Richter’s Chalet

Richter’s Chalet has closed, apparently.
I attempted to have lunch there (July 2015) and was informed it was closed for good.
I’m sorry to see this place go.

Few of us from work went to Richter’s today for the first time to try out their lunch. To our dismay, all the lights were off and an external lock was applied to the main door. Makes it appear that this place is permanently closed for business. Would call before venturing out to confirm this, but they were not open for business during their posted hours.

I’m very disappointed in this Restaurant. I’d advise NOT to go there, even though they are closing for good, and their last day is next Thursday (May 28). I can make better German food, than what was served me. I ordered the Veal Goulash and they had the audacity to put chicken chunks in it to fill it out, and used canned gravy, not homemade. It should have been a paprika gravy, not a dark brown gravy. The menu didn’t say that there would be chicken in it.
And to top it off… NO DESSERTS! This was one of the main reason I came back to this place. I wanted my Hazelnut Torte or even Black Forest Torte… can’t even order one. The place sure went down in the past few years. I guess no pride in what they make.

I’ve always been a fan of this place, but last night was a totally different experience. We ordered our usual, chicken, and veal schnitzel, it was so thin and dry, also the coating was not as their usual. Lacking taste, and portion sizes went way down. The drawn butter is now drawn margarine… yuck, served in cheap plastic cups, not the metal ones as before. The menu had so many cross off’s, it looked so unprofessional. The bread, and black forest torte still very good. This used to be one of my favorite places, but with these «new» changes, don’t think I will be back~

What a splendid lunch I just had at Richter’s Chalet! I got in a little late for lunch but the owners were happy to accomodate me! The bread was FABULOUS, the potato pancakes were the BEST ever, and the salad with house dill and chive dressing was delish!!! PLUS I had to try the roasted pecan pie for dessert… what a way to spend an hour! I also carried home 2 pieces of struedel for husband who was unable to make it to lunch!!! Needless to say, he was a happy camper with his goodies… Did I say BEST potato pancakes ever??? They were WONDERFUL!!! Don’t miss this too cool place!!!

I grew up in a part of Ohio in the 1970s where the local farmers surrounding the town still spoke in German. Back then, it was still possible to find German American restaurants like this one. In fact, in one restaurant that I was taken to by my aunt when I was three, you had to place your order in German. Sadly, most of these types of restaurants have largely disappeared in my original home area due to the families being assimilated into American culture. So, finding a place like this where the restaurant has been handed down in the family from generation to generation is special. This is a gem hidden in plain sight. This place is retro cool for me.
The food here is of the same high level of fresh made quality that the German American restaurants of my youth had without me having to place my order in German. From start to finish, the meal is memorable and flavorful. And it has an old fashioned German family flavor and quality to it.
The bread appetizer which you are greeted with when you sit down is fresh baked and still warm. The fried breaded mushrooms are great. You can definitely tell that they were freshly battered fresh mushrooms. The lentil soup is filling and flavorful. The chicken schnitzel is divine. The chicken is moist and tender. And when you put the melted butter and gravy over it, it becomes even more so. The green beans are fresh and taste like they came from a garden. The spatzle is really nice. It reminds me of what my late grandmother used to make.
The staff are friendly. The owner’s wife is the head of the front of house. She is the heart of the place. If you have been here even once before, she tends to remember you from your last visit. She makes this place feel like you are visiting a friend. She makes sure that your visit to this place isn’t going to be just an impersonal experience.

I love Richter’s. While I can’t give it a perfect review, I love it more than many of the 5 star reviews I’ve given. My family has been going here for my entire life.
The German dishes are flavorful and unique. The house made mushroom soup is a must. With any meal you get a mini-​feast, crackers and cheese, warm bread and sides galore.
This restaurant is dated and old fashioned. Nothing has changed for decades, you either find that charming or you don’t. I do. The wait staff is courteous, professional and well informed. You’ll be well taken care of.
Make sure to get dessert. We are very fond of the cakes, the hazelnut a personal favorite. Enjoy.

This used to be a great place for German food, which is somewhat hard to find in the area. However, it seems they’ve been having hard times and the quality of the food has dropped.

Excellent. …brown away by their home made dishes and desserts. …will be back. They owner took care of us personally

I’ve got this friend who constantly insists on trying new places where we’re the youngest patrons by at least 30 years. I’m not sure where he finds the places (or how he convinces me to go) but his suggestion somehow landed us at Richter’s Chalet.
We were greeted by a friendly waiter who gave us plenty of time to look over the menu. While were perusing the offerings, he brought us crackers with (squeezy?) cheese as well as a loaf of fresh-​baked bread and real butter. As expected, we were incredibly out of place compared to the other two tables of diners.
We each ordered an entrée with two sides apiece. The food came out in a timely fashion. The main entrée came on a large plate, with sides coming out in their own bowls. This presentation not only made the table for three cluttered, but also presents way more dishes for the restaurant to clean. We looked like fatties with our 15 plates and bowls on the table.
The food? Yea, it was good. The entrees were all great and the sides were okay-​to-​good. The service was adequate as well. But this just really isn’t a four or five star place. It’s terribly outdated, from the carpet to the menus, and the prices are pretty high, at $ 13-​$ 18 per person without drinks. The guys ordered a beer and were surprised to be charged $ 7 for a 20-​oz draft. Way too expensive!
If you feel like dropping $ 25 on a good meal in a relic of a restaurant, then this is your place.

Don’t waste time or money. Took my German mother in law for dinner, with the family. She couldn’t even eat half her food. They first ignored us standing at the front to be seated. Once seated, they offered us Ritz crackers with cheese swirls and stale bread. Presentation is lacking. My daughter got 2 pieces of kielbasa, plain, put on her plate with a rotten tomato. Another had brown lettuce in his salad. My veal was plain also. Mashed potatoes and gravy was cold. My mother in law looked forward to the spaetzle but it was mushy and she couldn’t eat it. The vegetables were mixed, overcooked, and lacked seasoning. All in all, the worst place I had ever eaten, and totally disappointed. The only good thing, was the desserts. Be forwarned. Maybe these people had never had REAL German food.

You kids do not know what you are missing.
Old World food artfully prepared.
It is older façade but the food is to die for. (which is better than from!)
Very reasonable. (10 – 15 a platter) handmade desserts. (hazelnut torte)
I had pork schnitzel (hand breaded cutlet) with a beer reduction sauce that while having sharp overtones complimented the pork and fried onions that were drizzled on top. Red cabbage and hot potato salad were served with a house dressed (dill) salad.
Few clients/​older crowd. Get there while you can.

I always say this place is the best kept secret in Dearborn. You can drive right by it and not even know it’s there, but they have been in business for over 80 years and the word of mouth about how awesome this place is keeps people coming back. The food is exquisite! They still use the time tested old world recipes that make your mouth water. There is not a bad choice on the menu! And, save room for dessert, because their selection is amazing.

The chalet is adorable. It is just like walking into a small German place in the motherland. I like the ambiance.
The menu is vast, they are missing a few true of my German favorites– knuckle and weisswurst… but I have found new loves. I have been here multiple times for lunch and am unable to venture past the knackwurst on the bun. Their mustard accents the plate well… and less than $ 5 for the plate, killer red cabbage (they swap it out for the sauerkraut) and a bowl of soup. I love it! It is perfect.
The wait staff is very prompt and friendly.
I have been very impressed with the dishes I have sampled from my dining partners.
I will be back!

I live in the Detroit area and I absolutely love German food. Unfortunately, there are only a handful of German restaurants between the Detroit/​Ann Arbor areas, but fortunately, Richter’s is one of them.
Every form of Schnitzel is excellent. The Rouladen and Saurebratten are awesome, as well as the sausages. Same for the potato dumplings, saurkraut bites and other sides. Of course, they also have American fare, prime rib, etc. and they also have Beef Wellington.
All the desserts are made from scratch at the restaurant: Black Forest Cake, Apple Strudel, Cherry Strudel, Chocolate Mousse, Cheesecake, and other excellent treats.
The décor is the classic, old-​world German style. Some people criticize Richter’s because it has the same décor that it did 30 years ago. Well, so what? Not everything has to be trendy, does it? If you want trendy, go to a modern chain restaurant instead.
Bottom line: Richter’s is a nice little jewel in Dearborn with good food, good service, and character.

We went here for dinner. Sat at 5:45 and took too long to get drinks. Also ordered an appetizer. It was ok. Waitress disappeared. No water refills. No clearing of table. At 7pm we decided to leave since we didn’t have our dinner nor could we find our waitress.
The menu had items crossed out and even handwritten «discontinued». We were told before we ordered that they were out of fried chicken. After ordering the waitress came back and told us they were out of orange roughy and asked the two vegetarians to chose something else.
Bad service ruined out night and our chance to rate the food.

First of all this place is very cute. I love all the German decorations, and the old fashioned cash register. The staff is very friendly.
I love the little details like the free ritz crackers with cheez whiz on them that they give you as an appetizer. The bread is excellent too — it comes in cute little loaves and it is delicious!
I really liked the saurkraut bites, but the sauce they’re served with is sweet, so I wasn’t too excited about that.
I’m not really into banana cream pie, but I have a friend who sometimes come to Richter’s all the way from Ann Arbor just for the pie, so I imagine for anyone that likes it, it’s pretty amazing.

Decent German place with pluses and minuses.
Plus– Good Food (Schnitzel and Potato Pancakes were excellent)
Lotsa food for the price– even salad and bread comes with it
Good German beer (though not the biggest selection)
Minus– A little run down inside
Yodel Music
Limited hours

I’ve driven by this stretch of Michigan Avenue for years and never noticed Richter’s. When Ken and I knew we’d be in the area, I Unilocaled up this new find. 5pm on a Saturday, and we were one of three tables in the place (and definitely the only people in there, besides one of the workers, under 70). I must admit I was ready to bolt when I saw the lack of people, the tiny freezing women’s room… and then my shoes made sticky noises on the carpet as we were taken the our booth (old carpet, with worn out track).
Our waitress was very nice. We ordered beer — a German wheat draught for Ken and a bottle of something German dark for me. Out came the afore-​mentioned cheese on the crackers for both of us (strange, but delicious) and the bread and butter. The bread was not as good as I was expecting, based on the reviews — ours appeared almost freezerburned. Oh well, I don’t need bread… right?
I asked if they would do a combo of Bratwurst and Knackwurst, which they would normally do but they’d had a run on Brats the night before. Darn. So, I went all Knock… and they were wonderful. Juicy, meaty, excellent by themselves or dipped in mustard. My sides were German potato salad (I’m always a fan of GPS, but this was milder than I’m used to — Ken and I both loved it) and red cabbage (perfectly sweet and sour). I chose the salad with Dill dressing and agree wholeheartedly with Liz W that some buttermilk is much needed to thin and de-​sweet it.
Ken had the veal dish with ‘Jäger’ (sp) in the title. It was thin cutlets of veal with mushrooms in a brown gravy with two puff pastry moons and a piece of canned pear with cranberry sauce inside. The veal was not tender, so he won’t recommend it. He had the potato dumpling (think bloated gnocchi or matzo ball-​type consistency) and cabbage. He enjoyed the cabbage, my potato salad and any piece of Knackwurst I tossed his way.
I brought home one of my two sausages, and Ken can report that the leftovers were delicious.
We both want to return, but Ken’ll try something new (plus cabbage and German potato salad), and I want to taste some Bratwurst… and leave room for dessert.
Ample parking behind the restaurant. They accept credit cards.

I have grown up in Dearborn my whole life & never made it in to Richter’s but tonight… I finally did & thank God because my dinner was wonderful. I had the beef ala deutsch which was chunks of beef tenderloin with tomato, onion, green pepper & mushroom in a gravy like sauce served in a crock so it was kind of stew like. I had mashed potatoes & gravy as well as sauerkraut as my sides which were both really tasty as well. I also got the sauerkraut bites which I loved but my friend didn’t care for, they were hush puppy like & very fluffy with a sauce on the side. My friend had something with a german name that started with an L, it was beef rolled around bacon & rice with an onion gravy… this was also very yummy, he cleaned his whole plate. We both left super full & super happy & will definitely be back again!
I do have one complaint… this place needs new flooring… the carpet that was probably installed back in the 60’s is still in here so the floor is sticky, that’s right sticky but carpeted so ignore that part. I put below that they have beer & wine, not sure if they have liquor or not but they might.