Lokal

Excellent food & atmosphere! We dropped in with a large party & had such a great time. I drove an hour with the gf & her visiting best friend, just to come back!
The stuffed pepper was good, but I definitely recommend getting the spatzel for an appetizer, & the hamburg platter for an entrée. For dessert, get both the strudel and cookies; put strudel on top of the cookies. (trust me, the whole is greater then the sum of the parts!)
They project cool old movies on the wall, but dont worry, its unobtrusive!

The hubby and I tried this place last night for Valentine’s Day and were quite pleased. I’m on the healthy kick and so I greatly appreciated their salad options. I had the Sonoma Market Salad (a spinach salad with delicious grilled peppers and some kind of cheese with a perfect balsamic vinagerette) and on the a side a most PERFECT steak. Uh! It was delicious, and I’m a total steak snob!
He got the «hamburg» platter, of course I HAD to try a bite of his bratwurst and oh my goodness, it was so yummy! Best I’ve ever had. The service was friendly and helpful. They also had Bonnie and Clyde playing on the wall for us to watch while eating. Overall, a great spot for our valentine’s dinner.
Last but not least: NO CORKAGE FEE!

Food is good but not great. We had delightful service and fun on our first visit. It is loud and definitely a party environment.
Last fall we purchased two Groupons for Lokal, used one on our first visit. The second Groupon expired two weeks ago and they would not honor it.
The owners wrote to me and explained the reasons that they could not honor the Groupon — and I agree with them! Groupon did send us the refund.
Very decent people own LoKal — I shall return to support them. Maybe I’ll enjoy a different entrée.

Bad!

The boy and I passed this place when we were on our way from Napa (where we picked up Mom) to an estate sale. «European soul food?» read my Europe-​loving bf «we should go there for lunch.» Two hours and many crazy estate sale items and people later (the highlights of which included a woman dressed for a Vegas poker tournament yelling on her cell and a man in his 70’s trying to rub up against my Mother in a closet) we headed back to Sonoma and went into Lokal.
The waitress was nice enough to bring us small tastes of the beers that we were interested in. We all ordered German beer (Spaten, Kostritzer Blond and Kostritzer Black.
Then there was the food. The menu in the window wasn’t exactly what we were offered inside, but looked great. This place has Chicken Paprikash with spatzle! The waitress warned me that it would be «spicy», but I knew what she meant. Hungarian Paprika isn’t «spicy», but there is a little bit of a bite to it. The chicken was tenger and moist, and the veggies were a perfect accent to the delicious yummy yummy paprika sauce.
We also had the reuben which came with saurkraut, pickled cucumbers and fries dusted with paprika. It was meanty, salty, sour and the bread was rye-y…everything that I wanted it to be.
Can you please open a Lokal in San Francisco? Pretty please?

I like Lokal. I go for the Franziskaner they have on draft and because it’s fun to drink out of the boot. The menu seems a little pricey if you are looking for an easy lunch, but the quality has always been good. The various schnitzels I’ve ordered have been good, although my favorite thing to eat here is actually the speatzel with cheese.

Introduced to this place through Groupon and I don’t purchase Groupons until I check the restaurant menu for veggie options. I know I like German beer and saw a vegetarian paprikash dish that sounded yummy so I bought the Groupon.
Turns out it’s an old menu they have on their website and no longer serve that dish. My immediate choices were limited to a salad or some side veggies; I opted for cooked veggies. She went through a few — brussel sprouts, green beans, spinach, sauerkraut…“sure!” I said. I eat nearly all types of vegetables. They were very apologetic and seemed to really want to get me something I could eat.
My partner got fish tacos — a dish neither German nor Hungarian as you may have guessed… but it was enjoyed.
The brussel sprouts and sauerkraut were quite tasty, the others not so much. We also shared their homemade fries. I had been told there was bread with the meal but didn’t ask for it when they didn’t bring it.
I was shocked to be charged $ 16 for the four vegetables. It was more expensive than the fish tacos. It was the most simple dish in the world — nothing added for flair. I just didn’t have the energy to argue over it but I won’t return.

If you like noodles, the first thing you must know about this place is that their spaetzle is AMAZING! Especially if you get it with cheese, caramelized onions and bacon.
Lokal has some interesting beers on tap, and each one seems to require its own special shaped glass. I was impressed. They also have those awesome boot glasses for the very thirsty. When you get to the end, you have to turn the boot a certain way or you’ll get a face full of beer.
We chatted with one of the owners, who was very nice. I like the fact that you can find German and Hungarian fare here, since not too many places serve this kind of food. There is a lovely beer garden in the back of the restaurant, though on the evening we visited it was too cold to sit out there.
A bonus for people dining with kids: they will shrink regular size portions for the little ones, AND there is a big-​screen TV in the back showing cartoons to distract those little ones until their food is ready (and parents have time to savor another beer!).

Cool little hangout in downtown Sonoma. If you are feeling like you’ve OD’d on wine, come to Lokal for a great selection of beers. And great food, too!
I found this place thanks to Groupon, otherwise I may not have known it existed. The restaurant is just a short ½ block or so off the main square but the beer garden is in the back so you may not even know it’s there. It was too cold to sit outside on Saturday night so we waited for a table inside. While we waited, the owner’s wife served us up some beers at the bar.
We didn’t have to wait long & we were seated at a cozy table in the front. For appetizers we ordered some of their famous hand cut fries & an order of spaetzle with cheese, caramelized onions, & bacon. WOW. That was delicious! So rich & cheesy. The fries were amazing too & I loved their curry dipping sauce.
For dinner I ordered the coho salmon special. Unfortunately our server misunderstood me & brought me the wrong dish. She was quite apologetic & quickly remedied the situation. In the meantime I happily ate the apps & tried everyone else’s dishes. There was plenty for me to munch on.
After trying the chicken schnitzel & 2 dog dippers, I decided I liked mine the best. The perfect combo would have been salmon & spaetzle. That stuff is freakin’ amazing.
Be ready to overload on carbs at this place!
P. S. No corkage fee… nice!

Sweeeeeet spot! Stumbled upon this lil joint on accident. We actually came in through the back which was a little confusing, but the waitress’ were quick to point us in the right direction. When you have a sign that says «Beer Garden» up on a hot day, it doesn’t really matter how we get there, we just want in!
We sat outside on the back patio which has a quick exit right into a lil alley of shops. It is old Spanish style decorated with about 6 long benches to enjoy your afternoon beer or meal. It is also community seating so making friends is required :). I ordered the wheat hefeweizen, which I liked. It’s a pretty safe choice. Ceej order the chimay which came in a cool glass but wasn’t as good as we expected. But hey, win some, lose some.
Overall, it’s a cute little relaxing spot to stop your shop-​til-​you-​drop mission and have a bruski to give you that 2^nd wind.

Not really very German, much more euro-​ish American food offerings.
Food taste and portions were good for the price. The attitude was way out of line (even worse than much of Europe). Regrettably the entire staff has a superiority complex.
There are lots of wonderful dining options in Sonoma, so if you value service definitely look elsewhere.

pretty good review. I saw this in the chronicle and had to try it.
Girlfriend had chicken and I had the the goulash.
not bad.
beer is better…

I live in Sonoma, a few blocks from Lokal. The other words on the marquee say «German Soul Food», which put me off initially. However, based on the recommendation of a few local acquaintances, a friend and I reserved a table for Saturday night dinner. We were promptly seated. We were asked about drinks right away and received water and wine. About 5 minutes later we placed our order, including German Potato Salad as an appetizer. We eagerly awaited bread and appetizer, watching others munching bread and seasoned butter while they awaited their meals. We watched and waited, but received no further attention for 35 minutes.
This is a place that has a small menu with variety but limited description. The offerings included appetizers, soups, salads, pasta dishes, hamburgers, seafood specials, steak and a few German specialties. They have an interesting array of beer choices, including several varieties of German beer. We observed steins in the 16 oz, 32 oz and larger sizes, and several customers had an interesting brew that was dark enough to appear black. My interest was piqued although I did not partake of any. I could see tables of people enjoying quality time with their beer and munchies. Seasoned fries appeared to be popular.
35 minutes after placing our order we received the Potato Salad, and as our waiter left it, we asked if we could also have some bread. He did bring it to us after serving items to a few other tables. Dinner entrees were also served then. The bread was fresh and substantial, served with an herb butter. The Potato Salad was true German style, the Chicken Schnitzel was authentic, non-​greasy, and portioned for hearty appetites.
Based on the food, we would order it all again, and the value was good, especially for Sonoma.
The service from our waiter Mark was not up to par and ruined the dining experience for us. While other wait staff moved about the room quickly, as did Mark, I observed they also scanned their tables and made eye contact with the patrons while scurrying back and forth. Mark seemed not to notice us, although we were in the middle of his other tables. Other staff brought our entrees to us. They placed it on the table and quickly left. I needed to flag down another waiter to obtain lemon wedges for the entrée.
When a person arrives with an appetite it would be good to give them bread with the wine and water to keep them occupied. Other tables had bread baskets, had refills on beer or wine, and had people checking on them. By the time I received the appetizer, I’d made my way through the small glass of wine. Time passed, we ate, and after the entrée dishes were cleared Mark asked if I would like another glass of wine. I replied that I would have welcomed it with the food, but now was a bit late. He apologized but made no further effort to compensate for the lack of attention.
Throughout the time spent in the happily crowded and noisy restaurant, there were groups being talked with by a person who appeared to be a manager. He also manned the bar, and seemed to be in charge. As we left I overheard him telling a group of people he seemed to already know that «service was everything». Exactly.

Eh. The food was so-​so but service was horrible. My friends and I went here last weekend. We were actually heading to Girl and The Fig but some man overheard us and raved about how great Lokal was, claiming it was «European soul food.» We were instantly enamored.
Upon seating, the table was dirty, food was on the floor and a towel was still left behind. It was a hot day with no A/​C or fans. They took a long time to give us water, a long time to take our orders, and a really long time to give us our food. They got my friend’s order wrong and came back to ask «Are you SURE you ordered that?» When another server came out, he spilled sauce and apologized that their restaurant was just getting started. It’s been open for four months. He was a nice guy, but still — we were there for a good two unnecessary hours due to very slow service.
The food as I mentioned was so-​so. It was not memorable, and definitely not worth the wait. Bet that raving man was the owner.

With fond memories of my German grandmother’s wonderful cooking, I walked into Lokal with high hopes for a five-​star dining experience. Alas, something went awry twixt memories and what serves for reality in Sonoma.
ATMOSPHERE: The problem here is that there is no discernable design theme – no rhyme, nor reason to the ambiance. What you get instead is a noisy room with décor that has nothing to do with anything and background music you’d expect from blues musicians who spent way too much time in a corporate elevator.
SERVICE: We arrived promptly at our reservation time and were seated immediately. Then things went to hell in a jet propelled hand basket. Thirty minutes later all we’d seen of our order were the drinks. When our appetizers finally arrived, we had to ask for the bread we saw other diners enjoying. It seems our server (Mark) was so busy attending to the needs of some typically snobbish Sonoma old folks that his other tables were mostly ignored. He even blew a chance to make the restaurant a few extra bucks by not asking about wine refills until it was time to order dessert.
FOOD: Lokal has a limited menu (less than twenty items, including appetizers, entrees and desserts), but the choices sounded interesting. It was hard to tell exactly how interesting they were, though, because whoever wrote the menu was vague about ingredients and preparation.
The only saving grace for Lokal is the food. Our chicken schnitzel was lightly breaded, perfectly seasoned and delicious. It was served with spätzle (a little dry, but tasty) and tangy red cabbage (with bacon bits!) that was as good as my grandmother’s. In addition we tried a side of German potato salad that seemed a little heavy on the vinegar, and a cup of corn soup, which was tasty, but too sweet for my tastes. Dessert was fresh almond cake with rhubarb glaze and whipped cream – the perfect ending for a very enjoyable dinner.
VALUE: A party of two can enjoy the meal described above, plus a glass of wine for around sixty bucks, plus tip. Given the quality of the food and fair-​sized portions, I call Lokal a reasonable value.
BOTTOM LINE: One part of our Lokal dining experience that left me wondering about the management’s good sense was that the owner (or manager) spent a lot of time in the dining room, but only talked to people he obviously knew, rather than introducing himself to the folks he didn’t know. That’s a big mistake, especially in a relatively new restaurant, because he missed an opportunity to mend some fences kicked down by poor service.
Based on the food, alone, I would call Lokal a solid four-​star restaurant, but when I consider the negative aspects of our visit, even three stars seems generous and a damned shame.

I didn’t think this place was anything special. The sandwiches were fine. Typically overpriced as you’ll find anywhere in Sonoma. I didn’t have beer the day we went, so perhaps I would have been more impressed if I had. I’m never impressed with «seasoned fries», which is what they serve here. Short menu.
Grilled cheese is basically a very expensive ($ 7) version of what you would make at home and just about as good. Burger is just a burger, but at $ 10, it’s an expensive one. The Pork Schnitzel Reuben Sandwich at $ 12 is OK, but clearly not worth the dough.
If I’m going out for a good sandwich, I’d much rather go to Chloe’s in Santa Rosa (a better sandwich at a better price). The draw here must be the beer.

This restaurant just opened, so perhaps it has things to work out… Or maybe it is is what it is. Either way, it’s lacking in what it’s supposed to be offering– soul.
I don’t think this is a restaurant you can go to just for the hell of it. You have to be in the mood to dine here, because the menu is limited. We had already seen the menu a few days earlier before we decided to test it out, so it wasn’t necessarily a surprise, but when we got there, none of us was really interested in anything.
The décor is a little weird – the chandeliers look out of place and the space is cold, not sterile, but physically cold. The place could use some background music. After all, they do use album covers to give you your check, so they need to tie music in somewhere. Otherwise it just doesn’t make any sense to give you your bill in a Magical Mystery Tour tab book.
Oh, and this is a little nit picky, but I thought the menu was poorly written. It goes from first course (appetizers) to dessert, then to entrees.
I’d like to say that I’ll be back to give it another shot, but if it didn’t happen, I don’t think I’d regret it.

Being a good German girl, I tend to be critical of most German restaurants in the Bay Area. I hate to see the stereotype of heavy meat and potatoes being promulgated by most establishments. I’ve long said that the only German restaurant I will patronize is Suppenkuche in San Francisco, but now I can add Lokal in Sonoma to this short list.
Lokal takes the most delightful aspects of German and Hungarian cuisine and makes them light, fresh, flavorful, and filling. The Chicken Paprikas salad was bursting with flavor– the chicken was moist and topped with lecso, an onion and red pepper mixture. I was a bit hesitant to try the Pork Schnitzel Ruben Sandwich, as it seemed like a lot was going on and I wasn’t quite sure how they’d pull it off. It was a revelation! I kept stealing bites of my dining companion’s sandwich as I just couldn’t get enough. And the potato salad was incredible. It wasn’t too hot or cold, it was just perfect, with grains of mustard and flecks of herbs and all-​around deliciousness!
The beer selection is good and represents a nice balanced variety. There are a few decent wines offered and there is NO CORKAGE fee! The owner John is fabulous too, spinning his records behind the bar and pouring those yummy beers. All in all, Lokal seems perfectly set up to become a favorite locals spot as well as a great tourist destination. I’m glad I’m only 25 minutes away right now; I’d happily travel twice that for the experience at Lokal.

Lokal is fresh, local is fun.
Lokal is… local (please pardon the pun)
At last there’s a place to get spaetzel — this place is the one. Buttery, oniony German noodles, on your plate — you’ll leave none.
The menu is small, but that’s true of any Gastropub. What they lack in variety, they make up for in good grub.
Stuffed cabbage with lentils, crispy golden spiced fries, bratwurst sandwiches the size of my thighs, big burgers and great beer, yes we were THIS close to a cheer, surely none of us would mind to come back here.
The schnitzel is gorgeous and has a great crunch — but man, it needed salz to give it some punch.
One thing severely lacking, and simply must be said; was the notable absence of all types of bread! I wanted the brotchen, I wanted a chewy dense spread. I wanted a bretzel the size of my head!
I did without, and this part I dread. Trotted down the street and bought some hot from the Boulangerie instead!
The service was friendly, prompt and had tact.
They say once you go Lokal, you keep coming back.

Stumbled upon Lokal last night, and it was EXACTLY what we were looking for! Many, many thanks to the passerby who overheard me commenting on the sign that read «European Soul Food» and emphatically shared with us that his group had just eaten there and really enjoyed it. A quick peek at the menu completely convinced us… I had actually been craving German food, so I can’t even tell you how excited I was to see schnitzel on the menu!
Inside, the ambiance was very comfortable and inviting, done up just enough to have a distinctive feel without being precious or pretentious. We had the schnitzel (of course!) with spaetzle as well as the fish, which was a pan-​seared seabass with braised winter greens and a light fennel cream sauce. Both were EXCELLENT. And even the bread and butter — oh, that bread and butter. Soooo good. I believe it was pumpernickel? The classic German brown bread, slightly sweet, with a creamy herbed butter that was like pure heaven. Brought back fond, fond memories of Schnitzelhaus’s heyday, RIP Walter.
I cannot wait to return and try more of the menu. The unique selection of beers showed obvious consideration, and on our way out, I noticed that the window says «No corkage.» How much better can it get? Totally smitten.