Recently on the way home from a long weekend in French Lick we decided to visit Schnitzelbank, located in Jasper, Indiana. It is a family owned restaurant that has been around for over 60 years and I have been wanting to go there for a while. While it may not be considered as upscale or fine dining compared to Gast Haus, I was pleasantly surprised how good and authentic it was. Our server Tara has worked there for 13 years and was very helpful in answering any questions we had. They have an impressive selection of German beer and Wine, most of which is also available for carry out. I started off with a nice German Kolsch draft, and we opted to order a fresh baked pretzel as an appetizer. It was served with house made beer cheese and locally made hot mustard. The pretzel was quite good, and had a nice buttery glaze. The beer cheese was warm and tangy, and the hot mustard had just the right amount of horse radish to make me come back for more. Just so we could get something green, we also partook in the salad bar, which was very well stocked and fresh. It included among other things, house made pasta salad and cucumber salad, and a variety of house made soups that rotate daily.
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For our entrée we opted to get the combo meal for 2, which includes a serving of just about everything (8 meats !), along with 4 sides, 2 per person. It is more then enough food for two people, more like three or four ! The combo included the following: Goulash over house made Spatzel noodles, Sauerbraten, Wiener Schnitzel, Schweine Schnitzel, Kassler Rippchen, Bratwurst, Knackwurst, and Bockwurst. For sides we opted for the sauerkraut, German home fried potatoes, house made German potato salad, and the potato glaze, a potato dumpling stuffed with croutons then traditionally prepared and served smothered in sauerbraten gravy. The gravy and potato salad had a slight hint of vinegar, and was not too strong. Other then potato overload, everything was delicious ! While not a traditional German dish, I was yearning for home made Perogies that I have encountered in other German restaurants out of state. Alas, no such luck !
We also opted to try their house made desserts, a mini coconut cream pie and mini peanut butter pie. While their desserts are not on the the scale of Gast Haus, the few bites I could manage were quite yummy !
The bill was roughly $100 + a $30 tip. Not a cheap lunch, but now that I have tried a good portion of the menu I know what to expect next time I come. Not to mention we have leftovers for days ! They also have a small gift shop, where you can buy, among other things, their house made pretzels to take home and bake, along with their beer cheese, hot mustard, and their house made desserts ! Also all their bottled German beer and wine is available for package carryout.
Jasper has a strong German heritage, and is having their annual week long Strassen fest in August. The owner's daughter manages the Hampton Inn next door. We have already booked a room and are planning a return ! If it was not for all the leftovers and our dogs expecting us home, I seriously considered booking a room next door to take a nap and coming back for dinner ! While it is an approximate 90 minute drive from Louisville, I think it is worth the drive for the food and experience alone. They can host very large parties (with advance notice), and Jasper also has several museums and points of interest near by to make the visit more worthwhile.
https://www.schnitzelbank.com/
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