Black Forest Inn — Restaurant in Minneapolis

I started going to this restaurant in the mid to late 1980s, probably 2 to 3 times a month. The restaurant scene was limited in comparison to now. Although a bit on the heavy side, the food was good with generous proportions. They did have the best Cesar salad in the cities that is sadly off the menu. I loved this restaurant and it was always busy. It became very popular in the early 90's. By the mid to late 90s it took and hour to hour and a half to get seated on a Friday or Saturday night. But their awards and popularity went to their heads, because they started to cut back on portion sizes and simultaneously raised their prices. I noticed over time that prices continued to rise and portion sizes continued to decrease, while the cities' restaurant scene grew and exploded at the and time. But I still came back, although less frequently and more and more disappointed by the seemingly poor management. Jump forward to this evening and the patio was nearly deserted. I ordered the half size of liver pate to start for $12. What came out was approximately 2 tablespoons of crumbly dry pate on a big bed of mixed greens, chopped tomatoes, sliced hard boiled eggs and sliced onions. I kid you not, the amount of pate was no more than 2 tablespoons. Another table ordered the large portion for $18.50 , and they got 2 ice cream scoop sized mounds of pate. So maybe my order was an anomaly. Nonetheless، it is a far cry from what it once was. My entree was the Hungarian goulash with spätzel, and it was good. I also ordered the much loved potato pancake. I've never had a better pancake and that was a main reason I kept coming back over the years. But they cut back on the size and flattened the once thick pancake. So disappointing. I ordered the apple strudel to go. Again the portion size is smaller, although I think the recipe is the same. All in all, the Black Forest Inn is a shell of its once shining self. The hilarious thing is they still have all their awards on the walls from 1993 to the early 2000's. They are living on past accolades. Service was excellent and our server...

I recently visited the Black Forest Inn with my family, encouraged by a recommendation from someone who grew up in Minneapolis. We were excited to experience authentic German cuisine, but unfortunately, our visit fell short of expectations.

I ordered the pork hock, a classic German dish I was eager to try. However, as I started cutting into it, the meat was tough and rubbery, sticking to the bone rather than falling off as it should. To make matters worse, the inside of the meat was cold. After calling our server, the dish was taken back to the kitchen to be reheated, only to return 10 minutes later warm but still difficult to cut and chew. A proper pork hock should be tender and flavorful, but this one missed the mark.

The dish was served with spaetzle, which seemed to be simply mixed with butter. Disappointingly, there was no traditional Rotkohl (red cabbage) to round out the meal, which is a hallmark of this dish.

We also tried the pork schnitzel, which left much to be desired. The portion was small, and it was fried in butter rather than the traditional lard, which made the crust less distinct and flavorful. A good schnitzel should have a crisp crust that separates slightly from the tender, juicy meat, but this one lacked both texture and taste.

Overall, the meal felt far from the authentic German experience we had hoped for. My portion of the bill was $100 on food that didn’t meet basic expectations of quality or tradition left me disappointed. While the service was courteous, the food itself did not reflect the rich and hearty flavors of German cuisine. Unfortunately, I wouldn’t recommend this restaurant for anyone looking for a true taste of Germany. Save your money and explore...

Mediocre food, horrible service, and an old crowd. Reserved a table for five at Black Forest Inn and had no trouble getting seated. Took 20 minutes for a waitress to come over and take orders. We specifically asked if they had Spatan Oktoberfest which the waitress said they had. Soon after we found out from a hostess/other waitress she messed up our drink order and they didn't even have the beer we asked her about. Another 20 minutes of no service and the waitress finally! Came to get our order. That's 40 minutes into dinner. We ordered appetizers AND entrees together be because who knew when the waitress would be back again. I asked the hostess if we could speak with the manager and she said there was non and she was the only one to speak to. I told her of the horridly slow service thus far and she responded that they were busy and I had the "best waitress." Being busy is no excuse for no service. A waitress should at very least check in with their table. The wait for appetizers and the meal were normal. The waitress cleared the appetizers before we even cleaned the plates without asking if we were done. We had the pizza, potatoes and sauerkraut, And goulash soup. All decent, not spectacular. Dinner was the venison, lamb shank (bland), beef rouladen, and pork schnitzel. All meat overlooked. Again decent, not spectacular. After the table was cleared it took very long for the check and then more wait time for the credit card to be swiped!

Food was a 7/10 (completely mediocre). Service was a 2/10.

Will I return? For about $40 a head without tip for average food and bad service,...