Schulte & Herr — Restaurant in Portland

This is my first Google review, and I don't usually take the time to review things, but I can't stop raving about my experience, so I thought it would be nice and appropriate to share it; especially because I am surprised that there are not more positive reviews yet. It was Mother's Day and we wanted to go to another restaurant, but could not get a table, so we went to Schulte & Herr kinda in the last minute of decisions. I can only say that one should not always trust online reviews too much, because I almost didn't go because they didn't sound too convincing. Being German myself I know, from living in other non-German countries that German restaurants are not always authentic or good, just because they serve German food. I am so GLAD that I went to eat here, because it was super delicious and just PERFECT in every way!! Everything!! Someone mentioned the parking issues...can't complain; found roadside parking a few steps away. It doesn't seem to be a problem and way easier than in other downtown/old port areas. Meal prices were very reasonable, too ($55 for 4 main meals and 4 drinks). The portions were very large! Service was fast, friendly, simply perfect. The atmosphere was nothing special; not especially German or anything, kinda simple, but cozy, nice (clean!) and "homey" (not so loud like some other places where one has trouble to understand each other). The kitchen is half-open to the dining room and TINY! Obviously, they don't need a large kitchen to cook fantastic foods. The wait for the meals was a bit longer; but hey, it was Mother's Day and it seemed they prepared it to order (we could smell their cookings, mmhhhhmm!); so we didn't mind the little wait. Anyway, in Germany we say "Gut Ding will Weile haben", which means something like "Haste makes waste". Quality over microwaved processed foods!

Will definitely go back there! The food is very authentic (I felt like eating at my grandmother's table, which is so rare that I can say that!). The menu is not overly large, but with a wide enough selection, which makes it hard to decide what to get. Nice wooden tables (I look for these tiny details), comfy chairs, beautiful paintings on the wall, quality, but somehow magnetic silverware, which was funny (to play with). The place is small; there are only 8 or so tables. The view out of the windows is rather a downside as you'll see an ugly rusty run-down parking garage. So you probably don't need a window table here. The closer to the kitchen, the better the smells anyway! =)

Had the pork roast (only Sundays) with dumplings and a side of choice (mine: cucumber salad), plus Bratkartoffeln (German home fries), Spaetzle, which is similar to Mac&Cheese but "way better" - quoting the (foodwise very picky) American mouth, and potato salad. Oh, and not to forget the 'Schorle' drink (apple juice with sparkling water). They don't serve alcohol, but it's BYOB. The american family loved their meals, too, but had trouble finishing the large and very filling portions.

If you want to know what authentic German food is like and if you don't want to break the bank, give it a try. You won't be disappointed, if good homemade food is the most important to you. Highly recommended! 4*! I would give 5 stars if the atmosphere in the dining room was a little better, cozier, more German maybe? There's definitely room for improvement. Thanks S&H, I'm happy that I found a new favorite restaurant...

2023 Update: Schulte & Herr continues to offer a delightful evening of homemade German cuisine as always, but after our most recent visit I noticed that I had spent far to much time applauding the BYO or corkage services in an earlier review and perhaps neglected the other finer aspects of this restaurant. To be clear- I will aways commend restaurants that allow patrons to bring their own choice of dinner drinks to the table but that admirable distinction is far from the best and most notable feature of this wonderful establishment.

Every item we ordered was homemade in a traditional German style, fresh and tasty. We enjoyed potato pancakes, zwiebelkuchen, spätzle and cucumber salat (it may seem minor but not every German restaurant serves an authentic and delicious cucumber salat; Schulte and Herr serves the best.) The savory wienerschnitzeI brings us back every time and the food is served gracefully by the engaging hostess Stephanie.

We only have the chance to visit Portland every year or two but will always make it a point to visit Schulte and Herr when we can.

(previous review) I enjoy well-cooked German recipes, but I almost always want to add a tasty traditional beverage to my meal. This is where Schulte & Herr stands out among all others. This is a BYOB establishment that effectively removes the typical high cost of bar drinks from your final bill. Bring your favorite Märzen beer or Riesling wine along with you to dinner, and they will keep it on ice and serve it to you as you wish. No charge.

Perhaps you've visited other places that serve their own choices of beer and wine. Did they happen to carry your favorite Oktoberfest brew, or the exact Eiswein you enjoyed last Christmas? Probably not, and if they did happen to have a similar drink available, you can bet you'll be paying a full bottle's price for two glasses of wine.

I have always considered the markup on alcoholic drinks at fine dining establishments to be the biggest rip-off of dining out. Schulte & Herr has absolutely no drink markup! Enjoy an authentic Bavarian dinner along with drinks of your choosing and actually have some money left over...

Shulte & Herr is one of Portland's gems and, as locals who love good food, one of our top restaurants. We go often, so we've eaten pretty much everything on the menu. The food is always delicious, authentically German--well honed home-style preparation, ample portions, etc. Not a bad dish on the menu. My favorites? The potato pancakes with house-cured salmon, the spatzle, schweineschnitzle with mushroom gravy, the sauerbraten, and the zwiebelkuchen--I always order a side of cucumber salad with whatever I have and they serve really good bread. Its also BYOB, which I like a lot. They usually have two desserts to choose from, made right in their small kitchen (had mixed berries with zabaione sauce last night--they also make a perfect chocolate cake). Love the owners and staff there--so nice to us always and very accommodating. The space is simple and cozy--nothing fancy at all, but nice art on the walls. Also, VERY reasonable prices. Someone said earlier that this restaurant is "reservation only" which is not true--it is true that is is small space with limited seats, so calling ahead is a good idea, but you can walk in and be seated as well as long as they are not full (weekend nights are often busy). You park on the street and we have never had a problem with that. They serve until 9. There is also Sunday Brunch which I am surprised we haven't tried yet, but I hear it...