We were craving some German grub and were so excited to finally try this place. Usually Brotzeit Local is our go-to, but we will definitely be adding Speisekammer to our rotation. German restaurants are always so cosy and this place has does not disappoint. It has classic German-bar vibes that make you want to stick around for another beer - which they have plenty to choose from. They were even offering mulled wine at the time of our visit. I ended up ordering the spatzle and it was DELICIOUS. I loved the addition of caramelized onions in it. Whenever I go to a German restaurant, without fail I order an apple strudel (unless the restaurant doesn't offer it - in which case I likely would never go back). The thing that pushed this place to five stars for me was their apple strudel - it was hands down the BEST I've ever had. The crust was super flaky and delicious, and I absolutely will be coming back for more. read more

Came here because it's one of my boyfriend's favorite places in Alameda. Truly wanted to like it more than the actually experience I had. Came here on the weekend around 5 PM and we got seated right away. Since it was my first time here we got the pretzel with the cheese beer, I got the jager schnitzel vom schwein and my boyfriend got the weisskohl rouladen. I also got a cup of the butternut squash soup. The soup and pretzel came our right away. I like the soup, really flavorful, but they could have strained the soup for a smoother eat. The pretzel was okay. I definitely had better pretzels with a better crust. The beer cheese is where it's best. Really good, I would buy it in a jar. I was super jazzed after those items, but then it was a really long wait for our main items. Like 25-30 mins later our food came out. It's at this point while eating the food, I realize these people are not Europeans making their families recipes. It's just someone who took over the business and kept doing the same menu to keep the clientele. Tsk tsk. The schnitzel was like eating gummy bland scrambled eggs. The pork cutlets were good. My boyfriend's stuff cabbage was really good too. I thought the mashed potatoes were going to be amazing because they looked really smooth. It was not good, over cooked and really watery tasting. I should have just stopped there before getting dessert. But I swear the man at the table next to us was singing show tunes after his meal then was clapping his hands when his strudel came out. I was like I got to get dessert. I got the German chocolate cake, man another mistake. Legit basic store bought cake. It was let eating a dense flavorless sponge and maybe some coconut. Hella disappointed. I should have known. It didn't look right that they severed that man's strudel with ice cream. Located off of Park Street. Parking is street parking. I literally parked in front of someone's home and walked down the street. Pricing is criminal at this point. I mean the meat on the dishes were really good, but everything else is just meh. You don't have to be European to make this food, but at least do it well. I will say their customer service is nice and they do have big screen TVs to watch sports games. Probably just a good place to drink, eat appetizers, and watch the game. read more

This review is a bit overdue. We went to Speisekammer a couple of weeks ago with friends. Very excited to try it because it had been recommended by so many people and the reviews were very positive. The restaurant did not disappoint! We ate inside in a large room toward the back. This is a very large restaurant. Not a lot of people in the room when we first got there but it did fill up and it became really loud. So loud that by the end we could not hear each other talk. Next time, I would eat in the front room or outside. The restaurant is rustic and not fancy at all. Service was good. My apologies for forgetting our servers name but kudos to him in how he handled one of the people in our party who could not make up her mind, sent her beer back because she did not like her order and other "customer from he&&" things. Thank you, kind sir, for being so patient. Food was excellent! We started with the German potato pancakes which were large and tasty. They came with a side of apple sauce. I had the pork meatballs with the speitzel. It was delicious but the servings are massive! How I stuffed all that food in my mouth is beyond me! LOL. Hubby had the schnitzel, I think it was the one with the mushrooms and it was so yummy. He had the single serving which was more than enough. The servings here are extremely generous. One of our friends had the salmon and loved it. She gave me a bit and it was delicious! Next time we come, I'm ordered that. The meals come with different types of carrot and vegetable salads, all done in the German fashion. Beer menu is tremendous and everyone loved what they had. I'm not a beer drinker, so can't rate that personally. We will definitely be back and I highly recommend it! read more

I've been trying to get to this place for months as my bucket list German restaurant and I really set my expectations. A little bit too high, which is my fault. Let's start with a bad. The.Spatzle was extremely underwhelming. flavorless and laxed texture and that's the end of the bag. The mashed potatoes were very good, but the star of the show surprisingly was the sauerkraut. The sauerkraut was the best I've ever had in my entire life barn. The sausages were good just not outstanding. The schnitzel was OK, not mind blowing just OK. I think the problem with the schnitzel is that they got pounded a little too thin and cooked a little bit too long, but the taste was still there just a little dry.The riesling that I had was absolutely outstanding which carried the meal quite well. I think if I set my standards a little bit lower the meal would've been a little bit better just not up to my German heritage roots. The gentleman who is serving me is very pleasant but really sucks at his job as far as server. I've been trying to get a check for almost 20 minutes, that's way too long. He did not come back and check on my meal after the plates were dropped another huge error read more

Speisekammer - Two sausages that were OK. I just wish they were as good as the sauerkraut. - German Near Me - Alameda, California

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The food here is crazy good. Huge portions, so authentically German, and really flavorful. You could probably get an app and split a main dish between two people and leave very full. It's super busy and the staff seem a bit overwhelmed, but what you come for is the food and the ambiance. The bartenders were great too--awesome drinks and very attentive. They also had a live band when we came on a Friday night, which was a fun surprise. Great spot! read more

Speisekammer - German Near Me - Alameda, California

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We've been going to Speisekammer since they first opened under the original owner. We went recently not knowing its ownership had changed. First impression - a garbage bin in front of the entry door. Front of house and wait staff were pleasant and friendly but our food was no where near the quality of what we used to get. The potato pancakes were the exception. They were good and bigger. Our schnitzel was inedible. It was so thin and breaded so heavily we didn't think there was meat. The potatoes were cold along with the bacon and tasted like they'd been sitting for a long time. Sadly, we won't be back. read more

There's, I think, 5 German/Austrian restaurants in the Oakland/Alameda/Berkeley area...so I have to try all of them. Yes, I have to. It's in my blood...and it's a must. However, now that I've been to Speisekammer, it's going to be very difficult to go to others. IT'S THAT GOOD. After picking up my Mom from Oakland airport, we headed 10 mins over to the Speisekammer. Parking is a bit difficult and awkward (and few), we ended up parking in the shopping mall lot, a short one block over. The front patio was booming with German-food lovers. It was about 7pm, and kind of cold...so we chose to eat inside. There's 3 rooms to sit inside, and 30 or so tables also outside in the back and side...so there's lots of choices. The hostess handed us at least 4 paper menus each: Food, beer, wine/drinks, and specials. We got ourselves situated, organized, and focused. I ordered a beer while we continued to look over the menus and make our final choices, an amazing Hef...mmmmmmm! The food menu is narrow, mostly pork items...but I like pork so that's quite okay. We shared a Schnitzel with 2 sides: roasted potatoes and cucumber salad. [$26, 4.5 stars]. Cooked to perfection, it had 2 cutlets (perfect for sharing), a very large portion of roasted potatoes (enough to share and take home), and delicious (and expected) cucumber salad. I also ordered a side of potato salad [$6, 5.0 stars], and um, it was the best I ever had. (Note: schnitzel gets a .5 point off because I like the ones I've got in Germany/Austria that are hanging over, larger, than the plate). It was also my birthday week. So, they brought me/us a piece of the apple strudel with ice cream and whipped cream, and of course, a couple of candles. It was so delicious! Bonus is that they also served it with some apple schnapps, my favorite, so it was that much better! So, if you could tell, we loved it. Best feature: we were transported. We spoke about it all the way home on the drive, at home, the next morning, and the whole day after. Oh yes, I will be back...and many times over. read more

This place was great, not awesome. We arrived for lunch on a rainy day. German food is full of meats n seafoods flavors, which I looked forward to all week. The menu seemed extensive! Kinda weird to get three different menus. The "special" menu wasn't fully available to order, just the soups! I was annoyed by that, for sure. The food was good. The portions were all over... the salad for the salmon croquettes was small. The fries were A lot! And the soup was perfect amount. Although the food we ate was very tasty. The drink menus was big! The wine selection was smallish, but included every type of wine! Of course German beers available!!! The staff were nice, friendly and attentive all the way through our meal! They have cute patio seating too, but the rain was plentiful. Clean restroom. Street parking only, bring an umbrella!! Totally recommend to everyone to try at least once if you like German food n beers!! read more

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This is a very traditional German restaurant which you'll love. We ordered the potato pancakes for an appetizer, which were wonderful they were actually very crispy and sort of reminded me of ruffles potato chips. We also got the french fries, which were very crispy and served with a variety of sauces. My favorite was the curry, ketchup entrée most of us, Scott, the Jager schnitzel it was well-made, and you could taste the mushroom and the mushroom sauce. It also came with a lot of spatzle. I asked if I could change my pickled vegetables to the red cabbage instead which I highly recommend anybody do the red cabbage is nicely sautéed with a tart but not too tart and sweet taste. For dessert we got the apple strudel and we got the crème brûlée.These were really tasty as well. read more

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Tried German food for the first time here and I came back for a second time. Both times were for Sunday lunch. The entree portions here are big. Be prepared for leftovers and being filled up when you leave. There is seating inside and outside. The first time I was here, the service was slow as it was busier. This time we got served right away and our food came out pretty quick. Ordered the reibekuchen (potato pancakes) and bratwurstchen (sausages) for appetizers which were crispy and flavorful. The chicken schnitzel sandwich was well balanced and chicken is crispy. The mashed potatoes with the schweinebraten are creamy and addicting. I got the Reuben sandwich the first time I came here and I can attest to that being very good as well. I got the house salad as a side which isn't your typical mixed green salad, but rather pickled veggies (and could either be up your alley or not). The fries here are good though! Would recommend this place if authentic German food is what you're looking for. read more

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Love love this place! Very quaint and quiet. Great German food, delicious meat and deserts! Definitely will come back! read more

By far the best Octoberfest celebration in the Bay Area. Lots of fun, great entertainment, and wonderful owners. I am very passionate about the grapefruit beer one of my favorites. Complimented with a nice hot pretzel with Mr. Hands-down, my favorite, part of coming to the bar. read more

Fantastic German food. Very authentic and plenty of seating outside or inside. Nice and lively place. The servers were very nice and knowledgeable of the menu. There is a good selection of food and German beers. read more

I've been dining at Speikshammer for many years and dined for the first time as a family of four. They were very accommodating and surprisingly, kid-friendly. They sat us in the dining room in the corner booth and it was perfect for my four-year-old and 10-month-old to explore and stretch out. The waitress was very attentive and thoughtful, checking in on us and asking us if we wanted a bag for our to-go boxes. My daughter is quite picky about the mac and cheese and I wasn't sure if she was going to be into the spatzle but she loved it! My husband shared the jager schnitzel which was the perfect amount for us (1 cutlet each with more than enough spatzle). One tip that the waitress mentioned was that if we didn't want the salad, to order extra spatzle next time. Something we will definitely note next time we visit! We even had time for dessert which rarely happens! read more

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Speisekammer has good food. The main reason for the 3 star rating is that they are wa to been Pp overpriced. They often change the price of food higher on weekends. I usually order the read more

This is my go to restaurant for pretty much any cuisine in Alameda. But when it comes to German, this is the best place in the Bay Area. I strongly recommend it. read more

Amazing potato pancakes, wonderful beer selection, super sausages, and memorable 50s music in the background We'll be back! read more

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Food was great for a takeaway on a Thursday for a first time and it was ready on time

Thought of trying this place for lunch since seeing this restaurant on Check Please. I knew going in it was a bit expensive, but the family wanted to go. I saw on the menu the Reuben sandwich, and in my mind I thought for $22 it's gotta be something like NY's Stage Deli or something, meaning it's filled with tons of meat and sauerkraut stacked 4-5 inches tall. Nope...when my order arrived, I was hugely disappointed by seeing how small it was. There was just one thin layer of sliced corned beef and a very small amount of sauerkraut and a little cheese. The corned beef was even tough too. Taking a bite, I had to use my fork to pull/separate the meat from my bite. The slice of bread was thicker than what it was filled with. Not just that, but the slice of bread was also tiny. Like the size of the old Wonder Bread as a kid. My teenage son ordered the same and probably took about 2-3 bites to finish it. Whatever you do, DO NOT order the Reuben sandwich. My wife ordered the Wiener Schnitzel sandwich and it was a little bit better. The bread had a good crunch to it, but that was about it. The pork cutlet didn't have much flavor and just like the Reuben sandwich, there was also not enough meat for the amount of bread in the sandwich. In the end, ordering 5 sandwiches came to $110, not including tax & tip. Was it worth it? Hell NO! I'm thinking that the dinner menu might be better, but I don't plan to return after such a bad experience with their sandwiches. read more

Speisekammer - Reuben sandwich - German Near Me - Alameda, California

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Menu was amazing. Ordered the sauerbraten with schnitzel. Wonderful. Great service and a wonderful beer. read more

Speisekammer - Sauerbraten, schnitzel and red cabbage with cranberries. - German Near Me - Alameda, California

Over priced, slow service and mediocre food. I was very disappointed. A 3-4 oz side of cheese sauce was $7. The pretzel was obviously microwaved to heat and the Schnitzel was dry and tough. read more

Good but not great! Honestly so pricey for what you get that I have to dock it to 3 stars. I went for Oktoberfest and had pretzel with beer cheese, spaetzle with meatballs, and loaded bratwurst. The pretzel with beer cheese was good and so was the spaetzel with meatballs. The bratwurst bun was overcooked to the point that it hurt to bite into it and the rest of it wasn't very cohesive. The fries were yummy though! For the price of theme entrees, I cant get myself to go back. I think for a non-Oktoberfest dinner with the normal entrees, it would probably be more worth the price point. The service was pretty slow too and it was hard to get anyone's attention. The location is good though and the outdoor space is very cute! read more

Speisekammer - German Near Me - Alameda, California

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Last month we called an old fashion yellow cab to get picked up and we were delivered to this restaurant for cabbage and potatoes. The food was good. read more

We had late lunch/early dinner here on a Saturday before an Oktoberfest Sunday. We ate on the patio--there was some residual sun on one side that was perfect for the weather. Might be cold in the later afternoon on the deck without sun. We'd been there maybe 10-15 years ago. We are glad we decided to return. We had two main courses, beef, and two sides (brussells sprouts and sauerkaut) (the menu at the restaurant is considerably more extensive than the "dine in" menu shown on the website by the way). We really enjoyed everything. Of course, we are both fans of German food, even though it runs to the heavy/very heavy side. Service was very good and the size of the portions was enormous, so the value was good as well. Good selection of German beers. Highly recommended. read more

*Open for indoor dining, outdoor dining, and takeout* Came here on a Saturday evening about 30 minutes before closing, and they were super nice to let us in and dine quickly. Service and staff: - Staff was friendly and quick. They did forget one of our orders for a bit of time, but eventually came around with it - Service looked a bit quicker inside (maybe because they were cleaning up inside and more available there) Food: - Reibekuchen: crispy potato pancakes (comes with four). This was a lot tastier than I thought it would be! Especially with the Apple compote that it comes with (basically tastes like applesauce) - Der Burger: I realize I was at a German restaurant and could have gotten so many other dishes, but I went with the burger. It was a little messy, but it was tasty Miscellaneous: - Lots of drinks to try from beers to ciders to wines - Street parking is available, but can be limited if busy downtown read more

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Reliable and casual spot for German food, German beer, and camaraderie. The German decor, along with the old tavern-y feel, makes it a perfect spot for drinks with friends or a chill lunch of Bratwurst or Schnitzel. We went on a late Sunday afternoon and it ended up getting pretty crowded by the evening when we were leaving. The waitstaff are friendly and happy to give recommendations. We got the cabbage rolls, bratwurst/Currywurst, and salmon croquette. The cabbage rolls and Currywurst are highlights I'd recommend trying out for sure! Will be coming back to try beers at some point. read more

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I was always skeptical about German food but after trying the food here I really like German food & beers! This place serves a generous portion of food & beer, they have so many of beer variety. The food was so delicious from appetizer, entrees and dessert and they feel like home made food. I felt so satisfied :) and I have been always craving of German food ever since ! read more

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We've loved this neighborhood restaurant for years, and the former owners were lovely. The increase in prices is insane. A pretzel for $14?? With entrees at $27-39 range, salads and apps in $20 range, plus drinks? It's sad, but thinking we're done as a dining out option. read more

I had an Octoberfest lunch there for 23 Red Hat ladies. This place really went above and beyond to make this a perfect lunch! Service is superior to 90% of restaurants today! Food was great! Not 1 70+ old woman had a negative thing to say! Now they want me to repeat next year! read more

Speisekammer - Veal Bratwurst, potato pancakes, lox, brotzel. - German Near Me - Alameda, California

Wife had always wanted to try this place for a long time. Today, was the day. Nice indoor and outdoor seating options available. Decor was nice and quaint. Our server and other waitstaff were attentive and she was able to recommend some of her favorite dishes. German Pretzel with beer cheese - (4/5) Served warm and the inside was soft. House Cured Gravlax (4/5). Nice, thin, slices with dill. Special (3.5/5) - Thinly sliced beef rolled with bacon and vegetables, potato dumplings, pickled red cabbage in a red wine brown sauce. Sauce and the red cabbage were really good. Potato Pancakes (4/5). Thinly fried potatoes that has a nice crispy texture. Apple Strudel with Whipped Cream (3.5/5). It was good, and glad we tried it. We will be back. read more

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Always wanted to try this German restaurant & finally got the chance to on a beautiful Thursday night. I ordered the Jager Schnitzel vom Schwein full order which consists of 2 pork cutlets,Spatzle & a side pickled salad, plus fresh lemonade (I'm not a beer drinker, otherwise I would have taken advantage of their beers). The pork cutlet was thin & nicely breaded. The mushroom sauce had a light creamy texture with maybe a slight hint of wine. I really enjoyed the sauce that added that extra dimension of flavor to enhance the pork cutlets. As a dinner entree I also had Spatzle (seasoned dough poached in boiling water). I fell in love with the Spatzle for the unique dough like texture in a European style of cooking. Also included was a pickled array of vegetables considered as a salad. The salad consisted of fresh beets,carrots, cabbage & cucumber. Speisekammer really knows how to pickle without adding too much vinegar, or sugar, it was well balanced. Despite not having a taste of beer, I really enjoyed their fresh squeezed lemonade that was pleasantly tart, yet refreshing. This was a wonderful 1st time experience, thanks Speisekammer! read more

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Good German food and a large selection of German beers too. A lot of large tables in a cozy but open floor plan with plenty of outdoor seating for when the weather allows. They were out of several things that we tried to order but the service was good and we ended up having a good time largely because our server took really good care of us. read more

Came here on a weekday afternoon during our food crawl. I really love European beer and was super excited to try the selection here. The cups are big so we were only able to finish two each. I didn't have the stomach for the boot quite yet. :"( We chose to sit inside because it was getting chilly, but we were seated behind a barrier and the servers couldn't see us. They were really nice though, we just had to stand up to ask for stuff. I felt like it was a little musty. A huge spider also fell onto our table so we moved ourselves. I was wary of the meat platter (Gegrillte Fleischplate) because it looked so big, but it was actually pretty doable once we ordered it. For $43, you get two types of meats and like seven(?) sausages on a bed of sauerkraut. It comes with two types of mustard sauces. The Oktoberfest beers were great--better with flavor and body than American beers for sure. We also tried to spiced beer from Canada, but I'm looking at the current menu and can't find it. Overall a nice vibe and tasty food! read more

Speisekammer - beer - German Near Me - Alameda, California

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Such a good finding! Came at 5:30p, the place is getting busy but manageable. We started with: (2) Potato Pancakes with Apple Compote - super crispy, great to start Entrees - family styles: Curry Wurscht - super delicious Bratwurst - okay Roasted Pork in Beer Sauce - soft, well balanced tangy & savory Cabbage Leaves Stuffed with Seasoned Beef - I will order this again. Similar with Meat loaf with tangy tomato sauce Try the Berliner Weisser w Raspberry Syrup Great services, our wait staff was so patience in explaining yummy different type of beers read more

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Came here with a bunch of friends for my Birthday. I had been here before but not for a long time so I wanted to see what's doing. They have three different rooms you can eat in. One features a bar and another has a fireplace. There's like three tvs I believe. There's also an outside area in the front. A live band was playing near the bar. Right off the bat I just want to acknowledge our waitress. I can't remember her name but she was blonde and had a sweet voice. She was very good. Orders were perfect, drinks were consistently filled and she was extremely patient. I'm not gonna mention everything that was ordered, just what I got. For the appetizers I went with the Gebeitzter Lachs (salmon w/capers and a dill mustard sauce. Also came with two crispy potato pancakes. This dish was very yummy. I also ordered the Pretzel Mit Bier-kasesosse. The pretzel was very soft and the beer cheese was amazing. For the main course I went with the Gegrillte Fleischplatte. A meat platter featuring a pork chop and various sausages. It was all delicious especially the pork chop which was the highlight for me. Came with two kinds of mustards. Someone told the waitress it was my birthday and she brought out shots of apple schnapps and a dessert for free! I thought that was really cool of them. Most places just give you a small piece of cake. It was an apple strudel with ice cream and whipped cream. It was very good. This place rocks and I can't wait to go back soon!! Thanks for an awesome birthday Speiskammer! read more

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Unfortunately with the ownership change the quality and authenticity have gone way downhill. As a born native of Germany and someone who has been coming to this Resturant for over 30 years it's sad to see. There are other Bay Area options for quality authentic German food but I'm sorry to say this place does t make the list anymore. The owners aren't even German. read more

I'd been wanting to try this place for a long time and so glad I did. Although not everything we ordered was amazing, over all it was pretty good. I'll start with the negatives. Firstly, We ordered the large soft pretzel and beer cheese for the table and all of us agreed that it left little to be desired. The pretzel itself was okay but nothing special. I feel like I've had better at sporting events. We all also agreed that the beer cheese was not good at all. The texture was grainy and the flavor was not enjoyable. No one took a second bite of it after trying it the first time. The other disappointment was that we ordered a side of apple compote which we never received. On the bright side, we ordered the smoked salmon appetizer which was very tasty and enjoyed by all. It was served with red onions, capers and a mustard dill sauce were all very delicious. For my entree I ordered the braised pork shank with mashed potatoes and pickled salad and was very pleased. It was a decent size portion and the flavors of everything on the dish came together nicely. My husband ordered the salmon which was severed with mashed potatoes and spinach. I tried his meal and we both agreed that it was well cooked, well seasoned and that the salmon tasted fresh. Although I didn't try their meals the couple we dined with ordered a beef roulade dish and a chicken spatzle and both said they enjoyed their meals. Overall this place was good and we will go again. read more

We stopped for lunch on the way to OAK airport. What a nice time. Great menu. Food was delicious. Nice servers. Felt like we were in Germany. Enjoy! read more

Speisekammer - Watching Purdue win in the Final Four - German Near Me - Alameda, California

Overall, would suggest you try a solid German meal and enjoy the warm atmosphere at Spiesekammer. My wife and I started with two drinks (5/5) that were unique, delish, and generously topped off. For apps, we opted for the Reibekuchen potato pancakes (3.5/5) with apple compote which were good, but felt too crispy. Not a bad thing, but we had hoped it was more like a latke vs a potato funnel cake. For entree, we picked the jager schnitzel (4.5/5, pork cutlet with a pasta like side) and rouladen (4/5, cabbage wrapped beef with mashed potato). Schnitzel was solid and would order again for two. Rouladen is worth trying if you've never had it before, but since I've been spoiled by authentic homemade Rouladen before it didn't feel quite the same. Rouladen tastes a little like seasoned hamburger meat, but the sauce and mashed potato complement it well. Wouldn't order a second time though. Overall, great place to check out and will most likely come back in the future! read more

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Great atmosphere, especially the outside biergarten. It was cloudy when I visited but I can imagine it'd be great in sunny weather. Extensive list of BIG German beers. We only had two food items: potato pancakes and Wiener schnitzel sandwich. I found both to be ok. The apple sauce that came with the potato pancakes was awesome. The sandwich was a little disappointing, not bad at all, but a little lacking In flavor. Service was friendly and competent. I would not go out of my way to come again, but we will revisit at some point so I can get a better idea of the food quality. All in all, a nice eating experience, and an escape from the standard American food. read more

Speisekammer - Wiener schnitzel - German Near Me - Alameda, California

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