George's Fine Steaks & Spirits — Restaurant in New Ulm

Ten months later it still haunts me like a brief, but heart-racing encounter with a stranger. Maybe haunting isn’t the right word, but the occasional day dream that arises from the deep crevices of my mind reveal a vivid memory of an oasis in the middle of nowhere. It wasn’t a torrid love affair, unless you consider teasing your taste buds torrid.

If your destination is New Ulm, your dining selection should be George’s Fine Steaks & Spirits. Aside from the fact that it is an utter culinary delight, the environment resonates a metropolis quality, but the kind on a sitcom where the owner, George, knows everyone and makes himself available to all – strangers included. Not too big and not too small, the space is warm and welcoming. The food is unbelievable. George himself guided us through our selection and though there were options on the menu, he helped me create a vegetarian plate that rivals the many choices on Eat Street.

Let me begin with the reason why we were in New Ulm. It was a surprise long weekend getaway for my then-boyfriend (now husband) who is from Germany. I thought we could escape to a small town that boasted German culture and would temporarily alleviate any homesickness. Perhaps New Ulm is in its prime during Oktoberfest, I don’t know, I have never been during that time, but on this early September weekend it resembled more of a ghost town than a German town. Sure, signage had a “German-esque” feel to it and there was German Road and German Park, but overall the German parts were over-hyped which lead to disappointment.

I planned the trip with two German dining experiences in mind. Unfortunately, (or fortunately) one of the German restaurants closed before our trip. I was relieved because the one I heard raves about and everyone said we had to go to was still thriving. On night one, we went to what I expected to be the best restaurant of our trip. Aside from a salad and grilled cheese, the vegetarian options were limited. I ordered an appetizer of breaded mushrooms served with melted cheese.

I am pretty sure the “cheese” was Velveeta and the food was so greasy. Whatever Peter ordered was a disgusting excuse for “German food” balanced not-so-artfully on a puddle of grease. The grilled cheese I ordered, which I hoped to be more filling than a bag salad dumped on a plate was made on white bread with plastic cheese. You know? The kind wrapped in a plastic film? It was hard to choke down the grilled cheese so I focused on the greasy mushrooms. The walls were decked with photos of old movie stars and there was a rare photo of German scenery amongst the fallen stars. That night was a fail.

We walked to Schell’s and enjoyed a tour and tasting. It turned out to be really fun! I heard complaints about Schell’s beer, but the German LOVED it so finally our surprise trip was turning around. We were able to walk back to the B&B, drop off some stuff and freshen up before we planned to walk the main drag and find a place to eat.

As we looked at store front to store front, hopeful at some sort of salvation for the evening, we stumbled upon George’s. The most wonderful restaurant in the region. At least the town for sure. The attentiveness George provided and the jovial atmosphere was just the icing on the cake. The food tasted flavorful, unlike the cardboard meals we had previously consumed. The love and care and passion that went into the preparation of the food was evident. The other venues we entered were like going back in time, to the 1950s or so, although I think the people of the 50s would find themselves offended at the offerings of the other local.

I was embarrassed for New Ulm, but George’s redeems you. You can thank George, because I will come back. And I will tell others to do so as well. It is worth it for the food and the experience...

Fantastic food, service, and atmosphere. Upon walking in the restaurant you are granted by the legend himself, George, unless he is wrapped up at a table making sure thier experience is satisfactory or just telling a joke. This isn't the type of steakhouse with dim lighting and forced silence throughout. This steakhouse is like visiting a family member. Everyone is treated like they are professional food critics.

The staff know the menu to the point of telling you how many union slices you might get (not really, but they know thier stuff).

The drink list is honestly way too long. Having that amount of variety is unheard of for a small town steak house. It's amazing the different types of cocktails and wines available.

The food is what you would expect from a steakhouse as described above. It's absolutely delicious. Having a steak cooked exactly to your preferred temp, freshly tossed salad, swimming an hour ago seafood, and desert that makes you think that they got a super hybrid of an Italian fat man and 5 star Frenchy back there whipping up the most savory sweets. When in doubt, the wait staff will know how to help in such strenuous situations.

If George does approach your table.... prepare for a warm welcome and generous concern for your experience or a poorly delivered "dad joke" that will still be funny because of the delivery.

Overall, this is a must go to restaurant and a must return to kind of steakhouse. Below is a little snip from thier website's "our story"

George’s Fine Steaks & Spirits was named by my daughter Sarah! I have always worked in the restaurant business since the ripe age of 14, washing dishes, then bartending and then managing and finally owning this one for the last twenty years.

With my support of family and staff we’ve built a very ‘fine’ operation of “good food, good service and good atmosphere” which is the center piece of any respectable restaurant.

My goal has always been to operate the ‘best’…it is my goal to do just that every day I’m open for business.

We only serve fresh, quality meals and create all of our own dressings, soups & sauces and make all of everything on our own; seasonings and batters, desserts and breads…all from our own hands!!

ENJOY

Thanks a...

A true 5-Star experience with George and his wonderful crew! While the hub drove east yesterday I spent a lot of time hunting online for a hotel and nice place for dinner in the area. When I found George’s and read reviews and the menu to my sweetheart, he immediately said Yes! It’s true that we take a chance following other people’s opinions about food, but I can truly say we haven’t had a more personal, entertaining and DELICIOUS dining experience and meal. We sat at the bar because it was hoppin’ on a Tuesday night and had the delightful experience of chatting up George himself—what a sweet and courteous gentleman! He helped us with lodging, ordering our food, and generally life itself. Fluffy biscuits with whipped honey butter were an exciting start to our meal, followed by fresh dinner salads with homemade Caesar dressing and cheesy croutons. I could have just eaten a couple of salads alone and been very happy—the dressing was one of the best I’ve ever had. The hub’s steak special was Perfect—char-broiled, lean and tender—and the salt-crusted baked potatoes were really yummy and unique. (If you want less salt, don’t eat the peel; if you want more salt, eat the peel—easy-peasy!) “Hands down the best I’ve ever had!” I had the Norwegian salmon and it was incredibly tender and flavorful, with not a whiff of “fishiness.” I shared my carrots with the hub and he gifted me with more of his Brussels sprouts. I felt it was a bold move on the chef’s part to serve a veggie like that and appreciated it. My only request would be that they cut those babies in half and roast ‘em awhile longer. Al dente ‘sprouts are tough for the veggie-reluctant. I did my best but couldn’t finish them all—the salmon had top priority. Wish we’d had room for one of the delicious sounding desserts on offer but the portions were really generous and we’re of the Elder persuasion—doing our best not to grow any bigger! Next time we’ll just have salads and dessert. Thanks a bunch, George and Co, for the wonderful experience—hope to see you again...