The Rathskeller

We ate dinner here yesterday evening. The service and atmosphere is wonderful. The food, however, is very mediocre and very over priced. Having had authentic German food, this did not please my expectations of authenticity, nor did the food taste very good. Portion size is huge, which unfortunately did not help when the food was bland and nothing I’d ever order again. If you are looking for a nice place for a drink, then this may be a great spot for you. If you want a great, authentic, German meal, this is not your spot.

I really wanted to love this place. I grew up in Germany, so I have a special place in my heart for German food. This just didn’t do it for me.
I had the Jaeger Schnitzel, red cabbage, and spaetzle noodles. The schnitzel was dry, and by itself was uninspiring. The gravy was ok. For some reason they drizzle sour cream all over it– I can’t explain why. The red cabbage was good, and the spaetzle was dry. I would have given it 3 stars if it wasn’t so expensive! $ 25 is steep for mediocre food.
My wife had the «porkchop», which to us was basically sliced ham out of a can. Very disappointing.
The beer selection was great. The atmosphere and service was awesome. I’d go back just to drink beer and socialize. The pretzel was really good.

Come here for a drink on a nice day! The back, outdoor section is ridiculous. It’s huge and fun, and the lit-​up stage creates an awesome ambiance. There’s a ton of picnic tables and multiple bar stations so that you don’t have to wait forever for a drink.
This is a great place for a big group and the ultimate ticket to relaxation with friends. Come on a night where there’s a band (usually Friday or Saturday, sometimes Thursday’s) and you’re guaranteed to have a good time. I do believe there is a $ 5 cover ok weekends.
I’m not crazy about the food, but it’s decent, they have a nice menu, and they have some bomb soft pretzels!

This has absolutely nothing to do with the restaurant or any past experience we have had at this establishment. We have had nothing but great times here. My husband is in the military and his mother lives in the apartments behind The Rathskelar. My husband and his mother were verbally assaulted by the owner for «illegally» parking in the parking lot which she has a pass for because she has lived here for multiple years. We love coming to this establishment but will think twice before going again knowing how the owner treats other people. And let me add that he did this in front of my 4 and 6 year old children. He actually charged at her and my husband and they should have actually called the police. I hope he doesn’t treat his employees this way.

I felt my experience deemed worthy of «Kitchen Nightmares.» I was surprised to see decent reviews.
Our hostess was rude when we told her we had a fifteen top. The entire staff was visibly upset that they had to serve us. (This was Monday night and it was dead). Had I been alone, I would have left before they sat us, but I was with family for a special occasion.
When we were seated, we saw that our water glasses were not clean. (They looked like they had been barely washed with lip marks and stains). The appetizer plates literally had food and grease left on them. They looked like they had never been washed. We had to show our waitress and send them back.
The food came out at different times for everyone. I had linguine. It was bland. I would have been more pleased with boxed pasta and Prego. My husband’s food was lukewarm. Mind you, the dinner menu average price was no less than $ 23.00.
I certainly will not be back. Perhaps the beer garden is different, but I would not even give it the chance.

Beer and meal was outstanding. Got Jäegerschnitzel with Red Cabbage and mashed potatoes. OUTSTANDING. Warm pretzel with HOT mustard hit the spot. Bartender was a really nice guy. Place had a great charm. Only downside was, me and another guy’s bill came out to 100 bucks with 2 dinners and beers.
But for the flavor and beers it was worth it.
So I would say that Unilocal saying it is just 2 $$ rating isn’t really accurate since nobody leaves with ordering some German beers. I would say this place is lower level expensive. $$$

We came to the Rathskeller tonight before the Phantom of the Opera at the Murot. We didn’t have a reservation, but were able to be seated right away in the bar area. We never were in a German restaurant before, so we don’t have much to compare it to, but we really enjoyed it! I had the schnitzel with mushrooms and my husband had the «meat platter». For dessert, we had the bread pudding. I’m giving it 4 stars because the food was a little under seasoned, but nothing that the table salt shaker couldn’t fix.
All in all, I would definitely return when I had a craving for schnitzel and sausages!

What a beautiful restaurant!!! The German restaurant is a famous Fort Wayne spot for food beer and fun! Good food and beer of all types. The reason I am giving this only three stars is because I am 100% sure the Rathskeller isn’t living up to its potential. The amount of beer they had on tap was underwhelming and didn’t live up to my expectations. I also think the food is more expensive for the quality. I realize I sound snobbish but I have had better food and a better selection of beer at a small town German restaurant in Oxford Ohio called Steinkeller. I don’t think any of the products here are bad but just not good enough for a high-​end restaurant in Indianapolis.

Disappointing. At a convention in town I decided to try this place, I like german food, I heard it was the best german food in town. Must be low standards.
I didn’t know what to expect, so this isn’t really a restaurant as a huge multivenue building. It was obviously very busy, we had reservations, but without them it was over a 2 hour wait, so maybe with that demand the restaurant doesn’t feel the need to try harder.
The dining rooms were a warren of connected passageways and stairways, the chairs were really cheap banquet style chairs, did not give a good vibe.
The meal came with bread, rolls and pretzles, the bread was good. It came with two dipping sauces. Ridiculously hot mustard, and cheese from a jar. I’ve had better pretzle cheese dip at Applebees, and I hate Applebees.
I ordered schniztle, it was okay, just okay. The sauce wasn’t anything. I also got spaetzle, this was actively bad spaetzle. I don’t think I’ve ever had such bad spaetzle to be honest. It was also lukewarm only, like it had been sitting, the sauce was congealing, like I said, actively bad. My wife had schnitzle parmesean, which was kinda blah, for a dish you can get at almost any restaurant anywhere (schitzle parmesean, chicken/​pork/​veal milanese, chicken parmesean, we’re all talking the same thing more or less here). The whole plate was lukewarm, if it is such a stretch from the kitchen how about plate covers to keep some heat in?
My son had chicken cordon bleu rolls, these were actually pretty good. I tried his of course. I’m not sure they weren’t a frozen food item though.
Dessert was the high point, the german chocolate cheesecake, very good.
Would I ever go there again? For drinks and desert maybe, not for food. For the price I thought it was also a very poor value I’d give it hospital cafeteria quality.

We were there at 6PM on a Monday. Upon entering we were offered the option of sitting in the dinner only side or in the bar. You can order off the bar menu (looked like the online lunch menu to me) or the dinner menu. We chose the bar. The bartender bought us bought menus as promised. The most immediate thing you’ll notice is the difference in the prices. Since we aren’t big eater, the bar menu fit our appetites and wallet.
The oxtail soup was simply delisH! So were the few taste I got of my 1 plus French Onion soup. We had 2 pork tenderloin sandwiches, a first ever for us. One was deep fried and one grilled. Both were VG. Make sure you get some German Potato salad too. Just the right amount of a vinegary taste with lots of onions.
We wanted leftovers to nosh on the next day for lunch so we ordered the $ 16.95 Hot Wurst Plate ToGo. It’s enough for 2. Our total bill was $ 64, very reasonable, which included 2 soups, two 16oz beers, and 3 plates of food. If we had chosen the dinner side, the bill would have been much larger. We compared the menus. I am sure the portions are larger and fair for the extra $$s but we didn’t need or want more.
There is an elevator so no need to worry about steps. The outside brier garden isn’t open yet, to cold still. I saw a sign saying that opens the last weekend in April.

I went here for my birthday and they had amazing food! What a treat to have true German Food. If this is your first time, be sure to ask about the recommendations and even what certain things are.
I will for sure be back!

Definitely a great place.
We checked in early to go to the bar, which was great! We had a group of 10 and the bar, as well as the dining room easily accommodated us. We had an amazing time!

I visit here every time I’m in town.
A very simple meal — Amber Rathskeller, side of red cabbage, warm pretzel, and the most spicy mustard I have ever had. No joke, that mustard makes me cry every time — and that’s why I come back!

They have some really good selections for German Beer and the restaurant (not the Keller bar has some really delicious German selections.
The Keller bar and ball room is ok if you just want beer and brauts, but not my favorite place to eat other than that.
When the weather’s nice the Beer Garden is where I

Okay went here for restaurant week so limited menu.
Service was excellent.
The woman taking the order was overtly friendly. As well as provides insight on meal suggestions.
I had both the brat balls and the stuffed mushrooms.
Both equally good but if I had to order one it would be the brat balls.
Bratwurst shredded and breaded. Then fried with three dipping sauces.
I had the schnitzel for the entrée.
Well prepared pork and seasoned to perfection.
I has the kraut as a side which adds a nice touch to the seasoned pork.
Also the seven bean succotash. Really tasty little side with just a little bite of spiciness at the end.
The Diablo penne was a good dish. But if I’m ordering at German restaurant I’m ordering more traditional German food Like Schnitzel.
All in all this is a fantastic place with a great warming feeling décor. The exposed wood beams and brick fireplace gives you a feeling of being back in the old country.
I will be back to try the standard menu in the future. Loved it.

As a place to drink some delicious German beer, have a pretzel and listen to some live music in the biergarden or bierhall, this place is awesome; stupendous, actually.
But as a German restaurant? REALLY disappointing. I am German and grew up eating traditional German food and have gone to many a delicious German restaurant in my day; this has to be the worst German food I’ve ever had. The Saurbraten is DRY and the sauce simply does not taste homemade. The Jaegarschnitzel is mediocre, at best. I COULD NOT BELIEVE how terribly the potato pancake is made (tasteless and soggy). How can such a long-​standing German establishment in this city makes such pitiful German food and charge so much for it? After having such high hopes, I am now convinced that all the praising reviews this place has written for it’s food are written by people who’ve never had German food anywhere else in their lives. If you’re looking for a real German meal in Indy, take extra drive and go to Edelweiss instead!

My husband and I went here because it was highly recommended to us by several friends and we love German food. We were served promptly and the service was very friendly. The history on the building was interesting. We got some beers and the Shnitzel Parmesan and the Jegerschnitzel. Both were good. Not the best German food we’ve had. We both thought the spätzle was below average. Food was just ok, nothing great. After all the hype, we had higher expectations. There was a wedding going on in the venue, so there was no live entertainment this night. Maybe the live music is what has everyone so enamored with this place. We just thought it was ok, but the prices are high.

One of the best restaurants in downtown Indy. The food is always spectacular. Their German selections are spot on.

I can’t believe I am just now reviewing the Rathskeller! I love this place! In the summer, it’s difficult to hang out inside because the live music and the flowing brew in the Biergarten is too hard to resist! In the fall, it’s a great stop for Oktoberfest with German food and the dachshund races. They also have live music on stage inside. I was recently reminded on an office lunch outing that I find the inside charming in the winter and at the holiday. They make it feel very festive with decoration and menu specials for lunch and dinner. The place really does give me an authentic German feel. When I’m there, it reminds me of some of the places I’ve been to in Germany.

the rathskeller is a big place, review is limited to the main bar area and outdoor patio.
four stars, however i would not eat here unless you enjoy german food. personally i think the food at the ratheskeller sucks, but it’d be unfair to take away a star since i know very well the type of food they serve. the rathskeller is really four stars for it’s location, cozy indoor bar, & great outdoor patio for live music.
when entering the bar, the bar (s) are on the left. a short one that is a great place to grab a quick beer and another for more complicated areas. past the bars is a quaint space that includes several seating options. stay to the left and walk up a short flight of stairs to find the outdoor patio.
the patio is a huge open space with several picnic tables with a music shell in the SE corner. great place for a large group of friends to listen to a band. not many eating options outside, but it’s usually easy to grab a beer.
perfect location near mass ave and a must visit if from indy or visiting. better with a large group, but can be fun for a couple as well.

A really unique building with a castle vibe. When I set foot in here I want to have a feast while watching a jester juggle.
Be sure to check out the awesome beer garden out back!

Excellent downtown venue with great bands on the weekends. It’s hard to say anything negative about the Skeller because it’s so diverse and lively. Love to come here on St. Patrick’s Day for the festivities. Always a good time. Delicious food, great brews, fun crowd.

We visited the Rathskeller for my friend’s rehearsal dinner. We were seated in a secluded room that created a nice group atmosphere. One of the employees who was in charge of ensuring our group was taken care of gave us information on the building and the room as we waited for our food. I learned a lot about the Rathskeller from the «presentation» (Did you know it used to have a bowling alley in it? – I didn’t!)
The food was fresh and tasty! For the rehearsal dinner menu, we were given a choice of soup or salad and an entrée from a shorter list than the regular menu to ensure speed of service for our large group. They even gave each one of us a special rehearsal dinner paper menu that we could keep as a memento. I ordered the salad with balsamic vinaigrette. I had a bit of ordering regret when I saw the potato soup, but the salad was good and I knew I had a pretty heavy meal coming. I ordered the jaegersnitzel for my entrée. I was a big fan! The meat (pork) was tender and perfectly breaded. It was covered in a mushroom sauce and sour cream. The larger mushrooms in the mushroom sauce were a bit chewy, but the smaller ones were good. My two sides were mashed potatoes and the veggie of the day– Brussels sprouts. The Brussels sprouts were said to be cooked well done until crisp but they were served as regular run-​of-​the-​mill cooked Brussels sprouts to me. I was still a fan, but I was expecting something a bit more. The food was all warm, fresh, and delicious! I would definitely suggest going to the Rathskeller for some traditional German fare and make sure to check out the Beir Garden afterward!

Oh the Rathskeller, where to begin? We’ve been here at least 6 times so I guess it’s time for a review! I’m going with a quick list this time.
Pro’s:
1) Awesome and authentic décor. The historic building and it’s ambiance can hardly be beat.
2) Fun beer garten with live music for the 21 and over crowd!
3) The entrée sizes are huge.
4) Yummy complimentary bread basket
5) great place to bring out of town friends!
Con’s:
1) A bit pricey. 2 schnitzel platters, plus 2 appetizers and couple beers will run you $ 100+. Maybe we just eat a lot though!:)

Great location for a 4^th of July celebration. Live music. Certain areas had great view of the downtown fireworks. $ 5 cover charge.
Inside had a banquet hall and regular eating area. Very elegant. Ladies’ restroom had mirrors for brides.
I cannot say 5-​stars because I chose not to eat there. Nothing against them.

We went to the Rathskeller to see the Meat Puppets and loved the back patio. We had beautiful weather and the acoustics were great for being outdoors. They have 2 bars with a full line of drinks, shots, and local beer. The food looked good and was reasonably priced. Picnic tables for seats make it easy to socialize. I can’t wait for the next show.

Great outdoor beer garden/​amphitheater atmosphere for music, which is usually folk or country. Great beer selection. Fun place to meet up with friends or make new ones. No pretense, just a fun atmosphere.

Who doesn’t like German bier and the accompanying biergarten to rock out to? Nobody that’s who! The stage seems right out of post WW2, welcome the troops home kind of thing. Came here last Wed to check out Soul Asylum and Meat Puppets, the acoustics leave a little to be desired but plenty of seating, and shockingly ashtrays and smoking allowed. I don’t smoke but was stunned, take that you anti smoking control freaks!
Have eaten here in the past but just consumed alcohol, something German followed by something else German and copious amounts of H2O. I think the last time I was here was for a St Patty day event, maybe 6 – 7 yrs ago. Always a good time, danke schoen Rathskeller.

Great food and of course bier!
Best German food I’ve had outside of Germany. Few places get everything right, but Rathskellers does it!
Try the «hot» mustard on some wurst or a pretzel… You won’t regret it.
For beer, I tried their Hefe and ale.
Awesome place to come back to in Indy!

Sitting at the top of my list of favorite places to go drink a beer and watch live music in the summertime, the Rathskeller just offers an experience that no other venue in Indy does.
I will very quickly hit on their offerings outside of the biergarten, but you might want to take a gander at other reviews for a more in depth look at these. There is a restaurant component to this place that offers a lot of seating in their darker atmosphere surrounded by wood. I have only had a couple things off the menu, and what I got didn’t stray much from just standard sausages, sauerkraut, and potato salad, but they were all delicious. They also have a large bar area inside with tons of seating that gets a lot more natural light and is covered in cool decorations. The rest of the inside space is a large events area that has a stage and seating for what looks like quite a few people. It is also the area that they use to host bands when it is too cold to be outside.
The area that brings me back here consistently is their huge outdoor biergarten. It is a big space, that has a couple different bars and tons of seating at picnic tables scattered through the whole area. There is always a dance area in front of their really neat stage, and they have it separated into a couple different sections, one being more of a stage area and one being more of a socializing space. You can almost always guarantee during the summer that you will find great live music on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday nights. There is usually a $ 5 cover to get into the biergarten, and it gets full on most nights that they have music, so coming early is the best way to guarantee getting a table.
The bars that are outside have a good selection of German beers that you can either purchase in a small or large size. I think that the large beer is pushing a liter in size and cost $ 9.50 when I was there last, which is a pretty good deal for a tasty German beer, although you better be thirsty if you order one because it is a lot of beer to drink before it gets warm. There is also food available outside, including some easy items like a pretzel and mustard or pizza by the slice. They have bathrooms behind the stage so you don’t need to go inside and they are usually in decent shape, but can develop some long lines. The tables are usually bussed pretty well, but there is no waiter service.
They get a little bit of everything in here as far as music goes, from country, to rock, to the always popular polka. The crowd ranges from college to retiree, and everybody always looks to be having a fun time with a crowd usually gathered in front of the stage for some dancing. The big open atmosphere makes it ideal for a large group, and the $ 5 cover is a cheap way to get a full night of live entertainment. The shows usually start around 7 PM, so you don’t have to wait until late at night to find a fun place to hang out.
This is the best place to spend a summer evening in Indy, so make sure you get check it out for yourself.

Went with a group of folks to take advantage of the devour downtown. As a German, i don’t find their German food to be real authentic. I do not like their Sauerbraten nor their potato salad and their Spätzle are of inconsistent quality. However, hte beer is good, the food portion huge and the ambiance welcoming. The Rouladen, Schnitzel and a few other German dishes are good and i do enjoy the non-​German dishes served there. The stuffed mushroom app is awesome btw.

I’ve now been to the rathskeller twice, both times for a company Christmas party. Each time it has been a wonderful experience and I leave with the intention to visit during normal operation, so I’m going to make that my 2015 Unilocal New Years resolution.
For now, I can only judge then based on catering/​event options from an attendee point of view. With a group of roughly 250 people, they easily accommodated appetizers and entrees. Everything I sampled was delicious, but unfortunately I wasn’t given a menu so I can’t elaborate on item names. They best thing I’ve had her was a chicken dish that was stuffed with cream cheese, lightly breaded, and pan fried. It is heavenly.
There is a bar in the lower level where our party was. It had very limited beers on tap, but we had to use it for our free drink tickets. Once my tickets were gone, I made my way out to the main bar where you can buy any of their beers (in 32 oz) and bring them back into the banquet rooms.
I highly recommend this place if you’re planning a large party and look forward to visiting for an individual meal.

Naja, was kann ich sagen? Ich dachte, dass die Stimmung ziemlich gut war. Das Essen schmeckt aber gut aus, und das Bier… natuerlich kann man das Bier geniessen.
Okay, so Rathskeller is not *really* a German owned /​run restaurant and bar, much to my dismay when I visited in November. But it *is* very, very authentic when it comes to the food, drinks, and atmosphere. I sat at the bar, and spoke with the bar tender, who told me the history of the place (very interesting!) and provided me with feedback on the various menu items. I had an appetizer, but the food was great, and from the hearty eating taking place all around me, I got the impression that the food is consistently a draw.
I am told, in warmer weather, that the Biergarten is the real attraction. If you are not careful, I could see how things could get pricey, or how you could find yourself way more drunk than you expected. They serve a «Mass» — similar to what one would receive at Oktoberfest. It is a solid Liter of beer. Awesome!
The décor and atmosphere of the restaurant are just over the top German — flags from all the Bundeslaende hanging from the cavernous ceiling, various animal heads and busts mounted on the walls. It’s a unique looking place.
I plan on spending many hours there now that the weather is warming up. I didn’t give it 5 stars because I did not have a full meal, or experience the Biergarten, so if it warrants it, I will give it 5 stars when I update this review. I suspect I won’t be disappointed.
If only I could speak some German while I’m there…

Haven’t been for a long time. Jaegerschnitzel was delicious. Onion bread a must have for an appetizer. Not a cheap night out but worth it. The disposable plastic water cup and sauce cups don’t match the linen napkins or prices. And I didn’t realize Adele was German music. A couple misses but didn’t impact the food or service.