Been there many times I love the schnitzel cordon bleu (extra cheese and ham). It is excellent, and my wife likes the schnitzel.

This Diner is wonderful. The staff made us feel welcome and the food was perfect. We will return for more, they made us feel like we were home, very welcoming. She even liked my little dog ! read more

Great authentic German food. Yummy salads and cakes are to die for!!! Definitely recommend.

Loved this place! So close to food in Germany as I remember it. Right flavors, right appearance, great selection of German beers. My family wanted to come back multiple times but just didn't have the time while in town. read more

Absolutely wonderful staff and food!! The location is unexpected but once inside with the friendly and accommodating staff it is comfy! We started with desert, cappuccino chocolate cake, then the garlic cream schnitzel with mashed potatoes! DELICIOUS! read more

Don't judge this place by its dinner salad. It's a salad. Not the best salad I've ever had, but I eat my vegetables when I'm told. This place is a gem and feels like going to grandma's house for some darn good food. We've had many of the schnitzels and entrees, and always leave clean plates. And don't leave grandma's house without cake (get a slice of all the different cakes you can!). The two staff (front and back) are fantastic. The type of folks I like having a drink with, especially if it's one of their classic German beers!). Bottom line (literally): never trust a grandma that makes a good salad. read more

The name says it all! I don't know a lot about German food and a brief few days in Berlin many many years ago had told me for the longest time that I don't like it. Well I was wrong! This place is delicious and I am so surprised at how much I enjoyed it. My spouse loves German food and we had to finally dine in after being fully vaccinated since we pass by this spot frequently. We got the doner schnitzel, with a side salad and bratkartoffeln, one of the wursts, and sauerbraten with spaetzle and kraut. My favorite thing was the kraut! It was stir fried and had nice browned parts and was just a tasty dish. I could have eaten just a giant pile of that for dinner. The spaetzle was soft and squishy and I don't know how it's supposed to be but it was a great mild complement to the other parts of my meal. I had wanted roulauden but missed the part on the menu where they only serve it on Saturdays so ended up with the sauerbraten. The last time I had this, I remember it being tough and tangy, but this was pretty tender, with a nice mild gravy. I don't think I'd get it again because it was so meaty. I also loved the doner schintzel. It was tender and hot and fresh without being overly fried. The sauce was a creamy and cool, a nice contracst. The potato side was the best! Some crispy bits, perfectly cooked, well done but not mushy. The wurst was also tasty with interesting spices, but the best part of that was actually the little bread it came with. It was super fluffy insider with a shiny outside like a pretzel. Oh and finally we had a slice of cake that had was a giant heap of cream sandwiched in between two cake layers with almonds on top. I thought it'd be too much but I really could have eaten the whole slice and forgone sharing it. The atmosphere was the diner part, super simple cafeteria-looking setup, awesome friendly service. All the food was served with disposable plates and silverware, but the beer was served in a frosted glass of course. Overall loved the experience here even though my favorite parts were the sides. Maybe it's the act of going to restaurants again but I honestly made me feel like I was on vacation! read more

Excellent German food! Really good beer. The salad is incredibly fresh. Hostess is very friendly.

I've been going to various German restaurants in the area for over 20 years and this place by far has the best schnitzel.  About as close to that taste you can only get in Germany.  It's super unpretentious and the staff are friendly people.  It is a little small and I can imagine how crowded it would get on a busy evening or weekend when there's no more covid pandemic.  I don't live close to Lacey anymore but you can bet I'll be eating here whenever I'm in the area.  Grab an order of their jagerschnitzel and pair it with bratkartoffel or spatzle.  sooooo good! read more

German Diner - Jagerschnitzel w spatzle - German Near Me - Lacey, Washington

I helped my son drive to his new duty station in Washington. We were looking for something adventurous to try being that it was my last day and would soon head to the airport. We saw this place called German Diner, we immediately went in as my son started to speak wonders of Doner. We both ordered the Doner plate with chicken. The service was pretty ok, the place is small but friendly. The food was pretty amazing and filling. The Doner plate with chicken comes with fries and salad plus the doner sauce all over. We didn't even talk to each other, we just ate. That's how good it was. I was completely full. They did have German chocolate cake but I couldn't even breather anymore so I didn't get any. They also had a good selection of German beer. I highly recommend this place if you're in the Tacoma/Lacey area. read more

See all

Went here for the first time last Friday night. It was packed with diners, a big crowd, too much for the one server taking orders. Waited awhile for our food. I can honestly say I did not really like the food. The potato salad had way too much mayo, the meat loaf was bland and the sauerkraut was not very tasty. The dining room looked cheap and not very pleasant. Others we were with were okay with their food. Hubby and I will definitely not return. read more

Where should I start? The building is sort of old as I see that a few other reviewers have stated, but do not let the dining room speak for the food. We frequent this place about once a month. I love love love Jaeger schnitzel with chicken and mashed potatoes. It is superb! We also love the salad! We have been there at all times of the day and the service is the same, excellent! The owner always has a smile on her face. She works very hard to deliver your food hot and delicious! I can't wait for our next visit! Yum! Oh and by the way, the portions are huge! It is worth the wait if you have to wait. read more

We tried German Diner tonight and really loved it. The food is the best German food we've had, far better than some restaurants we've been to in other states. It tasted homemade in the best possible way: hearty, filling, delicious and comforting. We tried the rouladen (only served on Saturdays) and the doner schnitzel . With the rouladen I had red cabbage and mashed potatoes, and my husband had spaetzle and a side salad with his doner schnitzel. We loved all of our sides but the red cabbage and mashed potatoes were so good. And the gravy for the rouladen was amazing. My husband loved his doner schnitzel (he got it topped with feta which is an option). The interior of the restaurant is spartan but clean, and it's a small place, with just two servers. But they work as fast as they can and the food is so good. read more

German Diner - Rouladen Entree - German Near Me - Lacey, Washington

See all

Incredible food, some of the best Ive ever had. Be patient, its just the family cooking its worth the wait! read more

German Diner - Prost! Bitte ein Bit - German Near Me - Lacey, Washington

See all

This is one of my favorite restaurants Lacey! Food is always delicious, hot, and huge portions! I wish I can eat here every day! Everything on the menu is delicious and homemade! read more

Amazing diner. Staff is very nice and friendly. And food, omg! Their schnitzels are delicious! Tried the black forest cake too and it was out of this world! Would definitely go back. read more

German Diner - Black forest cake - German Near Me - Lacey, Washington

Funky atmosphere but very cozy. Amazing service with a real German accent! But the highlight was the Jagerschnitzel. I felt like I was back in Germany. Go for the food and real German beer. read more

I love this place. Authentic. Family run by native Germans Even tho I don't like to share secrets, this is important. This lovely dinner!! My mother would've taken me for a bite in one like this if we were back visiting her country It's a place I would've taken her when she was German homesick read more

Wie in Ihrem Lieblings-Hot-Dog-Wagen essen, aber in Deutschland! If you're going to adventure into a another cuisine, I always say to strive for authenticity. Taste another world with this amazing little diner! This place is so unassuming and yet so surprising. It's like being a member in a secret cool kids club. The operators are 100% the nicest people you will ever meet and put their heart and soul into their food. I did a takeout order during the heat of COVID and the owner was so incredibly kind. They operate and run the business themselves, including all the cooking and baking! Their menu is great at offering really great options but without being too big. They get straight to the point and offer all the good stuff. I've never had anything bad here. All the brats are fantastic. And they definitely hook you up with the sides! Both of the potato salads they offer are great and the fact that they offer mustard and mayo styles is even better. If you haven't treated yourself until you try one of her cakes and sweets. I wish we lived closer so I could frequent this place more, but then I'd probably be asking her to cover my gym bill, too! read more

Now that's some good food! The restaurant is a tiny place but don't let that fool you! Best schnitzel around!!!! The rest of the menu is also damn good! Bottled German beer always Cold and Perfect!!!!! The owner/waitress friendly and quick will visit many more times in the future!! read more

I love this place! Food never disappoints. They take their time but it's always fresh. Every time I'm in the area I make sure to stop by.

Wonderful food, fast service and very authentic. The beer was amazing and served in cooled glass just the way it is supposed to. The place is not fancy, but it has this genuine feel to it that makes you feel like you have flown over the ocean into a small German village and you are eating with the locals. Don't miss the desert - you can't go wrong! Thank you for a great experience! read more

We went in for dinner 2/14/2025 and it was pretty busy. We didn't have a reservation but were still seated. We've never needed a reservation before. However they seemed unpleasant when we said we didn't have a reservations. It took quite a while to even get water and once our orders were taken it took almost an hour before we got even the salad. Then our drinks got messed up and refills took forever, and were wrong. They forgot to put red cabbage on one of our dishes and it came with it. And when we asked about it they were out. But as we were leaving a plate came out with red cabbage on it for customers that came in way after we did. The portions were way smaller than they have been in the past and the service was lacking. All in all it was very disappointing. It was the first time bring long my dad there and he won't be going back. It just sad. They need more servers and some kind of a plan. Because they were all over the place. No one was being served in order. However, they were nice, just scattered and unorganized. Food was still good though. read more

My mom & I have been coming here for years whenever we pop into Lacey. We stopped in today for döner & as always, they didn't disappoint!! They stopped serving lamb döner but the chicken was still amazing. They stop serving döner at 5pm it said on the menu so that's something to know if you go for those. We also had the currywurst & bratkartoffel - both were delish. We have also had pretty much all of the schnitzels on the menu, gulasch, cakes etc no matter what you order you will not be disappointed!! I grew up in Germany, it blows my mind how much the döner taste authentic. Before I left Germany I remember asking one of the shop owners for their recipe & they wouldn't give it. I was so sad lol but I'm happy they have it down here at the German Diner! They don't sell German goodies like they did back in the day anymore - but we have Hess in Lakewood for that still. If you're in the area stop in, try something new & support a local business! read more

Nothing fancy, just good food I eat here every time I visit family, I have never been disappointed. Its small and they are always busy but the food is always good. I will be back a few weeks. read more

I heard about this restaurant from a work mate and decided to try it out. I lived in Germany for a few years and I so miss the food. I had the jagerschnitzel and my partner had the holzfaller schnitzel. We both had mashed potatoes as a side. So delicious, the service was wonderful and it was a pleasant experience. We will be back for sure and will bring our friends. read more

Fantastic place to eat, love the food and atmosphere. I live right down the road so I frequent this spot.

Friendly and delicious! I had the schnitzel sandwich and a beer . We didn't know what beer to order, but the one suggested by the server was just right! read more

German Diner - Entryway and seating. Clean. - German Near Me - Lacey, Washington

See all

Today was our first time back since covid in 2020. We ordered Rahm schnitzel, Jager schnitzel, and a chicken donor plate. The food was delicious! We are so happy that this business survived through covid! We truly think this is the most authentic, and best German food certainly within 60 miles. Though we tried a few other "european" German food restaurants in tacoma-- for us, though the drive is about 30 minutes...this diner is authentic. We spent 3 years in Germany near Stuttgart...this diner serves food very similar to that regional cuisine (Bavarian regional)--we will always return to this small, local business. We were too full for the homemade desserts today but have certainly enjoyed them in the past. The selection looked delicious though Support this local business and give them a try They are using paper plates right now versus actual plates pre covid but that doesn't deter from the genuine flavor of the food! read more

Food was delicious! Service was a little slow because the owner is the only waitress. But well worth the wait! Gave me a chance to have an second frosty Doppelbock! Food was delicious( Jägerschnitzel), tasty salad, dressing and no-Mayo potato salad, my favorite. So sad I live on the opposite coast! If you are going from Portland to Seattle a very worthwhile stop! read more

I've ate here a few times. The German food is awesome it reminds me of my time I spent in Germany growing up as a military dependent & when I was deployed there also. read more

Good little hole in the wall German restaurant. Nothing fancy and it felt kind of like we were eating in a finished basement with the low ceiling & pipes...but we don't usually go for fancy anyway. As long as the food & service is good, that's all we need. The have a small selection of German beers & they serve them in ice-cold frosty glass mugs. Perfect! The Hubs & I each ordered a Schnitzel plate (Rahm Schnitzel for me & Jaeger Schnitzel for him) which came with one side. We both got the spaetzle as our side (they give you a LOT of spaetzle) & then I ordered an extra side of their red cabbage to share. The schnitzel was delicious and both of our sauces were good. The spaetzle was a bit disappointing as we prefer it when they put it in a fry pan with a bit of butter after boiling it, but here they just serve them boiled...the taste was fine but we prefer the texture that the frying pan & butter method at the end lends to it. Their red cabbage was fantastic, though and made up for the spaetzle in my opinion. Plus they gave us a lot of red cabbage in that one side serving which was plenty for the two of us to share. We took a couple of slices of cake to-go back to the hotel to have for dessert later...a slice of their Black Forest Cake & a slice of the Coconut Cake. Both were very good, though we both preferred the Black Forest. Both ladies serving us were very nice and I'm assuming one of them was perhaps the owner, as she had a German accent. read more

The woman working was very friendly. However, the food did not sit well in either of our stomachs. I love German food and was very excited to try this place. Sadly, I don't think I will be returning. However, I wouldn't say don't go here. read more

Love this restaurant for German food! Been here on numerous occasions and I will say come early rather than late. The owners kick of get overwhelmed when it's busy but it gets busy that's there's a wait. And you will want to wait, trust me. I've had the jager schnitzel, the cream schnitzel and curry wurst. I would get them all again. All the schnitzels are so good and thy curry wurst, oh myyy goodness is so good. Brings me back to when I was a kid living in Germany. Oh, and a must get dessert is their hazelnut rocher cake. Yes, as in Ferrero rocher. I moved to California and back and still couldn't find ANY PLACE that makes that cake. I literally always get it even if I'm so stuffed. They have a good selection of Germany beers also.! read more

German Diner - German Near Me - Lacey, Washington

See all

My husband & I were visiting our son, who is stationed at JBLM, and came for dinner. The food was fantastic and obviously homemade with care & love. We all had Jagerschnitzel, mine with chicken l; Doug got sauerkraut as his side, my husband & I got spaetzel. Portions were large and we took leftovers home. Would highly recommend!! read more

I've been dining here for several years. The owner works very hard, and makes most every dish from scratch. Delicious German food, and friendly ownership and staff. My favorites are the Jaegerschnitzel, and the sauerbraten, and pretty much any of the German dishes. The bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes) are super good, and one of my recent creations is ordering 2 orders of the currywurst and a side order of home made mashed potatoes, and then dumping the currywurst on top, which comes with bread rolls, and making it into a German "bangers and mash." The desserts are delicious too, and there is bottled German beers, if you like you can buy them for home too. Love this little gem! :) read more

Sehr lecker - so good! I lived in Germany for over ten years and I finally just started ordering from this restaurant. It's so difficult to find authentic German food nearby, but this restaurant is the real deal! I've ordered a few different dishes and I was pleased with it all. Still have a few more to try. read more

This diner is a place you can relax and enjoy great food with exceptional customer service! read more

German Diner - Sauerbraten with Bratkartoffel & Sauerkraut - German Near Me - Lacey, Washington

Oh, so jealous of the other reviewers who had great experiences here! Unfortunately, that was not mine. The two stars go to the front of the house ladies who, although looking tired and busy, were kind and helpful. Such a missed opportunity. There's not much competition for this cuisine, and there is a lot of appetite for it in the area. I would eat here every week if the food was even at a solid good level. My Eastern European side of the family was craving some homecooked "mom" food, so I thought I'd surprise them with a whole dinner: Jagerschnitzels, meatloafs, bratwursts, kid's schnitzels, sides of spatzle, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut and salads. (they were out of potato salad). Our excitement was quickly extinguished, as the food was less than expected, and tasted more like food cooked by a mom who was frazzled, hated cooking, heated up microwave dinners and hot dogs, and threw instant potato flakes and dried noodles in some water. The saddest were the lonely bratwursts rolling around in their styrofoam containers who were dry and overcooked. Maybe it was too big of an order?! It couldn't have been sitting waiting, because when I arrived to pick it up, it wasn't ready, so I had to wait. While waiting, I looked around at the decor which, after they improve their food, would be next on the list; dingy and tired. I imagined the crew of Restaurant: Impossible or Kitchen Nightmares to walk in; lets submit it to both as a candidate. read more

The food is authentic, plentiful and delicious. We arrived about 12:45 and it was busy so the service was slow but it was worth the wait. BTW, the sauerkraut is out of this world! We all ordered an extra side to take home with our leftovers. The decor is older and nothing special but appeared very clean. Will be returning. read more