St. Louis’ Best “Deutsche Küche”

St. Louis, MO/January 9, 2018 (STL.News) – For a city with a solid German heritage, there are surprisingly few German restaurants in St. Louis.  Perhaps it’s because German immigrants in the last century tended to assimilate into American culture.  That’s evidenced by the threads of German culinary traditions which can be found running through St. Louis kitchens and influencing our regional cuisine.  Pretzels, lager beer, egg noodles (spätzle), and German sausages like bratwurst are common foods all over the St. Louis area today.  Our local bakery cases, especially at long-standing St. Louis businesses, are lined with brötchen (plain or seeded white dinner rolls), vollkornbrot (whole grain breads like pumpernickel), käsekuchen (creamy, dense cheesecake often found in local donut shops), Berliners (jam and cream filled donuts), and many other sweet treats covered in buttery streusel.  Even hotdogs and hamburgers came here from Germany.

With so much German influence in our daily cooking, we wondered where to go for a taste of real old world German cuisine and culture.  We checked the customer reviews and found there are still several restaurants offering German food in varying concentrations.  Topping the list is a family owned and operated restaurant in the metro-east. Roemer Topf opened in Mascoutah, Illinois in 2006.  The restaurant specializes in Bavarian cooking and offers warm hospitality and an authentic gasthaus atmosphere.  Diners rave about the Raum Schnitzel and Jaeger Schnitzel (tender pork, lightly breaded and fried, then topped with cream gravy, or mushroom and cream gravy, respectively).  There’s also a nice selection of authentic German beers on tap, and even more in bottles and cans.  Diners will also find an ample list of German wines to accompany dinner.  Roemer Topf is a family-friendly restaurant set with round tables that make it very conversation-friendly.  Customers also love the warm, genial service.  For an authentic German dining experience, Roemer Topf is tops in town.

Whether it’s fresh, authentic Bavarian-style pretzels and beer, or schnitzel and sausages, St. Louis’ best German restaurants offer a little taste of Deutschland in the Gateway City.  Here are the top 10, according to customer reviews:

1. Roemer Topf (4.34 stars/128 reviews) St. Clair County, 1415 McKinley Road, Mascoutah, IL 62258, (618) 566-4884.
2. Urban Chestnut Brewery & Biergarten (4.30 stars/386 Reviews) Midtown, 3229 Washington Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63103, (314) 222-0143.
3. Urban Chestnut Brewery & Bierhall (4.11 stars/326 reviews) The Grove, 4465 Manchester Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63110, (314) 222-0143.
4. OSP Tap Haus (4.0 stars/29 reviews) 6346 Telegraph Road, Saint Louis, MO 63129, (314) 293-9642.
5. Berix Restaurant (3.94 stars/77 reviews) Lemay, 2201 Lemay Ferry Road, Saint Louis, MO 63125, (314) 845-3711.
6. Wittmond Hotel Restaurant (3.89 stars/88 reviews) Calhoun County, 108 Main Street, Brussels, IL 62013, (618) 883-2345.
7. Al Smith’s Feasting Fox Restaurant & Pub (3.79 stars/96 reviews) Dutchtown, 4200 South Grand Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63111, (314) 352-3500.
8. Das Bevo (3.57 stars/99 reviews) Bevo Mill, 4749 Gravois Ave, Saint Louis, MO 63116, (314) 832-2251.
9. Schneithorst Restaurant & Bar (3.40 stars/260 reviews) Frontenac, 1600 South Lindbergh Blvd, Saint Louis, MO 63131, (314) 993-4100.
10. Dreamland Palace German Restaurant (3.28 stars/125 reviews) Waterloo, 3043 Illinois Route 156, Foster Pond, IL 62298, (618) 939-9922.

There are a few more German restaurants that we thought you’d like to know about.  These didn’t qualify for the top 10 because they were too far from the city center or didn’t have enough reviews (minimum 50), but they are still worth consideration when you want authentic German culture and cuisine.  Honorable Mentions go to:

Harvest Table Eatery & Miscellany (4.25 stars/122 reviews) Downtown Hermann, 122 East 4th Street, Hermann, MO 65041, (573) 486-3463.  A day trip to Hermann, Missouri isn’t complete without a stop at a winery (or two) and taking time to soak up some German heritage.  There are several German restaurants in and around Hermann.  Harvest Table is one of the newer spots.  Everything is made from scratch using locally sourced ingredients whenever possible, and the pork schnitzel gets high marks from customers.

Iron Barley–High Hog Ridge (4.10 stars/555 reviews*) Jefferson County, 3367 High Ridge Blvd, High Ridge, MO 63049, (636) 671-9911.  This is the new iteration of that South-side favorite, Iron Barley Eating Establishment.  After moving to High Ridge, the new place has added some eclectic menu options, but it’s still one of the best places in the area for authentic schnitzel and spaetzle, along with “Grandma’s” German-style potato salad. (*Review statistics include data from original Carondelet location.)

Hofbräuhaus-St. Louis (not yet reviewed) Metro-East, 123 St. Eugene Drive, Belleville, IL 62223, (618) 800-2337.  This newest and largest franchise location of Hofbräuhaus America is slated to open at the end of January.  When it does, it promises to deliver a traditional Munich tavern experience, complete with fresh-brewed German-style beer, authentic Bavarian cuisine, and even oompah bands flown in from Germany and Austria.  The other seven U.S. Hofbräuhaus locations are getting high marks, so this one should bring some terrific German-style fun to the metro area.

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By Susan Smith-Harmon, published on STL.News by St. Louis Media, LLC (MS)

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