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Mon. 11:00 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Tue-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:00 a.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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Best beer hall and garden in town. The hall make me feel like I'm some where in Germany, it's loud and busy after work and on the weekends. The pretzels and mustard steal the show with the German Beer. The party outside is beyond compare, if the band is not to loud.
The inside rooms are also great with a lot of old wood on the walls and an old world feel to the place.
The food is as good as German food comes, every thing I have eaten here has been fresh and tasty!
Remember to eat well and live well and please no chains!
I am slightly torn on this one because where the Rathskeller lacks in good food it makes up for it in atmosphere. In the biergartens, the yummy German beer flows like water and there is always a good band showcasing their talent onstage. The atmosphere is really laid back, so ladies I would have to recommend forgoing the heels for the night (especially because the biergarten is covered in gravel). However this young, chill vibe is much different than the feeling inside.
In the restaurant, the food is pricey and mediocre. I would also recommend against bringing kids...there's no chance of finding them something they would eat on that menu. Also, parking is limited to what you can find on the street.
The Rathskeller is an old style german beer garden that is attached to a more formal dining restaurant inside. While I have never been to the restaurant itself, I hear they serve decent food and it is often rented out for wedding receptions and formal gatherings.
The beer garden is the highlight of this place, and one of the only spots you can get good german beers in the city. There is live music and i've seen some very good bands there in the times i've gone. I've always had a good time and its great to be able to sit outside on nice summer nights and party with a bunch of people.
This is one of the oldest buildings in the city, and was actually build by Kurt Vonnegut Jr.'s grandfather, for the German society of Indianapolis.
The Rathskeller is known for a few things - good German food, expensive and good German beer, and outdoor biergarden. I would tell people to eat in the bar or outside, that way you can get good German eats, and not pay the price of an arm and a leg for the full meals that they serve in the restaurant.
The bar is one of the coolest in the city - from what I have seen of Indy bars! animal heads, Indy historical items and photos, flags, etc. And lots of steins, of course. You can sit at the bar, or at one of the many tables for small and large groups. They often have music in the evenings during the week inside.
When the weather is nice you can head out back and barff. Picnic tables galore, The waitstaff will bring your food out too you when you order inside. If its the weekends - they have food and beer windows open to accomadate the large crowds who flock to the Skeller. They have tons of beer on tap and bottled and canned, so prepare for an overwhelming beer experience, you can sample the ones on tap for free.
I have been told it is a fun place to go for St. Patrick's Day, where bands play inside and hundreds of people flock for booze and green-beer.
As always, my luck I had to be with a 2nd generation German that grew up with the smell of her mother's sauerbraten and red cabbage on Sunday mornings (among other German dishes throughout the week), She was familiar with what German should should taste like and how it should be prepared. Of course, it didn't really meat? her expectations!
Only the tourist types like me!
I got a schnitzel sandwich, with a potato pancake!
I've spent a few drunk summer nights in the biergarten at The Rathskeller, but I recently ate there for the first time. I was with my parents and I was enjoying the food and surroudings so much, I was compelled to ask if I have any German ancestors. The answer was no, but it didn't change the fact that I loved the atmosphere. (And it led to a good discussion about family history.)
I recommend checking out the lunch menu because the prices are right. The food seems traditional and I enjoyed every bite of sauerkraut and marinated beef. The complimentary bread basket includes a warm pretzel and spicy mustard. The flavors are intense, but it's not something I would seek out regularly.
Oh, Jaegerschnitzel, I dream of thee.
In the Vonnegut room,
watched over by the little demon statues on the fireplace.
While drinking Piraat or La Chouffe or Hefe on draft.
Waiting on my Kraut Balls.
Wishing I'd worn better shoes on the gravel in the biergarten.
Fill my belly.
I've never been to the restaurant, so I can't speak to the food, but who needs food when you have German beer? The biergarten is incredible in the warmer months. It doesn't get much better than pitchers of good beer and live music under the stars.
So how does my hometown German restaurant fare with my Wienerschnitzel/Spaetzle/Red Cabbage test? Fairly well. While none of these foods are amazing examples of German cuisine, they fit the bill. The Schnitzels are usually crispy though also greasier than they should be. The speatzle is a fair version, usually nice and snappy but a tad on the bland side. The red cabbage is probably the strongest side on the menu.
The building housing the Rathskeller is one of Indianapolis' most classic buildings. There is so much character in this place that you can't help but feeling comfortable in this unique locale.
Ans anytime I'm here I enjoy the lovely, malty Spaten Optimator, served in a liter mug, the way God intended.
I love the Rathskeller's Biergarten and the wide selection of beers. The beer selection alone should be your reason to visit this gem of a restaurant. The soft pretzels are fantastic and did I mention the beer?
They have live music in the summer in the Biergarten and it is always a fun atmosphere. Definitely a place you should visit at least once in the summer. Visit again in the winter for a full meal. The food is pretty great here too!
Oh the Rat.
While I lived in Indy, my best friends and I had a summer tradition of going to every single Polka Boy concert in the Biergarten. Fabulous, drunken times!! I just wish I could find a place in L.A. that has anything close to this fabulous combination of music, beer, food, and atmosphere! I miss this place and their Polka Boy concerts so much, that I'm scheduling my next trip back to Indy to coincide with one of their shows. I can't wait!
I convinced my husband to book it for our wedding rehearsal dinner, and it was an absolute hit with my picky family! I highly recommend the Wurst Platter. Top notch. Better than any assortment of wursts I've ever had - even in Germany!
As for the bar food, the chicken cordon bleu is to die for. You can feel your arteries clogging as you bite into the fried, creamy goodness, but my god it's SO worth it!
I've only been here once, so try not to take anything I say as concrete for the venu.
The Rathskeller is located in an absolutely gorgeous antique building. The decorations are over-the-top German, yet extremely elegant, and not hokey in any way, shape or form. There are several rooms, including an outdoor Biergarten, with fine dining tables, and each has its own personality. A fun place to get up and explore!
The beer selection is superb, especially if you like German beers, which I do. The dopplebock they had on draught was some of the best I've had. Straight from Germany. Can't beat it.
Unless you come for lunch, the dinner prices are quite high, typically about $20 a plate, if not more. Most dinner plates are quite large, though, and you can split with a friend for an extra $10, which includes an extra plate, 2 sides for each person, and a soup or salad.
Appetizers are unnecessary since freshly baked bread (including german rye and pretzels) are served with dinner.
The wienerschnitzel I had here was thin (which is a good thing), tender and extremely flavorful. I enjoyed every mouthful. The sides of red cabbage and potato salad were a bit acidic for my tastes, even for German food. The spaetzle with gravy on top has to be your best bet.
But the best thing here is the German chocolate cheesecake. A hybrid of the classic chocolate treat on top of a chocoalte cheesecake was extremely worth the mere $4.95 I paid for it. Desserts at "less expensive" restaurants are at least $6. I guess they're banking on people being extremely full from the copious amounts of food they serve!
I've been here a couple times to hang out and once for dinner. I love this place!
The Biergarten is very fun, super noisy and boisterous. I've been on different nights of the week and it's ALWAYS a party.
The food is fantastic as well. I love German food (being 63% German heritage) and it's fun to find a place that will serve it in its authentic messy way. Mmmm Sauerkrat! The brats sampler is awesome, and the onion dill bread blew my mind. I had a Reuben - so hard to find a good one! I could only eat half.
The service inside the bar was great - our waiter was very attentive but not pushy. He helped me pick a beer that I quite enjoyed.
The food can be a little pricey - the brats sampler appetizer is $16, but you won't go home hungry! You may, however, go home with heartburn.
I try to hit up the Rathskellar at least a couple times a summer. I LOVE LOVE LOVE this place. I love the atmosphere and I love when they open the biergarten. It is a SIGN that summer has started in Indy...when it's warm enough to wear a strappy tank top, drink big fatty 32 ounce beers outside and listen to live music, I know my life is getting better by the minute.
I discovered Rathskellar when I moved to Indy in 2002 and it is definitely in my Top 5 favorite places to go in the summer. I didn't have the opportunity to eat here until last year and since then, I've been in HEAVEN.
Authentic German food, beautiful waiters, the list goes on. This place does it right!! My girlfriend hosted her rehearsal dinner here in October and the ribs melted in my mouth (and I don't really EAT ribs). Oh, it was amazing. The food was plentiful, the bartenders know how to mix a mean drink and the beer options spectacular!
This place is a MUST do in the summer and great for groups, big dinners, special occasions and first dates. It will put you in a good mood...hit up the biergarten when Polka Boy or ZanaDoo is playing ...you will have a BLAST!!
Definitely something different when everything else in Indy has that monotone thing going on ...the blah blah blah...we did that last weekend feel. The Rathskellar always has a place in my date book.
The Rathskeller is a great place. I'd have to agree that the Biergarten is my favorite thing about it. Unfortunately, whenever I go I always have the worst hangovers next day though -- the German beers tend to be a little more potent than American versions, plus they taste amazing so they go down too easy AND I never can seem to stop myself from ordering the Rathskeller's version of a Big Gulp. -sigh-
Despite the fact that I always feel terrible the next day, I will continue to return time after time to the Biergarten. The bands are generally really good - go when Polka Boy is playing if you want to see the eclectic crowd get a little rowdy. They also have a nice variety of appetizers and sandwiches that are available outside... make sure you eat to soak up some of that delicious beer!
I've only been inside once for dinner, and remember it was pretty good, but I still mainly go just to hit the outdoor festivities. I think it would be an amazing venue for a wedding reception -- they have a large banquet room and a great catering menu. I planned a dinner for colleagues a few years ago, and was very impressed with the way event turned out.
The first time I visited a true German "biergarten" was in Pittsburgh and I had a fun time during Octoberfest. I had never been to the Rathskeller here in Indy until this summer, and I'm so glad I got a sitter to go out for a ladies night. What a great time! I don't even drink beer very often, but I indulged in a few while here ... just to fit in. (ha ha) I also had a brat and a soft pretzel. And I tried, for the first time, Young's Double Chocolate Stout ... which was pretty good, actually.
I like the location of the Rathskeller ... and wish I'd have had my camera with me. I'll be sure to take that next time. Great location to snap city shots!
I'm not here to recommend the already-established institution as much as I want to laud their world-famous sauerkraut balls.
Okay--they're not world-famous yet, but they ought to be. I tried some too-sour, too-creamy interpretations in a Covington, Kentucky, German enclave, and thought the food wasn't for me.
Then I tried the Rath's circular blend of juicy brats with a few strings of 'kraut, which they serve alongside three homemade sauces. The best is a creamy beer dip that cuts through the meat's density.
I could be buried in these balls.
An institution
If you're in the mood for a hearty meal you can't beat the Rathskeller's traditional German menu and really large selection of imported beers. Live music in the Kellerbar Thurs and Fri nights... Sorry Polka Boy and the Biergarten doesn't open until the 24th of April this year!
i felt cheated over the summer when I went to Rathskeller and saw the OUTDOOR GARDEN! WHHYYY hadn't my friends taken me here in the past? Had i always just come in for a brew so quickly I didn't take the time to go outside? Darn.
The beer is great, the location is great, the outdoors-ness is great.
Thumbs up.
The Rath is one of my favorite places to hang out. The beer is top-notch, the biergarten is the best outdoor drinking spot in Indy and the building oozes character. If you want a sampling of several excellent authentic German, international and domestic beers on tap, then the Rathskeller is for you. The free music on most weekends and some weekdays is great. The interior can be a bit dark and gloomy so if you aren't in that mood, wait until a nice day or night to check out the biergarten.
The only reason I give it 4 stars is because, especially when you are drinking draft imports, you might be surprised the next morning when you realized how much you paid.
"Germany in Mid-America"
i love this place. I visit Indy often and I always seem to end up here. The beer hall and garden is the most authentic in the states. Of course, the beer is great. It's a wide open beer garden with top notch music and people watching. It takes me back to the mother land.
The neighborhood is safe and parking is easy. It's a fun place with great food and drink.
First freakin' rate! Everytime I come through Indy I make a point of trying to get here. Fantastic beers, cool looking rooms, and the food is the stuff dreams are made of (and I am not a big fan of german food). The wursts are simply awesome, the schnitzel is dynamite, and even the lemon pepper chicken is rockin'. They give you hot soft pretzels with a dynamite horseradish mustard sauce for dippin' (and trust me it's damn near wasabi-levels).
They've also got a cool outdoor area where you can get a limited menu and see live bands. I would step through a hail of bullets for the dunkel weiss, in giant schooners no less. This place is a local gem.
For great German food, this is the place. Friendly service and great, 100 years old atmosphere! A hidden GEM in Indianapolis!!! Personally, i don't like "German food" but this place is great! :)
Great beer selection while sitting on picnic tables on a fall day.
This is a great place to get a beer and enjoy live music in their beergarten.
You can bring kids too, but they have to leave at a certain time (not sure when, but you can check with restaurant before visit).
I have dined there as well, it is pretty cool on the inside very antiquish. The food is decent, it is German all the way. So if that is your style give it a try!
Happy Dining!
Guten tag. Ein Schlenkeria Rauchbier, bita.
Der biergarten ist wunderbar.
Far and away the coolest bar in Indy. The atmosphere is awesome. The food is delicious--and not overpriced. The beer selection is top-notch. No complaints possible!
If you follow my reviews much, you by now know I am from Cincinnati. Which if you know much about U.S. settlement structures you know Cincy is one of the most German cities in the country. I love German food and German culture, my heritage is mostly German, my parents are member of some kind of Germanic society in the 'Nati. So...why is this important? Well, Cincinnati hosts the 2nd largest Oktoberfest in the world (2nd to Munich) and has the only other Hofbrauhaus in the world outside of Munich. So I feel pretty qualified to tell you, and I don't mind saying that the Rathskeller blows the Hofbrauhaus in Newport out of the water. My experience at both places is minimal, been to both once or twice, and the Rathskeller has better food, a better beer garden, and a cooler bar than the Hof. The music at the Hof is better, but that's because it's usually nationally acclaimed polka bands that make polka cool again, which I love that kind of stuff. The Rathskeller skews a little bit pricier than the Hof, but its ok because like I said I like the food better.
Going back to the beer garden, if you have never been to the beer garden at the Rathskeller you are out of your mind. I have to admit I went for the first time a few weeks ago and was disappointed in myself for not having found this place sooner. The outdoor area is unbelievable, an expanse of picnic tables with a scattering of wet bars everywhere stocked with your favorites as well as some awesome German brews that can be hard to find. The stage is really cool as well, and they have live music most nights during the summer. For my enjoyment, I would much rather hit the Rath than the Hof, but you know what they say...Don't Hassle the Hof, it's pretty amazing too, so if you find your self in Newport, KY, try it out and see if you don't agree.
Yeah in the summer time this place is great! Nice people good music and you can drink outside until the sun sets. Very cool.
Do you want to go to work today?
NO I DON'T WANNA DO THAT!
Do you want to get a haircut?
NO I DON'T WANNA DO THAT!
Do you want to get married?
NO I DON'T WANNA DO THAT!
Do you want to fall down?
NO I DON'T WANNA DO THAT!
Do you want to drink poison?
NO I DON'T WANNA DO THAT!
Do you want to go to Illinois?
NO I DON'T WANNA DO THAT!
Do you want to go out to a bar?
JA! JA! JA!
Wise words from a local favorite and Rathskeller regular, Polka Boy.
The building that houses the Rathskeller, as well as a large theater and a YMCA, was built in the 1800s by Kurt Vonnegut's grandfather. The architecture is outstanding. The jewel of the Rathskeller is the expansive biergarten. On a nice summer day with a 32 ounce Warsteiner and fun drinking music, there's no better place in Indiana to get drunk.
I always love the big old German restaurant. Hearty food and crisp, refreshing beer is a wonderful combination.
I love this place! If the bar-help got some training in beer culture, a visit would be like a trip to Old Germany. I had the sauerbraten, and many, many brews over several visits.
Pros: Extensive beer selection. Yummy pretzel/bread basket. Ochsenschwanz Suppe. Bar area if a good band/polka is present.
Cons: Tired interior with the charm of a circa-1970-wood-paneled basement. Bland, unremarkable sauerkraut. Rouladen was bland, tough and far from wunderbar. Poor value.
Bottom Line: Indianapolisites praise this place and say the food is A-1 super best yum-o delicious-o. Unfortunately, I have to disagree. I had very high hopes and expectations before dining here, but left the restaurant disappointed. With food that has the charm of a suburban banquet hall, I was completely befuddled as to why the place was so crowded. But who am I to judge other people's palettes? Naturally, YMMV.
Food is par.
Beer Selection is above par.
Atmosphere is a good time during the summer.
I love this place! One of my favorite all time bars. Especially in the Summer because of the Biergarten or Beer Garden (for you non-Germans) in the back. I stop in whenever I roll through Indy. Best bartenders in town. Wayne always somehow remembers what I drank last time I was there. There is a huge beer selection and the big cups are cheap. Believe me, you don't want to know what I pay for it in LA. Do yourself a favor, on a humid night sit outside in the beer garden, grab a pretzel with mustard, a beer, listen to the music, and get to know the midwestern women. The best women out there, by the way;*)
some of the best servers & bartenders & food downtown
yes it's German, brats & wursts, schnitzels
the biggest beer glasses in town
a Chicken Pot Pie to DIE FOR (usually @ Lunch)
Cardinal Hazelnut coffee
we have many monthly business meetings there
& every other year, our XMas party
probably the most masculine bar in town, the stuffed moose heads & wood Everywhere, 100 yrs ago it was a German Only private club
the OUTDOOR GARDEN, huge with it's own stage, bigger than some parks (it seems)
& a great place for Wedding Party (indoor room is just right)
ask for a parking coin to get out of their parking lot cheaper (esp. @ Lunch) come down Michigan St, it's just East next to the building
Fantastic place! Delicious food from the pretzel and bread to the sauerbraten. If you go, you must be waited by Bridget, she is a gem von Bavaria.
Nothing like having great restaurant ambience, fresh beer, and authentic food.
The Biergarten is THE place to be in the summer!!! Tons of great beers on tap, meaty brats, live music, great view of the city...what else do you need?
a great place to eat downtown love their chicken pot pie. b/f and i go there often b/f took me there one time for my birthday and they suggest the dessert Sacher Torte (a chocolate lovers dream) as a side of birthday cake
we love the Hot Wurst Platte & the Rathskeller Appetizer Sampler
they have an elevator if you can't take the stairs
http://www.rathskeller...
This place is the only German based restaurant n Indy, but if this place was located in Germany it likely go bank rupt. Foods average at best.
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