Lowenbrau Keller Restaurant

The Löwenbrau was my favorite German restaurant in town until it closed. For all those who like me enjoyed the magnificent décor and atmosphere, I’m happy to report that nearly all of that has been preserved in its subsequent conversion to a club venue, the Medusa Lounge.

Fantastic German restaurant that’s so full of eye-​candy, you can’t possibly take it all in.
The service is slow but the Spaten is cold. Take the time to relax and drink in the Teutonic goodness.
I’ve lived in LA for fifteen (!) years now and didn’t know about this place until yesterday. Then this morning, I received the worst possible news– after 40 years, it’s been sold. The place is closing — with the same décor, I hear, going to the new owners — within the next two weeks. It all depends on when the liquor licence is transferred.
If you’re on the fence, get off. If you’re dieting, stop. Get thee to the Lowenbrou Keller before it’s too late. I’m going back again next week as soon as possible. They honestly don’t make restaurants like this anymore. It’s a one-​of-​a-​kind gem.

Change is good. It is important to see eat do taste new thngs.
For that reason my friends and I are always truing to broaden each others horizons. I know that is the deal with lots of Unilocalers and I am proud to have found the site and to be trying to eat my way around town.
I knew this place was there having driven that route for 30 years… but yesterday we went in for lunch and I am glad we did.
The Décor is worth the trip all by itself.
The waitress is a Teutonic Goddess who when young could probably have twisted your head off like a botle cap… not that she would ever dein to open any bottle with anything but an ornate opener carved from a boars tusk or someshuch thing.
The food is good and reasonably priced. I especially liked the Bratwerst which came pan browned in its own fat with sides of sour kraut, excellent potato salad, rolls, sliced tomatoes.
As written b others… the lunch menu is just the waitress telling you what is available. My buddy D said that the Chicken was very good, obviously pan fried by hand and fairly large. We other two had the sausage.
Ours was a lunch trip… but I will be sure to go back at night for drinks.
I wonder how different it will be?
So cool to have a list of places to go.
Bite it.

She’s like the Bratwurst Nazi and I’m her bitch. I never ever wanted to give so much of my money to someone so uninterested in earning it and I loved every minute of it. I’m eating here for the first time and I’m thinking about my next visit. The food is good the beer is great and the place has such an amazingly cool feel about it.
Bring Cash.
Be Patient.
I want to redo their menus. I want to get behind the bar and help pour beers. I want to invest in a new sign and help to update their appearance, but not because I think I can help, I just want to help. I just want them to succeed and I think this place could be wildly successful with a packed house on most days. I guess I just love this place.
The charm about the place is its unpretentiousness. It’s totally real and the Fräulein seems to be burdened at almost ever request, it’s frickin awesome.
If you’re not totally open and into trying something new and different, it’s not the Red Lion experience, don’t go and F it up for those of us willing to wait for perfection.

Gotta love this place. Good food (best sauerkraut ever), fun décor, large motherly waitstaff… who could ask for more? Plus, my parents had their first date here, so you might even say it’s in my blood.
Better make it fast though, I hear the owner/​cook is planning on retiring next year. Rumor has it she’ll be auctioning off all of the cool German kitch her husband dragged back from Europe every summer. Fancy a suit of armor for the living room anyone?

I really don’t want to tell you about this place… because if I do, I get the feeling that it’ll disappear.
Many an antlered chandelier hangs from the exposed brick roof of the Lowenbrau Keller, run by two sweet old ladies who would likely knock your block off if you were to cross them.
The late owner was a movie set designer — his obsession still lives on. Mounted boar’s heads line the walls. A knight’s suit of armor guards the door. Rustic statues occupy every available corner. Deep leather booths await your tired bones.
Walking into the Lowenbrau is like taking a chug of thick, sudsy German kitsch.

Wienerschnitzel is NOT a hot dog, man.
Do you have your own German granny who can cook traditional Bavarian dishes for you whenever you want? Well I sure didn’t! So ‘danke’ to the Lowenbrau Keller — it’s the next best thing.
I’m a huge proponent of the Farmer’s Plate, here. You get a healthy sampling of some of the more traditional Bavarian delicacies: pork, pork, and some other kind of pork. And some sauerkraut. It’s REALLY good; dubiously inexpensive.
We went right after Christmas, so the already mind-​bogglingly lavish interior was particularly festive. Loved the beer — take Olga’s advice and try the «mix» draft, which combines half dark and half light beer.
Everyone’s right about the service — it’s slow (albeit charmingly slow). But come on guys, it’s one old German lady cooking EVERYTHING by herself, give her a break! That in mind, I don’t think you’ll ever see this restaurant at capacity, but you may get turned away on the weekends if you don’t make a reservation (this happened to us the first time we tried to go).
Bring your own lederhosen.

This place is worth one trip to see the insane interior. It is really just like walking into a movie, or dream, or out of a time machine into the1650’s Bavaria of your imagination. I cannot vouch for it’s authenticity, and I seriously doubt anyone with real German roots would feel at home, but as the Disney version it is very funny, and effective.
On to sadder topics, this is not good German food. Those who raved about it i would venture to guess have not had much german food. If you want great sausages, excellent german sides like spatzle, homemade pickles, awesome mustard and kraut, go to The Red LIon, which has much less kitsch, and is still one of the Kitschiest spots I’ve ever seen.
The service is amusingly slow, almost rude, and very much a part of the overall funny experience. We waited 30 minutes for sauerbraten and a polish sausage. These are already cooked foods, folks. What the hell can you do to a boiled sausage for 30 minutes? The sauerbaten looked and tasted very similar to a Hungry Man TV dinner. Maybe they went out to the store to buy one, and that’s what took so long.
It was cute, and fun, but you could never make me eat their food again. (its the wurst. Bahhhahahahaha)

Ever eat sitting next to a suit of armor? Stuffed boar’s head?
Welcome Lowenbrau Keller: one of the most ornate interiors I’ve ever seen.
The friendly German waitress even apologized profusely when informing us it would be a $ 7 split-​plate charge to share a plate of oily sausage and veal loaf. (Shudder.)
Ambience: 11 (pretty darned cool)
Service: 9 (friendly)
Food: 5
The Red Lion has better grub. Come here to have a look around.

Go here, go here, go here!!!
What can I say, I have a very soft spot for classic, old-​school LA kitsch. This place rivals my other fave, the Bahooka, and it’s in LA so go have your next birthday dinner party there.
Like the other reviews, don’t expect quick service, but chill, and soak in perhaps the most over-​the-​top, non-​Tiki interior you’ll ever see. Sometimes they only have the owner and 1 staff so be gracious. I’ve actually asked what night is best for dinner parties & planned accordingly.
I’ve heard Billy Wilder’s prod. designer created the interior and it’s a sight to behold. The German food is above-​average, but it’s the blast-​from-​the-​past, other worldliness that makes this a treasure. It isn’t many cities that have Alice-​in-​Wonderland meet Disneyland meet Casablanca fusions.
Go, go go

I came across this place very very randomly. I was oddly enough walking down this street looking for a place to eat, I had a meeting across the street that got pushed back an hour, and I saw this place, so I went it. The woman who greeted me was kind, and happy to see me and my fellow guest. She took us to a table and set up, the place was already awesome to me, just looking around. I felt like I was in some crazy german or european museum. We were greeted by the waitress rather quickly, and the owner and the waitress both attended to us promptly. We let them know we only had about an hour, and they totally accomadated us… We both had 2 pints of Spaten each, and I had a sausage platter, all of it was amazing! I love the food from that part of the world, and I was loving this place so much. The food, every facet of it, was truly amazing. My fellow guest had a chicken cordan bleu, which was also quite tasty.
I love this place, and I hope to eat at it very often. I’m sure it sucks for people to have to «wait around» if the waitress is slow to them, but this place is awesome for many reason, I personally happened to have had a perfect experience.

A very cool interesting place to dine. It’s not in the prettiest neighborhood, but that gives it tremendous appeal, I think, because all of sudden you’re in this incredible, kitschy German restaurant on the edge of Silverlake and Filipinotown! The food is delish. The potato salad was one of the best I’ve had; the dressing on the salad is an Italian but goes through a remake in this kitchen and comes out sweetish but very appealing. German food is heavy, but the breaded pork chops and the veal loaf were worth it – very good. The beet salad also was one of the best I’ve had, but then I don’t often have German food. The only reason I wouldn’t give extra star is that the service is very slow. I was warned beforehand, but still was surprised. It took an hour for the food to come out and it took about 10 minutes just to get a menu. This is no place to hurry. And, you don’t want to cross the old dame, the owner. I would return to this place. Hope it stays just the way it is, but hire a couple more waiters and cooks.

TRIVIA: This was Elvis’ favorite eatery in LA. He would literally load up his plane and fly the Memphis Mafia to LA just to eat German food here.
When I lived in downtown this was one of my favorite places to hang out. They are basically a two-​person operation on weekdays with the owner and Olga the waitress. Both have been at the restaurant for over 30 years.
THE EXPERIENCE: The parking lot is filled with all sorts and sundry of old cars, welded artwork, and… stuff. You definitely get the impression that the place is closed till you walk in the door. Inside it’s dark, but within a few moments you realize there isn’t a blank wall or ceiling in the place. It’s got little Christmas lights tucked into everything, and the booths are all dark wood and dark upholstery. There is a great bar and a huge grand piano near the entrance. As you go further inside, you’ll find suits of armor, German travel-​guides, and plastic plants. Oh, at the big table is a suit of armor with a freakish suprise inside… enjoy!
You will be greeted by a big, stout, square waitress with an authentic German accent and the attitude to match. Even when the restaurant is completely empty, she will «select» a specific seat for you. Don’t fight it, just go with it. The menu is your typical German fare, and if you ask, Olga will tell you (not suggest) what to order. That’s fine because she’s usually right. One thing to be prepared for, they are often out of a few menu items at any given time, so have a 2^nd and 3^rd choice available. Lunch prices are around $ 8 while dinner will run you about $ 12-​$ 18 per person. The best thing on the menu is actually the liverwurst and fresh bread they bring out to you. It’s always tasty. They also have excellent red-​cabbage kraut that’s served with every sausage meal. Overall, the food is average. I am not saying it is bad, it’s just not the primary reason to come. Come for the atmosphere. Enjoy this time-​capsule from the 60’s.
Oh, the time to come for drinks is late-​September and early October. They rock for Oktoberfest and get large crowds for about 3 weeks. A lot of them are German nationals, and you will feel like you are visiting Munich at night.
I ask personally that you patronize this place. It is just too charming and the ladies that run it are fabulous. Unfortunately it’s a little off the path now, and their clientele is small. A little background, the intimidating German waitress is actually the sweetest person in the world, and she’ll pull out albums and albums of pictures to show you once you get to know her.

An eccentric and unique German inspired restaurant in a rather kitschy enclave.
Lowenbrau is a one of a kind restaurant that offers marginal food but its obundance of character and unique décor makes it a must do!
A sweet yet cranky old woman greets you at the door (Olga) and seats you inside this windowless pit. You immediately notice the furnishings that dont appear to have been replaced in over 40 years.
The sevice is INCREDIBLY slow so be sure to be free for at least 2 hours especially at lunch. The meals are suprisingly priced high. For the quality of the random menu, you wouldnt expect to pay moderate prices. Typical dish will be anywhere between $ 12 – 20.