J Betski's — Restaurant in Raleigh

I do not like to give low ratings to local restaurants. Most of the time I won't rate if I didn't like a local business but I felt I had to for this one. I chose J Betski's because I really enjoy German food and they have so many 5 star reviews I thought it had to be good. I have no idea why people are giving J Betski's good reviews, I wish I had listened to the reviewer that said his friend likes to come here so he goes with him but he personally does not recommend the food here. Let me start with the bread and butter since that was the first thing we ate here. The bread was fine, but not great. The salted butter had to be more than half salt, I love salt so that's really saying something. I couldn't swallow the bite of bread with the butter because it was inedible. My husband also remarked that it was mostly salt. So we assumed that it had to be an accident. Now for my entree, I got schnitzel and german potato salad. This is my go to order at all German restaurants. The schnitzel was not good, my husband also did not like it. The accompanying potato salad was utterly horrible, the worst I have ever had! I also told my husband to taste it, again he said it was not good. My husband got the filet medallions, they were also not good. They had a horrible flavor that ruined the meat. The peirogie that came with his meal was decent. I ate half of it since my food was not good and I was hungry. I got a side order of their sausage since I saw someone mention in a review that they are amazing. It wasn't bad but it also was not great. I was surprised because I can buy better at the store. That was a disappointment. I boxed up the leftovers and brought them to my mother since she is German and let her try it. She spit out the potato salad and asked me what was wrong with this food. She tried the schnitzel and the beef medallions and said the flavor in the beef medallions tastes like chemicals. So this is now 3 people who agree that this food was horrible. I didn't even feed the leftovers to my dog because the food was so awful here, it went straight in the trash. This meal for two was over $60 so definitely not cheap and it was unacceptable that it was this bad. I recommend going anywhere else. Heck, even a chain restaurant would be better than J Betski's and I am not a fan of chain restaurants! Ruined date night with the waste of money and still being hungry. I will say that the food looked good, and had a nice presentation. We ate outside and it was pretty out there and nothing was wrong with the service...

To quote my boyfriend last night: "This isn't just my favorite restaurant in Raleigh, it's my favorite restaurant -- anywhere" J. Betski's has become our go-to special occasion, mmmm-inducing, splurge night out.

Italian--been there done that. American? I can cook that at home. Thai? That's for takeout. J. Betski's does more for German food than anyplace that I ate in Germany for those 2 weeks abroad. J. Betski's isn't just German food, it's gourmet food. And that's what makes it special. Every sauce and dish is handcrafted, every plate carefully designed, and each experience we've had has been with an enthusiastic and professional waiter or waitress.

He goes there for the unique cocktails, specifically the Carolina Honeysuckle -- Cava, house-made ginger pear reduction, Stoli, and other classy tasty ingredients. I go there for the "disgustingly good" chocolate hazelnut torte topped with crispy bacon and salted caramel, and the earthy and rich mushroom and cabbage pierogies topped with sage brown butter.

The art and lighting create an intimate upscale dining atmosphere, but the patio and solid wood tables keep it just casual enough. Our waiters have always been genuinely excited about the specials, and rightly so.

If you're thinking of going there for dinner, here are my recommendations. But everything I've ever eaten here is amazing. -- (See above) --Roasted fennel salad with arugula and prosciutto. (Fennel is an incredibly under-appreciated vegetable.) --Pork shank with curry sauce (please bring that back!) --Hanger steak with brioche pudding strudel (Just for the strudel!)

And the final touch, which I truly appreciated, was two complimentary Limoncello digestifs (which I had never thought to try) along with a candle in my dessert of choice for my birthday!

To me, this place embodies subtle class and gourmet dining, and is a hidden...

J Betski’s has found its way into my list of top five Raleigh restaurants. I’m half German on my mother’s side. I grew up with German dishes in rotation for home cooking and like to eat at German/Eastern European restaurants. Several outstanding German/Eastern European restaurants that stand out for me are Mader’s in Milwaukee, Amber Rose in Dayton, an amazing Polish restaurant in Joliet that I hope still exists but I’m embarrassed I don’t remember its name. J Betski’s is on par and above all of these restaurants that represent the best of this cuisine. It’s tucked into the back of a strip mall and the vibe is a little sterile but it’s cute and clean with great staff. Do yourself a favor, eat here. If you’re not familiar with German/Eastern European food, ask questions about the menu. There is food here you will love. The staff know the food, they will help you find what you’ll love. Henry at the bar took great care of us. Everything I had my first time here was amazing. The sausage plate is a collection of house made sausages pickles and extras. All fantastic but the plate includes braised cabbage and the braised cabbage is sublime. A perfect bite. For entrees, my wife got the Jaegerschnitzel, I stole some and the schnitzel mushrooms spaetzle and braised sauerkraut were all delicious. I had the smoked trout, which was also amazing. Finally the strudel… just get the strudel. You’re welcome. Also the butter infused old fashioned is worth a try if you like an old fashioned but it is on the sweet side. I’m looking forward to getting...