Karl Ratzsch's in Milwaukee Brings German Food to the Midwest.
One of Milwaukee's most famous German restaurants opened in 1904 as Hermann's Cafe. The city's German population was swelling and neighborhoods flourished. And so did the taste for home cooked German food. Hermann's was soon bought out by Karl Augst Ratzsch, an immigrant who settled in Milwaukee following WWI.
With attention to detail and authentic German food, Ratzsch and his wife, Helen, established Karl Ratzsch's. Now run by his son, the restaurant has held fast to its tradition, serving some of the finest ethnic cuisine in the country. Dining in Ratzsch's is akin to enjoying a meal in the Old World tradition. Designed with beautiful woodwork in the German style, the restaurant is warm and inviting and filled with antiques.
To be sure, it is a constant favorite if you've a craving for sauerkraut and brats, but even more so during a cold Milwaukee winter. Serving both lunch and dinner, the menu includes must try dishes such as the wonderfully named Konigsberger Klopse, veal, pork and beef meatballs simmered in lemon caper cream sauce ($7.50) or Baked Beer, Cheese and Sauerkraut Dip With Toasties, a German-style fondue, ($9.50). If you've room, the strudel is delicious and the German Apple Pancake ($7.50) is enough for two.
It's wise to make reservations as the restaurant fills quickly. They also offer a children's menu.
To enjoy Ratzsch's, go with an appetite. The food is well-prepared and filling. And if you're craving comfort food and want to end your meal satisfied, then try this wonderful bit of Germany in Wisconsin's brew town.
- by Lori Rotenberk , Milwaukee Reporter for HelloMetro
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