The Heidelberg — Restaurant in Helen

##Enjoyed: seasoned vegetable-mix as Side for Jägerschnitzel (1st try of this German dish and happy with the smooth viscosity of brown gravy); the cozy ambience (passing the outdoor, canopied, small Square with rows of benches.. people listening to the live band of decade cover songs then up a short staircase to a room sectioned into 2 by a wall and decked with that creamy style of colors.. and a jolly palette of paintings that meshes with the rest of the city decor.. or have a seat in the narrow balcony, overlooking the Square. We sat indoors since some smoked nearby).

Thank yous! Heidelberg team (the Manager, for online-responsiveness and acknowledging our arrival day into town --for agreeing to keep in touch on the set time to surprise our table -- and to you Heidelberg songbirds). Thank you for helping us greet our friend a happy birthmonth -- making time to gather candlesticks, prepping the lit pretzel after seating us and pulling 4 staff from their routine to surround our table for the birthday song. You make me smile! My friends enjoyed the buttery pretzel after a long travel from TX and FL to meet up in Georgia. I had requested something savory -- since our friend prefers salty over sweet and thought a pretzel would be fun -- and asked if 1 staff could present it since restaurants get busy... so even I was surprised by the 4 singers. 🙂

##Suggest: on Sizing (Ask waiter recommendations. I had asked for his favorite out of the schnitzel list then he was helpful to input about the portions, which are hefty. Each 4 of us had 4 different dishes -- surface area like the size of IHOP or Denny plates -- so may be comfier to share a variety of 3 so there's no foodwaste.. afterwards, you can add-on to-go or visit the restaurant again if you're preferring to stroll around without carry-ons).

Menu-pictures (the in-restaurant menu is only Text with brief descriptions; you can find a copy online to prepare your choice. A few dish photos are on the Website; Maps has better amount. If a flip-thru digital album could be made, even just 1 to screen at entrance, with dish+title, I think it would be helpful reference and appealing).

Mind the pickling ((All 4 of us friends now know that we would order 0 of the pickled side(s) and instead would try something else. If you are curious to taste-test German red cabbage or sauerkraut for the first time or, even if you are familiar with homemade, German dishes... you might like to try 1 Small first, just to sample if the level is for you.. Because even if you're a fan of pickled dishes, I'd be wary of the sauerkraut -- strong on the vinegary sour side, not just salt/brine -- and the red cabbage sweetness level. I have enjoyed salt and vinegar chips, Asian kimchee and many pickled dishes before, but I don't know if all homemade, German pickling are like this.. or if it was that day's batch. All 4 of us preferred our other Sides of vegetables)). -- May you enjoy a fun experience with these...

The restaurant is not on the street. It is in the back left corner of a courtyard behind the Alpine Trading Company. During Octoberfest, the courtyard is home to a large fest tent where various beers and foods are sold like in Germany. Parking is available in the area but, you will need to walk a little to reach the restaurant. During holidays or fest times, the parking fills up quickly. Often lines are waiting to enter the restaurant before opening. They have a main-floor dining area and an upstairs dining area. The German atmosphere and friendly staff make meals enjoyable. Everyone goes out of their way to ensure your satisfaction with your meal and experience. We were seated quickly and our server arrived immediately to take our drink order. She was friendly, outgoing, and welcoming. We both ordered spezi. This was the only restaurant in town that could make one. When she returned with our drinks, she took our food order. I ordered the Cordon Bleu with herb butter, red cabbage, and spätzle with butter. The spezi tastes just like the ones I remember. I enjoyed it very much. The food arrived hot and visually appealing in a reasonable amount of time. The large portions were a pleasant surprise. The Cordon Bleu was tender, and juicy, with excellent texture and taste. The Swiss cheese and ham folded inside a breaded pork cutlet fried golden brown with herb butter on top combined to create an exquisite Cordon Bleu. It cut like butter and tasted fantastic. The red cabbage was not mushy and the taste reminded me of Mama's home cooking in Germany. The red cabbage has a slight vinegar flavor and the expected sweetness. I found it delicious. The spätzle was firm but not hard with a buttery taste. It paired well with my other food making for an excellent lunch. The conversations, décor, and staff returned me for a moment to Germany, even if only for lunch. I'm glad we stopped here for lunch. The Heidelberg is on my list of places to eat...

We visited at 3 pm on a Thursday, and there was a line out the door and down the steps. On a hot summer's day, it was about a zillion degrees in the narrow stairwell. The people in front of us told us that it was first come, first serve, but we saw several large groups of people leave the restaurant without any movement in the line. When the line finally shifted, we stood inside to wait in the A/C and were told, quite rudely, that we needed to "go ahead and go right back outside."

In short, this seating system doesn't work. First come, first serve is fine, but perhaps incorporate a text-based waitlist using a tablet sign-in system. That way, the servers aren't stretched even thinner, and people have an idea of wait time. Furthermore, having people crowding a narrow stairwell made it difficult for those leaving the restaurant, especially elderly people who needed to use the handrails that were blocked by people standing in line.

Need I mention again that this was at 3pm on a Thursday? I can not imagine how much worse it would be on a weekend.

Once we were finally seated, we noticed there were plenty of tables in our area that were open, so it was a bit confusing as to why we had to wait so long in the stairwell. I understand being understaffed, but if there were tables, at least seat us in the A/C and get the drinks and apps started.

On the plus side, and maybe because we waited so long and were therefore starving by the time we were seated, we really enjoyed our food and the location of the restaurant - with the patio overlooking the beer garden - was super cute. The restaurant needs to work out the seating system and fix the A/C situation in the dining rooms (it was still very, very hot indoors, but not as hot as the stairwell), but overall the combined food and atmosphere almost makes up for this.

3.5 stars, rounded up. I'd definitely eat there again, but maybe...