Renate's German Restaurant

A hidden gem in an unassuming strip mall. This is a cute little place with German food and German-themed decor. Parking is easy and there is a small outdoor dining area.

My teenage son and I visited for dinner on a weeknight. The service was very attentive. The menu is pretty extensive and has many traditional German options as well as common American dishes. There were several vegetarian options including cheese spätzle, a veggie burger, breaded eggplant, and a grilled cheese sandwich. There is also a children's menu.

I had the Cheesy Spätzle and my son had the Jägerschnitzel. The portions were generous and the flavor was good. Everything was very enjoyable. It would have been a bonus to have a hearty dark bread with the Spätzle instead of white bread but that's just nitpicking as everything was great.

They have German soda and beer available as well as common fountain drinks.

All of their desserts are made on site. I had the Bienenstich (Bee Sting) cake which was made with honey, almonds, and vanilla cream and my son had a mini banana cream pie. Both were delicious.

We had a chance to speak briefly with one of the owners who was very personable and friendly. We learned that his wife/partner is from Germany and does both cooking and baking for the restaurant.

If you enjoy German food and want to support a local, family-owned small business, I definitely recommend giving this place a try. We will definitely be back!

Probably my favourite German restaurant in Chicago. A hidden gem with all homemade food. From the bread, to the Schnitzel to the Schwarzwälder Kirsch cake - all made right there. Super friendly staff and great prices. Definitely the place to go if you love German food. Favourite item on the menu: Liver Dumpling Soup!

Best German place around! The owners are some of the nicest people; very personable. They make you feel right at home. The liver dumpling soup was awesome. These are my 2 favorite items; I can’t wait to try more. They were also featured on Chicago’s Best.

Today, I had dinner for the first time at an awesome German restaurant in Hanover Park. It's called Renate's Olde Salem Cafe. It was so good!

My mom was with me for dinner tonight. We both started off with an ice cold Haufbrau House beer in a heavy stein. Prost! This was followed by a delicious cup of creamy chicken dumpling soup.

The entrees come with the soup or a salad and a choice from a wide variety of sides. My mom went with plain schnitzel, thus no picture. BECAUSE...I had the Schnitzel Ala Holstein which is served with two sunnyside up eggs (a far more exciting photo op!).

The schnitzel was pounded thin, as expected. The breading was applied perfectly and the seasoning played so well with the egg yolks that I can still taste the awesomeness! We both had the scrumptious spaetzle as our side. As you can see, there's enough food for twp people on the plate! But I ate all of mine. HAHA

If you've always been leery of trying schnitzel, it's just meat that's pounded really thin (pork, chicken or veal) then breaded and pan fried. It's served a variety of ways...mushroom gravy, creamy gravy, eggs, plain, etc. I highly recommend it! Spaetzle is just German pasta.

The service was excellent and I'll definitely go back.

Prost!

#supportlocalrestaurants

Great authentic German food and great servie. We were lucky to have Mike take care of us and what a personable guy. We were made to feel like family, this was really one of the best dining experiences we have ever had. Just an all around great experience. Cant wait to come back here.

We have lost a bunch of German restaurants in the area recently so it was awesome to find this hidden gem. Great food love the atmosphere. The wurst platter and schnitzel are awesome, and the pretzel bread rolls are amazing!

I went a couple weeks to this place. My first time trying German food. No disappointment. The quality of the food was great and fresh. I had a chicken soup with a bun that just came out of the oven as an appetizer that brought me back to live. I had for lunch/dinner their chicken schnitzel that was delicious. I ordered to go the poppy seeds poundcake, a carrot cake and some buns. Everything was delicious but the best was the attention and service. Thank you for bringing a little of Germany to the suburbs of Chicago. I’ll go back soon 😊

Si no has probado la comida alemana antes, este es un sitio que en definitiva te va a encantar. Los empleados te van a ayudar con cualquier duda que tengas respecto al menú. Mi experiencia es 100% recomendado. Todo lo que ordené estuvo delicioso y fresco. En definitiva volveré pronto 😊

The food is AMAZING & the folks who own it full of passion. It’s in a strip mall but that adds to the charm & the surprise that one will find the best
German food with American influences in the suburbs at this little gem! I go 20 minutes out of my way for schnitzel & cheesy spatzel once a week - it’s a plus they always greet w a smile in the typical German stoicism that grew up with but it’s the FOOD folks! You will not find better German in burbs

We have been coming here for years and I never get tired of it. The food is amazing and the owners are also great people. Whether you want to dine-in or take something to-go, you won't be disappointed. A lot of love went into this place and it's receipes and it shows!

Renate's has excellent German food and beer, by far the best in the Northwest suburbs! Ignore the fact that it's hidden in a strip mall, the service is top notch. Stop in or order takeout, you will not regret it.

A hidden gem for authentic German food. Everything we ordered was so flavorful and our waitress was helpful and cheerful. Highly recommended. We will definitely return.

If I could give it 7 stars I would! First time there tonight. Bread was like my great grandma's, chicken soup like the old family recipe... Rahm snitzel was fantastic. Even the kids loved it.

Enjoyed the food very much. Owner was cook and waitress. Loved the roasted potatoes and onions. We appreciated her service. Excellent brownies too! Also other pastries to choose from.

Food and service were excellent. Large portions as well. The Currywurst poutine tasted incredible. Kase Spätzle was 4.5 / 5 stars. Apfel Strudel and some kind of almond cake were both delicious. They even have a GRAPEFRUIT RADLER which are hard to find at restaurants outside outside Germany, it tasted awesome and would recommend you try that if you aren’t ordering a beer. The warsteiner Dunkel I ordered came with a frosted clay mug to drink it out of! Great touch. Great experience. We want to go for breakfast next time

We ate here, Sunday mid-afternoon, and enjoyed a peaceful dining experience. It's a nice spot, for a very tasty homemade German meal, along with imported German beers. The service was quick and friendly. The cafe offers live-music, during the more popular dining-times, as well. We'll certainly eat here, again!

What can I say excellent food, excellent service, excellent Wait staff. Went there for breakfast it was great. But they sell German food so I can’t wait to go there for dinner.

Best German food I ever had. The baked goods are done in house and are fantastic. Must have desert.

Great German food! My father had Leberkaese, which is very hard to find made so tasty and authentically. My mom had Haxen, also made in true German fashion. Also, the decorations were inviting and service was very friendly. Note: it was a bit warm inside.

The servers are incredible. This is the best meal I have had in a very very very long time. The cordon blue schnitzel is out of this world.

Great food & service! First time here and we will be back, need to try some desserts! Food was great!