Gasthof Zur Gemutlichkeit

A bit disappointed this visit. I really love working with Rosemary who I have worked with in the past to set up other group events-​but I feel maybe her hands are tied a bit-​I was required to order WAY more food than I knew I needed for a group of 16 and we ended up at two separate tables not in the main dining room– I felt like we were in a church basement put in the back room-​not on what seemed like a very busy night at the Gasthof. Our guests seemed to have a good time… Just not the Gasthof’s best showing. Service was pretty slow and not quite as fun as I expected based on past visits with groups about this same size.

Since the days of Tawnja Zahradka’s The Minnesota Experience on public access, I had counted down the days until my 21^st birthday where I could go to an authentic German beer hall and have the time of my life. Unfortunately, I overshot that goal by about 15 years, but who’s counting? I finally made it and wasn’t disappointed in the least! We sat down and got some beers the size of a normal American pitcher (and those were the medium size) and got to work on them while we placed our order. A friendly accordion player came by to play all of the latest polka hits and we felt bad because we only had plastic and couldn’t give him a few quid for his time. And then, the food came. We ordered both the classic and gourmet platters to share as a table. The food was incredible! Savory and full of flavor. After dinner, we finished our drinks and were given a shot of Apple schnapps that came with the platters as well as a toot of snus, which really woke up out sinuses. I can’t wait to come back again, this place is fantastic! Next time, we’re gonna get ourselves Das Boot and a cab.

Gasthof’s is a quirky little bar that has some major funtastic vibes. The upstairs is currently under construction, so don’t be alarmed when you past the front window and look in to see it appearing desolate. As of right now, the upstairs is NOT OPEN. So go downstairs if you’re looking for the fun.
When we walked downstairs, it instantly hit me that it’s like a little club there. Trust me, when I was imagining going to Gasthof’s for the first time, this wasn’t how I pictured it was going to be. I mean that in the best way possible. It appeals to those who want a splash of German tradition in their lives and those who want to get down and boogy. I was a good combination of both of those things.
I personally do not like beer in general. It’s just not my cup of tea, but if you’re looking for an extensive and eclectic beer collection, this place is the spot to go. They have many German beers available as well as the beers you see everywhere. They’re in huge glasses so they’re worth every penny. I got a White Russian myself which they perfected, I swear. A friend of mine got a Long Island and he told me it was the best he’s ever had. These bartenders know what they’re doing folks. They are real mixologists.
Note: If you want to do like the Germans do, you can by mint snuff for $ 8 at the bar.
It wasn’t terribly packed for a Friday night, but honestly, some places are better when it isn’t «body to body.» There was still every kind of person there, and as the night went on, their true colors all came out. It was both entertaining and infectious. As for the tunes on the dance floor, my ten year old inner self was elated. Britney Spears? Nsync? The Weeknd? Rihanna?
They played both 90’s oldies and popular hits from today. I believe they were taking song requests all night and I was shocked that they didn’t even attempt a single traditional German song (we had a girl from Germany with us, and she was very happy that they didn’t). It’s been a long time since I’ve been to a place that played music I knew all the lyrics to and could bust a move to at the same time. I have to admit, seeing my boyfriend singing and awkwardly dancing to Britney and Nsync made my night. I will never forget that sight. Even if I tried.
The one thing that may be questionable are the security guards. My boyfriend and his friends did not like one particular security guard who was snarky on our way out. I did not perceive him as being rude because I felt he was just doing his job and even smiled at me, but he rubbed the guys the wrong way. They don’t like having people just stand around near the entrance, so be aware of that and you won’t be bothered.

Great food, fun atmosphere, great drinks. What more do you want.
This place is a little spendy, but is one of the best places for German food around. I have tried all of their sampler platters and left each time feeling like I was going to explode. Lots of food, and so tasty that you won’t want to stop eating.
Not the place to go for a quiet night out. This place has a boisterous German drinking hall atmosphere. Lots of loud voices and polka music. Lots of fun, but you have to be in the mood.

This is a fun and lively place to bring your friends or family. There were a lot of families on Saturday night, many of them celebrating birthdays.
Service was fast, professional, warm and friendly.
We had the Bavarian platter, which, as everyone knows, is a lot of food. Not the tastiest meal I’ve ever had, but I knew coming into this that it would be on the bland side, especially for a spice lovin’ gal like myself. The spread was amazing though. A bunch of other customers came over to gawk and take photos of our meal, which was funny.
I’m not sure how you get the accordion guy to sing for you, he completely ignored our table, but sang at all the other tables. Not a big deal, maybe we had resting bitch faces or something that scared him off.
We were seated at one of the aisle tables where there is a lot of traffic back and forth. Not the best spot for our first time there, in that spot, we felt like we weren’t really in the heart of the restaurant. Wish we would have thought to request booth seating for our dinner reservation.
We had a 6:30pm dinner reservation, and the weird thing is, they have bouncers at the door already at that early an hour. The bouncers are only there for the lower level nightclub, but the vibe they give off is so seedy. Complete opposite of the friendly restaurant staff. What a strange juxtaposition.
Fun place to try at least once. Would definitely bring out of town friends here for a night of drinking.

Great place for Octoberfest, a bit busy but great atmosphere, BIG beers and lots of oompa bands!

I absolutely love this place… and am mystified why it isn’t rated higher. The food is quite good… I recommend the Jagerschnitzel. Great selection of German bier too! Gasthaus is perfect for large groups of friends… especially on weekends, when the place rocks with accordions, beer songs and toasts. This is German kitsch at it’s best!

Super juicy ribeye! I came here with my husband for their National Guard Christmas party tonight.

I have to admit — I almost didn’t make it here. A local told me that local Nazis hold rallies here. But because I saw it on TV, I just had to see the joint for myself (how could Adam Richmond steer me wrong?)
I’m glad I came. After a couple of pints of Munich Gold (good stuff), I struck up a conversation with a couple of dudes to ask about the old man in the military regalia (replete with spiky helmet) and they said he was harmless. Also, no nazi rallies they knew of. (and one of them was a Jew!) Which made me feel better because there were a lot of kids down in the bar area dancing to polka music.
Anyway, You can order beer in boots, but I was flying solo so I declined. Also, people were ordering Cinnamon Toast Shots which is a quite a show. I didn’t have one, but they looked tasty.
I did eat a Bratwurst at the bar which was nothing to write home about. Perhaps the food upstairs is better.

I went to this restaurant with some girlfriends and was called «a d**k sucker» by the bouncer for not taking my blazer off. I have never been so offended in my life. We asked to talk to management and they replied that it was the bouncers decision. Disgusting.

Oh-​Wow! This was my first time here and I am overwhelmed! I really like this place. The food is really good and authentic to the experience you would get in Germany. We ordered a Bavarian House platter that was dinner for two that sampled a bit of everything and came with a shot of apple schnapps. There was pork chops, sausage, schnitzel, spatazel, red cabbage and sauerkraut. I’m sure there was more but I can’t remember it all. There was so much we couldn’t eat it all. The platters were pricey but you really can’t go wrong. Between the food you get and the experience of the place it is well worth the price. I can’t see getting this much food ordering two separate meals and paying less. We just had a great time and will definitively come back. This place is awwwwwsome!!!

This place is not real German; it’s German kitsch to the hilt, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. The Gasthof is German in the way that St Patrick’s Day is Irish: the gist of the culture is buried somewhere under the piles of silliness and stereotypes and vast quantities of beer. The Gasthof is a great deal of fun when it’s busy. There’s some faux German drinking chant (at least I’ve never heard it from any of my German-​born family members, and they like to drink, trust me) that the servers (dressed in high teutonic camp: lederhosen and dirndls) get tables full of customers to do when they are served a ski full of shots, the name of which escapes me. There are cries of «hoi hoi hoi!» throughout one’s meal, but it’s that kind of boisterous goofiness that makes this place fun.
Should you bring a first date here? Sure, if you want to avoid getting to know each other over dinner. Should you bring you German friends here? Only if they had a cultural sense of humor. My dad would love the place; my grandparents would not.
Eating here feels a lot like an Epcot version of Germany. They hit the highlights of an american in the 50s’ idea of German-​ness, but there’s nothing at all authentic.
I barely remember the food for all the chaos, but it didn’t make me wretch. It also didn’t make me homesick for my grandmother’s cooking either. But then I’m pretty sure the point of this restaurant was never really the food in the first place.

The atmosphere here is excellent and transports you to a Germany as remembered by immigrants to America. Nothing too modern, but wonderfully nostalgic. There is life music and wondering accordionists who help keep the atmosphere exciting and positive. The tables are large and the place is set up for large parties. However, with all the accordion music and shouting it’s pretty difficult to carry on a normal conversation.
The food is hit or miss. Our party of 9 got 3 «platters,» and that was way too much food. The meal started out with salads, and you could find a tastier salad that was prepackaged in a grocery store and a week past expiration. They did a nice job with all the meats, though many of the sides had the same shortcomings as the salads.
On top of all this, the prices were quite high and they charge a sizable «split fee» if they think you are not ordering enough food for the people at your table (the 9 of us couldn’t finish 3 platters… But were charged 3 ‘split’ fees because the restaurant thought we only ordered enough food for 6).
If you like to drink, and don’t mind paying for atmosphere and an overwhelming amount of mediocre food, then this place is for you. It’s great for parties, and after enough beers you won’t notice the taste of the food anyway.

Politics aside, Gasthof’s seems to be a so-​so establishment from a night life perspective. Previously unbeknownst to me, Gasthof’s houses a dance floor — beer hall hybrid in its basement. Despite being far-​removed from civilization (like 3 miles outside of downtown), it draws a decent crowd but nothing near comparable to the volume seen at the downtown clubs — which might be preferable to some. The music was fun, some old and new pop /​hip-​hop that personally kept me dancing the whole night (admittedly not hard to accomplish). For those less inclined to dance, there are plenty of cafeteria-​style tables arranged along the perimeter where you can kick back with an oversized beer mug and observe the dance floor activity.
Take note, you’ll be forced to coat check but it’s free of charge. It’s warm downstairs so you won’t miss it.

Very tasty! I always try to have German food at any of the cities I visit.
This place was particularly great. The servers were very kind and attentive. I came here on a Saturday night which was really busy yet still the service did not suffer.
We ordered two of the platters which was more than enough for 4 people we are even going back home with two boxes of left overs.
The ambience was lively and very traditional.
We forgot we were in Minneapolis for a second.
Definitely a must, just make sure you come in with a huge appetite.

I came here a few weekends ago as part of a road trip with some friends. It’s the second German restaurant I have been to in the area, and it was much better than the first. Overall a very good time, but I expect much of that was due to the atmosphere and the entertainment, and less due to the food.
We had reservations for 5 or 6 P.M. but, since we finished our business in the cities ahead of schedule, and were looking at a long drive back to Fargo ahead, we dropped in to see if they would seat us when they opened at 4 P.M. so we could try to get an earlier start back. They let us in and sat us without a problem.
Walking in, the place definitely reminded me of some of the more touristy places I had been in Germany in the ‘90s — complete with a coat room. It seemed to have a bit of Bavarian influence with the décor and was very bright and cheerful.
Our server was was great. I don’t remember her name but she was very friendly and helpful.
There were three of us eating. One of my friends ordered the beef roulade, but I was in the mood for Jaeger Schnitzel so my other friend suggested we split one of their big platters for two. It would work out to twenty bucks for each of us and came with a bunch of side dishes — or so we thought.
When we ordered the waitress’ eyes got big and she explained to us that the platter didn’t just come with the Jaeger Schnitzel and side dishes for two, but it also came with all of the other meats listed with the dish, as well: two pork chops, 2 beef roulades, and 2 bratwurst. The sides were saurkraut, pickled red cabbage, potato dumplings and mashed potatos with gravy. My friend and I were surprised, and a little worried that it might be too much food but, since it was only 20 bucks apiece, we figured nah… there’s no way it could be that much. Besides we had already ordered; we had gone too far already!
The waitress brought out our salads first, along with some nice crusty bread and butter. The salads were good with a slightly tangy and sweet vinaigrette. We ate a little bread but tried to stay away from it in case we really did order more than we could handle.
Oh, about this time the waitress came out and told me they were out of the gulaschsuppe (gulash soup) that I also ordered. This was one of my favorite dishes in Germany, so there was no way I wasn’t going to order some. I was sad they were out, but in the end, glad that I didn’t get any.
When the food arrived it was pretty obvious that it was more than we could eat. Most impressing was that the platter was full of what appeared to be full-​sized meats, not little half servings of everything. The bratwurst was great, not overpowering at all, and the mustard went great with it.
The Jaeger Schnitzel was actually a bit of a letdown. It seemed like it had been cooked ahead of time and just kept warm. This wouldn’t surprise me since so many dishes on the menu were some form of schnitzel. It was still good, but just didn’t seem freshly-​cooked.
I skipped the porkchop because I was already full by the time I was getting to it, but it looked good. It was about an inch thick and seemed pretty juicy.
The real star for me was the beef roulade. I don’t remember what it was stuffed with, but the meat was very tender and tasty. I think it might have been marinated, much like saurbratten would be — with a red wine vinegar.
The acoustics in the place would make for a very loud restaurant when it filled up. But, it would be a very fun, loud restaurant.
While we were there, they had an older gentleman entertaining the diners with his brand of oompa music on his accordion. He moved from table to table interacting with everyone in the place. He got us all clapping and singing and having a great time!
I would definitely go here again, and would likely make the four hour drive from Fargo just for this place, to be honest.

Who would have thought that this little German beer garten would turn into a full blown night club at night? Not I!
So don’t judge a book by it’s cover! So what can you eat/​drink/​do here? Eat, german foods, drink beers from all over AND even from a Boot, and dance like crazy!
We arrived early — some polka music was playing on a stage down in the basement, and after about an hour… there was a sudden pause in the music… then ummphaaaummmphaaaaummphaaaa — the bass starts soft then gets heavier and heavier as the night goes on.
Everything here was pretty awesome from the beer to the dj to the girls.
Come on down and hang out and meet some people — you’ll have fun

These folks know how to throw an Oktoberfest party! Great selection of traditional German beers and food. The stuffed walleye is great. The Wiener schnitzel isn’t bad, but this place exists to treat Twin Cities party goers to one of the best Oktoberfests this side of Munchen!
Join thousands of your friends and go! Ziggy zaggy, ziggy zaggy…

I think that the thing you have to know about Gasthof’s is that it’s not just a restaurant. It’s a dining experience. You shouldn’t go there expecting a quiet romantic dinner. And I wouldn’t even recommend it for folks who are just in search of some yummy German food unless you’re OK with the experience. I wish I’d read a little more about it before we went — I would have been better prepared.
So what do I mean by «dining experience?» Well — Gasthof’s is huge. Made up of several rooms packed full of tables, it is easy to see how dining here can be one big raucous party when the place is full and hopping. We were straight-​up warned that on weekends later in the evenings, the place gets jammed by the college crowd. Your conversation and dining experience is constantly interrupted — there’s your waitress, who has to explain a lot of things to you through the course of the meal; there’s Crazy George, the somewhat charming gentleman who plays the accordion and wanders from table to table; and there’s the constant demand of lifting your glass to someone in the room (birthday, anniversary, new job, just because) and shouting «oy, oy, oy!» at the top of your lungs.
We went on a weeknight to celebrate some good news and found the place to be fairly dead. I think because of that, we were even more of a target since there were fewer people there to entertain or talk to. It was basically us and a table celebrating a 21^st birthday. We had fun — George was delightful but spent about 20 minutes at our table because he had nowhere else to go. Between that and our waitress telling us about the food and the plates and whatever else, we really didn’t have much chance to actually converse.
However, I will say this — when celebrating a special event or with a bigger group looking to have a fun time, I could see how Gasthof’s would be an absolute riot and a ton of fun. We are already eager to return with some friends that we think will really dig it. And that time around, since we will be less eager to have a conversation and more in the camp of having a good time, I bet it will be a lot more fun.
Word to the wise: beer comes in metric units. A half liter is about right if you have a «regular» to tall beer in mind. A full liter is pretty darn big. Only order if you are ready to drink like a fish. And then there’s the 2 liter boot, which is really a family size option. We did see one of the 2 liter boots go by, which was humongous and looked really fun. Would not recommend unless everyone at the table is willing to help you drink it.
Food-​wise, it was good. I have missed good German food and this definitely hit the spot. We got one of the sampler platters for two, which was a good move in terms of sampling a bunch of stuff but a bad move in that I couldn’t remember what we were eating at some point — it was all just meat with gravy. But yummy. Enough food to feed four people, really. We made a full meal out of the leftovers the next day. The two shots of Shnapps at the end were completely unnecessary. It’s pricey, though, two beers, the platter for two and one dessert to share ran us $ 100 or so. But still fun and worth repeating — maybe just with a different mindset and more knowledge about what to expect (OY, OY, OY!).

Mission accomplished
Ziggy Zocky Oy! Oy! Oy!
Ate meter of meat
I have been to Gasthof a number of times now. Always good food and good times. Last night I completed the meter bratwurst challenge featured on Man vs. Food for the second time (three plus feet of meat and two sides of your choosing). Supposedly, one out of seven is able to complete it. My tip — avoid getting the potato croquet or anything starchy as sides. I went with double cabbage this time and asparagus and cabbage the last time. Beat my first time last night by about 15 minutes when I clocked in at an hour and five minutes on completion. I’m not a competitive eater, just a guy who likes to eat. Prost!