Rathskeller

Had heard great things from a friend, so I was looking forward to trying it. Ugh. Service was slow and unfriendly. I can tolerate that if it comes along with good food. But it didn’t. Food was average at best. Possibly the worst vegetarian sandwich I’ve ever had and it was expensive at $ 10.99. My mom got the wrap, which was about half full of food. Best part? No soap in the dirty bathroom. Not even an empty container. Just no soap. Saw two employees use this same bathroom while we were eating… So obviously the employees aren’t washing their hands. Awesome. Sandwich with a side of hepatitis, anyone?

We generally come to Fredericksburg 3 – 4 times a year and the Rathskeller is always one of our stops. There is a delightful lady that seats you, changes the menu board and gets your drink order. She makes this place.
The service here has nearly always been good — one exception but that waitress we had seen at another location and has an attitude and likes to play with her phone instead of waiting tables. She didn’t last.
So service and wait staff here have always been good. Food is good and the daily specials are usually quite good and recommend them. For German fare it is ok — probably on par with others in town. So be adventurous when dining here and do not feel obligation to order German dishes.

Server was super nice, Burger was really good and fries tasted like they had cinnamon. The German plate was decent but not amazing. The atmosphere was cool though.

We made an impromptu visit to Fredericksburg and after some shopping downtown we needed a place to eat supper. It’s Memorial Day weekend and there are people everywhere. So, we figured it’d be murder trying to get into a good restaurant.
Fortunately after a lot of searching in Unilocal,we found a restaurant not far from our hotel.
We took two passes before seeing the sign. It’s in the basement and another restaurant is above it. So, just trust that it’s really where it shows on the map.
We fortunately just beat the dinner crowd and got a table for four quickly. Then the crowd made it on and the place was rocking. Our waitress was insanely busy but took great care of us.
We ordered the Italian Spinach soup, one cup that is. Then had to order another. It was so good the four of us shared both.
I ordered the Chicken Fried Chicken with corn and the garlic mashed potatoes and corn. I cleaned my plate. My wife ordered the Chicken Fried Steak, green beans and the garlic mashed potatoes. She cleaned her plate. One daughter ordered the meatballs with angel hair pasta. There is a reason they call it meatballs with pasta… the meatballs were plenty. The marinara sauce was good. I know cause I tried it. Then my other daughter got a pasta dish called Crudo. Angel hair with tomatoes, garlic, basil and olive oil. She added chicken. It was very good. Yep tried it too.
We all left plump and happy. Then made a stop at the fudge and candy store right next door for a dessert to be had later. But before then we looked at the goldfish pool next to the building. Was a neat thing to see with the landscape flowers and such.
This is now our must stop at restaurant here.

We had lunch at this small yet cute restaurant. Food was really good and fresh. Definitely recommend.

First time here, was greeted warmly and quickly. We made it just in time for breakfast, food came out very quickly which may indicate the food was pre-​prepared and my potatoes were lukewarm, which got cold quickly. I ordered the Italian omelet (basil, mozzarella and grilled tomato) which was good but could use some kind of meat in it and some more tomato in the omelet, as opposed to one grilled slice. My fiancée got the duck hash which he enjoyed. Service was good, not overly friendly but def on top of her game. We would go back maybe to try the lunch, overall ok kinda place.

In complete contrast to our other breakfast experience while in Fredericksburg, my wife and I LOVED our time at Rathskeller.
Nestled in the basement of an old building on Main Street, Rathskeller has a nice atmosphere and good vibe for breakfast. We grabbed a table immediately as we walked in and were quickly greeted by a kid that looked 12, but was quick at getting our drinks. Soon after we were greeted by a friendly waitress that took our order.
We decided to start with the hill country beignets which I will say for any veteran of New Orleans weekends, the name «beignet» was either misleading or inappropriately used. These were more like sweet hush puppies served with raspberry jam. They were neither great nor bad but not the highlight of our meal.
My wife and I split the pancakes and Italian Omelette. Both were incredible. Did you know that fresh basil actually worked with eggs? Seriously, eggs, mozzarella, tomato and basil. It was fantastic! The pancakes were also fluffy and delicious. All in all it was a great breakfast and I would go back.

You have GOT to try their version of beignets-​to die for! We also had the duck hash and it was fabulous! We went 2 mornings in a row it was so delicious! It’s in the basement with a very cool atmosphere. It’s bigger than it looks as there I smite seating around the corner in back. It’s a busy place so you may have to wait in line but it’s totally worth it! One thing to note-​there is only 1 toilet in the entire place for all patrons…

Everything was delicious! I recommend for lunch the Hill Country Dip… Roast beef sandwich with special dip sauce!

Had a fantastic dinner here while on vacation. Our server was strange, though. Absentminded, distracted, but somehow, he got the job done and everything was exactly as we asked. Maybe he had just woken up; I don’t know.
We were in the mood for steak. Both the ribeye and the New York strip were superb. Good quality beef, cooked exactly to order, and nicely seasoned. They both had fantastic sauces, too; the kind where you mix them into your mashed potatoes so you can keep eating them without licking the plate. It was a few weeks ago now, so I don’t remember everything that went into them, but one was onions, mustard, and some kind of alcohol and the other was mushrooms in a red wine reduction. Dark, rich, with a hint of sweetness — I could drink the stuff.
The fried catfish plate (easily split between two kids) was also spot-​on, with crispy-​crunchy fresh catfish and a bright tartar sauce. No complaints at all.
The dining room is a bit cramped, as you might suspect given the restaurant’s in a cellar, but man — it’s worth a visit.

While it was a quaint little restaurant in the basement of the historic hospital building, I was kind of underwhelmed by the food.
I ordered the jägerschnitzel which I appreciated was actually veal instead of pork like many restaurants do. Unfortunately the sauce broke separating into a gelatinous goo halfway through the dish. There was not enough mushrooms either. The veal was tasty once you scraped the gravy off. DH had the fettuccine Alfredo which he said was delicious! Very cheesy!
We were excited to order the apple strudel that is made in house. It was served with fresh whipped cream. I don’t know when the apple strudel was made but the crust is supposed to be flaky and light. This was a soggy mess! The only explanation I can think of is it must have been in the fridge for a few days. Sadness.

The only positive is my tea glass was always full. The negative… bad service, sandwiches were awful, prices were more than should have been. Not doing this place again.

We are in Fredericksburg for our anniversary! We had a free breakfast voucher and this was one of the restaurants to pick from. We went around 945 on a Tuesday morning and found a place right in front to park! Went down the steps to the cute basement restaurant. We sat ourselves and were quickly waited on. I ordered the smoked salmon and poached eggs and my husband ordered the Duck Hash. You can see the kitchen cooking and the food was out quickly! Great breakfast!

Great food and great service! We were only one of two tables in the first dining room and were immediately greeted and had our drinks brought to us. I ordered the Jagerschnitzel and it was AMAZING along with the red cabbage and German potato salad. My fiancé ordered the German Sampler Plate which had two different kinds of sausage, half serving of Jagerschnitzel, sauerkraut, German potato salad, and red cabbage. He said his was wonderful with exception of the sauerkraut. I took a bite of it and spit it out, it was disgusting and old. (I’m a fan of sauerkraut, no that’s not anywhere close to what it’s supposed to taste like.) I really enjoyed dinner here and would return again!

They didn’t have most of the beers on the menu (and didn’t let us know until we asked).
Pointed to the specials on a board behind where we sat ourselves instead of just saying that. The food wasn’t bad at all, but wasn’t particularly memorable.
The atmosphere is great; it is reminiscent of Germany, but this place, for me, was a lot of wasted potential. Fair prices, but how do you have an off-​the-​radar German fare basement restaurant without an exceptional tap (let alone no tap at all)?
I’d consider going back if I were in Fredericksburg again soon but not before looking into other options.

We ate for lunch and breakfast and the food is amazing and the service was great. Quaint restaurant in the basement of a historical building! I would recommend this place highly. They never let your coffee or tea go down. They are very service oriented. Everything we had was delicious

I love this place!
Any time I head to Fredericksburg I make it a point to stop by and have a meal. Usually I get their big German sampler plate. I loved it! Fiancé said it was a little on the salty side though in case anyone is averse to that; but frankly I thought it was good and a great way to try all of their meats with the sauerkraut and cabbage.
I also tried to Apple Strudel, definitely delicious. They use the cooked apple slices with what looks like brown sugar for the filling along with what may be homemade whipped cream. I tried to share… but I ended up eating it all myself! It was tasty without being overly sweet (proven by the fact I was able to finish it!) I think it’s big enough for two to share.
Ambiance is cozy! I feel like I’m a different place we eat there. Just a great experience in general.
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Heads up, for those who need disabled access or those who don’t fare well with stairs; I don’ think it’s very accommodating on that front. Both entrances have stairs from what I remember, and there is only one bathroom for men and women. Bathroom probably wouldn’t fit a wheelchair. There may be another way in, but you’ll have to call them and ask.

Unfortunately, I found the German Sampler Plate not very good. Sausages were tasty, but there wasn’t enough. The rest were very very vinegar-​y and not that appetizing, or filling, for the price.
I will concede that the atmosphere is really cool, as you’re literally in a big, old basement.

Family operated (or so it seems) and quaint but really nothing unique or outstanding. The secret feeling, basement location under the old hospital (now the kitchen gadget store) is pretty neat and makes you feel like you know a secret hideout that others are bot privy to.
The food was good and the serving sizes quite large. The customer service was not bad either. One thing we appreciated a lot was that the wraps came with fresh fruit instead of fries or chips.
Would we go back again, maybe. It was good just not mind blowing. It will tug on my heart strings to pass by for a different dining experience next time.

OK, we are tourists looking for a good lunch in a non tourist location. Hard to find on Main Street but this place does a pretty good job. We would go back.
The sampler plate was well done and the items were very good. My wife had the soup of the day and she said it was homemade and very good.
Would probably add another star for a little better service, otherwise it is worth a try.