Gasthaus Zur Elli

Good: Wienerschnitzel, talking with the owner. She grew up not many kilometers from where I lived for 5 years. All of you folks can say what you want about this place - but outside of Germany (I have eaten at well over 40 German restaurants in at least 25 states), there are only 2 places I have found that even come close: The German Canteen on the base at Ft Bliss, TX (there is a German Air Defense Det there and the meats and drinks are flown in weekly from Germany) and the other is Villa Europa in Augusta, GA.. Bad: I prefer the gemüse mischte salat that I use to get in German which was basically chilled green beans, leaf lettuce, marinated red cabbage and thinly sliced cucumbers - with the cukes and lettuce drizzled with a white yogurt based vegetable marinade. Depending on the restaurant, there were sometimes white corn or tomatoes on the plate. Also, I missed the vinegar-bacon grease drizzle over the kartoffelsalat. Improvements: Add spezi. This would require getting Fanta orange and coca-cola from Germany - they are made differently here in the US and tend to leave an aftertaste - but it is acceptable - 1/2 fanta orange, 1/2 cola, juice from 1/4 lemon - great refreshing drink for the summer even if only slightly chilled; also, I like pommes-frites with my schnitzel; and maybe add creme weiße spargel-suppe when in season.. Other: To the naysayers - especially those that have issues with the owner or the time it takes to be seated, served, etc. FIRST, after talking with the owner, I would guess that many of the items on the menu come from Germany, but it is prepared 'in house'; #2 - German dining is not meant to be quick and when I walked in they said it was a Gasthaus - I have spent 4-6 hours in Gasthaus's in Germany. Problem? Go to McDonalds!; in MOST Gasthaus's in Germany you do not see children. Problem with that - babysitter!. more

my husband decided at the last minute that he wanted to return to "zur elli". we had gone one time previously--during the oktoberfest celebration--and didn't feel we got to experience it fully. we had lived in germany for several years (2003-2006)and were longing for a good germany meal. we called to see if we could get in that night and they had an opening w/in the hour. we took it and loaded our 2 year old in the car and off we went. frau steiner was very pleasant as we entered, as was the wait staff. we were seated in the corner and was told what was being served that evening. that should've been my first clue. the choices that evening were schweinbraten, fried tilapia, or bratwurst. all would be served w/ soup, german style salad, & dessert. my husband & i both chose the pork and we ordered the brat for our child. i ordered a glass of wine (reisling) and DH ordered a glass of hefe. first up was the soup. it was pretty good. next up was the salad. whenever i had "salat" in germany, it was tossed w/ a very yummy yogurt dressing. frau steiner had made a vinaigrette of sorts that seemed heavily seasoned w/ knorr liquid seasoning. but it was good overall. finally, we received our entrees. we all liked what we were served. as it would happen, it was getting late and my child was getting quite fussy. we asked for the check. when the waitress brought it over, needless to say, i was floored. our bill was $81!! i'm not opposed to paying top dollar for a good meal, however, that seemed a bit much (that's almost $30/person!!!). without a "physical" menu, i didn't feel inclined to argue and we paid the bill. it has been a couple of days since our meal, and my butt is still a bit chapped from this experience. my DH & i really liked the food, but if we every do return, it'll be a "once a year" thing. i'm still trying to figure out the justification for the meal price. in germany, i never paid more than €10 for a meal--same set up. frau steiner may want to rethink her pricing strategy. more

I am a long-time customer of "Ms. Wendy" having been in the restaurant on several occasions when she was telling her "jokes" I noticed that she had plenty of respect for the children that were present sometimes asking the waitstaff to babysit them while she entertained the adults. So with this in mind I decided to allow my child to join us in what I thought would be a nice evening in a "fine" restaurant. However, on this particular evening she told her "jokes" with NO regard for my child at all. She went on to joke about certain sexual toys!!! And human anatomy. I was very disappointed in this and will not return for the foreseeable future. I felt my child deserved the same respect I saw her give other children. Please remember that this is a restaurant not comedy house!!! Also, all of your guest deserve the same respect at all times. We are paying customers and your restaurant would not be open without all of your customers no matter how big or small. more

Our group decided after having an unpleasant visit during the holidays we would give this restaurant another try. No better the second time around. I understant European dining as I have visited several times but the 4 hour wait on two seperate occasions was too much to ask. Will not return. Besides we saw waitstaff preparing desserts and many items are not "homemade" as we were told. more

Firstly, to the people who give it bad reviews because it's not as quick as McDonald's, understand that European dining isn't rushed like it is in the US. A typical dining experience in Europe takes a couple of hours, sometimes more. If you want fast food, this isn't the place. Also, one person complained about how "unhealthy" the food is... seriously? If you want healthy, stay at home and eat a salad, DON'T go to a restaurant because they ALL use a ton of butter and fat. more

We went to this German Restaurant in hopes of having a unique dining experience....instead we were left at our tables for hours waiting for our food to arrive. The owner in the meantime was banging a bell and yelling at the help constantly. The food was ok but was loaded with FAT!!! This probably used up my limit of artery clogging taste in one sitting. I think the most disappointing thing was that we had come for an authentic dessert and were served a slice of cake (tasteless) and piece of candy that is available at any local Wal-Mart. The whole meal was way overpriced!!!! more

I loved this quaint, original, and intimate dining experience. Not having any authentic German cooking (except my own) in so long made this even more of a treat. The food was not the only appeal of this establishment. The owner talks readily with her customers as friends. Make reservations and plan to enjoy a unique home-like atmosphere. more

This is a great find in a small town. The food is wonderful and the restaurant has a small romantic atmosphere. You need a reservation here because it is very small, less than 10 tables. You should also plan to spend the evening. Our meal lasted about 3 hours. You are served one course about every half hour and although you get lots of food, you are not overly full. The food is excellent and the owners are friendly and wonderful! more