I had an excellent, generous, gracious meal at the Bavarian Chef this afternoon for my birthday. I'm still groaning! The food was fabulous and we got the full complement of sides--whipped potatoes, green beans, creamed corn, spaetzle, carrots and apples, potato dumplings, zucchini, braised red cabbage, German potato salad, maybe more (my belly's so full, I'm not remembering well...)--rye rolls, red pepper soup with crab, trout with almonds (yum!). We had a very nice dry German Riesling and. German Pinot Noir. The five of us shared a piece of the amazing German chocolate cake. Our server, Nick, was very pleasant, efficient and professional--good at his job and possessing a beautiful, warm smile. I had an Asbach Sidecar that was very well made. I see a negative review from a couple of months ago (~February 2026-ish?) that sounds like it was written about another restaurant, not the delightful Bavarian Chef I know and love. The writer of that poor review seems to have been enjoying the sound of her own writing (which leans toward the overly dramatic and away from anything like an honest review) more than trying to express anything real about the Bavarian Chef. She seems to have an ax of some kind to grind, as she could find not one nice, decent thing to say. I disagree with her with every well-seasoned, perfectly cooked vegetable and flavorful rye roll digesting in my belly right now. The Bavarian Chef is a treat. You'd be a fool to miss it! read more

it was a little busy at the lunch time of our visit. we ended up in the tiny tables in the bar area. quite cramped. it detracted slightly, but only slightly. the service was a touch slow, but very gracious, friendly, and helpful. a party of about a dozen were seated immediately after us, so that probably accounts for a lot of the delay. the food was quite exceptional. delicious!! snail appetizer was delightful. the breading seemed over the top, but it was very tasty. we had scheinhaxen & alpine schnitzel, the latter was a daily special. both were perfectly prepared, and we each took at least half of the portion home for later. the sides we selected were potato dumpling, spätzle, rotkohl, and glazed carrots. all were excellent - the rotkohl heavier on spice than we are used to. in all, we were very happy with the choice we made for lunch. read more

I continue to read excellent reviews of The Bavarian Chef: Enter at Your Own Risk Decades ago, driving from Southern Virginia to Northern Virginia, I spotted The Bavarian Chef and pulled in on a whim. I asked for a table. One glance at my outfit and I was gently steered back toward my car. Apparently, denim was not yet welcome in Bavaria. Fast forward to April 2025. My husband and I were on the same route and decided it was time for redemption. This time, we were told jeans were perfectly fine. In hindsight, that may have been our first clue. We were seated immediately. The menu read beautifully. Schnitzel. Sauerbraten. Spaetzle. It felt promising. Nostalgic, even. Then the stopwatch started. Within five minutes of placing our order -- not exaggerating -- our full entrées arrived. Not bread. Not salads. Full plates. The kitchen was clearly running the Autobahn with no speed limits, or perhaps doing laps at the Nürburgring. Either that, or our dinners had been pre-training for this moment since early afternoon. The presentation raised quiet questions. The pineapple garnish crowned with a bright maraschino cherry did not exactly whisper "Black Forest." Nothing says "Old World Bavaria" quite like retro cocktail garnish. The textures suggested efficiency. Very efficient. My husband's chicken was a gelatinous masterpiece, if the goal was rubber. The texture had bounce! Not in a good way. It arrived swimming in a goopy sauce. My meat had the structural integrity of sawdust. Vegetables cooked to a uniform pulp. The carrots had clearly given up. Mushy. Pale. Flavor optional. Sauces that seemed poured rather than prepared. For context: my father was born in Germany. Authentic German cuisine was a staple in our home growing up. Saturday mornings meant visits to a German delicatessen. As an adult, I've traveled to Germany, and my husband returns twice a year for business. He follows Michelin and James Beard chefs. I lean toward simple comfort food. In our family, if I say something is bad, it's really bad. We looked at our plates. Then at each other. No dramatics. No speeches. We left within minutes of the food arriving. Full plates. Carefully redistributed to appear merely "sampled," as a party of twelve across from us celebrated a big occasion. We were determined not to become the evening's subplot, so we quietly exited, declined a box with a polite "we're on the road," and left our clearly new and very green server a gracious tip. The meal was so impressively bad that my husband and I spent the entire drive home laughing. Not light chuckles, but the kind of dark, coping-mechanism humor that emerges when you realize you just paid handsomely for a culinary time capsule. We even called my husband's brother, another world-traveled foodie, to deliver a full post-mortem. If our laughter and commentary could have been heard outside the car, you would have thought we were rehearsing stand-up material titled "Schnitzel Happens: A Cautionary Tale." It was, if nothing else, unforgettable. read more

The Bavarian Chef - Some kind of German chicken dish with pineapple and maraschino cherry on top. It was not appetizing. - German Near Me - Madison, Virginia

Great service, quick and we got to sit upstairs in the very German feeling area. The food was delicious. We had 7 people and 2 kids Tried a ton of specials and other food. Beef cheek - tender with sausage stuffing and gravy delish Ruben pork schnitzel - delish. Comes with 2 schnitzels so def enough for 2 people Kids chicken tenders - HUGE - definitely good for multiple people Fish with almond and uncle had the lemon. Other kid had steak he liked. They loved the beer and the sides were yummy. We got all of them with our big party. read more

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If you find yourself traveling rt. 29 around dinner time - trust me - stop in for some delicious authentic German fare. You won't be disappointed read more

The Bavarian Chef - German Lager - German Near Me - Madison, Virginia

Amazingly good German food. Had the Schweine Kotelet which was super tender and a huge serving. Super fast service as well!

Come hungry, and prepare to take food home. The portion sizes here are MASSIVE, but you do get bang for your back with all the meals. I've never been disappointed with any meal I've eaten here, and although it's a little far out from Charlottesville, it's 100% worth the drive The service here is great. They're quick to bring out food and keep your drinks topped up, even if you're only drinking water. The upstairs area is the coziest area for dining in; it feels like you're in a ski lodge dining room. read more

The Bavarian Chef - Sausage Appetizer - German Near Me - Madison, Virginia

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The Bavarian Chef is a go too for upscale dining and German Cuisine. We go there at least once a tinge a year, sometimes for lunch other times for dinner, never disappointed! read more

It was our anniversary and we wanted good German food, the Bavarian Chef had been recommended so off we went to see for ourselves. The moment you enter this quaint restaurant you're transported to Germany by their old world charm and decor. We were greeted by the staff and welcomed to their establishment. We had a reservation and were seated promptly. The menu was filled with their traditional fare, weinerschnitzel, sauerbraten, jager schitzel, and more! We ordered the sauerbraten and Weiner schnitzel, and chose potato dumplings, red cabbage, spaetzle, and potato salad as our sides. When our food came out, we were amazed at the quantity of the food! We knew there was no way we could finish our dinner, we had to tap out halfway through! The quality of the food was great, the sauerbraten came with a sweet and sour sauce with raisins, and the weiner schnitzel came with a burgundy sauce. We finished our dinner with a huge slice of German chocolate cake, which was very good! The Bavarian Chef lives up to its reputation of great food and great service! It was well worth the trip to this restaurant! read more

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This was absolutely stellar! By far some of the best German food we've ever had but also some of the best food we've had in the valley after numerous disappointments. They took us as walk-ins before prime dinner hours. We soon realized most people have reservations, but they were so good to us. Staff was very friendly and knew their food and made some great recommendations. There was also an older gentleman I talked to in the entry that told me after spending a few years in Germany this was the closest thing he felt replicated the heart of German cuisine, and he wasn't wrong. He spoke of how he fell in love with the food there and he stops in every time he travels through. A notion to which my wife I will do the same in the future. We started off with a giant pretzel and house cheese dip and mustard. The display hanging on the hook was cool, but the taste, texture and balance of it was perfect. The cheese dip has a nice kick to it and wasn't overwhelming to take away from the pretzel itself. I had the NY Strip that was absolutely decadent! It was about 12-16oz and medium rare, it came out perfect. Sides were potato dumplings which reminded me of Gnocci and were very gooey and tasty. As well as the spatzel, which wasn't over-seasoned and complimented the other food well. My wife ordered the Sausage Platter and that was delicious too. The whipped potatoes were very rich and packed with flavor. Everything that we had here was fantastic. We were so happy about finding and experiencing this gem. If you are in the area, you owe it to yourself to try this place at least once. It has a higher price tag, but for the quality and quantity of food, it is well worth it. I would recommend reservations as they have very solid patrons who book it up. Thank you to all the staff for the wonderful experience. This is what good food is, and I hope you keep the fire burning there. We can't wait to come back!! read more

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We had an early dinner there on 10/25/2025. My wife had chicken snitzel. It was crispy, tender, delicious. I had the pork shank. It was tender, juicy, delicious. The sauce was great. There were four sides for the table to share: mashed potatoes, carrots, green beans, potato dumplings and cabbage. I really enjoyed the potatoe dumplings and the cabbage. The cabbage had some vinegar, so it was delicious. We will be back. read more

Don't even have photos because I was so disappointed. Huge portions but not fresh and each dish was overly heavy. Our waitress needed prodding because she didn't even know we were her table?! Ambiance was loud read more

The Bavarian Chef - German Near Me - Madison, Virginia

I can't say this place is authentic since I've never been to Germany but this place for sure lived up to my expectations. The food is fantastic. Absolutely loved the sliders, wieners, sauerkraut, potato dumplings, and creamed corn. They give you an ungodly amount of beer for a surprisingly great price $14 for a liter? I've gone to places that charge that much for a normal beer. The ambiance of the place feels authentic and the waitresses have very fitting outfits. While the place is fairly expensive the sheer amount of food they give you justifies that price. You can take home leftovers and have enough for more than two meals. The only questionable thing about this place is its location. Located right off of 29 seemingly near nothing of note is a fairly peculiar place. But it has been here forever so I guess they are doing something right. Would come again. read more

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This is my rare treat place. Incredible portions and food. Never had a bad experience here. Usually you need reservations to get a seat but we arrived when it opened. This is a romantic place where you could share an entree and be full. read more

The Bavarian Chef - Reuben schnitzel. - German Near Me - Madison, Virginia

We came here for Sunday lunch and arrived as the restaurant opened, as we heard they got pretty busy as the day went on. The restaurant is in a really cool log cabin and is authentically decorated on the inside. The servers were super friendly, attentive, and the atmosphere was perfect for a German meal! Our son ordered the Wiener schnitzel, my wife ordered a special "Reuben schnitzel" that had corned beef on top smothered with sauerkraut, and I ordered the gluten free jager schnitzel. All were incredible! We chose the German potato salad, the red cabbage, the potato dumplings, and the spaetzle. Lastly, we ended with the flourless chocolate torte with raspberry filling and the crème brûlée with berries. It was a massive amount of food so we took tons to go! HIGHLY recommend!!! read more

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The building & deco feels as if you are in Europe. The beers served in authentic glasses. The waitresses dresses are Dirndl style. Loved everything about this place. read more

Service was amazing! The Food is some of the best German food in the Shenandoah Valley area. The South German decor was excellent and reminded me of a cute vintage German cafe! The family style sides were free and delicious ( Built into the price) In addition they gave Free mints and is great for family get togethers. If you are the in Charlottesville or around that area it is definitely worth the stop. Would recommend. read more

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I wish my daughter had read more of the one star reviews because the food was absolutely horrible. The place was way overcrowded. The portions were ridiculous and the quality of the food was horrendous. Chicken was fried in a grease that must've been a month old. It was so bad. my all-time worst meal to the state is cheddars and now this has taken the crown absolutely horrible food. read more

We ordered Jägerschnitzel and Schweine hachse. I am a German who is from Germany, and I was very disappointed with the quality of this food. The food is bad, and the price is way too high (the schweinehachse being a prompt $50 and the Jägerschnitzel at $34.) I never leave reviews, I made this yelp account just to leave this review... read more

The Bavarian Chef - German Near Me - Madison, Virginia

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We have passed The Bavarian Chef many times on the way to Charlottesville. This time we decided to stop for lunch. The ambiance is 'old world', nicely done up but reminds me of my trips to Munich. The beer was excellent, as was the sausage platter. The French Onion soup was a bit too thick for my wife - otherwise it was good. The flourless Chocolate Torte was an indulgence we did NOT need, but well worth it. The service was excellent, no pressure to order, but at the same time attentive, so we had no wait! read more

I have driven past this restaurant so many times and was excited to finally try it. If you are driving from UVA to DC or vice versa, it's definitely worth checking out. We got a pretzel for the table to start. To drink, I had the seasonal beer which was Oktoberfest. Then I had cream of wild mushroom soup, jalapeño stuffed bratwurst, and pumpkin cheesecake for dessert. The soup was delicious and a hearty portion. The bratwursts were a special that I would definitely recommend trying if they have them when you go. Picking out a dessert was very fun because they have an old school style dessert tray that they bring to the table. The food was yummy, environment was cozy on a cold day, and staff were attentive. Would recommend! read more

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Great food! Great service!! Wonderfully huge portions!! Very cozy and authentic feeling European style dining!! Eating here is an event worth having time after time. Look forward to returning! read more

The Bavarian Chef - Dessert (one of many) - German Near Me - Madison, Virginia

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Yeah this place is amazing. I rarely give 5 star reviews especially for restaurants but Bavarian chef deserves it. The food service and atmosphere are all awesome and you will not be disappointed. We came here for dinner and I will say that the primary crowd here is folks who are my grandparents age. So don't expect trendy decor, loud music or experimental dishes. Expect a quit calm dinner, great portion sizes, awesome service and traditional perfectly done German food. For the atmosphere, the restaurant is decorated like a mix between my grandmas southern kitchen and a German home. The tables are beautifully set and it's one of the only places around cville that still does a full table setting, linens and all. Servers are either in german esque outfits or all black. The music is German and kept at a quiet volume. The service is impeccable. Our server was knowledgeable about the menu and very friendly and the food runner and other folks who passed by all checked on us but not excessively so. We felt accommodated and comfortable with their service and this enhanced our experience. Now onto the main event: the food. The food here is incredible. Seriously so good. And the portions are MAAAASSIVE! So prepare to take some home with you. We ordered the German pretzel to start and it came with beer cheese and brown mustard. This is the best pretzel I have and probably will ever have again. Perfectly done and the sauces were actually incredible. The beer cheese was rich and creamy with a great bold flavor. The brown mustard was also delicious and one of the best I've had. Kardinal Hall in cville does a pretzel and after Bavarian chef KH's beer cheese just tastes like water. BC is the real deal. For entrees my boyfriend ordered the Ziguener schnitzel and after much deliberation I ordered the Rueben schnitzel. The ziguener was a more traditional pork schnitzel, served on top of a red sauce of pepper tomato onion and bacon. Mine was served with sauerkraut, corned beef, melted cheese and thousand island on top. Oh my god. Both dishes were absolutely incredible. And the portion for one entree was enough to feed 3-4 people. It came with 2 sides each: we ordered the schnitzel (2-3/5), glazed carrots (4/5), potato salad (5/5) and the creamed corn (10000/5). I would go back just for the creamed corn.... We both went home with HEAVY to go boxes and mine fed me for at least 3 more meals. Some of the biggest portions I've seen in a LONG time. Overall, if you're on the fence you should try it out. The food here is really fabulous. It's a bit of a drive from cville, but worth it. The parking is ample and the drive is easy. Wheelchair accessible: yes Sensory friendly: not 100% sure but probably yes Family friendly: I'd call ahead to make sure there's room. Default tables seat 4 Child friendly: yes Reservation needed: don't think so but recommend Vegan/vegetarian friendly: not really. There's very few options without dairy or meat. Allergen friendly: i think the kitchen is able to accommodate some allergies but call ahead read more

Excellent German cuisine in the heart of Virginia. You def. need to make a reservation because this place is popular and fills up, especially on weekends. We ordered the soft pretzel, Bavarian Sausage Sampler, Pork Schnitzel, and a special 3-meat platter. Everything was AMAZING!! Note that the entrees are HUGE and you get 2 family style sides with each plate, so you'll def be taking some home. Also, there is an up charge for sharing entrees, which I totally understand. We had a great evening at The Bavarian Chef!! read more

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My friends in Charlottesville had told me that I'd love this place, so when an occasion came for me to visit, we made reservations a month in advance (highly recommend). When we got here, we were greeted with a cozy, German interior and a packed house. Even though it was busy, the service was prompt and we had such a fun time enjoying the scenery. For dinner, we had the pretzel, sausage sampler, schnitzel and a variety of desserts (they're all good, it's hard to pick the best!). Sides are unlimited, so definitely make sure to take advantage of that! read more

The Bavarian Chef - Pretzel (a must!) - German Near Me - Madison, Virginia

We ended 2025 with dinner at the Bavarian Chef. It was a wonderful experience with some of the very best German food we have had the pleasure to enjoy. The service was very good. The prices were reasonable. Portions were abundant. We are looking forward to returning. JG read more

Located shortly outside of Charlottesville, The Bavarian Chef is a great place to grab something to eat if you're in the area or passing through on a road trip. I got the "Wiener Schnitzel" which came with my choice of two sides. The portion of the "Wiener Schnitzel" was large and very flavorful. I highly recommend getting this dish. I also tried a couple of the sides and all of them were great! I especially enjoyed the "Creamed Corn". The size of the restaurant was decent. The inside had a good amount of tables as well as a bar seating area. The outside also had a good amount of seating in a patio-style deck area. Overall, The Bavarian Chef is a wonderful place to stop by and grab food especially if you like or want to try German food. read more

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This place was amazing and I would come back in a heartbeat. I had the best ever opinion soup here. All the food was amazing with great flavor. They were fast and very responsive. The waitress was really attentive and always watched the table checking up on us. We had the veal and chicken dishes and a Cesar salad. All were just great. And the dessert I had was their most sold with orange liquor and the wife had the ice cream ball. We were very pleased on everything. The place is very quaint and has a great older charm. You should go to experience great food and services. read more

We love German food so when we came to stay in Madison we knew we had to stop here for dinner! When we walked in, we were told would have to wait for an hour and a half or we could sit at the bar. So we sat at the bar Hot tip- make a reservation! They had a great spread of Paulener Beers (which my husband, who was deployed to Germany for a bit, LOVED) and I had the Black Forest martini which was probably better than any drink I've had this trip. We split the Zegliener Schnitzel which was a pork schnitzel with a delicious tomato based sauce, with a side of spatzle and potato salad. The potato salad was NEXT LEVEL! The spatzle on the other hand was not cheesy (which I had expected from all my previous German food experiences) so that was a bit disappointing. The portion sizes are huge so I highly recommend splitting a plate (keep in mind that does incur a $7 fee) We wish we could have stayed and eaten something off their delicious dessert spread but that will have to be next time. Highly, highly recommend!! read more

The Bavarian Chef - Paulaner Oktoberfest and Black Forest martini - German Near Me - Madison, Virginia

We had been wanting to try this restaurant for a year. Our son-in-law made reservations and he could only get 7:30. The food was great, very heavy. Keep in mind you get a table of 5 sides, the German Potato Salad was great. The only side we didn't like was the potato dumplings, but that could just be our preference. All the food is typical German, prepared rich, come hungry! The only problem we had was our waitress, we must've been one of the last sittings. We felt rushed and also could tell she was not happy to be there. However, others would rush in to clear the plates also. All together we were there less than an hour. Another items was the rib eye my wife ordered, it looked and tasted like prime rib. You can view the pictures for your decision. Without the service issue, I would've probably given them a 4. read more

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This is a must stop spot! The food is so good, portions are HUGE, and the service is great! And don't even get me started on the beer. Came here with my husband and we were blown away by how great this place is. Classic German bar and restaurant with traditional German decor. We got the steak and stein (daily special) and one of the veal entrees. Both were cooked very well and we definitely had leftovers. We would go here every month if we lived closer. 12/10 RECOMMEND read more

The Bavarian Chef - Large steak with horseradish sauce. - German Near Me - Madison, Virginia

We had a wonderful family meal here on Sunday. We've been here many, many times, and everything is always delicious. Service was a little "different" this time. Our server's assistant was very attentive and extremely efficient. Our actual server greeted us to take our order and presented desserts and our check. We felt neglected by her. At one point, another server saw that we needed attention and stopped to attend us, but our server was not visible. The restaurant only had another two tables or so, they were not busy. The German music is always nice. We just wish we had been shown a little more hospitality. read more

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We had our family Christmas dinner here last night with mixed reviews. After drivng past for 20+ years, I was a little disappointed. Here's what we ordered: Jäger Schnitzel - Great flavor, the veal was tough and drowning in the mushroom sauce. The sauce was delicious, just more sauce than veal and the bacon that should have been in the sauce was served separately (weird, should be in the sauce.) Rating - 3.5 out of 5 Teller Platter w/ Kasseler Ripperl, chicken Jägerschnitzel, Bauernwurst & a cocktail pretzel - Smoked pork chops had great flavor, were very moist, tender and delicious. Bauernwurst was okay (kind of store bought Hillshire Farm flavor and texture). Pretzel was good. Rating - 3.7 out of 5 Filet Wellington - Ordered medium, was served raw (literally, not rare but what is considered in the industry as a 'blue steak'). The Wellington was returned and very quickly returned and the pastry was soggy and the steak was steaming hot which typically means it was reheated in the microwave. Unsatisfactory #1 - to reheat in the microwave and #2 - a fresh Wellington cooke properly as ordered should have been served. The filet was seasoned nicely. Rating - 1 out of 5 Paprika Rahm Schnitzel - Best dish of the evening, the chicken was moist and tender and not seasoned as well as the rest of the dishes, but the creamy bell pepper sauce complimented the chicken nicely. Rating - 4.5 out of 5 All of the sides were good and very well seasoned with the exception of the Glaze Carrot. Processed out of the bag 'baby carrots' with the 'processed out of the bag baby carrot flavor'. Rating - 4 out of 5 Service - Very friendly, knowledgeable and attentive - 5 out of 5 read more

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Food is very good. Wait service also great. Host/management is lacking. Significant delays in seating. Did not honor reservation time.

The food was very good and authentic German with a flare giving amazing flavors. We attended a birthday celebration there upstairs. The staff were very friendly and kind while dealing with a large party. We will be sure to go there again when back in the area. read more

Recommend making a reservation, it's fairly popular. I stopped in after a hike and got one of the cute little booth areas at the front, great ambiance and the food was amazing! French onion soup was so unique and flavorful, might be the best I've ever had. Pumpkin cheesecake I got to go was also amazing. Overall great experience. read more

The Bavarian Chef - Appetizer sausage sampler - German Near Me - Madison, Virginia

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The food was quantity over quality. Every dish was completely over sauced. The server never came back to check on us. No service whatsoever. Still being hungry since my dinner was a fail, I ordered a slice of cheesecake. I could not believe what she put in front of me. An old dried out slice, it was crumbly. She took that off the the check but no apology, just nasty looks. If you are looking for a quality meal, this is not the place. read more

Probably one of the worst meals I've ever had. My girlfriend ordered the shrimp scampi. The shrimp were like eating rubber. Exceptionally overcooked. The creamed corn had so much sugar in it you couldn't finish it. The potato dumplings were stone cold, that's when we found out they cook by microwave. I ordered the Jager Schnitzel but was given Weiner Schnitzel. Either way it tasted blah and was as tough as shoe leather. The red cabbage was as sweet as the corn and tasted like 7-up. The spaetzle tasted like rubber bands. They guy in the kitchen is no chef but as long as he has a microwave he'll be in there ruining food. I had high hopes and several recommendations for this place but it was beyond awful. read more

We went to Bavarian Chef last week to celebrate my wife's 83rd birthday with two of our children and their family's along with her sister and brother in law. Even though there were 12 of us the service was spectacular except for possible coming back to refill the sides. They do family style for the sides which are all delicious. My favorite dish is the sausage platter but I tried the the Rubien schnitzel which was a special. It was humongous and delicious. I had two meals out of it. My favorite sides are red cabbage, German potato salad, creamed corn and potato dumplings. The only complaint I had was our party was seated on the second floor and my wife and I had difficulty getting up and down the stairs as they have no elevator. Reservations highly recommended. read more

The food and ambiance were great. We only wished there was music! Restaurants without music are weird, especially an authentic German restaurant. Let's hear some tunes! read more

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