Gerst Bavarian Haus

Tried this joint when I had some free time waiting for flight — nice, quiet place to get German food whenever you’re in town. Got the combo dinner — bratwurst, kielbasa, and sauerbraten — the sausages are awesome, but I wasn’t a big fan of the sauerbraten. Will definitely return whenever I’m in town to try its different dishes.

Delicious! Great atmosphere! Food is yummy and portions are ample. You will need a box to go! Many microbrews! Definitely yummy and well worth a trip!

While the waitress was friendly and kept our drinks full, and the fried pickles are good, our entrees were sub par in my opinion. I ordered the catfish dinner which tasted bland. My fiancé ordered the chicken tenders which tasted burnt. Wether they were cooked too long or the frying oil was old, we’re not sure. I don’t plan on coming back.

Reasonable prices, approachable atmosphere, good service. The giant soft pretzel with beef and cheese dip was fantastic — the two of us barely made a dent in it. Order the pretzel for 6 or more to finish it! I had a salad and it was fresh and flavorful. My friend had the friend chicken tenders and they were perfect. The beer list is very impressive, but this prego lady did not imbibe :). It is not a fancy restaurant, and it does what it does well. I will go back.

Authentic German like I grew up on
Schnitzel perfectly cooked, red cabbage and spätzle very authentic. Not a five because the goulash was salty and Germans don’t do that but close to perfect. Service good and atmosphere in an old hardware store truly an old world feel

While the ambiance was nice, we were placed near the constantly open swinging door, in which the chilly draft would make it impossible to know whether or not I should keep the jacket on or off. Granted it’s a small detail, but german food is supposed to be about comfort. Speaking of which, I had the smoked pork chop (8oz), mashed potatoes and mac and cheese, with rye bread. The mashed potatoes had a texture reminiscent of spackle and the gravy seemed like it was out of a can or box. Much like the mashed potatoes, the mac and cheese seemed like it was out of box and had been sitting in the hot light for too long. It was akin to having sides from a high school lunch tray. The smoked pork chop tasted much like salty ham, given that it was salt cured and smoked. However, that was much the problem. It tasted like really salty ham. No seared crust on the outside, it seemed like it had been seasoned with even more salt, it was literally bone-​in ham from a more expensive cut of meat. Typically German smoked pork chops once done with their curing/​smoking treatment, are given that last blast of heat to add texture.
My friend had gotten the bratwurst and seemed to have the same problem. The bratwurst had retained too much water content from not being seared long enough on the grill, and tasted very very bland. My other friend had gotten the reuben sandwich, which was pretty good, considering as reubens go, however, her fries were flaccid with random assortment of the occasional crispy fry. The menu is ridiculously large, with too many sides, entrees, etc, which speaks of either a overambitious kitchen or a recipe for failure as their sides were horribly lacking and the entrees seemed to be a hit or miss. The saving grace from getting a 1 star, would be their very large selection of beers, and their ginormous pretzels.
Would not recommend going if you know anything about German food/​don’t want to spend 16+ dollars on a salty ham dinner with mediocre sides… Go if you like beer and pretzels though, they at least have that going for them.

We started with kraut balls, which we both enjoyed more than we expected. They were served piping hot, but it wouldn’t surprise me to know — as other reviewers pointed out — that they had been frozen.
My partner ordered the Hungarian Chicken Paprika and I had the Smoked Mett. I tried both, and thought — despite the huge portion sizes — both left something to be desired. This is not authentic German food. This place is an Evansville institution, and I’d probably have been less disappointed if I expected the food to be more Americanized (Southern Indiana-​ized, to be more specific) and less German.
The desserts and service were okay, but nothing to write home about.

Great beer selection and different atmosphere. The patio is really nice on a fall day. I’ve only had a few food items but the fried pork sandwich is awesome.

This place is hands down one of my favorite spots in Evansville. I can’t speak for all of the menu but the Sauerbraten is delicious. The portions are large. I always walk away full and content.
The bar is well stocked. I love having a large selection of drafts. The service has always been pleasant. I haven’t had a bad experience at this spot.
My in-​laws frequent this place and often we’ll go with 4+ people and the wait is never very bad. The service and organization just seems to handle their volume well.

When I was pregnant I had to have their fried bologna sandwich… Had to! Love the Gerst :-)

Went here during a busy weekend, Shrinerfest, it was packed. The house beer was by far the best bang for the buck. Great and tasty, super cheap for each goblet. They had a wide selection of beer that I haven’t seen and also a ton of Tin Man of course.
I had the pick 3 entrees and all were fantastic. It definitely took a long time but the kitchen was taking long all night. All that I had was great from the Schnitzel, sauerbraten and the goulash. Everything was great, the sides though were questionable, the mac and cheese was horrible. Tasted like Velveta cheese, not convincing at all.
over all a great place, would love to go back and eat again.

We were visiting from Indianapolis and came across this incredible place. I loved the décor and the fun atmosphere. We ordered a sausage sampler for an appetizer. You get a wonderful variety of sausages plus two sides. For dinner, my husband and I split the Gerst Haus special which gives you a chance to try multiple dishes and sides for a very reasonable price. All of the food was fantastic, and I highly recommend the stroganoff or the braised pork! And definitely the potato salad! After dinner, my table stood and applauded the kitchen, because the food was so ridiculously good and our service was exceptional. We can’t wait to visit Evansville again so we can eat here again.

Wow. This. Was. GREAT! The place was packed, which was a good sign. But there was virtually no waiting — the customer management was superb. And the food was fantastic! Highly recommended.

The food is very authentically German! The kraut balls, bratwurst, and red cabbage are amazing. The service was impeccable and relaxing with Rachel as our server. I will definitely go back when I am in town!

So the kraut balls are fantastic. They are an amazing crispy, creamy pork and saurkraut way to start the meal.
I had the combo platter with the pork chop, sauerbraten and Wiener schnitzel. This «combo sampler» had full size portions of each. Portions on the whole were large. I will say the Wiener schnitzel and sauerbraten were excellent. The pork chop was really good as well, but it was overshadowed by how excellent the other two were. For sides, I got saurkraut and spaetzel. The saurkraut was good and the spaetzel was great.
The beer selection here is very strong. A mix of traditional German beers and craft American drinks. Personally, I think the German beer pairs better with the food, but I cannot help but love anywhere that offers a solid beer selection like here. They also have wine but I didn’t study their selections.
Our server was super friendly and personable. Service on the whole is excellent and all food came out quickly. So did the beers.

This restaurant has a massive menu, for a first visit, that made it hard to decide!
So, it was made easier with the combo plate of Kielbasa, Goulash and pork Schnitzel with was all excellent!
I personally got the grilled chicken sandwich and could not have been happier.
The only knock was the bloody mary, it was not one of the better ones i’ve had.
All in all it was very good and would definitely go back the next time in Evansville!

My wife and I are big German food fans… stationed in Germany three years. Only positive here is the service.
The other negative reviews of the German food are sadly spot on. Beer was warm, schnitzel was undercooked, spatzle was bland. Perhaps they’re American entrees are better.

As a member of the Wagnerian Drinking Society and the Deutscher Club of Clark, I found the Gerst Haus experience just okay. I don’t think anyone from this place has been within a thousand miles of Germany. I don’t know what it is in the Midwest with these frozen beer glasses. I mean they serve the beer so cold you can’t even taste it. When I did get a room temperature glass and allowed the beer to come to the correct temperature every thing was fine.
The food on the other hand is just so so. the spaetzle was overcooked and mushy. The grease also flowed forth from the wursts and schnitzel. And what is with sauerkraut balls? I have traveled all over Germany and have never encountered them except in the Midwestern USA.
For the inexperienced this place is okay. It is not very authentic German food. Its poorly prepared handed down recipe crap that has lost any of its real cultural flavor.
Om-​ma is spinning in her grave.

Americanized German food… it’s good. But I wouldn’t call it authentic… except for the Pig Knuckles. Had a trio platter… went with Goulash, Sauerbraten, and Weiner Schnitzel… white beans, and kraut as sides. If you can manage to eat the entire dish you won’t go away hungry… very generous portions. The food was good… but my biggest complaint for a German restaurant is the portion size of the kraut… probably about three or four bite portion size. The portion size of the sauerbraten was huge, a bull-​full of German pot roast… cut back on the SB and give more kraut! Good selection of beer, nice atmosphere, and service was friendly/​good. I’d go back… actually deserves 3−½ stars.

Whenever I am in town to see family, I feel it is mandatory to visit Gerst Bavarian Haus every single time. Do people really say that the Midwest is boring? Well, not here!
Whether it is day or night, Gerst is the best place to pull up to the bar with friends and drink some amazing beer. The massive selection on tap, and the quality of service and food are exceptional. Best service is at the bar, of course.
I am not even a beer drinker, but I just keep coming back for more.
Plenty of street parking in historical Evansville downtown.
The food pairs amazingly well with the beer and the overall lively atmosphere is why I visit. Mainly German food, but perfect in every way. Massive portions for sharing, served piping hot with an ice cold beer when it is snowing outside. Yes please!
Party atmosphere (family style) when the outside is still, it just warms my heart.