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joe.muller

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German Cuisine is alive and well in Jasper, Indiana !

by joe.muller » Mon Jul 11, 2022 6:04 pm

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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Robin Garr

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Re: German Cuisine is alive and well in Jasper, Indiana !

by Robin Garr » Mon Jul 11, 2022 8:25 pm

Joe, thanks for the great review! I've heard of Schnitzelbank since forever but never got up that way. Now you are tempting me ...
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Andrew Mellman

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Re: German Cuisine is alive and well in Jasper, Indiana !

by Andrew Mellman » Tue Jul 12, 2022 3:35 pm

Before you go back, you may want to check the menu for the Strassenfest. Back in the pre-Covid days, they featured an abbreviated regular menu while probably 90% of the people got the buffet, which consisted of (if I remember) everything you ordered for dinner! It was great, plus a block or so away in Jasper the streets were closed, a huge tent erected, and bands were playing with beer poured by the pitcher-full. We ate an early dinner, and spent a nice evening relaxing, drinking beer, listening to the music, watching people dance, and walking around the booths on the (closed) streets.

One other think: enroute either way you may want to go to the Monastery of the Sisters of St. Benedict, on the East side of the road into Jasper. It is breathtakingly beautiful inside, larger than you would expect, and still has well over 100 Sisters in residence. They do a great deal of good in the area, but really the tour showcases a magnificent edifice that I did not know could be found in the area! it reminded me of small European Cathedral towns. The whole visit and tour takes around an hour maybe, and is well worth-while. (Free, with optional donation box if you wish)
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Steve Eslinger

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Re: German Cuisine is alive and well in Jasper, Indiana !

by Steve Eslinger » Tue Jul 12, 2022 4:01 pm

Those interior pics are seriously dated...in a good way! Those ceiling tiles in the bar? Wunderbar! I too have long heard of Schnitzelbank, but have never sampled their wares. Hour and a half's not so bad.
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Re: German Cuisine is alive and well in Jasper, Indiana !

by Carol C » Tue Jul 12, 2022 8:22 pm

Thank you so much for the great Schnitzelbank review, Joe!!! It has definitely been our list but will certainly try to make it happen soon! Love German food...
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Gary Guss

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Re: German Cuisine is alive and well in Jasper, Indiana !

by Gary Guss » Tue Jul 12, 2022 10:50 pm

Always love the Schnitzelbank, great strudel also!

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