Otto's German Bistro — Restaurant in Fredericksburg

Wow one of the best meals we've had in a long time and definitely the best in Fredericksburg. So good in fact, we came back to Otto's for a second time!

Otto's has a great drink selection! Beer options were wide and varying, interesting cocktail menu and an extensive wine menu. Being a German restaurant, I was happy to see may German beer and wine options.

We tried the Gravlax, Otto's Salad, Flammkuchen, and the Brot und Butter for appetizers during our two separate meals. The favorite was the Gravlax, the salmon was perfect and the flavors of the horseradish creme fraiche and the pickled onions were excellent. Otto's salad was the next favorite and the Flammkuchen was third. The Brot und Butter (thick cut multi grain bread) was excellent.

For the mains we got the Duck Schnitzel and Wurst Plate. The Schnitzel was our favorite, in fact we ordered it on both occasions. Everything about the meal was amazing, the schnitzel was cooked perfect and the spatzle and pickled peppers were delicious! The Wurst Plate was excellent as well and definitely hit the spot for my craving of German comfort food. Even though the schnitzel was our favorite, I would still order the Wurst Plate again and I wish Otto's sold their homemade mustard!!

Finally, we tried both dessert options. The Schokoriegel was good and will satisfy anyone's chocolate craving. The Cambozola Cheesecake was our favorite, we both love blue cheese and the cheesecake did not disappoint. The cheesecake had a subtle blue cheese taste that was further enhanced by the candied pecans and crust.

I would definitely recommend Otto's and plan to come back the next time I'm in Fredericksburg. As others have noted, Otto's doesn't take reservations so try to get there early and plan to wait regardless because it is a small, intimate restaurant, BUT it is DEFINITELY...

Otto's is a nice little German restaurant just a block off of Main Street in Fredericksburg. Warm and cozy inside, but we opted for an outdoor table on the patio as the sun was still shining! The patio was enclosed for the season and heaters provide ample warmth to sit outside in comfort. The food was good, service was great! Thanks to our server Calissa, she did a great job start to finish. She walked us through the menu, food, cocktails and sparkling wines, and her service was attentive but not intrusive!

We started the evening with a couple of cocktails... the Otto's Spezi and the Vino and Velvet. The Spezi was herbal and good, a bit on the sweet side. The V&V was both herbal and sour from the grapefruit, also good. We shared a bottle of Hild sparkling wine from Germany, our first venture into sparkling wine from that country. It did not disappoint! It could have been served a bit colder, but the ice bucket bath added chill to the wine as we dined.

Our food courses began with the sauerkraut balls and the Riesling soup. Both were delicious. The grain mustard/creme fraiche made the sauerkraut balls, and the plentiful bits of speck in the bottom of the soup bowl made for a tasty treat. We didn't think the soup was as "wine forward" as had been described, it was very good! Entrees of course included the duck schnitzel, as well as the braised pork shank. We could hear many of the other diners ordering the same entrees... with good reason, they were both exceptional, with leftovers for a midnight snack.

It was a very enjoyable meal. We would definitely go back to try other items on the menu, which we understand does change regularly. Recommend Otto's for a fine German dinner in...

If you don't have reservations the only option without waiting 2 hours is to eat outside. While this may sound quaint, the reality is when it is 102* outside and there is only one fan running it is quite miserable. And the flies were awful. (The table top fly fan doesn't keep the flies off the table or off your food). That said, make sure you have a reservation so you can eat indoors in relative comfort. The service was exceptional. Our waiter, Brandon was very attentive without being intrusive. He was friendly and patient. He was also knowledgeable about the limited menu. * I don't how many people who eat here really know what authentic German food looks like or tastes like or how it's supposed to be prepared, but I suspect most people including the cook have no clue. We started off with the Brot und Butter which was tasty. The brot was baked to perfection. We also had the Asparagus Vichyssoise which was "okay" but gritty. We ordered the Wurst Platte which came with 2 wurst. The wurst were just too greasy. We also ordered Jagerschnitzel, and that was a big disappointment. Jagerschnitzel is supposed to be served with a rich brown gravy and mushrooms. We had to look hard for the mushrooms and gravy. There was a scant tablespoon of gravy and 2 tiny little mushrooms in the center of the schnitzel. For $29, it definitely was a big disappointment. It was served with kasespatzel which was disgusting. Whoever thinks spatzel should be made with cheese has no clue how to prepare spatzel. Given how expensive Otto's menu is, it definitely isn't...