Excellent restaurant with excellent food. Highly recommend this Chicago jewel. Try the pizza.

The wife has been coming here since approx 1998 when she claims that it was all old Italian men smoking cigarettes. She says it "used to be a great establishment." Tonight is different. The spinach gnocchi the wife used to love is gone. It has been replaced with a salty bowl of heavy cream with gnocchi that is good, but not excellent. I had the trout special. It was good, but crazy salty. I like salt but this was insane. Side of Potatoes was so over cooked as to be inedible. I note that this place is no longer as busy as it used to be. It was nearly cleared out by 8:00 p.m. The chef spent at least an hour playing the drums for a terrible singer. The live music has to go. I would suggest checking to see if there is live music before making a reservation. If yes, go somewhere else. Service was good, but waiters used to bring shots for the table. This restaurant has descended into mediocrity. read more

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Can't believe it took so long to get here. Great flavors, huge portions and a really interesting menu. Held up well with COVID takeout too. Will be back ASAP. read more

Himmel's - Chicken Schnitzel. For one... - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The food was delicious! They give big portions so you won't leave hungry. The staff was very nice and attentive. You have to try the bread which they serve before you order. I would recommend that if you like German food you should try this place. read more

Great food fun atmosphere with live accordion music. Very traditional feel. A bit loud

I miss the Brauhaus. But Himmel's has filled that hole in my kraut-crusted heart nicely. When the polka band plays and an elderly couple is dancing, I soak it in, a stein of Steigl in one hand and a knackwurst in the other. The pretzel bread is like absolute crack. I'm pretty gluten sensitive, but I can't resist it. It's worth the 2 days of trouble afterwards! Prost! read more

A definite go-to! I've been going for years and have never been disappointed. Very pleasant atmosphere and frequently fun (live music, special events, etc). And I'm not even German. Great pizza too. read more

Don't be put off by the electic menu-the German food here is good! We were particularly impressed by the pretzel dumplings and rosti. While we've had better spatzle, the schnitzel, red cabbage, pretzel bread, and wurst platter were all tasty and fresh. Despite a significant snafu with GrubHub, Himmel's were very pleasant to workwith us and accommodated our few change requests! read more

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9/12/21 - 2251 W Lawrence Ave Chicago, (773) 784-8777, himmelschicago.com Q-tips say: After the German American Fest we walked to Himmels for early dinner with our friends. Nice ambiance, clean & inside had nice German decorations & full bar. Music at dinner time. Some had: Liver Dumpling soup - was good indeed. Then two had: Champignon Rahm Schnitzel - Pan-fried Pork Tenderloin in a shallot mushroom cream sauce. Served with spätzle and red cabbage. Had way too much creamy sauce all over it. Not at all like the photos they show. The other two had: Wurst Plate - Brattwurst, Thueringer, Kassler, Sauerkraut & Spätzl. Servings were so big that all took some home. read more

the food is good but they do not answer their phone. they do not answer email either. I find it almost impossible to make reservation, get takeout or deliver. read more

Their Wurst Platter is the best! Ordered for pickup, as dining-in is still verboten in Chicago. Huge portions and absolutely delicious. The pretzel bread was a nice surprise. So glad the woman on the phone suggested the apple bread pudding. OMG, so good. Will definitely order again. read more

Himmel's - Apple bread pudding (tastes much better than it looks) and the huge Wurst Platter--we got 4 meals out of it. - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Authentic, delicious german food with home baked pretzel bread! We will definitely be back!

WE moved into the area 5 years ago. As soon as the lock downs were loosening up a bit, we went to Himmel's, in June of 2020. They had set up an area outdoors behind the restaurant. I dont know that I was ever so happy to be eating at a restaurant before. The food is great, a mix of German and Italian, the atmosphere is so welcoming, the beers are all German (I think), and very good. But the owners and employees are as good as it gets. The sisters, Diane and Carol, couldn't be nicer and we feel like friends. The servers, especially Lynn, are wonderful. We go every month or so and absolutely love the place. If you go on a Friday night, they have live music played by Anthony, and he is terrific too. Carol will join him at times. Go to this place! read more

Headline: A sublime and varied menu; friendly staff and owners. We were so excited to learn that one of our favorite servers, Roderick, has brought his skills from high-end downtown eateries up to our beloved Lincoln Square. This adorable restaurant features live music on many nights, almost always has ample street parking, and will let you sample just about anything from its comprehensive beer/wine list before you make a decision. ALWAYS ask about specials, because they are ALWAYS surprising and delightful (last night's order of short ribs was accompanied by a fresh and delicious cob of corn -- and it's nearly October!) Long-time patrons may recall when this was called Pizza D.O.C., and the wood-burning oven remains. But the German fare is a fresh twist, and never disappoints, whether you're into schnitzel or spaetzle. We look forward to many future meals at Himmel's! read more

I ordered the Christmas Meal as I had to spend the holiday by myself. For the affordable price of $27.50, I received enough food for two meals. Their chicken schnitzel and bread pudding were real winners. Thank you for giving me something this holiday. read more

Himmel's - Christmas Dinner 2020 - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Their staff is amazing my job catered from here and they went above and beyond. The staff was very welcoming and their food was great. I can't wait to bring my family here because the atmosphere is very inviting. Can't wait to work with them again next year. read more

Schnitzel? Milanese? Good Italian, good German, and it all works. A fun crew of regulars seems to hang out at the bar. Enjoyable, reasonably priced, with good service. read more

I'm a huge Chicago foodie and love writing reviews. This has been my go-to place for quite some time now and I absolutely L.O.V. E. it! I don't normally eat large portions of food but it's weird because it's like my stomach knows I'm about to eat at Himmels and suddenly I can eat more than a family 4. The owners and their family are always super nice and accommodating. Real down to earth group. Pretty sure the whole family works there, which is super cool to see these days. Ok food time.... My recommends? -------Italiano -------- Salads/apps: love them all but the spring mix Pear E Gorgonzola and the calamari (both grilled and fried) are great. Pizza: Again, I love them all but have to have to say that my first picks are Silvio Gabrielle and the Fiorentina (**have to ask for this one** roasted red and green peppers topped w/ thinly sliced genoa salami-so so good!) Pastas: Can't go wrong with the frutti de mare, carbonara and the gnocchi al formaggi. When I want to keep it simple, their penne pomodoro always hits the spot! All the fish entrees are amazing that I've tried. Get the halibut and the sea bass if it's on special!!! -----German cuisine----- Apps: The BEST obatzda and German potato salad that I've had....and trust me, I've had a lot. What makes the obatzda so good is the perfect combination of creamy cheeses and that it's not super oniony like at other places. I first tried the potato salad at German fest and hot damn, talk about FRESH and flavorful. Pork shank, steak frite, and rham schnitzel are delish!! ---------Dessert--------- Panna cotta, It's perfect. Okay, that's enough for now... Now go eat! read more

Went there for Oktoberfest this year, I ordered the same thing -- pork shank. The service was extremely slow this time -- the ordering system was down, the waiter seemed to also have forgotten to put in our order, so we ended up waiting for about 50 mins to 1 hour for the food (and there were only 3 more tables besides us when we got in around 6pm.) The complimentary bread was cold as though it just came out from the fridge, onion soup was too salty and I did NOT like my pork shank at all. The meat was partially burnt, dry and tough to chew. I had a hard time chewing and my jaw was sore because of that.. Very unlikely to go back again. read more

We ordered our Easter meals from Himmel's. It was our first time getting food from this place and it was amazing - we will definitely be back. The chicken schnitzel and braised lamb were delicious. And the spaetzel and red cabbage were spot on - I could eat a boatload of them! The pretzel bread and dessert pudding were fantastic. Everything was packed nicely and hot when I got home from the 15 minute drive to our house. Thank you for the delicious meal! read more

A-M-A-Z-I-N-G The schnitzel is the best. The service is even better. (See Diana at the bar - she's the real deal) read more

Since the Brauhouse in Lincoln Square closed, we really haven't been to a German restaurant. We were strolling through Lincoln square and happened on Himmels. Honestly, I was prepared NOT to like this place. The decor is a bit kitchy and we were 3 out of a total of 7 at the entire place. But... We had a such a lovely and tasty meal. The service (thank you Angie) was superb. Two of us had the chicken schnitzel, our son had the chicken parmesan. The portions are gigantic so you could easily split an entree -- and oh the German potato salad. Dont miss it. read more

I ordered pizza for delivery from this place. It was amazing! You definitely don't find a lot of places with such good pizza. I ordered pizza with prosciutto crudo arugula blue cheese and parmesan. All the ingredients are top quality and the crust was pure perfection. I wish I could add funghi porcini also but they didn't had the option on grub hub. I'm gonna check out the restaurant too. Very good! read more

Himmel's - Thin crust pizza with prosciutto crudo, arugula and parmesan - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

My boyfriend and I enjoyed our respective dinners, but had unpleasant experiences for the rest of our visit: -We had to wait at the front of house for 5min before anyone noticed us and attended to us. We were asked "Do you want to be seated?" -After being seated we received no menus. After waiting another 5min, the same hostess we first interacted with returned and asked if we were ready to order. -The bread we received prior to our meal was raw in the middle and extremely salty. It tasted like salt was baked into the dough. -We were confused when our waiter told us this was a German-style restaurant and then inquired if we wanted to see the pizza menu -Many of the menu items were overpriced. $18.50 for prosciutto wrapped shrimp on a bed of greens appetizer? $5 just for a side of gravy? Again, we enjoyed our entrees and appreciated our eventual waiter, but our experience with the hostess and bad initial service really made us disinclined to return here. read more

Excellent! We came to Himmel's for our holiday party and had a great time. It's a small restaurant, but has a lot of charm. There was a selection of schnitzels, from chicken schnitzel, beef schnitzel, etc.....all very good. The food was good. They bake their own loaves of bread...so good. The bread was thick but soft. Perfect amount of salt crystals on top of the loaf made it taste a little like pretzel bread. German beer on tap. Can't go wrong. Definitely worth checking out. read more

After a rough patch a few years ago, this is my favorite spot in the neighborhood. An understated gem. I am addicted to the Chicken Schnitzel! We were a bit skeptical during covid, but the takeout has been a lifesaver. They litetally give you the food in like a party pan the portion is so big. Yum! I am getting hungry just thinking about it. I know what is for dinner tonight! read more

Just happened to stop in after a visit to the Boniface Cemetary. We brought my 98 year old mother in law in for an early dinner. We ordered 2 appetizers, brushetta and their version of a potato pancake. Both were delicious. I ordered the Sauerbraten, hub had the Weiner Schnitzel and mom had the Champignon Rahm Schnitzel, pork tenderloin medallions in mushroom gravy with spatzel and red cabbage. All were very good, served hot and freshly made. We will be back. Bread basket was also very yummy. It was more like a soft pretzel bread with a dusting of salt on top. Very fresh and yummy. We will be back again. read more

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The food is outstanding! Check out the homemade cheesecake! Best ever. And the owner and others who work there are the friendliest!! Will be a regular! read more

Waited for 20 minutes just to get water.. served the main course while we were eating our appetizer. Waitress stands over me while I'm deciding on what to tip. This place had potential. The service is the worst I have seen in a long time. I don't think I will be taking my family there again read more

Sunday brunch buffet doesn't seem to be getting much traffic and prices now are abouts $17 a person, $8 for children. Omelettes and pizzas will still be made to order if things are quiet - one note about the pizza, crisp of the crust may vary and I wonder if it depends on the toppings...we went with the quattro (sections of prosciutto, olives, mushrooms, and artichoke). If you're going to go, aim for opening time at 11:30 a.m. to hit the buffet at its prime. We're modest eaters...so at those prices we'd prefer more variety or lower prices. It's tough competition for Sunday brunch business with brunch hours 11:30 a.m. to 3 p.m. read more

I did not like my "Käsespetzle". However before we dive too deep let me tell you what i appreciated a lot: the ambiente was lovely. Since i am from Austria i felt so remained and nostalgic. While entering the store a soft sent of Sauerkraut greets you and the typical German furniture pops up in your vision (it is indeed traditional German with lots and lots of small details). They did a good job there. Sadly i can not say the same about the food. As an appetizer we got "Brezelbort". It was just as fluffy and well braked as it should be. Despite this fact the taste was not as stunning as i hoped it would be. It was too salty. I know that German food is known for its generous use of salt throughout their different dishes, but let me assure you this was a bit to much. Sadly the "too much salt" problem continued throughout all of my dishes. Both, my side salad (which was, the saltiness excluded, a great one. It contained a great variety of different greens and the vineger and oil dressing was pretty decent. A bit oily for my taste but still enjoyable) and my "Käsespetzle" have been too salty. To be more precise i was really disappointed in the "Käsespätzle". They are usually made out of an plainish dumpling doe, which gets drizzled into boiling water to receive the typical shape then roasted onions and melted strong cheese goes on top of the dumplings. So they did the cheese and the roasted onions however they messed up the dumpling doe. It tasted and seemed to more like a "Kaiserschmarrn"(1,5 inch thick, cracked up Crapé doe, usually seasoned with raisins and served with a side of applesauce) rather than "Spätzle". The doe itself tasted sweet and was way to long roasted in the pan. That caused an not enjoyable greecines and the extra added salt was striking agains the sweetish doe. All in all I have to say I was not pleased with the food i was served and I probably would not come back again. read more

Himmel's - "Käsespetzle" - Italian Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Take's me back to dinning with my parents at the Golden Ox. My husband had the pork shank and I could tell by the look on his face after the first bite it was very good. No left overs. My Weiner schnitzel was great too. The staff is on top of things and our waitress Roberta was very nice on helpful. Great family place and the band was a fun addition. read more

Fun, authentic German place with live music on some nights. I've dined there dozens of times, and the only thing I've ever ordered is the chicken schnitzel, which is consistently delicious and generously proportioned. The pretzel bread, made on site and baked in their giant brick pizza oven, is to die for. read more

The food is really excellent, a little on the pricier side though. And I like that they often have live music. Another plus are the people who actually bring the food and drinks and the water. They are superb and very friendly. The reason that I only give 3 stars is first, that the live music is so loud you can't talk to each other at all, even if your table is on the other side of the room away from the stage. And secondly, the waiter that took our orders. He started okay and then later that evening just got rude. And the worst of all he got rude and impatient with the people that brought out the food and drinks for him. I understand that being in service is stressful, it also was a busy night because the Octoberfest was going on, and he probably just had a bad night. But being rude to your other staff and guests is just unacceptable. Still, the food is really good and authentic with a special vibe due to the interior. read more

If you love Germany, especially the food and beer, Himmel's is your place. They have an amazing atmosphere and the staff made us feel like part of the family. We also had the unexpected pleasure of listening to their house band "The Tuesdays" after dinner. Our first time was an awesome experience! It won't be our last. read more

Great atmosphere, amazing food and love the live music. Highly recommend if you like German food, unique pizza options and great cocktails.

Went for my birthday dinner and was soarly disappointed. The place had a nice decor but a weird smell. Maybe wood from a brick oven but definitely not the smell of food. The special at this German restaurant was Taco Tuesday & margaritas. This should've been my first clue to leave. We ordered drinks which neither of us liked and sent back. The menu had no rhyme or reason. The appetizers were scattered throughout the menu. The menu can't determine if this is a German, Italian or wanna be mexican restaurant. We ordered the wiener schnitzel. Which was ok. The spaetzle was crunchy which I've never had like that before. The sauerkraut and or red cabbage are served on the plate not in a bowl to contain the juices so if u dont like ur food touching don't order it. Mom ordered the chicken marsala which was so dry it had the texture of liver. All in all it was a major disappointment. I'm a lobg time client of the Chicago Brauhaus and before that the Heidelberg Fass, two truly excellent authentic Geeman restaurants. I have traveled all over Germany and Austria and know a good German meal when I see and taste it This fell extremely short sorry to say read more

I had read some bad reviews about the service, but ours was excellent. As for the food, i think we ordered the wrong thing. Got the Rahm schnitzel in creamy mushroom sauce, and it was just ok. It wasn't served hot enough, and if i sent it back they probably would have just nuked it. The spaetzel and red cabbage were very good, and a little parmesan cheese added some flavor to the schnitzel, but if we come back i will not order it again. It needed......something. Maybe some herbs? And the pork wasn't that tender either. My husband got the whole trout, and it tasted quite fishy. His mashed potatoes were quite good. Quantities were huge. If you're a big eater or like to bring food home for the next day, come here. I'm not a dainty eater, but my meal could have served three. I saw a schnitzel go buy that could have fed a family of five! I'll come back, but not for the Rahm schnitzel or fish. read more

I have to say THANK YOU a million times to all that work in Himmels.The food is great however the service is put of this world. I work for a Seniors corporation and my co-worker Z called many places to have an Oktoberfest for our residents and she was turned down . However Himmels said that was a nice thing and even though they were extremely busy they went through with it ...no charge up front . The residents were very happy with the great food and my co-worker Z and I were happier with the quality ..the price but most of all with the persons that made it happen...Thank You All again. read more

My parents, my boyfriend and I had the most wonderful time here! Hands down, our favorite part was the fact that the chef kept popping out to play with the live band and a man at the front table was killing it on the accordion. So, go for that, if not the awesome food. The food was outstanding, the service was friendly and attentive, and the drinks were lovely. We also adored the ambiance, with quite a few local regulars who we enjoyed talking with. read more