Dining
Date: 04/16/2010 The Beet Out to Eat: Der Rathskeller
by Gregory C. Johnson gregor@beetcafe.com
A Rockford dining classic since 1931, Der Rathskeller serves outstanding food in an Old World atmosphere.
Upon walking in the front door you are greeted with a warm intimate feeling that makes you feel right at home. A small bar and the deli are the first things you see. The deli has a selection of sausages, cheeses, chocolates, and much more. You may dine in the room next to the bar, out in the Bier Garden (during nice weather) or in the cellar. Our party had a table in the cellar.
We wanted to try a variety of what Der Rathskeller had to offer. Of course, we had to try the Sausage Assortment. You may choose from Der Rathskeller Homemade Sausages or Usinger’s of Milwaukee Sausages. We opted for the Der Rathskeller Homemade assortment. We received a plate of six sausages which included German Style Gourmet Bratwurst, Polish Brand Sausage, Stuffed Gourmet Bratwurst, Italian Sausage, Pork Sausage Link and Klienwurst Brand sausage. There wasn’t a sausage that we didn’t like. They were all very good and flavorful. The Assortment came with two sides. We choose the Lyonnaise Potatoes and German Potato Salad both of which were very tasty. One of us had the Chicken Noodle Soup which had a hardy stock and well seasoned base so that it could stand on its own without the need to add salt or pepper which is the hallmark trait of a great soup. Another one in our party had the Wiener Schnitzel Sandwich which lived up to it description in the menu as being a tender piece of veal. We of course had to try the German Chocolate cake and the Homemade cheesecake. The Chocolate cake was moist and delicious. As a lover of cheesecake, I have to say the cheesecake was outstanding. The five of us ate for around $90. The portions were of good size which made for a good value our money.
The consensus of our group is that our dinner at Der Rathskeller was a wonderful experience. Der Rathskeller even won over the one person in our party that said they didn’t like German food. After our dinner they said they would definitely like to go back again.
Dinner: Mon-Thurs 5-8 p.m.
Fri and Sat. 5-9 p.m.
Lunch: Mon-Sat. 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.
Breakfast: Sat, 8-11 a.m., Sun. 8-12
Deli and Bar Mon-Sat 11:00 a.m. to Late
Sunday 8:00 to 12:00 (Bar 11:00 a.m. to noon)
