Rolf's German Restaurant — Restaurant in Tuscaloosa

Decided to check this place out because it had such great reviews. I guess everyone else did, too, because it was packed. To put things in better perspective, though, this place is small. Maybe six indoor tables with four chairs each, and a bar that might seat 12 more. There was an open table, but the staff explained it was reserved - for a party of ten (10). The table had 4 chairs. More on that, later. The three of us opted to sit at the bar - the only other seats left - and were treated to an excellent view of nice guitars on a wall and stacked dirty dishes next to pretzels on a rack to our left, and the back of a drink dispenser to our front. The younger person working the bar didn't know if the German meatloaf was any good, so an older gentleman also working the bar broke off a piece they must have had in a fridge to give to my wife to sample. Cold. Weird. Not that good. Won't say it was dog food, and can't say that it wasn't. Probably better just out of the oven. After getting the beer orders straightened out (imagine a shell game), the entrees eventually arrived, as did the party of ten. The food was good enough, but not great. How do you burn sauerkraut? I grew up on German, Polish, Greek, and Italian food, plus spent a little time in Germany, FWIW. They can do better. We finished off the meal with Black Forest cake, which was actually the best part of the meal. The party of ten sat at a completely different table toward the back that had previously been covered with restaurant supplies when we had first arrived. The empty table that we could have sat at remained empty. Situational Awareness goes a long way when applied properly (or, at all). The owner/chef? did play "Happy Birthday" on the accordion for two tables, so that was nice. We'll try it again, hopefully when they're not as busy, and hopefully when the staff has had a chance to try one of everything on the menu so they can provide useful information when someone asks about an item. Bottom line: The place is too small for the indoor crowd they're bringing in. They may want to go to reservation-only once they reach a certain capacity. Solid 3-star experience, with potential for better when the outside temps allow outdoor seating and customer...

For those of you who follow my reviews, it's not often that I review a restaurant at 5 stars all the way down the line. But Rolf's deserves it!

I visited this establishment back in April not expecting much. My spouse was craving some German food, and we googled them up. The first thing I have to say is that the atmosphere was unlike any other I had ever seen. While we waited I admired all sorts of knick nacks on the walls. Lots of instruments for decoration.

Then we learned they were not decoration. The cook came around and played accordion for all of the patrons. It was such a DELIGHT! I wasn't very hungry and I ordered a beverage and a salted pretzel. My husband ordered a plate of schnitzel and spaetzle (pictured in the review photos). It looked far better before we dug in but it smelled so good we forgot to take pictures. The spaetzle was delicate and simple and paired well with the sauce that was served with the schnitzel. The pretzel was out of this world! No way was it frozen. Best pretzel I ever had - by a lot.

The atmosphere was small and quaint and unforgettable. If you find yourself in or around the Tuscaloosa, Alabama area then try to make the trip....

I’m so glad that there is a German restaurant in this town. My wife and I stopped in for lunch. She had the German meatloaf with country potatoes, and sauerkraut. The meatloaf had some nice spices. Don’t expect this to be American meatloaf, it’s different. The fried potatoes were excellent with big chunks of bacon. These could be chopped up more finely. And the sauerkraut with fennel seeds tasted very authentic. Someone told me the pizza was the best thing on the menu, and I tried that. I had a small pizza with pepperoni and mushrooms. The crust was definitely baked to perfection! The mushrooms seem fresh. Locally sourced? Definitely a delicious pizza, and a Bitburger pilsener beer in a frosty glass tops it off nicely. The owner checked in on us, and commented how they will continue decorating the new addition. With this added space, now it is really a nice restaurant! I suggest you try Rolf’s, especially if you have not been...