Restaurant Edelweiss — Restaurant in Bradenton

I am not experienced with German food, so I can only comment from the perspective of an American. That being said, we had a truly wonderful time at Edelweiss.

The atmosphere is quaint, intimate and homey with many German accents. A woman who we deduced to be the proprietor was dressed in what appeared to be full-authentic, traditional german attire (known I believe as "dirndl"?), an extra touch that certainly seems to be a great deal of extra effort and a testament to her passion for providing a truly unique experience. We understand they have live German music on Wednesday and Thursday nights, and although it was too hot during our visit, an outdoor area they refer to as the Beer Garden. Five stars for the simple, comfy and quaint German atmosphere.

The menu is comprehensive and enticing. We wanted to try far more items than we knew we could and found it difficult to limit our choices, promising ourselves we would have to return time and again to work our way through all the enticements. There were countless Schnitzel choices, many forms of bratens and wursts, potato pancakes, goulash and so much more. The menu seemed to encompass all the expected classics in countless variations. We especially appreciated the wide variety of sampler platters available; a means to try so many different dishes on a single plate. Five stars for the menu.

Although I love German culture, I generally find the food a bit unhealthy (Schnitzel is generally a breaded and fried meat, and most other dishes are heavy meats and potatoes), but it is indeed delicious and the meals here are clearly prepared fresh daily with passion and care. Our meals were perfectly prepared and delicious. Our biggest regret is that we had enjoyed such ample portions that we simply couldn't make room for the very tempting desserts such as black forest cake. Five stars for the quality and presentation of the food.

Our server on this particular evening was extremely warm and friendly, but she seemed a bit distracted and it did interfere with our enjoyment to a degree. She was generally unavailable and impossible to find at any point when needed without a bit too much effort and fuss. She was ever-present at another table, however, adn seemed to either know them personally or to know them as regulars, and while they were quite fawned upon we found ourselves largely ignored and invisible (we couldn't even get eye contact from across the room and had to get up on occasion to get attention). I am not of the impression she was aware of this shortcoming and do believe her intentions were true, but our experience was nonetheless brought down a bit by what was essentially complete abandonment once the meals were served and the other party entered the restaurant. For reference, it was not an otherwise busy night at all. So, three stars for service on our particular visit.

Overall, Edelweiss is a truly great choice for a fun, out-of-the-box night out. The proprietor and staff are truly passionate, the food is delicious, and the experience is an event unto itself. We are thrilled to have found it after a truly awful experience at Heinrich's, a German restaurant on University Parkway, where we witnessed the owner treat a customer in an unspeakable fashion. Edelweiss is a gem and their extraordinary efforts show in every detail. We will be returning and...

For those interested in the short version of the motivation on why I left this review for Restaurant Edelweiss: I don’t know if I’ve EVER had better German food in my life.

For those seeking the in-depth motivation for this review, please allow me to try and leverage all my literary abilities and deploy every adjective in my vernacular in an attempt to do a justice to this wonderfully authentic German experience…

THE FOOD: 5 stars out of 5. Not fancy, just exactly authentic and beyond satisfying for what my expectations were for flavor, presentation, and potions. There are an abundance of schnitzel choices, varying proteins and all the German veggies you hope for… the potato salad and purple cabbage are my fave. For the protein you absolutely cannot go wrong with the Cordon Bleu schnitzel. While I was having their lunch portion and enjoying the explosion of flavors on my experienced palate I closed my eyes and it felt for a moment as-if I was in Germany.

THE PRICE: 5 stars out of 5 for value. This place isn’t any more expensive than a decent steakhouse. $20 for a great lunch and probably $30ish for dinner. Great price and there’s not been one time I’ve opted to save money instead of getting this place EVERY. TIME. I. CAN.

THE ATMOSPHERE: 5 of 5 stars, not lacking anything I would want to experience for a tremendous meal and experience. This place is clean, they have a beer garden, the people and service are wonderful, the chefs are apparently trained by only the best German chefs in the history of everything ever… just that good.

CONS: none worth dinging an overall 5.0 rating. If I had it my way maybe they extend hours. If they do that though, the chefs probably wouldn’t be as happy and you can tell they’re clearly really happy when they cook their food because it tastes that good.

BONUS: I’ve been here a lot, both for dinner and lunch. Every time the food is equally enjoyable and memorable. DO ALL YOU CAN TO CATCH THE LIVE MUSIC! They have two gentleman who play multiple instruments (different nights, they’re not a duet) and interact with the crowd in a manner all ages and walks of life enjoy.

Lastly: I don’t think I’ve ever wrote a review quite this long. I’m not going to go back and proofread it because this has already taken forever. Just know I was motivated to write this thesis because of how good this place is. Why aren’t...

We've been coming here a long time. We've loved your restaurant for a long time, but our last visit made us very concerned.

Last Tuesday, 7/29/2025, we met friends there and it was their first time. I lived in Germany for three years during the early 80s and my friend's mom is German, so we both know German food when we experience it.

No complaints on the food or the beers. The food was delicious and served promptly.

However, there are some critical things you need to tighten up quickly.

Klement, the accordionist, is supposed to be there Tuesday - Friday. However, last Tuesday, he had a personal issue that prevented him from coming. That is understandable. However, they didn't have a backup plan for music; instead of turning on a YouTube playlist of authentic German music to set appropriate atmosphere, they played music on some local pop station.

When we started coming here years ago, the wait staff were always dress appropriately in traditional German attire. This last evening, the wait staff were dressed in casual American clothing.

• A simple correction of these two issues would greatly improve the atmosphere and overall dining experience. *

The menu needs updating to take items off the menu you no longer have. Case in point, we were very interest in white asparagus, but the server told us they rarely ever have it. Then, TAKE IT OFF THE MENU, and announce when you have it seasonally.

Finally, ( and this one REALLY bothers me) as soon as the clock struck 8:00PM ( our reservations were at 7:00PM), turned up the music and started mopping the floor, completely destroying what little atmosphere there was. If that wasn't bad enough, she then announced to us, "OK, guys, time to go!" That is a really lame way to treat your guests.

I don't know if Edelweiss is "under new management." If so, get a clue as to what made us love this restaurant (atmosphere and courtesy in addition to the food) and apply the needed changes.

If you are not under new management, please recognize things are slipping and please get them corrected to save...