This is the best German restaurant (stateside) that I've been to. We only come a few times a year because we don't live in Florida, but it is Always our first dinner while in town visiting parents. I get the same thing every time: giant pretzel, and the chicken cordon bleu with mushroom sauce on the side. It's always cooked to perfection, and my tastebuds look forward to eating there. My hips don't. Even if there's a wait, it's definitely worth it! (Please be patient with the staff) It's next to Bealls outlet so that's fun to go to afterwards and walk off the calories. You know it's authentic stuff when the owner is German herself. :) Highly recommend! read more

Old Castle Restaurant - Chicken Cordon Bleu, with extra mushroom sauce. Eat with side of German beer and you can't go wrong. - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

Excellent German gem in SunCity. Great selection of beers and their sauerkraut is on point. I loved the schnitzel Salad. Good times! read more

Old Castle Restaurant - Schnitzel Salad - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

Great food you delicious flavors and a very friendly and knowledgeable wait staff... Great delicious German food.

This place is German enough for anyone! I met an old friend here to talk about old times. Our server actually lived in Germany and could speak fluent German, as well as my buddy, who also lived there. There was decor of steins, flags, and memorabilia from Germany. We even had an accordion player play for us while we ate! I had the chicken schnitzel with fries, and a double bock beer, yummy!!! This restaurant is in a strip mall, but don't be fooled! It is the real deal! We took a picture together, and our funny server photobombed us, which had us laughing and in such a great mood!! read more

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We've been a fan of this restaurant for almost 18 years. Until recently, it was a very nice small restaurant with authentic German food well presented and at reasonable prices. Today, however we found that they had changed chefs and the food was beyond bad. Our schnitzels were so over fried that they came out almost black and were virtually inedible. Looking around we saw that many of the other customers' plates showed the same lack of care. The potatoes were undercooked and without the usual bacon. In short, it was a disaster. I hope they rectify the situation but, for the time being we won't be going back. read more

If you're looking for the real deal look no further, get over here for authentic German food... read more

Old Castle Restaurant - Great German restaurant - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

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Every so often I get the feeling for some German food and beer. More so the beer, but they also seem to pair well with brats, kraut, and pretzels. The menu offers a good deal of German food, but with any German menu, it's hard to resist getting the pretzel with dipping sauces. I HIGHLY recommend the jalapeno dipping sauce and the honey mustard. The jalapeno cheese dipping sauce has an incredible texture and spice to it. I tried three of their different types of sausages and all were phenomenal, especially with the sauerkraut. It paired well with a side of the bread cake and noodles. As for the beer, my wife got the 2.5%ABV 17 ounce Grapefruit Hefe and I went with the 5.8%ABV 17 ounce Marzen. Both were excellent and quite large portions. Due to the national labor shortage, everything took a bit longer to get out and order things. There weren't many people in the restaurant, so I expect there to be even longer delays on weekends or evenings. read more

Old Castle Restaurant - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

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Very very good food and the service was espectacular 100% recommend, ask for the pretzel, soup goulash, cordon blue chicken , pasta , mash potatoes and the Hunters SchnitzeL WAS THE BEST read more

I don't really review but this was awful. One star is too much. Why? It took an hour and 45 minutes from seating until the food was put on the table. At 1 hour 30 minutes we spoke to the waitress, saying it was taking too long and got only "We're busy." No apology. We were not rude about it but from there the minimal service dropped to zero because they purposely avoided us. The food finally came: had to ask for silverware. My order wasn't correct. The entire time we were never asked if we wanted another beverage or had or waters refilled until two hours into the ordeal. When we left, no apology or even a piece of strudel to make us feel better. This establishment may soon be like Yogi Berra's nonsensical saying "Nobody goes there anymore, it's so busy." read more

The Chicken Schnitzel is absolutely to die for. So tender and delicious. The sauces I tried were nothing special, but will try others next time. Potato Pancakes were a little too greasy and rubbery for my taste. Looking forward to trying other entrees in the future. read more

This is our favorite hidden gem! It's a cozy restaurant reminiscent of Germany. I personally don't drink beer but my fiancée loves everything they offer in Daus Boot! The food is what keeps us coming back, pretzels as big as your head with dipping sauces that are delicious! The chicken Cordon Bleu is the best I've ever had! Earlier in the evening they have entertainment and they switch it up weekly! It's always exciting and a wonderful evening when we go! read more

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It took well over an hour before our food was served from the time we ordered it. The sauerbraten had brisket that was overcooked and smothered in a heavy sauce that was far too sweet. The Spätzle was overcooked and lacked flavor. I've eaten authentic German food, and while my son's chicken schnitzel was good, my dish was unsatisfactory. Another person received grilled chicken that clearly showed signs of charred grill remnants on it, indicating the grill needed to be cleaned. Highly recommend reducing the menu, as we noticed many parties waiting for food and potential guests turned away; we assumed that they could not meet the demand. The only bright spot was a good beer selection and service, although it seemed they may have been hiding at times to avoid any complaints. Focus on just the essentials you can make efficiently and according to quality. read more

Very good German food and beer selection. The pretzels are amongst the best I've had outside Germany. Various schnitzels are all good. Goulash is very good! Spaetzel is done perfectly. Their selection of wursts is limited but good. Service is hit or miss depending upon how busy they are. We have been there when service has been exceptionally good and when it's been notably bad. From the outside, you could easily decide to pass on by. Strip mall placement doesn't inspire excitement. But through the front door you enter a Bavarian gasthaus. The decor is authentic and tasteful. It's both very comfortable and very reminiscent of nights spent in similar places in Germany. Even some of the staff are from Germany, so you can speak with them in German for a complete immersion! I highly recommend this restaurant for its authentic feel and good food. read more

Been here a few times before... tonight came for a drink & appetizers ... the sauerkraut balls were really good with honey mustard. special of meatballs; my husband loved I wasn't crazy about they had bell peppers & cheese. Giant pretzel; which was kinda dry this time. We were sat right away but waited 20+ minutes to place our order & A table next to us who was seated after us was eating before we ordered. So I think we just had one of those not great experiences. We gave Grace due to Covid & short staff BUT there were only a few tables full & my main concern was the menus did not seem cleaned nor our table very well. Once they get things squared away again after this craziness we will go back. read more

Old Castle Restaurant - Sangria - Sauerkraut Balls- Giant Pretzel - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

Genuine ambiance truly adds to an AWEsome variety of eXXelent list of Tantalizing taste treats. Fine selections ALL bring you superb authentic German appetizers plus entrees that you'll find to be memorable, come back for delights. read more

Food is very good, and so is the service. Restaurant is small, so you feel like family. Also, the pretzels and beer cheese are absolutely to die for!! If you have a chance, you should definitely try it. Pretzels tend to be very salty, so you might order lite salt the 1st time. read more

Food is outstanding!!!! best schnitzel and mushroom sauce ever!! The sauerkraut balls and pretzel are a must for appetizers! Huge selection of German beers as well! Food takes a little longer than normal but definitely worth the wait! read more

I was told by a few people that this was one of the best German restaurants in the area. You know what? They were right. I was born and raised in Germany and my mother is Austrian, so this was going to be a hard sell. I picked up my mom and we headed over to Old Castle. I literally would have never known or found this place. It is nestled in a shopping plaza in between shops. The place doesn't look like much when you see it from the outside, but once you walk in, it is quite big. There are two sides to this restaurant and one large bar that connects to both sides. The inside is decorated with a lot of Germany's favorite decorations. I suggest going during the week. Both times that I have been there have been on a weekend and it is always packed. The wait is anywhere between 30-45 minutes long. If you can find a seat at the bar, then take it. You can eat there too. My one issue with this place is the service. I think they are understaffed or something because the service is extremely slow and not very attentive. The last time I was there with my mother and a friend, we sat at the bar for quite a while until someone actually came over to us and took our drink order. A few of the bartenders had even seen us sit down and never acknowledged us for quite some time. The service was still a little slow even after sitting down at a table. Again, I think they are just understaffed. As far as the food goes...comes pretty close to how my mom cooks. Slightly different and will never be as good as hers, but good, nonetheless. My absolute favorite is their red cabbage. I am always ordering an extra side of that. So, the first time I came here with mom, we ordered the Roladen and Sauerbraten. I also am a huge fan of Hefeweizen, and I was so happy to see that they had that beer on tap. I even went as far as ordering an oversized beer mug of it. Of course, I could only finish three quarters of it. Now, the second time we came, I ended up ordering the Schnitzel. I swore I wouldn't order one just because we make them ourselves, but I thought, what the heck. The Jagerschnitzel was so good. It was topped with a creamy mushroom sauce and a side of Spatzle. The mushroom sauce was more of a gravy than a sauce, but still really good with the Schnitzel. Of course, I added a side of their red cabbage. You must order the cabbage! So, this German restaurant is a must go. We will definitely be back, but this time on a weekday. read more

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Other than the portions being huge, great food, great service, great atmosphere! Good for large groups and also has live music on some nights. read more

Really good meal and such a nice staff. Will be back for sure. You can't go wrong with anything. Loved our meals. read more

Old Castle Restaurant - Dinner Tonight! - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

Great food and nice selection of German beers! Good service too. Here on a Saturday. Next time I will do the soup! read more

I ordered the roasted pork with "bread dumplings" and sauerkraut. The meal came with approximately 4 slices of pork, which consisted mostly of fat (that's what you see on my plate). The bread dumplings were just that; bread smashed into a loaf shape then saturated in nutmeg with some type of brown sauce poured on them. The sauerkraut was so overcooked it had no flavor. With the exception of the disgusting dumplings, the meal was under seasoned. There was no salt or pepper on the table. By the time I got the waitress' attention to ask for salt and pepper and receiving them, my food turned cold. The pork was tough and under seasoned. The service was no better than the food. The place was decorated nicely however, they had an entertainer playing an accordion who was hooked up to speakers that was so loud I couldn't hear the person sitting next to me. I've heard a lot of good things about this restaurant and people were pouring in and waiting outside the restaurant to get a table. It was one of the worst meals I've ever had. Honestly, I don't know what the big deal is other than nicely decorated and great beer selections. Maybe I should have drank a bunch of beer first, then order dinner. Possibly then the meal would have been edible. I have been eating roasted pork, dumplings, and sauerkraut my entire life. This tasted nothing like what I have had. read more

Old Castle Restaurant - Roasted pork with "bread dumplings" and sauerkraut. - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

Love the charm when I walked in - the piano is wonderful as you eat - I sampled everything from the dinner for 2. Dessert was delicious read more

Old Castle Restaurant - Apple Strudel - German Near Me - Ruskin, Florida

I like my time here. I would say this not a true 5 stars restaurant but very close to 4.5 stars. The place is cute. Two dining rooms setting. I was not going to have the high expectations. They have very good lunch special Monday to Friday. Approximately $9. Great deal. I did not go for the lunch special and go straight to one of their best dish. The cuisine is very similar to Black Forrest Germany cuisine when I have visited the Germany. I got the Schweinshax'n (pork Shank). It come with sauerkraut and bread dumplings. The sauerkraut was excellent. The dumplings is interesting that come as a cake pieces. The shank is braise and over roasted. They have lite seasoning outwardly. It is a big chunk. Great for hungry people. The pork sauce is great accompanied the bread dumplings and the pork shank. While I visited there, many have order the lunch special. Definitely a go to menu for lunch. read more

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Food here is amazing! The drinks are great as well. We love the atmosphere! Will be returning!

Great food, the staff is great. We go weekly and have never had a bad meal or experience. OY, OY, OY

We have always had pretty good luck here...except for last time. It is normal for the music to be loud, but in this instance it was bananas. Our server was very rude, and everything took FOREVER. Once we had been waiting for more than an hour for our food, we asked if he could tell how long it would be as the friend I was with had a 6am flight and it was already 8pm, we got there at 6:30. He was VERY rude and told us we would have to wait bc they just had a huge table...except that the table he referenced got their food before we even sat down and were literally boxing their leftovers to leave when we asked. We waited another 20 or 25 minutes and our food finally arrived. Yay! except booooo. The friend, who is from Germany, ordered Goulash, and that's not what he got. When he asked the server told him he just didn't know anything about German good. The food my hubs and I ordered was mostly cold...so it had just been sitting in the window dying and the server didn't care even when we asked for an update.... It was such a bad experience, I don't think well go back for a while. I was out with some family just 2 days ago and they asked about going there for lunch and I just couldn't do it. We went elsewhere....that server really took away my desire to come back here. I am sure we will be back, bc we do really enjoy German food, and normally the service and drinks are great, but it's gonna be a minute for me. I understand people can be very rude, but as a former server, we were as nice as we could have been to this dude. He was snapping at other servers and everything, so it wasn't just bc we asked for an update. read more

Food and service is very good, but they do not take a military discount which I found offensive.

This was my fourth time back to this restaurant. Our server Yessenia is absolutely delightful and on point! Everything is so delicious. The Chicken Schnitzel Al La Papa, stuffed with cheese and jalapeño is so good. The Fisherman's Catch was breaded pollock with a side of tartar sauce and German Potato Salad (which is by far the best German Potato Salad I've ever tasted). The Cheese Spatzle was like a macaroni and cheese but ten times better. Dessert with a chocolate cake and a cold coffee was a nice touch for the end of a great visit. I can't wait to try something new next time. read more

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We visited during the Octoberfest celebration so they were a bit overwhelmed. The service was a bit slow. However, the food and the beer were excellent! Veal schnitzel, Black Forest schnitzel and sausage plate were all well done. Beer was excellent! read more

My favorite food...jaeger schnitzel gravy is sooo good. Good drinks and fun. However, had to wait outside for 45 minutes because we refused to be seated next to the accordion player which was too loud. Finally left after watching it take 20 minutes for them to bus one of the two tables. read more

What a fantastic hidden treasure! 12 German beers on draft is how I knew this would be a delicious meal. Started with the knight's snack and was intrigued by the orange garlic dip, definitely give this a try, as well as the sour cream herb. The hunter sauce pork schnitzel I will drive another hour round trip for. Make the Spatzle Mac and cheese style for $1! The Farmer's Pan was nice, must try the curry ketchup. Apple strudel was good, but needed to be a bit warmer. Service was friendly and quick. read more

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Authentic German food, and very good. Lots of German beers on tap. It a must do everytime we are in town.

good food consi served cold. I have dined here six times in 10 years and every time the food takes 30-45 minutes to arrive, ok I get it one cook, the food tastes good, that is why I return, but my issue is the hot pretzel never comes out hot in fact I dined this on 12/1/2022 at 6:15 pm the place was not busy and my pretzel was still frozen, then 45 minutes later my veal schnitzel for two comes out, it was cold. the waitress never came over to ask is everything ok. if the owner wants to remain open he should attempt to serve hot food to his guests. I will not return read more

This is the very definition of quaint and cozy! It would be uncomfortably crowded with a crowd of 30 or so,but on a Wednesday at 6:30 my father and I were immediately seated. There shouldn't be any parking issues as it's in a fairly large shopping plaza. The atmosphere is authentic German Brauhaus all the way! I was driving so I only had 2 Bitburgers but the beer menu included lagers, ales and stouts so I would expect them all to be worth trying. The menu features what I expected in German cuisine. I had to really fight to not order sausage but wanted to go for something I couldn't get elsewhere. I got the hunter schnitzel and was impressed. Mine was veal ( you can get pork or chicken as well) and it was nice and thin, lightly breaded and crispy. The mushroom gravy was flavorful without overpowering and the spatzle was also seasoned perfectly. The service was prompt and friendly so no complaints there either. I recommend this spot for a change of pace that will bring you back for more! read more

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This place is so delicious I went back 2 days later for the same meal plus sides! The mushroom gravy is by far the best I've ever had. Can't wait to go back! read more

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Excellent schnitzel and the beer was a nice complement. My wife had sour braten and spartzle which she thought was very good. Her family owns a restaurant in Germany so she has a lot of experience tasting German dishes. read more

I LOVE this place. The beer is always good. A few DELICIOUS German Sangria's will have you feeling just right. The schnitzel, the dipping sauce choices, the live music- fabulous. But the absolute best in my opinion is the mushroom gravy. I DREAM about that mushroom gravy. Service can be a tab bit slow at times but that's no fault at all of the awesome servers, it's because it's always packed because it awesome and people who love this place, like me- know it's well worth a little wait. I suppose I could do without shoving their political views down patrons throat everywhere you look but hey, I don't own the place and it doesn't impede me from enjoying amazing food and drinks so I can live with it. read more

I came across this gem on a Tesla charging pit stop. The owner is fantastic, everyone is super friendly, and I wish we had a place like this in San Diego. The food is incredible! read more

A hidden gem! This place is too good for words. Every time we have gone, has been a great experience-- from the food to the service to the entertainment. They have live music often, tonight they had a man on the accordion and he really gets the whole place into it. It's a whole experience. The food is truly amazing, so tasty and fresh. If you haven't been here, this is your sign to go. Incredible. read more

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