We are proud to say that The Gasthaus German Restaurant always has been a family restaurant. We love sharing our family traditions with yours and seeing our guests enjoy them throughout the years.
Please check out the latest article featuring the owner Annemarie in the Courier-Journal: >>click here<<
We were lucky enough to get reservations at the Gasthaus German Restaurant for a Friday night. It’s in a strip mall near the intersections of 264 and Brownsboro Road. From the outside it doesn’t look like anything special, but on the inside it is very unique. Amongst the tables, there are two small chalets inside the restaurant with tables inside, a very small bar area, tons of German decorations, and a lot of family pictures (the owners have 5 children that were raised in Germany). The servers seem to be from Germany or Europe (my husband ordered in German without any strange looks), and they all wear traditional Dirndl dresses.
There were people waiting outside the restaurant for it to open, but we were all seated as soon as it opened – 6pm on the dot. We looked over the menu and ordered our food. The menu warns that everything is made fresh to order, so we expected a bit of a wait for our food to arrive. The wait didn’t seem long between courses, however we did spend over 2 hours at the restaurant. We all enjoyed our entrees, but the best was yet to come.
The desserts are all displayed on a table as you enter the restaurant. The dessert menu has all the possible desserts listed, but each night, they tell you which fresh desserts have actually been made that day. When we went, there were about 10 desserts offered. Our table ordered about 5 of them and we shared them. My personal favorite was the Sunken Chocolate Soufflé. The food was the most delicious food I’ve eaten since our trip to Germany several years ago. It is authentic, German food cooked and served by Germans, in a German environment.
Every entree was delicious, the service was fantastic, and the environment is unique. I’d highly recommend Gasthaus German Restaurant for a special occasion, a date night, or if you’re looking for authentic German food. It can also be very educational for kids to see what people eat in other countries and cultures. They have very limited hours, so be sure to check for open times and make a reservation. Opening hours are for dinner only, Tuesdays-Saturdays 6pm until 9:30pm. They are closed Sundays and Mondays. Reservations are highly recommended, especially for large parties and on weekends!
A word of caution: When we opened our menu, there was a photocopy of a newspaper article about teaching kids proper manners for restaurants. We got the impression they did not want crying, unruly kids dinning in their restaurant. There were also only two options for kids’ meals, however we ordered a smaller portion of another entree on the menu for our kids’ meal. At the end of our meal, the waitress thanked us for our children behaving so well. This may be a better place for a date night if your kids are not used to being patient and quiet during restaurant visits.
On December 18th, 1993, after months of remodeling, the Greipel Family, all born and raised in Germany, except the oldest daughter Simone (born in London, England), finally opened the “Gasthaus” at its present location.
Executive chef/owner Michael Greipel together with Chef Justin Huber, create authentic dishes from Old World recipes. Annemarie Greipel, her daughter Simone, and granddaughter Molly, and friendly staff are responsible for taking care of the guests, many of them regulars.
Since opening in 1993, the menu has grown from a few items to a large selection. Everything is made from scratch, using only the finest and freshest ingredients. Michael handpicks all his meats, fruits and vegetables daily. Annemarie and her daughters make all the desserts daily, in house from family recipes.
While most of the entrees are ‘a la carte’, special requests are gladly accommodated after a short consultation with the chefs.
Parties and take-out orders are welcomed.
The Gasthaus can seat approximately 60-70 people. The décor, which includes two ‘Chalets,’ is a mixture of family pictures and personal items from the Greipel’s home in Germany (Bochum) and gifts from guests. A family member painted the two murals on the walls. The female servers, several of them from Germany or Europe, wear traditional Dirndl dresses.
The whole restaurant is available for private parties or special occasions. There has even been a real wedding in one of the ‘Chalets’. For many years ‘Wave 3’ TV (NBC affiliate) has broadcast a live show from the restaurant.
The Gasthaus Team has taken part in cooking demonstrations on TV as well as the ‘Home and Garden Show’.
The Gasthaus consistently receives positive reviews from newspapers and magazines. The ‘Guide to the Best Restaurants in America’ has named the Gasthaus ‘The Best German Restaurant’ in Louisville for 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016.
People visit from all over America and the world, which the guest books confirm. The whole Gasthaus Team, many of them having been there since ‘day one,’ take great pride in everything they do.
The Gasthaus is conveniently located on the corner of I-264 (Watterson Express Way), Brownsboro Road and Rudy Lane. The address is 4812 Brownsboro Center, Louisville, Ky 40207. Opening hours are for dinner only, Tuesdays-Saturdays from 6pm until 9:30pm. Closed Sundays and Mondays. Reservations are highly recommended, especially for large parties and on weekends! Please call 502-899-7177 to place a reservation.