Last year I gave Black Forest a 5. This time, 2-3 stars. Little amount & Slimy saurerkraut & corn beef wasn't good either. Very dissatisfied with the potato salad too. Have always been a 5 star for us, but with only a few in the restaurant, I think we got left overs. Disappointing for a birthday.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
Gray Berres
This place is definitely for people who like real German food. I gave it 4 stars because, even though the food wasn’t for me since I’m not used to it, my girlfriend’s dad, who is German, really liked it.
The service was just okay. We walked in and had to wait about five minutes for a host to seat us, even though the place was empty. Our server was kinda awkward—not rude, just weird. He wouldn’t really say anything when he came to the table, just stood there or took our plates without a word. It felt like we had to tell him when we were ready to order instead of him asking us.
The atmosphere was nice, though. It had a cozy, dive-bar kind of vibe, but it’s not a bar—just a small, homey restaurant.
Overall, I’d give it a 4/5. I think someone who’s more into German food would probably enjoy it even more than I did.
(Also, the apple strudel was AMAZING.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
宁宇鸿
The taste is average, but it's not easy to eat these European dishes locally.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Jennifer Williams
Great food & wonderful environment!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
Samantha M
The food was to die for and as close as you can get to authentic German cuisine as you can get in Minnesota. They even had a live musician playing the accordion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ham and Sauerkraut Balls, Spaetzel
Bart Pietrzak
I recently visited the Black Forest Inn with my family, encouraged by a recommendation from someone who grew up in Minneapolis. We were excited to experience authentic German cuisine, but unfortunately, our visit fell short of expectations.
I ordered the pork hock, a classic German dish I was eager to try. However, as I started cutting into it, the meat was tough and rubbery, sticking to the bone rather than falling off as it should. To make matters worse, the inside of the meat was cold. After calling our server, the dish was taken back to the kitchen to be reheated, only to return 10 minutes later warm but still difficult to cut and chew. A proper pork hock should be tender and flavorful, but this one missed the mark.
The dish was served with spaetzle, which seemed to be simply mixed with butter. Disappointingly, there was no traditional Rotkohl (red cabbage) to round out the meal, which is a hallmark of this dish.
We also tried the pork schnitzel, which left much to be desired. The portion was small, and it was fried in butter rather than the traditional lard, which made the crust less distinct and flavorful. A good schnitzel should have a crisp crust that separates slightly from the tender, juicy meat, but this one lacked both texture and taste.
Overall, the meal felt far from the authentic German experience we had hoped for. My portion of the bill was $100 on food that didn’t meet basic expectations of quality or tradition left me disappointed. While the service was courteous, the food itself did not reflect the rich and hearty flavors of German cuisine. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a true taste of Germany. Save your money and explore other options.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
kinderhood
I was there during the holidays and Santa and Krampus came in. So dang awesome. I got cookies. Their food is great, but wow. They got some great sweet treats
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jay Albrecht
Best Rubin I’ve ever had!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Side Spaetzle, Potato Pancake, Reuben Sandwich
Elisa
While I spent a good amount of time in Germany, I wouldn't say the food was something that kept bringing me back. Black Forest Inn food does keep me coming back. It's warm and comforting, as is the service, as is the atmosphere.
Vegetarian options: It is not a vegetarian restaurant, but I manage to eat there happily, somehow.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Black Forest Cherry Torte, Potato Pancake, Reuben Sandwich, German Potato Salad, Red Cabbage, Spaetzel
Adam Duckwall
This is a true Minneapolis staple. I had my first legal beer here and over the many years, I have come to enjoy this restaurant in new ways. Always great food and service though. The ultimate comfort food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sausage Sampler, Sauerbraten, Red Cabbage, Spaetzel
Gorgeous location, ate outside when we went a few months ago. The courtyard with a fountain really made the whole experience that much better.
The food is absolutely killer, very good authentic German dishes that will stuff you full!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Larry Tholl
Love this place. Brings me back to the old haunts in Boston.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sauerbraten, German Potato Salad
Pastor Engel
Great food and beer! A favorite!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Candace Anderson
Great food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Kerrie Cook
We thought this might be a nice place to go for some Oktoberfest meal on a Saturday night. We did come at about 8 (they close at 9) and this place wasn't as hip and happening as I thought. The clientele seems to skew older. To be fair, there was nothing emblazoned outside that told me there was a fun, vibey Oktoberfest gig happening. I just _assumed_ there might be something since it's a German restaurant and it's October. My fault.
Anyway, I already knew I might not like German food having tried it before but I'm always up to trying again. I ordered Rabbit this time, and my bf ordered beef. They came with spatzle and red cabbage. I actually liked the Rabbit, even with the little bones. It was tender and really quite neutral in flavor, doused in some brown sauce. It's just such a heavy dish that I wish there were more green veggies available as well. Maybe that's not a thing in Germany because we did get a plate of liver pate and pickeled vegetables as an appetizer but I don't recall other fresh vegetables on the menu.
I think it is a restaurant worth going to, especially if it's nice enough to go to the courtyard.
Last year I gave Black Forest a 5. This time, 2-3 stars. Little amount & Slimy saurerkraut & corn beef wasn't good either. Very dissatisfied with the potato salad too. Have always been a 5 star for us, but with only a few in the restaurant, I think we got left overs. Disappointing for a birthday.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 4
This place is definitely for people who like real German food. I gave it 4 stars because, even though the food wasn’t for me since I’m not used to it, my girlfriend’s dad, who is German, really liked it.
The service was just okay. We walked in and had to wait about five minutes for a host to seat us, even though the place was empty. Our server was kinda awkward—not rude, just weird. He wouldn’t really say anything when he came to the table, just stood there or took our plates without a word. It felt like we had to tell him when we were ready to order instead of him asking us.
The atmosphere was nice, though. It had a cozy, dive-bar kind of vibe, but it’s not a bar—just a small, homey restaurant.
Overall, I’d give it a 4/5. I think someone who’s more into German food would probably enjoy it even more than I did.
(Also, the apple strudel was AMAZING.)
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 3
The taste is average, but it's not easy to eat these European dishes locally.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 3
Service: 4
Great food & wonderful environment!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 4
The food was to die for and as close as you can get to authentic German cuisine as you can get in Minnesota. They even had a live musician playing the accordion.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ham and Sauerkraut Balls, Spaetzel
I recently visited the Black Forest Inn with my family, encouraged by a recommendation from someone who grew up in Minneapolis. We were excited to experience authentic German cuisine, but unfortunately, our visit fell short of expectations.
I ordered the pork hock, a classic German dish I was eager to try. However, as I started cutting into it, the meat was tough and rubbery, sticking to the bone rather than falling off as it should. To make matters worse, the inside of the meat was cold. After calling our server, the dish was taken back to the kitchen to be reheated, only to return 10 minutes later warm but still difficult to cut and chew. A proper pork hock should be tender and flavorful, but this one missed the mark.
The dish was served with spaetzle, which seemed to be simply mixed with butter. Disappointingly, there was no traditional Rotkohl (red cabbage) to round out the meal, which is a hallmark of this dish.
We also tried the pork schnitzel, which left much to be desired. The portion was small, and it was fried in butter rather than the traditional lard, which made the crust less distinct and flavorful. A good schnitzel should have a crisp crust that separates slightly from the tender, juicy meat, but this one lacked both texture and taste.
Overall, the meal felt far from the authentic German experience we had hoped for. My portion of the bill was $100 on food that didn’t meet basic expectations of quality or tradition left me disappointed. While the service was courteous, the food itself did not reflect the rich and hearty flavors of German cuisine. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a true taste of Germany. Save your money and explore other options.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
I was there during the holidays and Santa and Krampus came in. So dang awesome. I got cookies. Their food is great, but wow. They got some great sweet treats
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best Rubin I’ve ever had!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Recommended dishes: Side Spaetzle, Potato Pancake, Reuben Sandwich
While I spent a good amount of time in Germany, I wouldn't say the food was something that kept bringing me back. Black Forest Inn food does keep me coming back. It's warm and comforting, as is the service, as is the atmosphere.
Vegetarian options: It is not a vegetarian restaurant, but I manage to eat there happily, somehow.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Black Forest Cherry Torte, Potato Pancake, Reuben Sandwich, German Potato Salad, Red Cabbage, Spaetzel
This is a true Minneapolis staple. I had my first legal beer here and over the many years, I have come to enjoy this restaurant in new ways. Always great food and service though. The ultimate comfort food!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sausage Sampler, Sauerbraten, Red Cabbage, Spaetzel
Restaurantji Recommends
Gorgeous location, ate outside when we went a few months ago. The courtyard with a fountain really made the whole experience that much better.
The food is absolutely killer, very good authentic German dishes that will stuff you full!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Love this place. Brings me back to the old haunts in Boston.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Sauerbraten, German Potato Salad
Great food and beer! A favorite!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We thought this might be a nice place to go for some Oktoberfest meal on a Saturday night. We did come at about 8 (they close at 9) and this place wasn't as hip and happening as I thought. The clientele seems to skew older. To be fair, there was nothing emblazoned outside that told me there was a fun, vibey Oktoberfest gig happening. I just _assumed_ there might be something since it's a German restaurant and it's October. My fault.
Anyway, I already knew I might not like German food having tried it before but I'm always up to trying again. I ordered Rabbit this time, and my bf ordered beef. They came with spatzle and red cabbage. I actually liked the Rabbit, even with the little bones. It was tender and really quite neutral in flavor, doused in some brown sauce. It's just such a heavy dish that I wish there were more green veggies available as well. Maybe that's not a thing in Germany because we did get a plate of liver pate and pickeled vegetables as an appetizer but I don't recall other fresh vegetables on the menu.
I think it is a restaurant worth going to, especially if it's nice enough to go to the courtyard.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 3
Service: 4
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