Schnitzel Platz

Schnitzelplatz is a legend. As one of the only German restaurants left in the Chicago area, their commitment to authentic European food is unwavering. Oktoberfest (which actually happens in September) is a wild good time with live music, big crowds and an outdoor tent. The potato pancakes, wienerschnitzel, and sausages are all delicious, and they sell beer in huge 2L steins, plus a 3L "Das Boot"! I definitely recommend this place for any time of year, especially during the autumn months.

Enjoyed the beer and food. Live music made the atmosphere better. I recommend.

Definitely as authentic as German there is. Someone recommended this spot because I was looking for a true German restaurant in the Chicagoland area and it did not disappoint. I had the bratwurst with the homemade noodles, and of course the beer! Had an awesome time with friends. Definitely want to come back for Oktoberfest festivities though!

Schnitzel Platz is a nice place to go out for something a little different. It's perfect for special occasions that don't warrant a fancy dinner. The atmosphere is pretty casual, with booth and table seating. There are no separate rooms for large groups, but there is space to accommodate groups by combining tables. An accordion player also adds to the fun with background music, beer tent drinking songs, and singing on the weekends. While I don't know a lot about authentic German food, I feel that many menu items capture the essence of traditional German meals. They also offer variations on classics, like a Hawaii Schnitzel. The giant Bavarian pretzel is a great shareable appetizer. I've also enjoyed the Paprika schnitzel and various sausages. Portions are large and prices are fair, but it does add up by the end of a meal. Two dinners and beers end up costing over $50. During Oktoberfest, there is a special limited menu, and reservations are required for Thursdays to Sundays. It's a fun night out for beers of various sizes, music, and a taste of Bavaria.

We enjoyed our recent visit to Schntzel Platz. They have a great assortment of Schnitzel dishes, as well as other German cuisine. The night we were there, they had an accordian playing singer, and as the evening went on, the tables started filling up. The waitresses were dressed in German attire. My wife and I split a German beer.

Amazing place followed with amazing food and great beer! We had Sauerkraut balls as appetiser they are great must try. Had the Hausgemachte gulasch suppe it was fine. As dinner we had Deutche haus platte we wanted to try from everything for the next time it was good but I won’t order it again I’ll go with a single plate of schnitzel or something else. Overall great place not expensive amazing food great atmosphere great service… can’t wait to go again

Waited a year to try this place well it was worth it it was awesome. The atmosphere was great. The decor was cool, very comfortable, and the food was excellent. Highlights the german potato salad is served hot never had hot potato salad the goloush was phenomenal we ordered the The Prince Leopold for 2 which gives you a variety of their food the red cabbage that comes with it is off the hook the pork schnitzel was a little overcooked but over all it was a fabulous meal as for the service our server Brian was outstanding very professional accommodated our requests without hesitation bottom line is this place has a lot to offer so if you looking for a authentic German dinner and dining experience check them out you won't be disappointed.

The daughter picked this place out for us to try. Let me say right now, it was damm good. My wife was born in Germany and my daughter and I have had the privilege cost Germany on several occasions. So on to this place, walked through the door and your taken on a visual adventure. So many cuckoo clocks and German related items to see and take in. Had so much fun. Also live music sets the scene for an authentic dinner. It's a must stop location.

We really enjoyed a lunch at Schnitzel Platz during Oktoberfest season. They had great draft beer options and the potato pancakes were a hit. We also ordered a large pretzel with the beer cheese and that was also very good. The German salad was great with the bratwurst sandwich. All in all it felt like a very genuine German experience and made us feel like we were back in Germany!

Great restaurant with an authentic menu. The Prince Leopold platter is definitely a nice variety dish to share. Dessert was simple and delicious. Only issue was the wait for the entrée and having to devouring the bread basket.

It was all terrific! The live music, the beer and the German menu. We really enjoyed it! Reminded my DH of the food his German immigrant grandmother fixed

We stopped in for an early dinner midweek. The place was nearly empty, but as I mentioned, it was early. I was in the mood for good German food, and we were not disappointed. The sauerbraten was tender and delicious. Accompanied by spaezel and red cabbage, the German experience was complete. We also had the jagerschnitzel. It was pounded thin and the breading crisp. The gravy was rich and delicious, with lots of mushrooms accompanied by boiled potatoes and green beans. It was Heavenly. We had eaten quite a bit before we remembered to take a picture, so from what was remaining, you can see the portions were very generous. Add a delicious German draft beer, and it was perfect.

Great German restaurant, authentic food very well prepared. Great flavor, must try. Service was excellent, staff friendly and live music on weekends.

We enjoyed the Octoberfest . Very fun. The beer was good. Food was good. Nice party atmosphere. I look forward to eating inside the restaurant next time.

Authentic German. You won't be disappointed . Large portions.

We were lucky enough to go to Octoberfest and watch the bears here... Wow, talk about an experience! The beers, the food, the memories, just overall a phenomenal time... Once in a lifetime. If you have never been, you need to go! Seriously, the service is on point. The food was outstanding! The beers tasted fantastic. Take some time out of your busy schedule and plan on having a great night!

We were there for a birthday party of about 60 people. The service was great very prompt and very accommodating. We had several choices of what was available for our food. Food was delicious! The atmosphere is great as well. Try it, you'll love it!

We took our grandson for the Christmas lunch with Santa and the Grinch and frostie. A great time with great staff and slot of families enjoying the meal. Very good food on the buffet, German and American and good desserts and treats for after. We will be returning for many years. ( And it is over an hour from our home )

Been here several times. The Staff is always very nice, the food is great and Liters of German bier! What's not to love. If you like German food and Bier then this is a great place to visit.

My family and I drive down to Schnitzel Platz 3 or 4 times a year from Woodstock, IL which is a little over an hour away. We love the place...have been coming for more than 25 years. You won't find better German food with great service and atmosphere.

Fun atmosphere and theming with live music. Good hearty food with pretty big portions and decent prices. The potato soup was great. The schnitzel were nicely fried. Nice beer selection but prices aren’t listed. A 1 liter beer was $18, so seemed a bit high. Not the best apple strudel I’ve had and it strangely had several super hard pieces of uncooked rice in it. Our server was nice and overall we had a good experience. Would recommend.

Atmosphere is quite nice, live music and servers are dressed in German attire to really make you feel you’re at an authentic German restaurant. Live music is also at the perfect noise level, not blaring loud, so you can easily have a casual conversation with everyone at your table regardless of where you’re sitting. Food was also very good and portions are hearty. Overall, would return again.

I ordered the bier flight that came with 8 of their draft biers. To be honest I do not like beer because they are so bitter to me, however, when I tried their beer it changed my mindset of beer. I have to say all of them were refreshing and easy to drink. My favorite were the dark biers. I also ordered the sampler platter that came with 3 potato pancakes, 3 stuffed mushrooms, 3 sauerkraut balls, and 3 mini burgers. The mini burger and potato pancakes were my favorite especially with the provided sauces. I didn't like the stuffed mushrooms or sauerkraut balls they were too salty for my liking and I wasn't a big fan of the meat. We sat at the bar and had nice conversations with others sitting nearby. The bartender was friendly and quick.

I’m sure this place has very good German food and the aromas from the kitchen were devine. However when we got there we found that almost everything is either cooked in lard and/or has pork in it. Sadly we don’t eat pork or any bi-products of pork. We were really disappointed as we really wanted to try the food. The place is very clean, waitstaff friendly and has really authentic German menu. I gave it a 4 for ambience, cleanliness, service, and German authenticity.

Definitely a place worth visiting, but I was not too impressed with the quality of their Schnitzel… reminded me of those deep-frozen breaded pork tenderloins that you can buy in every supermarket. Welcome desk could have also been a bit friendlier for a Friday night…

There is only one Platz. I grew up nearby and always make a stop while in Chicago. Excellent food and ridiculous music during oktoberfest. Well worth a trip. Docked a star for tired interior and limited german beer selection

Very good food, nice atmosphere, good beer selection. Fiance declared the German chocolate cake "yum." The waiter could have used some help, he was literally running back and forth trying to keep up. He still managed to provide great service. It's not cheap, though.

Franziskaner Weissbier, Gulasch Suppe, Wiener Schnitzel mit Kartoffel Salad und Sauerkraut ! Felt like I went back to Munich. Price may be a bit high, but you can get good quality German food in a nice German atmosphere.

Beer was a little expensive and food could have come faster but it's a good restaurant with reasonably priced, mostly very good food. I've never been to Germany so I can't speak to it's authenticity but I enjoyed myself there.

This place is definitely interesting and looks the part. Had the Jager schnitzel. It was ok. Mushroom gravy is not fresh mushrooms. Tastes like it came out of a can. Food looks good but needs improvement. I was looking forward to this meal but disappointed 😔

Not very crowded on a Thursday night so they had one server going I believe. They were nice but I think you have to ask if you want your water filled. Didn’t love their bier cheese, too salty in my opinion. Food was just fine. Green beans got a lot better with some added salt and pepper. The menu is kinda confusing because it says the house platter comes with 2 sides & has 3 sides already listed & instead of getting those 3 plus 2, we were just asked what 3 sides we wanted and just got those 3 & the ones listed were kinda meaningless (just so no one else gets confused/knows how much food to expect). You’re also ordering the beer price blind unless you ask or go regularly because they don’t list prices for the beer on the menu. I have to say we were surprised to see a beer flight in the suburbs ended up costing $35. We saw a review from 11 months ago with the what looks like the same exact flight for only $20. That’s quite the increase so I just want people to have easy access to that information because I know it can feel awkward asking! :) Christmas vibes were cute though

Update 2026 – Oktoberfest at Schnitzel Platz It’s official. Celebrating Oktoberfest at Schnitzel Platz has become a tradition for us. Live music, dancing, interactive fun, flowing beer, and hearty German food, honestly, who argues with that combination? The place transforms into one big cheerful party where strangers toast like old friends and nobody leaves quietly. This year was extra special because it was my sister’s, from Buenos Aires, first time experiencing the festivities , and she absolutely loved it. She left with a full belly and a few loud, happy memories that will probably resurface every time she hears an accordion. Service is always upbeat and fun, keeping pace with the festivities. The food is heavy in the best possible way, comforting, flavorful, and exactly what you want when you’re raising a stein. Prost to traditions worth repeating. 🍺🎶 ——————————————————————————- 2024 Oktoberfest Update. Well… 3 consecutive years having fun with friends and family celebrating. It is a classic and we usually come here twice during October since the celebration is enjoyed by many in our tribe. Food is good, love the potato pancakes and sauerbraten with pretzels. This beer flight is also very good. Music is fun, other years has been better. Service also could have been better. There is still time to join the chant Zicke Zacke Hoi Hoi Hoi

I visited Schnitzel Platz for the first time last night, and am writing this with mixed feelings. Let me preface this by saying (1) I had a pleasant experience, and (2) I likely will visit again. I think I understand now, however, why Italians get so upset when they see a carbonara made with bacon instead of guanciale, or a dish listed as cacio e pepe but prepared with cream and parsley and peas and who knows what else. I had been Jonesing for some schnitzel. My mom used to make it with homemade spaetzle when I was young (the slice-the-dough-off-the-cutting-board-and-into-the-boiling-water method). I sometimes make it too, and got pretty good at it. I ordered the wiener schnitzel; what I received was a breaded veal cutlet —it even tasted pretty good—but it was _not_ schnitzel as it lacked all the characteristics which (to me) differentiate schnitzel from any other breaded meat cutlet. Perhaps I’m picking fly poop out of pepper, but after my first bite, I thought “La Casa de Milaneza“ would have been a more accurate name than “Schnitzel Platz.” Please don’t misunderstand, it did taste good: I do like bistec milanese, after all; I also like tonkatsu, and I like chicken fried steak too, and veal parmesan for that matter, but they all differ from schnitzel. First, the size: a properly prepared schnitzel is pounded flat to a uniform thickness that should NOT exceed 6mm or 1/4”—closer to 3-5mm or 1/8” to 3/16” is better in my opinion—which results in a giant but thin cutlet that takes up half your plate or more. What was on my plate measured about 4” x 7” or so, a sign it likely wasn’t thin enough.. Second, breading: it is traditionally made from finely ground dried bread (typically wheat rolls made with milk); the fineness of the grind and the type of bread results in a delicate coating that crisps nicely while still remaining tender. The breading was made with breadcrumbs, but the texture was a little too coarse—more like cornmeal—resulting in crunchy where it should have been crispy. Third, a proper schnitzel is prepared by pounding a cutlet thin and flat, patting it dry, seasoning it with salt and pepper, dredging it in plain flour, shaking off the excess, dredging it in egg seasoned with salt, pepper, and perhaps nutmeg, letting the excess egg drip off, dredging it well in finely ground breadcrumbs, and then dropping it gently into a heated pan with a very generous amount of oil—the cutlet should float. It is very important that you shake the pan while cooking so the schnitzel is always swimming and never still—it should be moving in the oil throughout the entire cooking process. This important step results in the single most defining characteristic of schnitzel: the breading tents like a pita pocket, lifting away from the meat, steaming the meat in it’s own juices, while making the batter tender on the inside while still crispy on the outside. Simply put, no tenting? Not schnitzel. The breaded cutlet exhibited no tenting. In fact, I tried to separate the breading from the meat and I could not even cleanly cut it away; this suggested to me that what was on my plate could have been a pre-breaded cutlet that came out of a box and was dropped into a deep frier. As to the rest of the meal, the cutlet was served with a tasty lingonberry sauce, spaetzle, and asparagus with hollandaise; pretty sure the spaetzle came from a box or a bag which was a missed opportunity as spaetzle only takes about 5 minutes to make from scratch, and dried pasta lacks the tenderness of fresh. The hollandaise was custard-thick and a bit grainy; mix from an envelope, maybe? I had goulash soup—tasted pretty good, hint of bitterness though, perhaps the paprika got burned a touch (easy to do). The highlight of the meal was the Heisse Wurst Platter appetizer, served with a very nice Düsseldorf mustard and some exceptional horseradish—I would come back just for that dish. I also really enjoyed the live entertainment—Eddie from Chicago—he played a nice selection of waltzes and polkas on the accordion.

The menu is authentically German- I went with my husband who lived there for 40 years. The bretzel with obatzda was really good. The cordon bleu came with a gravy sauce which was a bit unusual, but he enjoyed it. Would love to see a Käsespatzle option for the vegetarians. At the end of the meal, the accordion player, Eddie, came over to our table with two shots of apple liquor- unfortunately it was apparently a “man thing“ and he cheered with my husband instead of offering it to a woman (me). Not the best way to end our first experience there…

Visited this German restaurant in late September for their Oktoberfest special. The service I have to say was very nice and the restaurant itself was nicely decorated for Oktoberfest. The only problem we had was the food itself. Unfortunately, it was just OK and mediocre. Definitely not tasting like authentic German food. The restaurant is also quite expensive. For three beers, four meals and one appetizer we paid over $230.

Cool atmosphere. The beers are good. We ordered the appetizer sausage sampler. The sausage lacked flavor and one of them reminded me of stinky feet. It may be authentic but wasn't appealing. We got the potato pancakes. They were chewy and gluten like. Not our favorite. Disappointing.

Sorry to say, would've been nice to hear some German music , not 1 while we were there and heard happy birthday 7 TIMES!!! 😵‍💫 How about at least a few times in German and a few other songs. (You would think!). Outside German fest YMCA and Hey macarina🤔

First visit, and same for others in my group. The amount of positive reviews amaze me for this place! But then again, Illinois is not known for good cuisine, and folks here don't know good cooking here, cause they didn't grow up with it(I'm not from Illinois). For an old non- franchised restaurant, the main dish they're known for is all frozen food service! The schnitzel was that bad! Not pounded, breaded in house, just frozen, breaded, salty patties. Spaetzel was dry, hard and flavorless, gravy was from a salty colored corn starch packaged mix. The green beans were the only edible item, but too salty. And it was expensive! Never again! I think they just want to sell beer, and the food doesn't matter in a beer hall.

Gotta be honest, there is a reason why this place was pretty quiet on Friday at 7pm as opposed to Bavarian Lodge, which is always on a wait. I got the Onion Schnitzel and it tasted frozen and low quality. The onion were fine, but extremely sweet and the schnitzel wasn't seasoned with salt or pepper. Super disappointing. The boiled potatoes also had no seasoning. Salt and pepper, use it. The potato pancakes were oily and also tasted frozen. Lastly and worst of all, the liver dumpling soup. It tasted extremely burnt, almost bitter. And the liver dumpling, it had a long hair in it. Wasn't mine, I'm bald. Last time I ever go here for German food and I'd advise you to go elsewhere as well.

Second time here in the span of three years. We weren't thrilled the first time but we decided to give this place a another try. Service was ok - not phenomenal, but not the worst - hence the three stars for service. The food - extremely sour and overpriced. We ordered the potato pancakes as an appetizer and they were extremely sour. Upon asking the waiter if they are supposed to be sour she replied 'no' however after telling her how we don't like them she said that they put /squezee lemon on top of them. Let me be clear- if it was just a hint of lemon and their recipe - fine, I get that. Those pancakes tasted as if they were dipped and soaked in lemon juice (and nothing about adding lemon to the pancakes was mentioned on the menu). The rest of the food - same thing. Everything was extemely sour. I understand if we had ordered sourkraut but my dish didn't have it and the meat was sour. Do they put lemon on a schnitzel? Maybe...but it would be nice to mention that on the menu. Schnitzel with mushrooms - awful. It's some chemically modified gravy with mushrooms that have no flavor - it tastes like hospital food. Extreme disappointment for $30. Overall the only good thing were the fries. Kids liked them. Menu is extremely limited with more than half of it being schnitzels in different sauces and severely overpriced. Beer is fine but then again - it's beer. No prices listed for the beer which is extremely strange. Hidden because they are overpriced or what? If you want a schnitzel or some good pancakes that don't taste spoiled go to any Czech or Poiish restaurant. You will get a much tastier food for less money. Not a good experience. I will not come here again.