03/06/09

pretty good food, interesting beer, great servers

by drink_club1

It was with trepidation that I decided on a German Restaurant/Bar. Our worst outing ever was at the awful Zum Schneider on the lower east side. That place was filled with the kind of people you'd expect to see at a Kansas football game. 100% awful jocks who should have been turned away by the immigration guards at the George Washington Bridge. All the reasons you left and came to New York. There, making caw caw sounds.

I'm pleased to say, Lederhosen was not like that. Yeah there were a few jocky guys whose guffaws sounded hollow in the back room. But there was enough variety and ambiance, not to care.

Our waitress, Selma, was from Namibia, and she spoke perfect German. (Yeah she spoke English, dummy. It's the national language of Namibia!) She was so helpful that she even called a friend to check out an African restaurant address for us.

The German food was pretty good. We had curry wurst, and something with politically incorrect veal. Both were nice, but nothing to write home about.

The German beer selection was very good. It included rauch beer. That is rarely seen in the U.S. This is a "smoked" beer, that some people think tastes like bacon. The boys liked it. The girls didn't.

All-in-all, it's a great place, and, unlike that East Village place, I'll be coming back. -- Drink Club NYC is a roving group of NYC drinkers

• Pros: servers, German Beer, ambience except
• Cons: a few loud jocks

09/30/08

The closest you can get to Bavaria without leaving Manhattan

by mikesic

Don't let the name (or the restaurant's web site) fool you. This place is one of the best German restaurant/bar I've been to in NYC. The service was very good, and the waitress friendly and instructive! The food was authentic Bavian fare, and absolutely delicious. The beer selection is equally impressive. I ventured off my usual German favorites and tried beers I have not heard of before or since, and they were all excellent. Reservations are a must.

• Pros: German beer hall style, great food, great beer, great time to be had!
• Cons: Reservations are required.

06/13/08

Green Hills, Blue Skies, and Quality Beer

by racheysmachey

I repeatedly visit this bar/restaurant. Every time I go, my friends and I almost always burst into a loud song. The beer is delicious and so are the sausages and buns they come in. The buns are crispy and hold your choice of bratwurst (from among many). I go to Lederhosen to make happy memories and therefore try to go infrequently so I can always cherish my time there. I frequently find that time flies by as you order beer after beer. People order pitchers but I prefer their bottled variety. The atmosphere is wonderful. The best part is that the walls are painted with green hills and blue skies and everyone is seated on benches around picnic tables . The setup makes you feel like you are in the Sound of Music. I love this place and highly recommend it for a group of two who wish to get into a deep conversation, or a group of ten who wish to rouse the patrons with loud cheerful songs. A great place to make friends and keep them.

• Pros: Great Beer, Ambience, and Food
• Cons: A bit pricey for my Brooklyn budget.

06/08/08

Feels like you are at an Octoberfest

by stephan1

MY husband and I take our 14 month son here at least once a month. Found this place by accident and just keep coming back. Not only do they have excellent food at great prices(which is unexpected for the city) but most importantly when we walk in its as if they are welcoming a family member. Uli and the rest of the staff treat our son like a king. No matter how busy they get they always have time to stop by our table and talk to us and kneel by our son and entertain him. Like I said, the food is fantastic(my husband swears by the Jagerschnitzel),the beers are great(you get a huge liter for almost nothing) the prices are fantastic and the owners and staff are fantastic.VERY highly recommended...you wont be disappointed.

• Pros: staff, food and price
• Cons: none

12/30/07

GREAT GERMAN FOOD!!!,

by iwantquality

ok folks i have been to probably some of the most well known german restaurants in the city. Heidelberg, zum stamisch, hallo berlin, and by far this is the best food at a very good price.

I used to think (well i still do) that Heidelberg is the best german restaurant in the city. This place just serves that same top notch quality food as Heidelberg but at a better price.

ok the desserts are better at heidelberg, and i think the service is better at heidelberg too.

I had this 20 something downtown hipster waiter "serve me" He was a little overwhelmed by his job and he really wasn't as attentive as he should have been but otherwise i recommend this place,

hey you go for the food, the service and the decor, two out of three aint bad!!!

but folks please never ever ever go to rolfs, ever!!!!

• Pros: great german food, rates probably best in the city at a good price
• Cons: inexperienced waiter that was overwhelmed

04/14/07

should be listed as restaurant too

by kikau2

went there last night w/ a friend after noticing it just walking by. We were very happy we walked in. The beers on tap are hard to find elewhere and we had dinner too. The food was delicious!!! (albeit a bit salty, but I love salty foods). The music and atmosphere in the bar area had some great vibes (Coldplay). Our waitress was so sweet and helpful. All in all a great place. The food I think is better than Rolf's although I think they should try to make the dining room a little cozier, the lights were a bit bright. But I'll definitely be back! Try number 32 on the dinner menu.

• Pros: food, beer, service
• Cons: dining room too bright

10/30/06

Excellent Find

by formulaone57

Really enjoyed the food and the service. Really nice place to go takes you to a far land without the plan ride.

09/05/06

The Ultimate Destination for German Beer

by eugenek

Amazing selection of beer and great German comfort food make this place am ideal spot for anyone in search of little Germany in NYC. Service might not be very fast or very friendly, but that is not a big deal. Once you finally get your beer and sausages you forget that it took a while for them to arrive and just enjoy them.

• Pros: Weisbeer

04/28/06

Flashback to Deutschland

by pes419

Last night I celebrated a 11 year reunion with some friends who were all austausschulers in Germany back in High School. This place was perfect. The food, although very heavy and very German, was tasty and fair priced. The radeberger on tap was a flashback. The service was attentive, without being in your face. After some food and a few rounds the waiter gave us a pitcher on the house. Dinner, plus four hours of beer and wine for 6 ppl cost $160. not bad for a night out in NYC.

If you are looking for a taste of Germany washed down with some good beer, this is a great choice.

• Pros: Beer choice, Fair Price, Authentic
• Cons: Heavy food, Small if busy

01/19/06

Stay Away!!!

by gotthesilver

This place was horrible! The previous poster was right on the time for eating here. We sat at our table for nearly 30 minutes before the waiter decided to take our first drink order. During this time, both of the waiters walked right past us many times, ignoring our waving.

At least another half hour went by before we were able to order our food. By the time we got our food, we had been there 2 1/2 hours!!! We were starving, pissed off and literally about to walk out the door when the food finally arrived.

Once the food did arrive, it was horrible! It was bland, tasteless and mushy. I've spent a lot of time in Germany and know what German food is supposed to taste like. This was nowhere near it.

The attitude of the waitstaff is terrible. This place was a huge disappointment. STAY AWAY!!!!

• Cons: Service, Waitstaff, Food