We were happy to find a German restaurant within a reasonable distance from our home. Zur Kate seems to be a favorite of regulars from nearby communities from the looks of the old folks flocking in the door. However, we are still on the search for a GOOD German restaurant. Our schnitzel was deep-fried and dry. Thank God for gravy. Spaetzle was just okay. Red cabbage and sauerkraut tasted like they were straight out of the jar. We expected more when we read the reviews. We did notice that they feature specials on the weekend, which might be better. The interior is tired. Place looked like it could use a good cleaning and replacement of dirty, worn cushions. Our waitress greeted everyone who entered with, "Hi, hon." She was efficient and the food was served quickly. We were given a shot of homemade schnapps on the house at the close of the meal, which was a nice gesture. I trust that the locals will keep the place afloat, but we won't be back. read more

We were in the area and spotted this place. We had not intended to go here specifically, but it looked interesting. Upon entering the decor was an attempt to look like Germany. Having been to Germany I can say it isn't really on the mark, but it was a nice effort. They have several beers available, but they did miss some of the biggies (like Paulaner). The menu had typical German fare. Several schnitzels (wiener, jaeger, etc). A few side dish choices. I had the wienerschnitzel and my wife had a sausage plate (I forget which one). I opted for spaetzle as my side. The food was fine. Not great. Certainly not as good as what we had in Munchen (Munich). But fine. The breading was done perfectly, I must say. Not greasy. Very light and crispy. The meat itself was fine. The spaetzle was different. They put a brown sauce on it (which I've never seen...in Germany it was more of a butter sauce). It was fine, but really more like pasta. And it shouldn't have been like pasta (even though it looks like it). All in all, not bad. But not really great or memorable either. Sure, German food does tend to be a bit more bland than other cuisines, but it can be quite good. This was OK. read more

Zur Kate - Wienerschnitzel and spaetzle, plus the rye bread - German Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

As a lover of all things German, I spotted this place while first trying the neighboring Bavarian Point restaurant. I made a mental note to return to this same shopping center to visit Zur Kate. The opportunity arose when my roommate and I found ourselves exploring the nooks and crannies of the East Valley. As we were famished from wandering around without a real destination, this place immediately inspired us. Although it was five minutes until closing, we were welcomed into the restaurant by the owner and staff. We sat at the bar and enjoyed great conversation (along with our rye bread and Warsteiner beers). My roomie and I ordered the Rouladen (special for that weekend) and the Zigeuner Schnitzel. The rouladen was perfect: the beef was fall-apart tender and the filling was accented with the bacon and delicious. The zigeuner schnitzel was also quite good with a crispy breading and a slightly spicy pepper sauce. I was not impressed with the spaetzle (although I confess I can be a bit of a snob in this area, since I own my own spaetzle grater), however, the sauerkraut and the red cabbage were delicious. We really enjoyed the laid-back friendly atmosphere of this place. The highlight (besides the fabulous German fare) was getting to know the owner, Horst, who convinced us to extend our visit with multiple rounds of Apple Schnapps. Truly a great dining experience! We will return to Zur Kate, to try their weekend special of Schweinehaxe (1st Friday & Saturday of the month). I'm dying to sample their Bratkartoffeln (home-fried potatoes) as I have fond memories of these from my past days living in Germany. Go to Zur Kate for the food... but stay for the gemütlichkeit (coziness)! read more

Let me start off by saying I'm usually a creature of habit when it comes to food and what I like. My boyfriend who is German got me to step out of my box the other night by talking me into trying German food I've been to Alpine Village in Torrance California tons of times for October Fest but always ate before going because I honestly hate sauerkraut it's just horrible but after eating here here the other night changed my entire perspective on the food. I ordered a brat with curry sauce that was crazy good the sauce had a sweet and sour taste with a kick to it. My sides were purple cabbage and fried potatoes that I'm wishing I had today the sides were both very delicious. My boyfriend ordered a sampler platter with sauerkraut and fried potatoes. His sampler sausage was amazing as well our meals came with fresh marble rye bread that great also. My experience here was definitely a 10 star rating however Yelp doesn't offer 10 stars so I'm giving this place and their amazing staff 5 stars for the excellent customer service and amazing food keep it up guys don't change a thing. Definitely try this place out if you're in Mesa or having a craving for great sausage. read more

See all

This restaurant is amazing!!! It's a little small and gets packed when they are busy! Food is amazing!! The ambiance is a little dingy! Definitely recommend for German food and beer!!! read more

Spaetzle was bland and gooey, no flavor and was like rice. The red cabbage had a weird taste and the gravy was tasteless. We loved Bavarian Point in the same plaza but that closed and this is no comparison. Not very good if you want good German food go somewhere else. Very disappointing dinner! read more

Consistently wonderful fare. There is often a wait list to get in the door, but the wait is worth it. Locals know this place has excellent food, wonderful service and friendly staff. We totally recommend it! read more

Very good food, warm atmosphere, large portions and reasonable prices. Took 8 people, 6 of which never had German food bore, and everyone loves their schnitzles! Restaurant is in a strip mall and doesn't look like much, but it is! read more

Central European home cooking is in my blood, even if I hadn't grown up with it the richness and heartiness of the meats and vegetables would still be my favorite of all ethnic cuisines. However, unless you are in Europe there is one downfall to eating such foods in most American restaurants ... it usually bears as much resemblance to authentic home cooking as eating a taco at Taco Bell does to Mexican food. Actually there are a couple of other reasons why German food usually turn out to disappoint, one is that most restaurants that serve it are greedy and charge upwards of $20-30 per person. And the other is that the portions are usually embarrassingly small. They would probably turn a German Oma's face red. Erase those thoughts when you visit Zur Kate. You start with low expectations when you learn that it's located in a strip mall in Mesa, Arizona. If you look at their menu online you see that most entrees go for under $10 and your mind imagines you being served a child-sized plate of frozen microwaved breakfast sausages for that price. It all changes when you get there. While it's true that they are located in a strip mall at least it's a relatively clean and safe looking strip mall. The outside of the restaurant is inviting looking and the inside even more so. It reminded me a lot of some of the German neighborhood bars in Chicago where I've had some of the best German-style meals in America. The hostess greeted us warmly and although there was a short wait on a Saturday night it was no more than about five minutes before we were seated. Our server was at our table a few seconds after that and as busy as the restaurant was she treated us like we were family. There was a moment of disappointment when she told us that they were out of potato dumplings that I had a taste for but she handled it well. More disappointment when we both ordered the daily special of stuffed pork roast only to have her return from the kitchen to tell us they were out of that as well. But she handled it well. So I ordered Zur Kate Hausmacher Bratwurst instead with a side of Spaetzle and Sauerkraut and my friend ordered Schnitzel Cordon Bleu with German Potato Salad and Red Cabbage for sides and we split it all to be able taste several different things. Here is the bottom line in no particular order ... yes the meals are amazingly low priced, yes the portions are amazingly large, yes the service is outstanding, yes the ambience (including a live accordion player) is right on point ... and yes to us marking Zur Kate down as a regular spot going forward. The only tiny flaw, and they didn't lose points over this, is the guy in Lederhosen, who I assume is the owner, made a big point of going around to each table of customers he obviously knew, even buying them drinks, but ignored us, not even an apology for being out of the two things we wanted. Not that he's expected to visit every table but when he obviously leaves some people out of his cordiality it makes you wonder why. PS - we were too full for dessert so we ordered a Black Forest Cherry Cake to go and I had my half for breakfast. I was surprised that it wasn't as sweet as most such cakes. I don't know if they bake their own or buy them from someone but it was delicious. read more

See all

Food was great and service was good also. We sat at a table by the door and it was noisy. We had dessert and the apple strudel was excellent and the black forest cake was very good. read more

Love German food and was looking forward to Nuremberg sausages. Went in to get an order to go. Turns out the menu is a bit deceptive regarding sides. While you get a choice of two sides, you can only pick one from each category (it doesn't say that on the menu). read more

Good German food and atmosphere. Small and quaint. I love sauerkraut and their's is good.

As a long time patron of Zur Kate, I am particularly disappointed in the menu and the quality of the few selections of the food they do serve. There menu is a single page and basically consists of bratwurst and schnitzel, each in a couple of different choices of preparation. The spatzle was a poor quality, very tasteless doughy substitute. The red cabbage wasn't to bad out of a can and the same for the sauerkraut. The rye bread was most likely a grocery store variety marble rye. This place used to have live entertainment and even some patrons doing the waltz, but not anymore. I'm guessing there has been a change in ownership and they've also had to deal with COVID and being short handed. So my expectations are probably way to high, but then, I did state I was a long time customer. I'm afraid, after the last two seasons of trying to go back, I will be ending my patronage of Zur Kate! read more

The place was packed! We got there only 5 minutes after the restaurant was opened on Saturday, and we got the last available table. Those who came after us had to put their name on the list and wait. The food is so good and the service was great. They were so nice and dressed in the traditional outfits. The food came out fast and we finished the whole plate. The rye bread were fresh and delicious. We don't need to put any butter on. I had Jager Schnitzel with red cabbage and Spaetzle. Usually it is hard for me to find the gravy I like, but this place has the best gravy. Since it was First Saturday, it seems like everyone ordered a baked hamhock (pork shank). Next time I need to try this menu. read more

My wife and I went on a Friday night. There was a 45 minute wait which is to be expected. No pager given. Just instructions to wait outside. This restaurant is next door to a Smoke shop. There were inconsiderate smokers outside which made it an unpleasant wait. We walked in and saw an accordion player which was nice. Once seated, we noticed that the menu doesn't have appetizers. They serve 3 slices of rye bread with butter as an appetizer. There aren't sampler plates on the menu either. Server told us that they were out of ham hocks. Prices were very reasonable. Wife ordered Bratwursts and I got Wiener schnitzel. Both were good, but not large plates. I would have preferred to pay a little more for a larger serving. For dessert, we shared an apple strudel which was great. My wife is a huge fan of Haus Murphy and wasn't as happy with this place. We did notice another German restaurant a few doors down called Bavarian Point. It has slightly less stars than this place. read more

See all

Legit spot for some authentic German food. Came here with some buds who had previously come here and had nothing but good things to say about it. Ordered the schnitzel with the 32oz beer and it was all amazing. Will definitely be coming back to this spot when I'm craving some good food. Check this place out if you're in the area. read more

First time at this German restaurant and let me say it was delicious.. our normal spot was closed so tried here instead and im so glad we did. Food was delicious and service was awesome.. will definitely be our go to now. read more

See all

Schnitzel cordon bleu picked red cabbage, home fried potatoes $13.50. Swiss cheese was very skimpy. read more

See all

The greatest atmosphere in the world can't hide one salient fact -- the food is pretty lame for anyone who actually knows German cuisine. I was happy to advise my brother to order Jagerschnitzel, which was pretty much the real deal. I ordered the stuffed cabbage roll, Spätzle, and sauerkraut, each of which seemed to have been prepared without a clue what passes for normal with these ur-German dishes. Both the Spätzle and sauerkraut seemed to have come from a can while the cabbage roll was stuffed with some sort of strangely textured meat substance. In my fifty years of eating German food have I ever been unable to finish each of the three components of what should have been a great meal. The service was first class, the beer was good, the ambience was great with live music, but the food? Nicht s read more

My family and I had a wonderful time this weekend at Zur Kate . The atmosphere of this place is welcoming! There was a man playing German music on his accordion which was really nice. The waitress was very friendly as she took are drink and food orders . The food is delicious and the portions are generous! The price are great for the amount of food you get here. I must say the Zur Kate is more like going to someone's home for a good ole home cooked meal and not going to a restaurant. I highly recommend this place to anyone! I will be back again soon! read more

German food like you would expect on a visit to Germany. Good Servive clean well maintained dining area. A small intimate friendly dining room you may experience a wait time due to the popularity with local residents. Many daily specials only served till they run out.. truly a dining experience you want to add to your dining list. read more

Small cozy restaurant with really good German food. Easy to miss. They have a small bar area too, and the place is usually packed. Good sausage, sauerkraut, and potatoes! read more

This place seems pretty authentic and seems to have a good community following. I was there in a Friday for dinner and it was packed. My favorite German place in the Phx area is up north PHX where I live but this place was good. read more

Zur Kate - This place is actually closed on Monday and Sunday. Yelp is wrong on the hours - German Near Me - Mesa, Arizona

This is German Imbiss( foodtruck) food! This restaurant came highly recommended by a large group of people. However, after eating there today ( after a 45 min drive) as a German native I have to say I'm not impressed! The atmosphere and service was just fine, but the food is merely mediocre. My Jaeger Schnitzel was only ok and the red cabbage was good. The Spaezl would have been ok, if they had not been smothered in gravy. And the gravy was really bland. Had to switch out the wine, the Spaetlese (which is a sweet wine) was very tart. Went with the Riesling. Their prices are good, however overall this was a disappointing birthday dinner. Now we are driving home in rush hour traffic (1 hour and 10 min). This is German Imbiss (foodtruck) food! As a German, I'm sorry but I can't recommended this place. read more

Awesome authentic German restaurant. Live music was great! Beer was awesome (came in a stein). Had the Jager Schnitzel. Will definitely be going back! read more

Authentic German restaurant for sure! The atmosphere and food went above and beyond my expectations. They had an accordion player the night we visited and it added a nice ambience to our experience. I tried the apple strudel for dessert and it was a table pleaser :) we ate dinner around 5 o'clock and it was a packed I could tell this place is a well loved local spot. read more

Closest thing to real German food in the area. Seating is very limited. Did not care for the spaetzla or the dumplings. Red cabbage and schnitzel were pretty good though. read more

Kinda hard to spot, not really in a great location, but the food.... Soooo good. I love the schnitzels, particularly the ones with brown gravy or cream sauce. The draught beers are very tasty too. Highly highly recommend. read more

Never ever have I had a bad meal here! I've tried just about the entire menu now and I have to say it's all good! As someone who has spent quite a bit of time on Bavaria I think this is the closest you can get to Bavaria here in Arizona. The atmosphere is wonderful and the staff is so friendly, the owner Horst will come sit with you at you table and have a beer that is pretty cool! All in all I absolutely recommend Zur Kate it's the best German restaurant in AZ! read more

Authentic German Food, great old world ambiance, and fast service. Desserts are amazing too!

I really enjoyed the food from here. If you are looking for traditional German favorites that are available here in the states and you can stop into this small restaurant in Mesa, AZ, do it. This spot is quaint and staff were quick and attentive. I took take out Jaeger schnitzel with red cabbage and dumpling. Everything tasted great served nice and hot with slice of marbled rye and pat of butter on side wrapped up nicely. Judging from the crowd pouring into this small location, I could tell that is a local favorite - and rightly so (Yum). Super casual vintage atmosphere. Pay attention to short window for dinner service hours. read more

The atmosphere is why I go here but the food is mediocre. I've been to some very good German places and the food at this one is a little disappointing. Great beer and service though. read more

Very good hearty German food! The Jagerschnitzel was delish and the Spaetzle and home potatoes were yummy! They had my favorite wine Michelsburg Piesporter too!! Took my Apple Strudel home for dessert. The accordion player did a great job too! read more

Excellent food & beer; fast service. Miss the sauerbraten on their menu but the cordon bleu wS good as was the strudel. read more

Excellent food, but wish they were open earlier than 4pm.

My brother and his wife took me here and this place is awesome. I ordered the laberkase (probably spelling that wrong) and it was really good. I also tried my brother's cordon blue schnitzel (probably spelling that wrong also) and it was even tastier. Super cool environment and great service. I wish I had this place near me in California. read more

Great German Food. We've been to Germany many times as my wife's cousin lives in Southern Germany. Can't tell the difference between the two countries. read more

Best German food this side of the pond Solid consistent food excellent Black Forest cake read more

Excellent Authentic German Food and ambiance. From the live music (I believe weekends only) to the staff in full attire you truly feel transported to Germany. Excellent Service Large Portions and very reasonable prices. read more

See all

Delicious Snitzel & the live accordion is Great!! Loved it! Will be coming back for sure!