02/17/09

Black Forest Inn. An oasis in Minneapolis.

by theSoundofBeauty

This is one of my favorite restaurants in the Twin Cities. The Schnitzel is amazing. Where else can you find Sauerkraut so sweet and delicious. If you have a drop of German in you or perhaps just the stomach of one, this restaurant is an EASY decision.

12/08/08

A lot of the bad reviews are off.

by snaxel

I understand that the food is slightly high priced (10-25 dollars) but I just read a review saying that a slice of veal is 25 dollars with no sides, and that sides are 10 dollars extra. For 35 dollars you can get more food than two people could possibly finish and a mug of beer each.

Point is, if you like German food, Black Forest is good. The service can be amazing or slow depending on the server you get, the cocktails are slightly overpriced, the atmosphere is great on nights and weekends especially, and they have great beer. Sit at the bar or bar tables on a weekday if you want good atmosphere, if you want peace and quiet to read the paper or have a conversation, sit in one of the two dining rooms.

Good - Saurbraten

Shnitzles

Cheeseburger

German Potato Salad

Ruben

Saurkraut

Brats

All food is made on site (except the Polish sausage).

• Pros: Parking, atmosphere, food, oktoberfest
• Cons: Cocktail price, service on extremely busy nights

09/28/08

long cold meal

by hoopers3

Prime example that people will love mediocre food if they think it is exotic and have to pay a lot of money for it. It took nearly an hour to get our meal only to find it a few degrees above room temperature. And if this is a good example of German cuisuine (which I have my doubts) then I won't revisit it. I paid 25.00 dollars for a 6 ounce piece of cold, dried-out veal with salt gravy; and that's it. I wasn't aware I needed to fork over about 10 more dollars for any side dishes.

03/10/08

Disappointed

by MsB2u

We took my father in law to celebrate his birthday there, first time for all of us. There were a few of us that were disappointed, my mother and father in law however loved their meal, but then again they also eat grissle and blubber nuggets. They love food doesnt matter where what or who it came from.....go figure? I however was really disappointed. I am a wienerschnitzel lover, the schnitzel, the fries, the gravy. the whole works. I love german food. This meal was just awful. Everything from the presentation, to portion (very very small), the taste, the color and texture. For the price I expected more. Being a full blooded German born and raised in Germany, I know my cuisines. For some reason I sensed disappointment from the get go. My Childrens meal,..chicken strips & fries were almost black in color. Potato pancakes & onion rings also appeared burnt. This obviously was not due to over cooking/frying but from not changing the oil in the fryers regularly & not scrubbing the stove tops. The oil was OLD & you could taste and see it, all the food came out looking very dark. When my meal arrived I received exactly what I sensed...dirty looking soggy fries along with a paper thin (extremely thin) tiny dirty looking breaded so called schnitzel, that appeared very greasy. I expected a true German meal this was far very far from the real deal or anything close to it. The worst potato pancakes we ever had. Sorry, but those are not the potato pancakes I grew up on, that my mother, my family that still live Germany make & that the restaurants in germany serve. Not sure what those things where, they used fillers & powdered potatos? We had planned to take my Aunt & Uncle that will be visiting from Germany next month, but frankly I would be too embarrassed. I will not be able to handle the "Das ist scheuzlich" over & over again along with this is not german food. Check out Stillwater & St Paul, much better places. The prices are way to high for what you are getting....bad food

10/29/07

ok food, fun

by ackermanamy

I went with a group of four. We were seated quickly. It took some time to get our beer, but not too long. Our waitress was very helpful in deciding which brew to choose. I had no idea what to order since I've never had German food (other than saurkraut on my hot dogs). The waitress suggested a veal dish that came with the spaetzel. I didn't think the spaetzel was all that good - it may have been because they sprinkle parsley over the whole plate and I hate parsley. The veal was good - it was served in a heavy gravy but it was way too salty. I can't imagine that this is real German food, but it was still good. It wasn't as cheap as some of the other restaurants on Eat Street - about $25/person.

• Pros: Ambience
• Cons: Food not the best

06/28/07

Not Recommended for Food Lovers

by con778

Whilst on vacation from the UK, my wife and I plus our daughter and granddaughter visited the Black Forest Inn last Sunday. We were disgusted by the quality of the food, it was greasy and totally unappertising. All of us left the majority of our meals. The only good point was that the waiter was pleasant and fairly helpful. The check came to nearly $90 and was a complete waste of money. We would defenitely NOT recommend this Inn for lovers of German food. It was a very poor example of German cuisine.

• Pros: Most defenitely no
• Cons: None

06/14/07

great atmosphere for Teutonic dining

by chiliboots

A word of warning: I haven't been to the Black Forest for a while, so this is based on my memory (which has been known to be unreliable!) In a nutshell, the Black Forest is a great place for German food. I've never sat inside, only in the enclosed beer garden, which is a must during the summer and fall. The bar inside is nice and dimly lit, full of dark wood - a place you'd want to be, in other words, when the weather turns chilly.

Food-wise, I've had nothing but good dishes, although I think they're a bit overpriced (spatzel = yum!) But when you combine delicious German food with great atmosphere, you can't beat it with a stick.

• Pros: great food, atmosphere, and outdoor seating

08/21/06

Good For Groups

by choop

We hired the BFI banquet room for a wedding reception and had a great experience. The staff were friendly and knowledgeable and flexible to changes, and the food was very delicious. We received many compliments on the food. This is a great place for a meal or a party for under 100 people.

This city favorite has been serving hearty German cuisine and beer since 1965.

by Contributor

In Short
Dark wood, German artwork, a rosy glow from Tiffany-style lighting and servers swinging through with glasses of foaming beer add to the Old-World atmosphere. In the summer, the restaurant's vine-enclosed courtyard is one of the best spots for outdoor dining. Come here for German specialties like hasenpfeffer, Wiener schnitzel and hearty beer. Best bet: Two tasty cylinders of homemade bratwurst come with a heap of tangy sauerkraut and traditional warm, bacony potato salad.

03/16/06

It was ok.

by ramarama

I liked it. I wouldn't really have known that it wasn't all that authentic had my boyfriend who has lived all his life in southern Germany (where spatzle comes from) wouldn't have told me. The beer selection was great and our server was great too. I would return again if my boyfriend couldn't make better spatzle... but since he can I guess I will just have to dine at home with him. I would take my friends there for appitizers and beer though.

• Pros: Friendly Service, Good Beer, Parking Lot
• Cons: Not very authentic