around the room slurring and stumbling, dancing with uncomfortable guests. I couldn't believe he was still being served, and said as much to the bartender. Come to find out he's an OWNER!!! As we were sitting having a drink and finishing dinner we hear a string of explotives coming from the men's bathroom. And with that comes the real fun. It was a Jeckyl and Hyde situation. Into the bathroom a jovial drunk, out of the bathroom an A$$HOLE. He was SWEARING at staff, who from what we had observed had done nothing to provoke said a$$hole. As he continued reaming them for seemingly nothing, we hurredly paid our check and bolted. I was mortified for the staff who were clearly doing their best to accomodate guests while being berrated and belittled. Over all sad, we love the GAF and German food/drink. It's hard to support a business that treats staff so poorly and treats their business like a frat house.

    Stuffed Green Pepper Soup

    The staff was excellent! The food was wonderful I just wish I would have walked or taken an Uber so that I could have enjoyed my drink.

    Black Forest Cafe Burger!!!

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    2 years ago

    Authentic German cuisine in a wonderful atmosphere. The service is top notch. I highly recommend.

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    6 years ago

    Best German food in town. Can be hard to find. Not open on weekends but worth the wiggles.

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    Hannon’s Block

    Hannon’s Block

    4.3
    (124 reviews)
    4.0 mi
    $$

    I made a brunch reservation here a few weekends ago for some girlfriends and I. Went on a Saturday…read moreand brunch is only on Sunday, womp womp. We pivoted and all had a lovely meal. Our server was so terrific. All the food was delicious. I'd been craving French onion soup and decided to give it a try and it was sofa king good. Perfection! I also had a delicious turkey club paired with a kiwi smash. The space is open with high ceilings and a long bar. It started filling up shortly after we were seated so would recommend a reservation. Will definitely be back the next time I'm in Toledo!

    Luck be a lady,…read more Bathroom: **** (clean) Quality: **** Quantity: ** Presentation: **** (well platted) Service: *** Price: $$$$ (Quality) Ambiance: (Loud/Casual/Busy) Attitude: (Chatty/Busy) Outside: No Brunch: N/A Happy Hour: N/A Overall: I've came here now a handful of times before posting a review. I've given this an ample chance I think nearly trying everything on the menu at this point. Even though the moral seems high, service attentiveness needs much improvement. 10-15+ minutes to attend to a table or even the bar, is pretty excessive. Asked for a burger medium rare got it cooked well. It's just the details of things that are missed. Meanwhile they can clean each and every glass as a priority yet, customers and orders overlooked. A little goes a long way. Hopefully it gets worked out because I'd love to come back.

    Photos
    Hannon’s Block
    Side Greek Salad
    Side Greek Salad
    Hannon’s Block

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    J. Alexander's

    J. Alexander's

    4.1
    (314 reviews)
    10.0 mi
    $$

    We celebrated a friend's birthday at J. Alexander's recently and had a wonderful experience. The…read moreservice was very good, the food was delicious, and the drinks were great! The carrot cake is a must and I don't even love carrot cake. It's that good! I had the Trout Almondine and it was soooo good! I enjoyed my leftovers very much. We were there on a Saturday night and the restaurant was busy and a little loud, but it was fun!

    Surprise surprise. My friend wanted to meet up here for lunch. I really thought this spot was out…read moreof business. On a Wednesday afternoon I figured the place would be empty. To my surprise the parking lot is packed and there's nowhere to park. No signs or anything indicating you can park around the back as I found out later so I ended up parking in the lot next door. They only have a few chicken items on the menu. One chicken sandwich and one roasted chicken dinner. I got the chicken sandwich which is the Hyde park. This is the same exact sandwich I've gotten every time I've ever been here which is why I really haven't come back because there's not a lot of selection for me. The other reason is they got rid of the croissants on the menu LOL. The service was fast and friendly and there was about a medium sized crowd inside despite the parking lot being full. They have kind of a dark semi romantic atmosphere I guess they're going for. The chicken sandwich was nice and tender. I'm not a fan of the shoe string fries because they remind me of Steak and Shake and at this price point I think they should have some good fries here. They actually had a few craft beers on tap but I thought the cocktail prices were a little extreme at 15 plus. My girl got the roasted chicken with mashed potatoes and the potatoes were ice cold so they lose a star for that. Other than that I have no complaints except that the pricing for lunch. $20 for a chicken sandwich is a bit much to me.

    Photos
    J. Alexander's
    J. Alexander's
    J. Alexander's

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    The Standard Restaurant

    The Standard Restaurant

    4.5
    (88 reviews)
    10.8 mi
    $$$

    Excellent Service, the staff is always spot on -the food is always incredible. Well worth the price.read more

    This was my second visit to The Standard, this time for an early Holiday meal. We had reservations…read morefor two and were promptly seated in a booth as requested. I hadn't realized before that there is a large room to the right of the bar area. We were there for a somewhat early dinner at 6pm on a Saturday and the place was bustling! Definitely make a reservation. (I used Open Table online two or three weeks in advance and it was very easy.) We were greeted shortly after being seated and our server advised us of the special entrees after taking our drink orders. We decided to split the roasted beet salad which also came with herbed goat cheese. Our server brought the salad on two plates- already divided. The salad was absolutely amazing!! I am seriously still craving it and the portion was so large that I couldn't even finish my half. Our server promptly boxed it up before our entrees were served. For the main course, I ordered one of the specials- scallops with rice sauteed with spinach. My friend had pork roast with carrots, which was a large portion - no complaints and she took home leftovers for another meal. I'll speak to my scallops... They were perfectly prepared, but there were only three scallops and a plentiful serving of rice and spinach. I love spinach and this side was very well seasoned. It didn't take long to eat the three scallops and the spinach pieces in the rice. I definitely enjoyed my meal, but wished for even one more scallop. Since my entree was a special that was verbally announced, I didn't know the price until I saw the bill. While it was delicious, I found the $41 charge a bit steep. The Standard is exceptional in almost every way- service was impeccable, amazing food, lovely ambiance- but be prepared for a pricey evening. My friend and I had a very enjoyable time and I definitely recommend this restaurant. I will say, however, that it can be difficult to talk because it is so busy. That said, it's popular for a reason! Check out the photos below for a virtual experience.

    Photos
    Bar area
    Bar area
    Lamb chops - the flavor was incredible
    Lamb chops - the flavor was incredible
    Adult beverages!

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    Adult beverages!

    Black Forest Cafe - german - Updated June 2026

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