The Old Bavaria Haus Restaurant — Restaurant in Queens Park

A Profound Disappointment at the Old Bavarian Haus in New Westminster:

The Bavarian House in New Westminster used to be a haven of authentic German cuisine, a place where every dish resonated with the rich flavors and traditions of Germany. Today, however, it has tragically transformed into a mockery of its former glory, serving what can only be described as the worst meal I have ever had.

The Ambiance: Walking into the Old Bavarian Haus, I was filled with nostalgic excitement, eager to share with my friend the culinary delights I once enjoyed. The restaurant was eerily empty, an omen I regret not heeding. We were there well before the dinner rush, but even then, the lack of patrons was a stark contrast to the bustling, vibrant atmosphere I remembered.

The Food: My friend, a meat lover, ordered the Wiener Schnitzel. What arrived was a bland, and completely devoid of seasoning. The accompanying vegetables were similarly uninspired, merely boiled without even a hint of salt or pepper.

I, being a pescatarian, opted for the poached Snapper, expecting a delicate, flavorful dish adorned with sun-dried tomatoes and a rich white sauce. What I received was a cold, tasteless piece of fish. The single, minuscule piece of sun-dried tomato on top was laughable, and the white sauce did nothing to enhance the dish. The fish was cold, save for the lukewarm spots where the bland sauce had touched.

The sides were equally atrocious. A smattering of red cabbage, one cauliflower floret, and one piece broccoli were overcooked, flavorless and lukewarm. The Spätzle—if one could even call it that—was an insult to the dish's name, bearing no resemblance to the authentic, comforting German noodles I had once enjoyed. The only redeeming feature of the meal was the side of fried potatoes, which, being deep-fried, were at least edible. But let’s be honest, it’s hard to mess up deep-fried potatoes.

The Service: After waiting 30 minutes for our food, despite the lack of any diners, I was shocked by the poor quality of the dishes. I complained about the cold Snapper, and while they offered to make me a new meal, the thought of waiting another half-hour for what would likely be another subpar dish was unbearable. I foolishly attempted to eat what was in front of me, and I regret it deeply. Three hours later, I feel nauseous and furious with myself for not sending it back.

Despite my complaint, the staff made no effort to rectify the situation, not even a token gesture to deduct part of the cost from our bill. This level of disregard for customer satisfaction is appalling.

Conclusion: It's painfully clear that the Bavarian House is under new ownership, and the current proprietors are failing miserably at replicating the authentic German fare that once made this restaurant a gem. The chef, whoever they are, seems to have no understanding or respect for German cuisine.

If you are in search of an authentic German meal, do yourself a favor and avoid the Old Bavarian Haus at all costs. Instead, visit the JÄGERHOF RESTAURANT in North Vancouver. The owner, who is from Germany, takes immense pride in his establishment and the dishes they serve.

I am not affiliated with Jägerhof in any way, but my desire to guide fellow lovers of German cuisine to a genuine dining experience compels me to recommend it. Let my disastrous experience at the Old Bavarian Haus be a warning to you all: what was once phenomenal is now nothing short of an embarrassment.

Shame on you, Old Bavarian Haus, for what...

This place is no longer the charming “Old Bavaria Haus” that you once knew and loved. It is now just old and sad. Very sad.

Food: Absolutely horrible. The Roasted Garlic Potato Pancakes were not fresh as they tasted and looked pre-cooked at least several days before and were obviously microwaved with the mushroom sauce on top (which contained no actual mushrooms). They were so old and over microwaved to the point of being inedible as the edges were rock hard that not even a steak knife could saw through them. Tooth-breaking hard, but was not going to attempt for obvious reasons. The sauce being microwaved turned to a sticky, glue-like mess on top. $15 for 2 very small, inedible excuses for pancakes. If I wanted microwaved pancakes I would have gone to McDonald’s. The Schnitzels had gristle which made for an unpleasant chewing experience and were oil sogged and soft, not crisp, one side had some color, the other side may not have even touched the pan. The wilted red cabbage compote was the only mildly tasty item on the plate along with some plain steamed veggies and a spoonful of grease laden potatoes.

Service: While most of the wait staff seemed polite, they were distracted (by what? I don’t know), devoid of any personality and were clearly not interested in providing adequate let alone decent service. I cringed at how one server practically rolled her eyes at an elderly couple seated at the table next to us when they asked questions about the menu and then proceeded to almost shout at them. I felt terrible for them as their server was not interested in providing them with a nice experience, the same as with our server, however ours was more polite than that. We were not asked if we needed anything or if we were enjoying our food after it was unceremoniously dropped off while a random server was passing by our table. Maybe for the best as I had nothing good to say after the first few bites and just wanted to get out of there.

Ambiance: While this place used to have that cozy old world charm one wants to experience at a Bavarian establishment, this place is now just old as it has totally lost it’s worldly charm. Dimly lit, dusty and sticky - the chairs were sticky, walls were dirty, light fixtures had cobwebs. The same cliched accordion song was played over and over on repeat for the entire time we were there, and it clashed with different music being played in the adjacent dining room.

Summary: This place is utterly depressing. We left with an acrid, oily taste in our mouths and needless to say, we will never return. In my opinion, the ‘new’ owners of the Old Bavaria House along with the management and staff should NOT be in the fine dining restaurant business, or in the food service industry at all as they have made it very clear that they either cannot or have no intention of providing any sort of pleasant experience for their guests in...

Can't give less than 1 star overall.

2023 Christmas dinner @ the Old Bavaria Haus was nothing but a joke and a complete fiasco! We had the reservation for December 25th for 7 for dinner, but did we ever get dinner ~ NO!

We didn't order straight away but when we did is when things got interesting. 6 out of 7 of us were ordering the special Turkey dinner that was advertised. Awhile after we ordered, the server came back to tell us that they didn't have enough for all of us. They only had 3 servings of Turkey dinner. She then told us that they could split it so we all got it. Can one say, we all had a look of confusion on our faces.

We asked for the menus back to see what we would order instead. 3 of us ordered the Turkey and the other 3 ordered other items. We waited and waited and finally the meals arrived. The turkey dinner was interesting to say the least. All dark meat, the mashed potatoes looked like cream of wheat, the broccoli looked like a crown of brocolli, no gravy was ever seen and no dinner rolls.

The steak ordered by 1 could have walked out of the kitchen it was so raw. The sausage was not cooked and the vegetarian dish was unrecognizable.

From the time we were told that there were only 3 servings, we tried to have a conversation with the manager but found out the manager was not there that night. The one we spoke with was filling in but we have no idea who he was as we were constantly told ''I'm filling in for the manager', wouldn't give us his name, nothing. He had no experience dealing with customers as he stood there with the dumbest look on his face.

Did he offer us anything? No, didn't try to salvage the evening, nothing. One person tried the turkey dinner, food was cold, the dark meat tough. The only person who didn't order the special had French Onion soup which had no onions in it, had cheddar cheese on top and we have no idea what the bread was that was in it.

Finally we just asked for the bill for the drinks that were consumed ~ again, nothing was comped or reduced. No, I'm sorry, nothing. We were trying to tip the server as it was not her fault, but then we wondered if she was actually a server as one from our table saw her crying in the kitchen. Hmmm wonder why? When the 'fill in manager' had the machine and we said about tipping the server, he was like no, she doesn't need it just pay.

Never have I ever seen or been a part of something like this at a restaurant. If you are going to advertising Turkey Dinner, make sure you actually have it and not the remnants.

I have been at this restaurant before and I have to say, the food was cold then too. Both times, not like the restaurant was full, multiple empty tables.

Looks like they just don't know what they are doing or how to run a restaurant.

How to ruin a Christmas dinner or just a night out, go to the Old Bavaria...