Seriously delicious! Grew up in Western Mass and this was one of the best memories of my childhood. Consistently delicious food no matter what, go back at least once a month with my Husband. I have also had numerous parties here including my Wedding Rehearsal Dinner in their new side room. Great bar area and history for Springfield. Definitely a must-see if you are in the Springfield Area. Recommended: Baked Stuffed Shrimp drizzled with Sherry as well as the Fried Cheese,Wiener Schnitzel and Chocolate Crepes or Chauvenet. read more

My favorite restaurant in the entire world. I don't live in MA but anytime I drive through I make sure to stop here. Try the roquefort salad, fried cheese, cucumber salad... it's all SO good. Highly recommend! read more

Incredible German fare. Fantastic bar and impeccable service. Fried cheese is a must have. Chased down with a little Spaten Optimator and wow. Stein collection is great and the historical location just adds to it. If it's not the best restaurant in Springfield, it sure is close. Must-see if you're new to the area. read more

I went for lunch a few weeks ago....hadn't been in 30 years since my Dad's job relocated. It was a nice step back in time. What a cute place....looked like remembered it in the early 80s. It felt like my Dad was with me again for a while. The food is great and service is fast. I hope this place stays around forever. read more

Best place to have a beer in this area!!!!! The bar area is very nice too!!! I actually prefer it over the restaurant.

Stumbled on this place and couldn't believe the gem we found. We sampled a few dishes and all were amazing. One of my favorites when done right are potato pancakes and these were perfect, served with sour cream and applesauce, as they should be! We will be back again and again I'm sure! read more

This was best German food I have had since I was stationed in Germany! A remarkable find for dinner! We had the potato pancakes to start, then th oven roasted pork shank and geschnetzeltes (veal and mushrooms in cream sauce). Both meals were incredibly delicious. We will positively be back. What an incredible place with incredible ambiance! read more

I love this place! I have gone here a number of times over the last four years, before and after the renovations. The food is excellent as always, and while the place has undergone remodeling in 2015, or still has much of its old charm! I look forward to having another birthday celebration there someday soon! ;) read more

This place is great! Our family has been coming here for decades since I was a kid. Ownership changed about five years ago bringing some minor adjustments but nothing to hurt the solid old world atmosphere and great food. Service is excellent. Attentive but not pushy. read more

Absolutely amazing food, reasonable prices, and wonderful beer selection. This is the best (and most authentic) German restaurant in the area. The schnitzels were perfectly fried with a variety of sauce choices and the bratwurst was full of flavor. My only complaint lies with the desserts- the strudel was a bit lacking in flavor and the pastry was overcooked while the creme suchard was heavier in liquor flavors than chocolate. We will definitely be returning! Be sure to try the pretzels! read more

This has been one of my favorite restaurants for many, many years. For health and work related problems I have not gone since it was taken over by Peter Pan bus companies and some other, multi restaurant group 4 or 5 years ago. So, I was really looking forward to going again. The waiters and waitresses...weren't they dressed in German folk garb in the past? Now they are in regulation sleek, hip, hipster black shirt and slacks. The menu on line - which lists the game and Valentine Day menus (so, is recent) - was wrong about the beer selections and about the desert selections. My appetizer was ok if greasy (Potato Pancakes), my entrée was an abomination (the worst, more gristle than 'veal' Weinerschnitzel I have ever been served, on top of a soggy ocean of what purported to be spätzle. When I asked about a Caeser salad, I was told he (the waiter) would have to check in the kitchen to see about it. I got their version, a head (entire) of romaine lettuce split length wise and doused with a minimum of dressing and - 2 - anchovies. The desert was a soggy apple strudel. The two friends I was with - ditto. I cook veal osso bucco - and what they served under that name has no relation whatsoever to that dish. You could literally stick a fork into it and the fork would stand upright. As one of my pals remarked - the beer was great, but they didn't make that. It's Munich House, in the next town over, from now on. read more

Sad to see a 413 icon fail so miserably on Christmas Eve. Our food came out cold and undercooked. Receiving a drink order was a rare privilege. Worst of all, the staff expected that removing one dish from our $200+ bill was suitable "consolation." Outrageous. read more

This *is* AUTHENTIC German cuisine. One recent chef, Swabian, has opened his own restaurant in neighboring Chicopee. I've spent years over there and am married to a native. The Fort, as it is known in Springfield, has a very large menu that branches off into some French-influenced cuisine, but remains German at its core. They serve a variety of specialties dependent upon the season, e.g., Oktoberfest and Starkbierzeit. As a previous review states, the restaurant stopped making spätzle on a year-round basis. When I discovered this -- a more recent development -- I was rather stunned, but it was being served during my last visits in January and February! My favorite meal is served at dinner only: the stuffed veal steak. I've ordered it many times and it is consistently great. The large steak is stuffed with ham and cheese like a cordon bleu, but is served in a rich mushroom cream sauce. Their veal geschnetzeltes (along the lines of Zürcher geschnetzeltes) are also excellent. Do note their side salads are mediocre. Extremely small in size, they're not necessarily worth adding to your meal. Instead, start off with a plate or two of the fried camembert. Re: that other review. College students do not frequent The Fort as it is relatively expensive and nowhere near any campuses. Instead, you'll find the movers and shakers of the city - it is the establishment restaurant in town. read more

Yep - the decor is old, 80 years old to be exact. The menu is very traditional. The bar is amazing with one of the largest stein collections in the US and a 7-figure value. It's the food. It's always right. Even better, if you know somebody (yep, a real old-fashioned place that still has house accounts) on 72 hours notice you can get anything. The secret to the Student Prince is the menu is meaningless. There's some serious talent in the kitchen and it can be pressed into service; even told to come up with a dinner for 10 with a roast veal entree. Most of the rest of what you get you'll never have heard of but it will be delicious. The killer is you get al this for prices that run 60% of standard high-end Boston prices and 40% of standard high-end New York prices. If you are a gourmand, this is definitely on the list. Even GOURMET Magazine says so. read more

Extremely disappointing experience. After spending 7 months in Austria, with extensive travels throughout Germany, I had been craving some German food. I didn't expect it to be authentic, but I thought I would at least get some decent Americanized German fare. Even this was too much to ask, as the food was poor quality and bland. Anyone who says this is "authentic" clearly has no idea what authentic German food is. Nothing we ordered was even close to its German counterpart. By far the best part of the meal was my Franziskaner Weissbier, one of my favorite types of beer. The fried camembert cheese was decent as well. We ordered the Nuremberg sausuage appetizer, as Nuremberg has probably my favorite sausage of anywhere in Germany. We got what tasted like frozen breakfast sausages you can pick up in the grocery store. Very disappointing start. I got the mixed platter, with Bratwurst, Hungarian goulash, and pork chops. Not sure what the Bratwurst was made from, but it was bland, grisly, and far worse than the worst sausage I had in Austria or Germany. The goulash was not goulash, since there was no noticeable paprika, tomato base, cream, or anything. It was basically a below average beef stew, with chunks of dry beef. The pork chops tasted like a poor quality chunk of ham. The service was fine, barring the poor pronunciations of menu items by the waitress. I didn't expect the staff to speak German, but they didn't even put effort into saying the foods correctly, and when our table made an attempt they gave us blank stares, repeating with the English translation. I had been looking forward to this meal, and was severely disappointed. Fairly expensive for the very poor quality of food too. Definitely will not be returning here. read more

Truly enjoyable food and service! We were a party of 10 and the service was excellent...as was the food. My schnitzel was fab and I loved the salad with their blue cheese dressing...indian pudding was fantastic. Can't wait to go again. Even better than the food I had in Berlin Germany. read more

We had a fantastic experience shortly before Christmas. This was The Fort we remember! Great food, fine service, lovely atmosphere. Great salad. I am guessing the new version is a work in progress. read more

Tried the roquefort dressing as rec.and it did not disappoint_over all the food was good but very under seasoned - both the chicken paprika and the kaiser schnitzel - but would still recommend it for a hearty Sunday lunch! read more

Without a doubt the best restaurant in the Springfield Area! My family has been coming to here since before I was born and one day my grandchildren will be able to say the same thing! Whenever I want a great meal in the Springfield area this is where I go. read more

Awesome! Great authentic German food , reasonable prices for what you get . Most of all suburb service! There was a good atmosphere in the place . It takes a lot to impress me and I was ! Lots of cool German decorations. We had a great time read more

I went with several colleagues while on a business trip. Highlights: humongous pretzel (as big as a dinner plate!), lamb shank, and jäger schnitzel, red cabbage and spätzle. Since we were there at Christmas time, we experienced their excellent carol singers. Dessert for your ears! read more

They have the best Hungarian beef goulash. The waiters are friendly and will chat with you. I always feel like i am among family here.

We randomly ended up here on a Sunday afternoon on our way home from a ski trip, and had no expectation for the beautiful, old-world charm and fresh menu this place offered. Food was great and service friendly. Would definitely stop off here again! read more

The name may be the same, but the Student Prince disappeared when it changed hands after generations of being expertly and meticulously run by the same family. My partner and I had been enjoying their unique atmosphere and menu selections for the past 17 years. We were quite disappointed when we heard they had closed, and elated to find they had re opened. After returning to the "new" reopened restaurant, we had found that the menu had changed and most of our favorites had disappeared. Today we tried once more and unfortunately have closed the door on this chapter and will not be returning. The help was cold, specifically our waitress Jessica who did not even take the time to tell us about the specials as others around us were doing. Our drinks and meals were practically thrown to us with little to no interaction. The absence or the ornate costumes and special October Fest selections was a disappointment. The food itself was disgusting from the dried up onion ring appetizer to the dried up spoetzl and dried up baked stuffed shrimp. The Student Prince in an hour and a half away from our place in CT, and was usually attended for a special night or event. Two bad experiences has sealed the deal here and from the looks of all the empty seats which by the way was never the case, others seem to agree. read more

I am a Springfield native and the Fort/Student Prince has always been considered a landmark German restaurant. It had a reputation for fine American and German dishes, a great selection of beers and a warm inviting atmosphere. We dined here last night and were a party of five adults. We had reservations and were seated in the front dining room which runs along Main Street. While I know the name of our server, I shall leave him out of this although I think he could have improved our service if he really wanted to. We waited a full hour to receive our appetizers and 2 out of the 3 were cold. Our waiter took one away and brought us a fresh hot app. Then we waited another 45 minutes to receive our entrees, which were mediocre at best. Upon expressing our disappointment to our server, he said he would bring the manager to address our concerns. Well, after the manager, Nancy, heard us out, apologized and agree to drop the apps from the bill, she left. We couldn't find her for another half an hour! Finally the waiter comes out with a bill that was not adjusted correctly and we had to send him back. We spent over 2.5 hours here and I will never go back! The food was mediocre, the apps were cold and the service all the way around was horrible! read more

Really enjoyed our meal in this nice, German style cozy pub. It was dark paneled pub with tons of steins, Hummels, and other items on shelves on the walls. Nice bar area and the staff was great. My Hungarian Goulash was delicious and husband's Beef on Weck was outstanding. Fried Camembert cheese appetizer was really good. Large portions (very reasonable prices) even for the voracious eaters we can be. In downtown Springfield....easy 15 minute walk from Seuss Museum area. read more

Came on a recommendation from our daughter. Never been to a German restaurant before but this one is wonderbar! Iconic building, rich in history and tradition. Loved every scrumptious bite! Waitstaff made excellent menu suggestions- the fried Camembert cheese, German sampler dinner, and schnitzel! All delicious, including the sides of sauerkraut, crispy Brussels and spaetzle(?). Great draft beer selections too! read more

As a long time patron of The Student Prince I am amazed at how they pass my expectations each visit. My last visit on Thursday prompted me to write this review. Our service was beyond anything I had experienced absolutely fantastic. Specifically Mike our waiters service was professional and fantastic all around. On top of him being a top notch waiter he also made the bread pudding that we enjoyed at the end of an incredible dining experience. Thank you Mike for making our dining experience one of the best we have had and thank you again for the bread pudding!! read more

Awesome food!!! I've been here a few times and the food is always excellent. I visited last month with my wife. We were celebrating our anniversary. I contacted John P... Part owner/manager and asked for a special Crepe dessert for my wife. John arranged it. We had a phenomenal dinner. Appetizer was oven roasted artichoke with an awesome pumpkin purée sauce. My wife had the pumpkin risotto that was awesome. And I had the tenderloin goulash. It was cooked perfect. So tender I didn't need a knife. It melted in my mouth. We will definitely be back. We had a couple of beers to go with dinner. Now for dessert. It was a special dessert they don't even have on the menu anymore, but if you ask a couple of days in advance I'm sure they would set it up for you. I forget the exact name, but it began with crepe .... John came out with a cart and cooked it at our table. Fresh made crepes sautéed in assorted liquors, chopped hazelnuts cooked in the crepes and a caramel sauce made fresh with a scoop of ice cream on the side. It was excellent and cool to watch him cook it at our table. He and his staff were very friendly, the food was excellent and my wife loved it. Thank you John. I plan on going back. It's a long drive but it's worth it for the excellent food and atmosphere. read more

We had dinner on Monday. I had the Faroe Island Atlantic Salmon and my wife had the prince size prime rib. Although the salmon is marketed as wild caught, I would bet my house it was farm raised salmon from COSTCO. I have had wild caught salmon and this was not wild caught - completely flavorless. The prime rib was cooked perfectly and the portion was fine, but how can you go wrong with a slice of prime rib. What really turned me off from this dining experience, was that we were the second table to be served on Monday. One would think our dinners would be served hot. Both dinners looked to have sat under a warming lamp for some time. The presentation was unappealing and the food I would rate as very good for a high school cafeteria. Atmosphere a plus, but only go for the beer selection. read more

Wonderful ambiance and food with tremendous service on an extremely busy night. We went the day after Christmas and the place was crazy busy. Reservation for 6:30 and we were seated at about 7:15. Manager bought our first round for the delay. Service was excellent. Bottom line: I was there with a German friend and he gave The Fort a thumbs-up and said his mother would approve (I think that's a high compliment). The bar is a stunning room and the beer selection was great. I hope the casinos will give this place a stronger financial base than it has had since Springfield's catastrophic decline. This place is worth the trip, absolutely. read more

This restaurant was recommended from several friends in the area. We went with high hopes but what a disappointment ! Our waiter's (Jeff) only intent was to pad the bill. He added an appetizer to our bill after we told him we did not want it. He became angry and argumentative when we changed our mind on the app. My veal schnitzel was tough and over cooked. My wife's meal was bland and just average. (We know real authentic German food) My wife had several questions for Jeff in regards to the menu but he kept telling us what to order instead of answering our questions. When we returned home to Michigan I noticed the shrimp was on my bill (its my fault for not reviewing properly). My wife tried to call the manager but was told he was to busy to talk to anyone about any complaints. We called again today but was put on hold for 20 minutes. I never write bad reviews, but since we were treated so poorly we need to make others aware. (STAY AWAY) Bottom Line - Crappy Service, Crappy Food, and Crappy Management / Waiter for a $250.00 meal. read more

Let me start by saying I don't eat pork or veal, and never sausage. HOWEVER, I can't say ANYTHING WRONG ABOUT THIS RESTAURANT! Abundant choices, fabulous service. I had the spaeztle with mushrooms and roasted brussel sprouts and garlic spinach. Everything house-made or very locally sourced. Don't let the prices put you off, if you're frugal; the plates are more than generous to share. Everyone at our table of four had something different, and we all agreed that every single main course and side dish was EXCELLENT! Valet park only. Beautiful, individually decorated dining rooms. Don't miss the hand etching, not wallpaper, if you appreciate interior finishes. Our server anticipated and surpassed our every need; and I think it's been decades since I have been able to say that! And don't get me started on the bread! Careful tho- save your appetite! read more

My family has been coming to the Student Prince and Fort since the late 1930s. In fact, my father who used to work for the Springfield newspaper, told me that the paper used to be run from upstairs, and partly in what is now the Heidelburg Room. Just about the best, friendliest bar in the world. The extended the bar into another room and added a television which is regrettable (they used to have a tiny black and white TV with rabbit ears that they would only break out during the World Series). Also regrettable is that they no longer serve their beer in boots, which was classic (they even used to have double boots). The food is fine. The best part of the Prince is the history and atmosphere, you can have a great meal or you can have a so-so meal there. The filet strogonoff is a winner. The cheese on the bar comes out at 4:30; the expensice a la carte shimp is delicious (and kind of double what you think -- order some and you'll see); You simply have to have the salad dressing "Rupprecht's way"; Holidays are what the Prince is all about. The eggnog that sits on the bar, ready to order. The carolers are not to be missed. You can also order a chauvinette for a drink treat. The lunch specials are a real bargain, don't miss the Vienna meatloaf. Game night (and month -- February) is amazing if you are into exotic meats. Some of the bar tenders and wait staff have been there for decades and are real nice people. Rudy has done a fine job for the most part, of keeping tradition after Rupprecht passed away. If you are going to or through Springfield (and everone in New England does at some point) don't miss out. It won't last forever. read more

One of the five worst dining experience I have ever had. Maybe THE WORST. Time between ordering and meal arrival was at least 90 minutes. At the one hour mark the waiter came to table to tell us they had run out of items we had ordered 60 minutes previously. The general thought at the table was he had forgot to put our order in. He then came back with one small basket of bread. I guess that was intended to hold us over for a while. My medium rare prime rib finally arrived well done. My wife's looked medium well (also ordered medium rare) and was cold. I sent mine back. The waiter did not come back for 15 minutes and THEN offered another entrée. Twenty minutes later he came back with a ribeye that was RAW. PURPLE, COLD, and RAW. By now the others at my table had finished their meals. The manager came over 15 minutes later to ask what he could do to make thing right. I told him to take my meal off the bill and that I was done for the night. After 2.5 hours I was still in need of dinner but done with the Student Prince. Our waiter told us when we were seated he worked there for 19 years but apparently hadn't learned over his career that prime rib ordered medium rare should not be brown in the middle. The staff in general was not very friendly. I walked by the kitchen on my way to bathroom and people were goofing off in there so it's no small wonder I couldn't get a decent meal. The noise in the restaurant is incredible. Conversation was nearly impossible. Here's the deal - If it's later in the night and the prime rib is past medium rare just tell me and I will order something else. Don't try to slip something by me that looks like a baseball glove. If you're busy, the manager needs to do his job and manage. Do not keep seating people to maximize revenue and then serve whatever crap the kitchen can put up in the window. Something is obviously wrong in this place. I should have kept the ribeye and turned it over to health department for their opinion. I would avoid this place regardless of any reputation or business longevity you may have heard about. Ambiance is bad, host/wait staff is bad, and the food is bad. Spend your hard earned money elsewhere. It was a night ruined for eight people with Burger King quality food and service. read more

This is an update of the review that I posted in February that was far less than complimentary. My friends and I returned to the Student Prince 3 months after having a bad experience because we loved the SP and wanted to give it another chance, just in case things improved. We arrived on time and were seated immediately. We had requested that Jeff be our server; we have had him a few times in the past and he is always wonderful and entertaining. As usual, he delivered stellar service and was very knowledgeable and entertaining. He took our drink order, filled us in on the specials and answered our questions about changes made to the menu items. The oyster bar was not yet available, but oysters were on the appetizer menu and one in our party ordered them and was very happy with their quality. The remaining three of us nibbled on an appetizer of potato pancakes because we wanted to save room for dessert. I missed having a choice of soup or salad included with the meal. After learning that his favorite dish, the smoked pork chops, is now prepared differently, this friend ordered the pork shank and was pleased with it. His wife opted for the swordfish special, served over vegetables and olives and she also was very very pleased; the fish was tender and moist, not at all dry like swordfish can be at times. We can credit our waiter Jeff for discussing how the dish was prepared with her and making the suggestions that he did that made it exceptional. The Kaiser schnitzle was very good, but could have had a bit more of the mushroom sauce that was served underneath the pork cutlets. The paprika chicken was also very good with a side of spatzle. Then came time for the best part of dinner: DESSERT! Right? um, no, not exactly. The creme suchard was superior, decandently chocolate with a hint of some sort of liqueur. However, when we ordered the dark forest chocolate cake, our waiter had to come back to tell us it was unavailable. Seems they no longer employ a pastry chef to make all of their desserts in house and the dark forest cake was still frozen. FROZEN? Imagine my disappointment after saving room for a gooey, chocolately rich cake only to find it unavailable because someone forgot to take it out of a freezer, yet I think I was more disappointed to find out it was outsourced. So much for the SP's reputation for incredible cakes. We resigned ourselves to a chavinette (an ice cream shake with galiano and other liqueurs), another creme suchard, and a strawberry shortcake. The shortcake was very disappointing, there was a small pressed layer of a strawberry substance at the bottom of a cake. Not exactly what was expected and probably was frozen only hours ago. And why is there not apple strudel at a German restaurant? We spoke to the manager, John, about some of the changes to the menus. While we understand the SP had to make changes to become profitable, the new version of the restaurant was not able to salvage the original elegance and exceptional quality we had become accustomed to. Change is inevitable in life and the Student prince is an example of an inevitable change that is not for the better. The restaurant still serves decent food, just don't try to compare it to the old days; they are gone and they are not going to return. *sniff* read more

Visited last night for the second time. Great great place. Had the lamb shanks they were outstanding!!! Just a good place, great people, great food!! And Drink!!!! Go every time you are in springfield!! read more

If the fort served nothing more than fried cheese and their delicious roquefort dressing, I would still give them four stars. The fact is however, they have, and always have had one of the best Rueben's I have ever sampled. Their game menu is amazing, and is a great segway for people wishing to try game meat, but unsure how to do so. Though I have not eaten their in a long time, I can say with certainty I've never had a bad meal there. Im not here to argue the authenticity of it being German, just whether or not it tastes good! Many may dislike the drab dim-lit interior, but I feel it only adds to its rich history. If you take notice, they have an amazing stein collection and used to have a great cigar lounge, which has since been shut down. The fort has been a past-time of my grandparents for over 50 years. Rudy, knew my grandfather by his first name, and would let him bring his own bottles of wine to pair with his meals. A great old school feeling, and I'd recommend it to anybody. 1 of about 4 decent restaurants in all of Springfield. read more

If you are a carnivore then this is the place for you. I honestly can't speak to their regular menu but every February, The Student Prince has "Game Month" where they have a plethora of wild game you regularly don't see on menus many places, much less in the same place for all of February. I had a kabob containing Bison, venison, boar,yak, Antelope, and Elk. All were outstanding. Aside from awesome game meats, there sides such as spatzle and there beer was great as well. In past years, they've had bear and they were out of gator but between main dishes and sides there was meat a plenty.If you read this before the end of the month, I recommend high tailing it down there or you'll have to wait until this brigadoon of yummy carnage reappears next February. read more

The food here is excellent. The restaurant decor is beautiful. Some friends and I went during Caroling Season for a celebration. We had a 6:30 reservation and waited 45 minutes for our table. The table we were seated at was all they had at the time and it was way too tiny for the 7 of us. It took awhile for our waiter to acknowledge us and during his service, he was quite rude. We waited much too long for someone to clear our table completely, refill water and bring a check. When we did mention that we did not appreciate waiting yet again for service he was out of line rude. I approached the manager with my concern and after she reassured me she would compensate our bill she never reappeared again. The food was great - the experience was not. read more