Renate's German Restaurant — Restaurant in Schaumburg Township

I was really excited to try this place because normally I love German food. I wanted to try out another restaurant vs the usual spot close to us. First thing I noticed was that the restaurant was unusually empty on a Saturday night, we were the only ones there. No problem because we have been to other empty restaurants before but the food was good. Second thing I noticed was that we can hear the microwave turn on frequently and the sound is disturbingly obvious. We ordered apple pancakes, Renate’s sampler platter, cheesy spaetzle, and Kleiner haxen. We got the liver dumpling soup with each of our entrees. Most of it was bad but I’ll talk about the good first.

Complimentary bread was fine, it tasted like pretzel. It was soft and not too salty. Liver dumpling soup was hearty and the meat was tender. Broth was good. The brat was fine, tender and flavorful. Mashed potatoes were fine.

Here comes the bad. Apple pancakes were too crunchy like reheated. It’s not soft like regular pancakes. Not a lot of apples inside. The hammock was still frozen which was why it was so difficult to cut. I’ve had hock before and if it’s made fresh, it’ll cut easily. This one was frozen solid in the middle. We can hear them putting it back in the microwave. We took it home to reheat it in the oven. The sampler platter was mostly terrible. The schnitzel didn’t even look like one (I’ve had it many times at other German restaurants). The sauerbraten and the gulasch bowl both had tough meats. You’ll be chewing on this for like forever. The cheesy spaetzle they actually forgot but reheated it when I inquired about my order. Definitely wasn’t fresh. It was unflavored.

The owners did give us the cheesy spaetzle for free and 20% of the hock order. However, I think they should have given us the entire order of hock for free or 75% off. After all, it wasn’t even cooked fresh and was still frozen in the middle. The husband was very apologetic but yeah apologies couldn’t save this horrendous experience. I do not recommend coming here. If you do come, eat at...

A hidden gem in an unassuming strip mall. This is a cute little place with German food and German-themed decor. Parking is easy and there is a small outdoor dining area.

My teenage son and I visited for dinner on a weeknight. The service was very attentive. The menu is pretty extensive and has many traditional German options as well as common American dishes. There were several vegetarian options including cheese spätzle, a veggie burger, breaded eggplant, and a grilled cheese sandwich. There is also a children's menu.

I had the Cheesy Spätzle and my son had the Jägerschnitzel. The portions were generous and the flavor was good. Everything was very enjoyable. It would have been a bonus to have a hearty dark bread with the Spätzle instead of white bread but that's just nitpicking as everything was great.

They have German soda and beer available as well as common fountain drinks.

All of their desserts are made on site. I had the Bienenstich (Bee Sting) cake which was made with honey, almonds, and vanilla cream and my son had a mini banana cream pie. Both were delicious.

We had a chance to speak briefly with one of the owners who was very personable and friendly. We learned that his wife/partner is from Germany and does both cooking and baking for the restaurant.

If you enjoy German food and want to support a local, family-owned small business, I definitely recommend giving this place a try. We will...

A quaint, authentic German diner with an attached bakery. The food is delicious and generously portioned - especially the schnitzel.

Had a Goulash with sides of Jambalaya & Soup of the Day (Liver Dumpling). The goulash was a tad disappointing as it was just a few chunks of meat (beef, pork, and maybe chicken?) in a gravy, which was less of a "hunters stew" than I was expecting. Don't get me wrong, though, I was still delectable: tender meat and a smooth, mild flavored gravy that paired perfectly.

The jambalaya was a surprising option of side, but a welcome one. The sausages used in it were amazing and it had a nice tangy heat that provided a complimentary contrast to the goulash.

The soup - liver dumpling - was one that I'll admit I ordered without hearing that it was liver initially, instead just hearing "dumpling soup". I'm glad I did, though, as (after a bit of mental suppression of my queasiness regarding organ meats) I found it to be an extremely mild liver flavor that was so excellently seasoned I might not have realized it was liver if I hadn't seen the signboard with the soups of the day.

Overall, it's an excellent choice for anyone craving or interested in German cuisine. I'll certainly have to try to have room next time for the excellent looking desserts in the front...