Kaiserhof Restaurant & Biergarten Reviews

I am German myself and always wanted to stop in here and eat. Got to go this past Saturday night. The food was good, but I remember my moms was better. Not to say that this was not good as it was. Parking could be sticky, but luckily we found a spot. All and all we had a nice visit.

I love the food here. Many German specialties on the menu, including some wild game. I love the pepper steak, weinersnitchel, and trout. Come hungry as portions are huge.

Visited here with friends and family. They catered well for the children and the service was very good. Everyone in our party enjoyed their food though I didnt think my dish was up to much but it would not stop me from eating here again as it was more of a palate thing than anything particulary wrong with the meal. The beer was the best part of the experience. Myself and a friend drank 2 jugs of MUNCHEN HOFBRAU (i think thats what it was) - very dark ale - looks almost like Guinness. Would have given it 4 stars but I thought it was a little over priced as its not really a pretencious place but the price was. If you are in the area please check it out. By the way I had the Weiner Schnitzle, not very tender and over cooked - sides were delicious though.

I visited Kaiserhof on gameday against France and I was ill-prepared for the fact that the restaurant gave first-come first-serve to callers and not actually those that showed up in person. My friend and I arrived a few minutes after the doors opening and we were met with a pessimistic doorman that told us (sort of) that we could stand in the narrow area behind the bar and made it seem like that because they were full that any "extras" were not really welcome...that is the feeling I got from him and the waitress who seemed very stressed by the volume of beer and food. I am giving this place a bit better rating that deserved because the bartender and waitress behind the bar were friendly, the atmosphere was mainly authentic Deutsch, and the currywurst was tasty. I will give it another try to give them a fair chance.

Best German food I have eaten in the U.S. Great selection of dishes always prepared very tasty and a large beer selection. The side dishes are all good and the Rostbraten is to die for.

Judging from other reviews, we expected a much better German food experience than we had. Entrees were tough, sides were dry, nothing had much flavor. The atmosphere was nice, service seemed slow for a weekday evening. We were disappointed and won't return.

The hubby and I thought we'd go to this restaurant prior to a trip to Germany last summer so we could learn about German food. It was fine. That's all. Not much for a vegetarian... either here or in Germany.

There aren't many places to get German food but this place definitely serves authentic German food. (I know because I cook it as well) In my opinion it's pricey, but you do get generous portions. As soon as you walk in you feel like you stepped into a restaurant in Germany. German music and decor as well as wait staff dressed in German costume. I was disappointed as our waiter was not German, nor was he very friendly. I felt like we were an inconvenience for him. I had goulash soup and asked if they had any bread besides rolls (was hoping for good German bread) and he said they didn't have any. Two minutes later the table next to us got served soup and they got got bread with their soup so that pissed me off a bit. If it wasn't for the bad service I'd give 5 stars.

our family when out there and really enjoyed the food and atmosphere. Service was outstanding. The German decor was very pleasing to look at.

The food at this restaurant is authentic german and the portions are generous. The selection of german beers on tap is quite good as well. The only downside is the service. Our waitress was slow and very confused. When she asked two of her male coworkers for help, they simply said "NO" and moved on. The restaurant Is a little antiquated and could use a touch-up.

My wife, Brother and his wife all went to Kaiserhof Restaurant. My wife and I travel to Germany and Austria often and so we are always looking for authentic German cuisine. Location - busy area and so know there is parking in the back. Upon entering the restaurant we were greeting immediately. We had a reservation for 5 and we were 15 minutes early so we sat in the Beer/Bier Garden. Very nice. From there we were taken into the dinning area. The dinning area at nice and so we were comfortable. The service - One very important point to remember, this is a German Restraunt and so the service we experienced we typical in Germany. Actually the service in our opinion was good. The food was brought out quickly and the service was fast and so not any complaints for this. The Beer selection was wonderful along with the wine selections. We were there for the beer. The food was done well - the meats were excellent and the veggie were really good! The Brot/bread selection we got a small roll but that was all. So we were happy with the visit and would recommend to anyone who needs to get a German food fix - it is a good place to go and we recommend that you make reservations ahead of time. We hope you will be satisfied there...

IF you want real German cooking in a very nice atmosphere, then this is the place. The menu is vast and we went with a group of five and I can say everyone liked their order and will be back. We are locals and just discovered this place. I did come to Trip Advisor prior to coming and the only item of concern was the service which I can confirm is a bit slow. To overcome that we suggest order drinks and appetizers at the same time. When the appetizers come order the remainder. The on line menu is very useful. While the service is a bit slow, the quality is outstanding and a fix on the service would then merit 5 stars. Having been to Germany many times, the food here is as close to there as you will find in San Diego. Highly recommend you look at their web site prior to going.

No dogs in here. Open Tues-Sat at 4:00 with dinner starting at 5:00. Friday and Sat they serve lunch and Sunday there is brunch. We got there about 6:15 and Happy Hour goes from 4-7. Free food: veggies, sliced sausage, chicken, potato pieces. Excellent selection of German beer starts at $3.50 per small mug. Happy Hour food menu is small. Nice dining area with linen tablecloths, etc. Bartender gal was knowledgeable, but not a lot of fun or full of smiles. Would for sure go back. I rated is casual as we were in shorts and t-shirts, but it does have a nice formal area as well.

Great food. Started with the baked camembert and the smoked salmon. I had the jagerschneitel with veal, which was great. The cucumber salad is good, altho i prefer the german salad with sour cream...the potato pancake was also good, but i do not recommend the german potato salad.

I'm giving this 3 stars so you read this. I actually am still in shock there should be a no star area for this review. My family has been going to Kaiserhofs for many years. It's one of my parents favorite restaurants. My mother was German and had a soft spot for their meatloaf. She passed away a little over a year ago. With this being said my Father who is 87 years old we decided to take him here for Fathers Day for more great memories. We got there at 5:00 so it wouldn't get late for him, expecting to get home no later than 6:30. We knew we were in trouble when our server couldn't even take our drink orders. Then I had to ask him to let us order our appetizers then dinner. The restaurant was not even full when we ordered and of course by 6:00 it was hopping like usual. We got our appetizers and salads which was great but we kept looking for our waiter because we needed refills etc. clearly the service was the problem! So after waiting an hour and a half for our dinner to get to the table my Father and my husband and the rest of us noticed everyone except us had eaten and left!!! I finally went to the front desk to complain and ask where our food was mostly for my dad and a waiter came by and said that I needed to go with him and the owner will talk to me. I'm thinking great because I'd rather speak privately to him.....instead the waiter took me to the kitchen and the owner started screaming and yelling at me like a crazy person saying that I can go to hell and that 2 people didn't show up for work then says he's ready to have a heart attack!!!!!!!! Seriously I've never ever been sent back to a kitchen of a restaurant and get yelled at by the crazy owner spitting out flem all over the food and yelling sooooo loud that my nephew could hear him screaming from the bathroom at me!!!! Seriously all I wanted to do was complain about the service because clearly it was our server tonight but after what this man did to me I went back to the table in total shock not knowing what to do because I didn't want to upset my Dad on his day...especially because at his age this might his last so once he heard about what just happened he was very upset as to what the owner did and we decided to leave. As soon as we got up, the food was coming and by then I just wanted to get out of there! My sister then spoke to the hostess expressing the disappointment in what happened tonight and asked just for my dads order to be packed up so he could at least have his duck. The owner refused to allow him this on fathers Day!!!!!!! After everything that has happened I question why an owner of a restaurant would send a customer in the kitchen especially when I'm wearing sandals which is against code in California, then proceed to lose it uncontrollably in front of his employees screaming like a madman! This man needs to sell his restaurant and go live on a beach somewhere seriously!!!! Born and raised in Point Loma I'll be letting everyone I know what happened at Kaiserhof today.......use your judgement but I still have visions of the owner cooking and spitting in the pan he was cooking in pretty disgusting!!!!!! Eat at your own risk so so so sad because this used to be a special place

April 25th my wife and I ate supper here. I had Sauerbraten, Bavarian and potato pancake and spätzle. Could not finish it all, so took it home. Tonight heated it up and when taking a bite of spätzle, bit on something hard. It was a piece of glass. Yes glass. I have tried to email this, but there is no email address listed. I am not asking for anything, but this needs to be flagged. There has to be more glass from some breakage in the kitchen. I tried to post a picture of the piece of glass, but it does not work. Someone in the kitchen had to have known there was a glass breakage, so if it was reported, was a bad job of insuring customer safety. Picture of glass piece is on the right side of the plate.

I have been going to the Kaiserhof since the days when they were located on Waring Road. I actually prefer the new location in Ocean Beach and the biergarten is very cool. I am a big fan of weinerschniztel and they make a good one. The owner is an interesting fellow as well.

We have eaten here several times, most recently November 2011. We enjoy traveling in Germany and we find good German food and beer hard to get in the US. The bottled beer here is never 100%. Kaiserhof offers the real deal German beers and I'm not sure how they get them here so fresh. The food is about a four, varying somewhat from dish to dish (some of which is just like my Oma's) and the service is usually about a three and a half, again varying somewhat, like Oma's.

Had some great food and beer here when we spent a night at Ocean Beach. Fast service, tasty goulash and brats and good atmosphere!

My partner and I usually go to German restaurants on all of our vacations. There were not many to choose from in San Diego. We chose Kaiserhof Restaurant because it is on Sunset Cliffs The menu was overpriced for lunch, and the food was ok. for 2 people for lunch our bill was $60. Not including drinks or gratuity. Maybe I'm wrong, but these seem like dinner prices to me.

OK, I have been scouting this place for a few weeks and finally decided to take a look inside. The German food is great the staff is very friendly. Scott, Karen and Cindy are great. You will find "local Germans " enjoying a Stein of beer. You might think you are actually in Germany as you will over hear the language being spoken. During Happy hour , they have free food in the bar, its not you typical bar food, spatezel, wurst, wings and fresh veggies. Then order the off the menu. Sauerbraten is awesome and plenty of it. This place is on my bi-weekly rotation, thought I could do weekly, but I would pack on the weight. Great place for family,friends,couples and business.

Our family of 4 recently enjoyed a Friday lunch at the Kaiserhof. While vacationing in the San Diego area, we read the TripAdvisor reviews & decided to give it a try. Since we are a family of German immigrants, we are familiar with the cuisine and somewhat picky. Let me just say that the Kaiserhof had some of the BEST German food we've ever eaten (family cooking excluded) in the USA. The 4 of us ate, enjoyed & shared the following; herring in sour cream, veal & pork bratwurst, schnitzel, potato pancakes, sauerkraut, red cabbage, roasted potatoes, cream of asparagus soup, cucumber salad....all were mouth wateringly delicious. Sure the recipes might not be exactly as my family prepares them....but whatever is? The Kaiserhof is NOT cheap but absolutely worth it. Our waitress Ulla was friendly and funny. We enjoyed practicing our German. The restaurant has parking in the rear as well as along the street. Yes, the interior feels a bit "tired" and could use some updating. Still - we came for the authentic German food....and the Kaiserhof delivered it 100%!

A very fun place to come with friends for food and drink, however if you're coming at night on a weekend, be prepared to wait a very long time due to under staffing issues. Our waitress was cool and did her best to pay attention to us but I think she had to wait all the tables in the outside area. We got food and drinks spread out over 3 hours during dinner service, so you shouldn't come here unless you have that kind of time at night. We didn't mind since we were catching up with friends. This place has really huge entree portions so unless you are very hungry you may want to consider splitting a plate and ordering some appetizers. Giant pretzels are a must, comes fresh out of the oven with delicious mustard!

If you want authentic German food but can't travel to Germany, this is the spot. Located in Ocean Beach, this long established restaurant has a nice beer garden, great brats and a large selection of German cuisine

I understand that a German tourist may not be satisfied with Kaiserhof's food. But as a German who has been living in the US for a quarter of a century I found Kaiserhof very acceptable. I tried a few typical German dishes: Goulash soup, potato pancakes, rouladen, wiener schnitzel. The soup was too thin but everything else surpassed my expectations. I go back to Germany on a regular basis and must say that in many restaurants in Germany the food is not better than Kaiserhof's. Yes, there is only limited parking. But why not park on the street? Yes, the atmosphere is oldfashioned. But isn't that exactly what the average American expects from a German restaurant? My only major complaint is the service. We had a very unpleasant (my American wife said typical German) waitress. I still wonder if she ever smiles.

This happened a few years ago and it still makes me mad. A few years ago my family and I lived in the area near this restaurant. We made this place out second home. ALL OF US. All fifteen of us used to come here and eat and sit outside in the patio area where (being a respectful but international group) a few of us would smoke cigarettes, (which was allowed in the patio area at that time) and my father used to smoke his pipe as well. It was a kind and family oriented environment. Nobody ever complained because if they did not enjoy the smoke on the patio, they simply went inside to eat their meals. My problem here wasn't the fact that they changed their policy about smoking or non smoking in the patio, it was the horrible way in which good and constant customers such as our entire family, who also spoke about the food and restaurant to many many others, on that day we were treated HORRIBLY. I cannot remember now the exact words but a lady came to us and said "you can't smoke here" in a very demeaning tone, when she had seen us there before countless times! And we responded thinking she was joking! And she continued quite disrespectfully. It's too bad because the food here was delicious and we used to love it here. It felt like home. It felt like a good old German restaurant NOT in California. You actually took a place that felt like a beautiful European restaurant and made it feel like all other dumps in the area. Congratulations way to go. We made it a point to never come back since we didn't not appreciate the way we were treated that day. Imagine how bad it was that I remember it like it was yesterday and this was YEARS ago. At least 5 years have passed since then if not more. Next time, you should be kind to customers who enjoy your restaurant as much as we did. NEVER coming back.

So my friends and I wanted to try German food although they are not known for their food we went ahead and visited this place. I had read about their cucumber salad etc. Ok, Cucumber salad was very good! I loved it. No bad things to say about that. So, I got the beef Roulade which was very salty and I eat salty. I can't say it was bad because I'm not sure if that's the way it was supposed to be but I didn't like it, I had to drink a lot of water. I got potatoe salad as a side and a noodle side. They were very flavor less but I did eat some to take away the saltyness in my mouth. Of course I didn't eat it all, my tongue felt weird from so much salt. And price was a little to much plates are 20 and up. I dont mind paying more than that if its good but its not my type of food. Of course I had to try the beer and that was good :) so that's a good point. Service was not good at all. First we waited a good 5 minutes to be seated thats with a reservation. We sat in the patio which was nice and heated. The food took close to an hr to arrive, and the waitress didn't refill our waters or ask if I wanted an actual glass of beer. I had a sampler of beers. Since food wasn't great I was looking foward to trying the German cake but waitress never offered dessert and just brought the check to us so I just paid and left. If service would have been better I would have tried the German choc cake and the whole experience over all would have been better with better service.

This place is a little gem..The food is down delicious and so much of it..The shrimp cocktail has the best shrimps I ever had and the cucumber salad thins sliced marinated in the dressing is fabulous..THe vegetables are cooked in a very tasty sauce instead of been just california half done..The service is professional and with personality ..The best experience I had for a pleasant social lunch..Will go back for the sunday brunch.

1st time here last night, mind blown! Great beer selection, 17 different beers on tap! The food was absolutely amazing, the people working here were dressed as you would hope they are for such a place, highly recommended, I'll be back the next time I'm out there.

The baked Camembert appetizer is sensational. The cucumber salad is delicious. The dinner rolls used to be better. They have changed bakers. My wife and I usually get the pork schnitzel. It is tasty and the breading ripples. The beers are great, our favorite is bitberger. There is outdoor seating in the beer garden or inside in the dining room. Make a reservation! Especially on the weekend.

We were a party of six to celebrate a birthday. We all ordered the Weiner Schnitzel and one Breaded Shrimp. We were fortunate that we arrived in time to order off an 'early bird' type menu where prices were about $10. less. We tried to order one meal to go but our server wouldn't let us and said later. The server was attentive and did a great job until the end when we re-tried to order the to-go meal for a missing spouse. We surmised we were going to be charged the regular price because we were no longer in the 5-6:30 pm time frame even though we did try to place that order originally. The server had to 'speak with the manager' and we were charged the lower price. The server 'huffed' under their breath while clearing the table and was obviously put out by our billing complaint. I thought our server was overwhelmed and I DO have an odd family so we did leave a very good tip. We had dined here before and the food is very good and authentic but pricey if not for the early bird special that we took advantage of.

Haven't been here in years. Came today for a feineds birthday dinner. Great food, classic German beers, fair service. I had the goulash on spatzel. Was so delicious I thought my grand mother was in the kitchen :)

So following Germany's victory in the WC final, I left the bar I watched the game and wandered right into Kaiserhof's, what a mistake that I didn't research this better and watched the final here!!!! Well speaking with the owner, I wouldnt have been able to get in since they were booked 2 days earlier!!!!! But still what a great beir garden with a great selection of German beers and alcohol. The service was fantastic, the atmosphere was at an all time high due to Germany just winning the World Cup, but that aside I will be back. Since I ate at a previous bar, I am very anxious to try the food here which all looked awesome when I spied what people were ordering at other tables, but the beer here and a couple of apple schnapps shots were great. This coupled with the Germany victory made for a great evening and again even with the added customers, their service was great.

Looking for authentic German cuisine? I have found the schnitzel, sauerbraten and rouladen for your discerning taste. Walking through the door, the server's and the decor will transported you to a European German restaurant and biergarten. Go for the food and experience the ambiance of German hospitality. Truly authentic restaurants in San Diego are few and once found are menu's to enjoy.

Nice selection of wines and beers, to go along with all the classic German dishes. Though veal isn't produced as well in the US, the wienerschnitzel here was enjoyable and the nightly specials are a treat. Don't miss the classic not-too-sweet apple strudel.

The plentiful and delicious German cuisine at this place is amazing! Not to mention the selection of draft beers and wine! I had the Rouladen ( rolled steak) and it melted in my mouth. The sides are wonderful and authentic as well. Red cabbage, spatzele, sauerkraut, etc. you definitely won't go away hungry!!

Outside the city in Oceanview,easy to reach by Bus.5$ will get you a 24 unlimited use of the SD transit system. We had Lunch in the Bier Garten.Lunch Menu is somewhat limited,Dinner Menu has more choices. The Food was excellent and authentic . Service was very slow,our waiter had a large table and was unable to take care of us in a timely fashion.We had to get Butter from another table and water from the bar.His Irish accent did not match the atmosphere.Good German Beer selection and cold. Worthwhile visit.

Pretzel came to us clearly microwaved. Goulash soup tasted like canned soup. Potato pancake clearly re-fried to order. Spaetzle was flavorless. Jäger schnitzel was good. Took a peek in the kitchen after we ate and it looked like it was closed down for the evening. This was at 9:30 on a Thursday to give them the benefit of the doubt. Service was friendly and beer was good.

Visited this restaurant today The Kaiserhoff, 2253 Sunset Cliffs Blbd,San Diego, CA, Usa. Greeted by concierge who had us seated immediately, The waitress was friendly and attentive, She was knowledgable and helpful about food and drink, The food was delicious and plenty of it, We had the New York deli Pastrami on rye, and boy was it good, There was a good selction of sides too, Recomend the potato cakes yummy, could not eat it all so had a goody box to take home,, yummy! I would well recomend this eatery.

The restaurant is just south of Mission Beach and Sea World on way to Sunset Cliffs. The restaurant is somewhat old school, but fun to visit. The have a variety of beers. Started off with a large pretzel to share. The dinners come with soup or salad, and the main course comes with two sides. We had chicken, snitzel and duck. Food is good. The restaurant seems to have same staff year after year.

This authentic German establishment is truly a unique environment. GREAT GREAT PLACE, full of German flair and beer. i ordered the pepper steak and love it, but the braised pork was highly recommended (but just too big for me at the time). Make sure you try several of the beers!!!! SO GOOD!!

A group of six arrived at 6:30 with a reservation. After 45 minutes, we still weren't seated, and they weren't particularly apologetic. We were all looking forward to German food, but we finally left for another place.

Living in San Diego, and wanting good German food, we always took off for the Kaiserhof -- have eaten there many, many times and have never been disappointed. Ask to be seated inside, rather than the outdoor 'tent' area; we've also considered the inside to be better. Really excellent schnitzel -- hope I spelled that right.

The Kaiserhof, now operated by the son of the founder has been an institution of authentic, delectable German Food. Food is served in a pleasant ambiance either inside the two sections or on the enclosed terrace, the Wunderbar. Staff is attired in traditional Bavarian style DIRNDLE outfits, adding to the feeling of being transported to Germany. The menu selection is extensive, starting with typical German appetizers, such as a Wurst Sampler and a Herring plate among others, both portions could make a meal in themselves. We treated ourselves to a main dish of venison, which was prepared excellently and garnished with a selection of German specialties, among them Spaetzle, Lingenberries, a poached wedge of pear, red cabbage, sour kraut and more than one could eat in one sitting. Friends of German beer would surely find their favorite in the vast selection. Wines by the glass from Germany were very good and reasonably priced, as was the whole menu. If in San Diego and yearning for some great German food, the Kaiserhof will satisfy all comers.

The food here is as authentic as any German restaurant I have eaten in the U.S. The Rostbraten steak is so good, and the sauerkraut and red cabbage are the best. Great selection of beers and just a real pleasant evening.

The place is kind of old but their food is excellent. We were 3 people ordering several different dishes, and ALL were delicious. The waitress very helpful and patient. Their herring is super, and so are the schnitzels and the wieners. The German beer was so good and their apple strudel too. The area is not very nice in Point Loma, but it's worth it .

The only reason I didn't give this place 5 of 5 is the service. My co-workers and I have been here several times over the past year and we always come back for the food and beers. Yeah, the service is not speedy at any point of the visit. But the food is worth the wait, especially the venison medallions (which I hope they bring back soon) and the chicken peppercorn. For starters...the Wurst Sampler...every...time. Cucumber salad...just like how my grandmother (from the old country) would make it. Location...ehh, not that bad if you take Lotus St. instead of Sunset Cliffs.

My wife is from Germany and I have been there several times, so I won't enter the debate about whether this a an authentic German restaurant, but I will tell tell you we both love it here. (For some reason people like to debate how German restaurants really are) In fact we have come here for Thanksgiving the last several years, because we know we will get a great hearty meal. You will always get a heaping plate full of food. The red wine and beer is delicious. The service can be hit or miss sometimes, but that also gives it a "homey" feel and the straight forward matter of fact approach is also very shall I say "German." We recommend the Rahm-schnitzel of course and i get the roast pork. You will find all the German specialties served here on the menu. The prices are affordable and it is a cozy restaurant so try to get a good seat that's not near the kitchen. You can always eat at the bar as well and one can't argue about the authentic beer served here. Prost!

This is a good restaurant. We had a meatloaf with wine and mushroom sauce and veal sausage. The meat portions were big, however the sides were small. We liked meat. The soup was good as well.

For traditional German food, Kaiserhof is the best you get in San Diego. The food is good and the atmosphere is fun. We had a good time in spite of the service. Our evening was marred by the service. We felt like we were pieces of furniture that got in the way of the wait staff. How many times should you have to ask for water, for bread, for another drink, for your check, for them to take your credit card, for them to bring it back. It was like pulling teeth. We won't go back. It wasn't worth the trouble with so many better places available.

This restaurant's owners have developed a German atmosphere in the Mexican-influenced city of San Diego, no small feat in itself. When diners walk through the front door, they immediately know that this is not a place for tacos, nor hamburgers, nor ballpark hot dogs. But wurst, sauerbraten, and red cabbage, yes. The room decoration is German-oriented, with an atmosphere of time gone by-- just like restaurants this reviewer has experienced in Germany. There is also an outdoor biergarten for those wanting such. One of our party had sauerbraten, which was quite tender, and red cabbage, which was, well, tasty. Another of the party had grilled cheese sandwich-- not very German, but pleasant to the diner. This is the third visit to this restaurant, and we will go back. The food is not gourmet, but it is tasty and substantial, just what one should expect at a German restaurant.

We had a great lunch at the Kaiserhof. The atmosphere, service and food were excellent. The parking behind the restaurant is convenient. We would go again and recommend it to others.

This place has real German food, beer and atmosphere. The decor brings us back to my military time in Berlin where I met my wife many years ago. But, what makes it "echt" is the food. Sauerbraten that, my German wife, said was excellent. My Schweinehaxe (roasted pork shank) was out of this world. Everything about our meal screamed "German." The beer selection is extensive with some of the best German beers available. Although I didn't try any, the list of cordials blew me away. Escorial?I have never seen that in America, although I drank enough of it back in Berlin. If you want real good, "echt" German, go to the Kaiserhof. Don't be afraid to ask questions. Our server, Michael, knows what "gemutlichkeit" is all about - hospitality.

Great selection of German beers on tap, great selection of food. A little pricey, but worth it.

My husband and I went to this restaurant on our vacay to San Diego. It has authentic German food and beer. My husband had the Jager Schnitzel and I had the Kasespaetzel. It was phenomenal! There is a happy hour and specials until 7pm in the beer garden. They have a variety of German beers and a variety of wines. Our waitress Ulla was a true German. She was attentive and experienced. It is located on Sunset Cliffs so, going at sunset is a great idea.

The Kaiserhof is a very consistent restaurant. We have been eating there for 25 years. The have German beers on tap, a varied and extensive menu with daily specials. Also you can grab a bite at the bar. They have more than one dining room as well as the beer garden. We have celebrated special occasions, visited on holidays such as Easter and, being German heritage, always enjoy ourselves. When we moved to San Diego, we tried one German restaurant and being disappointed, were reluctant to try another. We were invited to an event at the Kaiserhof and it's been in our repertoire ever since. There is a parking lot behind the restaurant on Lotus Street. It is freeway accessible and also handicap accessible. My husband likes the wurst platter with a variety of wursts, sauerkraut and red potatoes. I like a number of entrees such as Rostbraten, sauerbraten, Rouladen, duck, always with a salad (the cucumber salad is yummy) and two sides such as spaetzle and red cabbage (other choices available).

The atmosphere is very authentic, the beer garden. The hostess gave a choice of where we wanted to sit. The waitress was new, her name was Sabrina, but obviously had been in the service industry in the past. She was very knowledgeable and patient with us ordering. We had the pretzel and cheese. Beef stroganoff, Wurst plate, trio sausage platter, and the apple strudel for desert. The only disappointment was the last piece of German chocolate cake was sold to the table next to us. We cried lol.

Between the decor, the waiters/waitresses in costume, the food and the service, this is one of the finest german food establishment I have eaten at. Attention to details and to customer is exemplary. The veal cutlet was tender, perfectly breaded and perectly cooked. My dining ocmpanions beef stroganoff was likewise perfect. The sauce it was in was delicious. Parking behind th restuarant was mcuhly appreciated. This is not to miss place when you are in San Diego. Elegant, quiet but not stuffy.

Really enjoyed this restaurant. Service was a little slow but not as slow as I expected from reading reviews. Ordered potato pancakes as an appetizer, they have it as a side dish, they brought one pancake. Other places I have eaten bring 5 or 6. Wiener schnitzel was excellent. A bit pricey but overall enjoyed.

I had the sauerbraten and apparently they made it special for me to never return, meat was chewy and tough, the two sides were very tiny and not tasteful, my friend had the meatloaf also not very tasty unless your on a day off from a nursing home that your family took you to. We came home and both of us had stomach aches. I went to this place 18 years ago and don't remember it being this awful.

Four of us had dinner here early on a Friday evening. We beat the crowd at the restaurant, but still had to park down the street. They do have a small parking lot behind the restaurant, but it was full. Since there is only one way in and out, getting back out of the full lot, with other cars coming in, can be a problem. My Pfeffer Steak, Spatzle and salad were excellent. Two others shared the Chicken Peppercorn, which they liked. It came with soup, which turned out to be cold, so they had a salad instead. The fourth member of our group had Kasespatzle, which she also liked. For dessert, we shared homemade ice cream and a piece of Apple Strudel. The strudel was large, full of apples, but after the first few bites, it seemed to have an oily taste to it. That didn't stop us from finishing it, however. So, excellent food, with a couple of minor setbacks.

Very old school. Very limited parking. Sat in the beer garden. Loved the golden ale.

Excellent, attentive service. Great food, and the sides were phenomenal. We will definitely go back next time we visit.

My two friends wanted to have German food..Certainly not my favorite. Would never return.. My girlfriend had to get up and go to the bar to ask for a refill on a glass of water! REALLY??? I most say they enjoyed it...NOT ME!!!

After Antique shopping down in Ocean Beach we were headed up town to eat, since traffic was bad leaving the area I decided to skip down a side street then made a little turn and right in front of us was the Kaiserhof Restaurant, we decided lets give it a try! As it turns out it may have been the best meal of our three day trip to San Diego, (and we had lots of good food) it was like finding a hidden gem. they also have a Biergarten. well we ate things like potato pancakes, bratwursts, meatloaf, all done in a traditional way very good. if you in the area seek it out you will not be disappointed.

This is authentic German cuisine. Classic dishes well prepared, served by a professional wait staff. What more could one ask? Entrees come with soup or salad, rolls and butter, a choice of several truly German sides or some typical side dishes, your choice. Desserts are traditional for German fare, too. For a different experience than the usual favorites, you probably can't do better. There is a selection of German beers and wines available to complement your meal. Enjoy!

This was a celebratory dinner out suggested by my son-in-law. He's a relative newcomer to the area. The rest of us are essentially native. How did we miss this? The food, beginning with the appetizers, was scrumptious! We had the German ravioli,(don't remember exact name) adorned with caramelized onion and au jus, also had mushrooms sauteed in a wine sauce- just too good. The au jus was delicious soaked up by the crispy rolls served with dinner. The soup of the day was lentil; it came to us perfectly heated, thick and favor-filled. The other also tried the cucumber salad and garden salad with blue cheese, fresh and delicious. The garden salad had generous chunks of blue cheese. The entrees were generous and wonderfully cooked. The red cabbage and sauerkraut complemented the pork dishes and had us taste testing each others to make sure we missed nothing. The dessert we tried was the apple strudel. They make it there. The crust is light and crispy, the apple filling has raisins and almonds and is so very delicious. We tried two of the on tap beers- a Czech and a German- just too good! We'll be back!

Authentic German food, large portions. Courteous staff. I am German and I know good German food. Went there On two separate occassions for Christmas eve dinner. They were very busy and still able to maintain a very good overall level of service.

We had Rouladen and the Wurst plate. Both were delicious. I cook German food, and was taught by my Oma and mom, both born in Germany. I grew up eating this type of food every day of my youth. It was just like Oma used to make. This food is authentic German. Highly recommended. I didn't have a bar drink, but the bar was easy to access and seemed inviting and well stocked.

When I first moved to San Diego in 1984 I missed German food. I found the Kaiserhof when it was still on Waring Road. I have been faithfully going there for over thirty years. Is it the best German food I have ever had? No. Is it the best German food in southern California? Yes. I have known the owners, Paula and Horst, for a long time and I have nothing but the best to say about them. Their son Peter is finally taking over and the place has not lost a step. There is a small bier garden with a great happy hour and also a bar inside. The Wurst platter is a great happy hour starter or maybe just order a pretzel. Perhaps kick it up a notch with steak tartar or Weinherbergsgeschneken. I just love saying that word, but they have the best escargot around. My favorite dish is the venison, but the Jagerschnitzel is a close second. Do not be afraid to take some of your meal home because it’s wonderful the next day too and it allows room to sample some of their wonderful desserts. Definitely order the spaetzle as one of your sides and don’t be afraid to pur some gravy on top.

Had the German experience at Kaiserhof and loved it! Erdinger Weisbier and Duck dinner with bread dumpling and red cabbage. The duck is roasted and served over apples and raisin compote. The wine sauce for the duck was awesome. Bread dumpling is the size of a baseball with brown pork gravy. and the red cabbage is tart and tangy with just the right amount of salt. If you want Germany in San Diego, go to Kaiserhot

We stopped in late on a Saturday night. Just a couple of guests with people finishing their meals. The waitress seemed a bit put out to have to serve us. Definitely in auto-pilot mode. The food was superb. Comfort food. I had Wienerschitzel and spätzle. My husband had Jäger Schnitzel with potato pancake. We both had cucumber salad (very good but swimming in the liquid), and red cabbage. Good portions. German beers and wines a real treat. We will definitely come back during regular dinner hours and give it another try.

Maybe my granddad had it right, "treat people the way you want to be treated". It surprises me this place has received the amount of good reviews it has. I recently had dinner here and we had a medium size party. The bill was over $300 and that was with 3 alcoholic beverages. Not one time in the nearly 2 1/2 hours we were there were we asked if we would like a re-fill on our drinks including the lemonade and sodas. Not even water. It took our food over an hour and a half to make it to the table. They had run out of broccoli and without asking brought succotash as a substitute. Side dishes that were ordered were forgotten. We all had a variety off the menu and the only meal that seemed to be liked was the meatloaf. The décor is appropriate to Germany and the waitress we had definitely looked the part as well. I find it hard to swallow shelling out a decent amount of money for poor customer service, mediocre food, and an over all C to C- dinning experience. Maybe because the German food market is limited in San Diego this place doesn't care about their service. So my advice, expect bad service, long waits, and order the meatloaf, you will be happy.

Took some friends to do a girls night out. We all tried something different and shared a little of what we had. The waiter was very attentive and helped with the questions we had about the German cuisine. This is one of my favorite restaurants and I was so glad to share with my friends. They were a little unsure of what German food consisted of. They realized that it was very good and were saying they were definitely going back. They atmosphere was of a real German restaurant.

Have eaten here a couple of times in the pass several years and it's average German food. Sometimes it's a hit or miss meal, this time it was a miss. There are a lot of items on the menu, some better than others depending on your tastes

Upon entering Kaiserhof Restaurant & Biergarten one is immediately aware of a sadly failed attempt at creating a Germanic look which instead looks like a plaster stage set. I ignored that and looked forward to the food with hope for a delightful meal of German cuisine. Unfortunately, the food tasted no better than school or hospital food with a Germanic twist. Our entrees came with choices of two or three "side" dishes, but instead of them being artfully placed on our entree plates , which were bare except for the entree artlessly placed on the plate, they came in tiny dishes like one gets at a cafeteria. Restaurant & Biergarten lacks finesse in presentation and in rendering the cuisine itself. Importantly, the food itself was nothing exceptional and we love German food. The various German beers our party of four had were all good. The staff generally was friendly and service was prompt, though our particular server was a brusque and charmless although seemed well intentioned. If management was in attendance it was not obvious to us as patrons. Sadly Restaurant & Biergarten was a big disappointment. Nothing there gives us the inclination to give it a second chance.

Best German restaurant in the US. Very authentic with a great selection of German dishes exceptional side dishes including wide egg noodles and sauerkraut.

We started in the beer garden for happy hour, and not everything on the beer garden menu was available; only the few things listed under the happy hour section. It was noisy because the restaurant is in a flight path, and it is also on a busy street. We had planes flying overhead and cars and trucks passing by, so we had to continually stop our conversation and wait for the noise to subside. Smoking is allowed, so we had to put up with cigarette smoke until the dining room opened. Our server was wonderful, the food was good, and the dining room was much nicer. The portions are enormous. Our server surprised my mother-in-law with a slice of birthday cake. The vegetarian meal I had was camembert strudel, and it was very good.

My boyfriend and I went here for dinner while on vacation. This place was very gay friendly and the food was excellent. ....

I've written a review in the past. Time to update it. It's still as good as our first time, over 15 years ago. Spent much time in Germany in the past. Kaiserhof is as good as the best in the old country. Excellent entrees, a large selection of German beers on tap, great service by Mike, old world ambiance. At reasonable prices. Parking can be a problem. Their lot is small.

We ate here New Years Day and it was so busy we had to eat in the outside beer garden which is covered and heated by overhead lamps but still chilly. That was the only downside. The food is authentic German, excellent and so ample that we took it home for lunch the next day. I had fresh pork and sauerkraut, a special for New Years, which was very juicy and super tasty. The venison was also excellent. The Wienerschnitzel was unlike any I had in Vienna, but that said, it was exceptionally tasty with a melted cheese on top . Our waitress was authentic German as well. Ulla buzzed around, spoke German with other clients, and treated us like real beer garden patrons. She was so busy, she never slowed down, but stopped to answer questions whenever we asked. A great meal. We'll go back next time we're in town.

Was here for dinner with a large group. Our waiter, Mike, was very good.. It can be tough with a big group, but he didn't miss a beat. If you eat in the beer garden they have a separate menu which is much more affordable. Otherwise meals can be pricey. Sausages great, potato pancakes very good, red cabbage had perfect amount of vinegar taste. Meatloaf was also quite good. Wish they would do separate checks. But definitely worth a trip. I will return (when I have save up again)

We (3),used to go to Germany often so it's difficult for us, but we were disappointed in the meal and service. I've lives in the area for years and thought about giving it a try for a long time. Maybe we hit a bad night but it's not our choice for another night out.

While in San Diego decided to try Kaiserhof as one of our travelling companions had read about it. Portions are large so go hungry. Food was pretty authentic and has a large variety on the menu.

This place has been around for years, and it's the best German place I know of in San Diego. The food is consistently excellent. The specials are usually seasonal, so there's always something different to have. Downsides is first the location; at the north end of Ocean Beach the parking is terrible, so get reservations for early if you want to park in their somewhat limit lot behind the building. You can also park in the car mechanic's lot across the street, but only if the shop is closed. Also, this place can sometimes be a victim of its own success, and gets crowded to the point the service bogs down. Over the period of 12 years I've been going here, it's only affected me 4 or 5 times, but it can happen. Avoid the dinner rush is my best advice. There is a nice, semi-enclosed beer garden which is pleasent in all seasons.

My wife and I shared the Jägerschnitzel and found it a filling meal, with enough room for dessert. Excellent German food - the cucumber salad, red cabbage, spaetzle, and the schnitzel all were delicious and authentic.

The food, people and setting is first class all the way. I typically sit in the Biergarten section in which people are friendly and outgoing, more than willing to recommend a good beer. I had two liters of different German beers that are on seasonal rotation and a shot of Escorial, all of which were fantastic. I had the wurst plate with a side of potato pancakes. The sausages were well cooked and tasty. Their potato pancakes are the best I have had outside of Germany. The chocolate cake for dessert was an excellent recommendation to finish a delicious dinner.

A traditional German restaurant in San Diego with home cooked food and a very large selection of German beer. I had the Calamari Schnitzel which was excellent and tried the pork Schnitzel also excellent, but there are so may German dishes on the menu and the great thing is that none of the dishes have been bastardized, unlike so many other places in the US. I highly recommend this restaurant.

And disappointing German food, but that comes from someone who knows good home cooked authentic German cooking. Seemed much run down since the last time we were there which was several years ago. Didn't understand the long wait because we had reservations and the restaurant was not full. Had fun waiting using their "Selfie booth" that they have right after you walk in. Also, food is way overpriced IMHO. It seems like this place isn't being managed well which is a shame since it's the only German restaurant that we know of in San Diego County :(

My friend and I were in the mood for a beer and pretzel, which we had enjoyed at Stone Brewery a few days before. But this restaurant was nearby and we thought we should surely be able to get an authentic Bavarian pretzel there. Not so much. It was just basically white bread dough...rather than the traditional sourdough or wheat. Doughy, tasteless Wonderbread. On top of that, my friend had a cane and while she was initially trying to navigate her petite frame onto the bar stool, she laid it on the bar since there was no other place to put it other than the floor. The barmaid instructed her to remove it, with a stern look on her face. Hospitality=0. My friend apologized and explained she would have but that she was just trying to get onto the stool first. The barmaid didn't acknowledge...just glared, unmoved, at my friend. It's not like the bar was crowded...there were 3 people at the other end and that was it. I didn't like the overall vibe of the place, myself. Taxidermy in the corner, no moving air...it felt tired and stale. It's only redemption was the Bavarian beer, which was good.

We took our party of 8 to this authentic German restaurant and had a terrific evening. With reservations, we were seated right away, but the place was packed. It took awhile to get served, although the bier and soft drinks came right away. I've had the wiener schnitzel before and it was delicious, but settled this time for the special (and much less expensive) pork schnitzel, which was very tasty. The dinners come with soup or salad and two sides and I selected spaetzel (delicious after adding a little salt and pepper) and applesauce (ordinary). There were plenty of other sides, including German pancakes, red cabbage, sauerkraut, etc. Others in our party had sauerbraten, kasseler rippchen and the wurst platte. All were pleased with their meals. The cozy place is well decorated with German artifacts and lots of awards on the wall. The small parking lot adjacent to the restaurant was full when we arrived in two vehicles and we had to park several blocks away.

My wife and I are constantly looking for good German food restaurants when we travel. From Tampa, Florida, to Portland, Oregon, we have tried them and the Kaiserhof has proven to be one of the better ones. The atmosphere was very nice, the staff was very good and the Wiener Schnitzek was very good. The Schnitzel is one thing I use to gauge how good the restaurant is and this was the second or third best I have had outside Deutschland. The side salad was fresh a crisp, the appetizer of various types of wurst was top notch, but the rolls were not brotchen and the potatos were over done. We enjoyed our visit there and would return for the schnitzel itself. We do think it is worth the visit and don't think there is anyplace better in San Diego. For the best, you must go to the Cafe Vienna in St.Petersburg, Florida.

Each time I visit Kaiserhof, the menu is slightly different (it seems). Each time, the flavors I expect are less and less good tasting. Service is good, prices are good, but I leave disappointed. Having just returned from a trip to Germany, the disappointment was even more disconcerting. This can be fixed if the chefs choose to do so. Otherwise, ...

Very much enjoyed a meal among friends here. It was delightful to see so many familiar beers from my time living in and around Germany. The good was authentic - perhaps not quite as good as being there, but considering we were in San Diego, I'd give this an enthusiastic thumbs up. Very helpful and attentive staff, left full, satisfied and pleased with the experience.

Love this place! Hubby and I go everytime we are in San Diego area. On our last visit, this August, we took some other friends with us and had a great time. Delicious german food, beer and wine. The best part of thier menu is that they let you pick your sides. Many german restaurants are very specific as to what sides go with what dishes and offer no substitutions, but here they let you have what ever you want! I love the peppercorn chicken and my hubby loves the zigeunger schnitzel. The front dining room is cute and old world so we usually like to sit there by the fireplace, but they also have a patio biergarten which is lively and fun too!

This Restaurant has been the best German Rest in Southern sunny California for decades. A German couple from the Bayern area opened it and now their son manages it and he is also the chef. Their food is the real thing and their biergarten is awesome. If you are in Ocean Beach or around Dan Diego go their at least for their happy hour specials. Worth it!;-)

We finally made it Kaiserhof this year on our family trip to San Diego. We've been trying to go over the last couple of years, but we must have gone on a Monday (they are closed) or at lunch time during the week (also closed). But this time we planned for dinner on a Thursday night at 7PM. The inside was about 1/2 full but we wanted to enjoy the San Diego weather so we sat outside in their Beirgarten, which I would recommend. It's a lovely little area with about a dozen tables, but it was much quieter than inside. My sister and I split the Paprika Schnitzel (pork cutlets in a paprika sour cream sauce) with Spatzle and Mashed Potato sides. The schnitzel and potatoes were really good, but the spatzel was a little dry and a little cold. My husband had the Roulade of Beef (which is his "usual" at our local German restaurant. He thought it was just as good, if not better. He had the German fries (basically fried, sliced potatoes with great flavor) and the red cabbage. He loved it and let me try both, and I also thought they were delicious! My brother-in-law had the Wurst Platte which came with sauerkraut and red potatoes. He was not able to pick a favorite between the Brat, Bauern or Knockwurst and raved about his whole meal. The service was great, filled tea glasses several times and checked to make sure we were okay even though they were much busier inside. We were too full for dessert, but the cakes looked tempting, so will have to save some room next time. We have decided to put a visit to Kaiserhof on our "must do" list every time we go to SD.

Sauerbraten of sliced dry over-cooked beef (not chunks); sauce overly sour with no taste of ginger snaps. Missed the apple chunks in the red cabbage. No bacon in potato salad. If you never had the real thing, you won't miss it; so enjoy. If you know better, don't go.

I grew up in Germany and had some amazing food while I lived there. I was apprehensive but was pleasantly surprised. The food was pretty good. The goulash soup was great. The service, though friendly, was painfully slow. If you have a day for leisure, this is a great spot to slow down and have a nice meal with family or a loved one. But steer clear if you don't have a couple hours to kill....

We dined here with local relatives. Many options on the menu. Happy hour pricing on select appetizers and beer/wine. Everyone raved about their dinners. Mine was OK. I ordered the stuffed cabbage in a mushroom wine sauce accompanied by a salad, potato pancake with apple sauce and onion rings. I should've followed our relatives "favorite dish" recommendation. It was Gruyere topped chicken with spätzle. I tried a bite and it was really good. Our son got the beef stroganoff and he enjoyed it. Prices are reasonable. Atmosphere is truly German. I guess I'm just not a fan of German food. That's why I gave a 4 star rating.

I am a veal schnitzel fan and while not the same quality as what you can find in Germany we enjoyed an excellent dinner on Sunday. The only negatives were rather slow service and the apple strudel being more of a turnover than a strudel. We will go back for more schnitzel.

I'm a native San Diegan and have seen this place for over two decades but never went. Well tonight is The Man's poker night and I'm his driver, so I came here to kill some time... besides, he hates brats & kraut! As soon as I entered the restaurant I was greeted with a friendly welcome and given a great table when I could camp (and work) for a while. My waitress was new and still getting the hang of things, but the rest of the staff clearly had her back by giving her helpful suggestions so that she would succeed. The food was fresh, hot and fantastic! I had the Home-made Bratwurst with sauerkraut, and potato pancakes. They make the bratwurst fresh on-site...totally delish!

Drive by this place every day on my way to work and wanted to stop by for dinner and beers. First off, they have parking, which is typically a struggle in OB. The restaurant is fairly small, and there is an outdoor "beer garden" that was more or less enclosed--they did allow smoking out there, which is the reason I only rated them 4 stars. Anyways, they have tons of authentic German beers on tap. Waitresses are in traditional garb, and food is very authentic and tasty. Prices are a little more than I would have expected, especially compared to German restaurants I've been to in the US...and Germany. Basically, if you're in the mood for good German food, look no further, this is the place.

Sitting at the traffic light, we both said--'Is that a German Restaurant?' Indeed it was. White and Blue colors surround the building. How good is this place? They have a parking lot which also states additional parking available across the street-yes, it's that good of a place. That tells me they get a lot of people!!! 25+ years and counting, all your familiar German fare is waiting for you. Goulash soup, Schnitzel, Potato Pancakes and on and on. Thy have a happy hour starting at 4-apps and drink specials aplenty! Sunset Specials are a great deal from 5-6:30, you can enjoy some menu items at a great savings! Venison, Meatloaf, Chicken Gruyere were some of the sunset specials. We had the Chicken Gruyere- the cutlet covered the platter and was cooked perfectly! Rouladen was a generous size. Potato Pancake, Spätzle, Red Cabbage and salad rounded out our meal (wish I had room for the dumpling)! No room for desert, but the offerings are on display when you walk in the door. I think I spied a German Chocolate cake! Decorated in Old World style, the place is not to be missed. German music playing, waitstaff dressed in traditional German dress...Ample seating inside with a small bar or enjoy your meal in the Bier Garten! What a find!!! Well done Kaiserhof, well done!!!

Brush up on your German and order a bier. The cook was great he asked us how are meal was. The waitresses were great. They reminded me how to order in German. It's been awhile. The food is like grandma use to make. Love this place. Will be back soon.

Being a big fan of German cuisine along with my husband and son-in-law, we chose Kaiserhof as the best restaurant to celebrate my son-in-law's birthday this last Sunday. I have been hearing about this restaurant for the last ten years but for some reason never got down there. It is about 45 minutes from where we live. We had 9 people in our group and all of us enjoyed our entrees and beverages. We all tried each other's dishes and found them authentic and well prepared. I had 3 kinds of sausage with sauerkraut and red skin potatoes. My husband got the weinerschniztel which was the best he has had since 1955 when he was stationed in Germany. We have made two trips to Germany and could never find could weinershniztel. My son-in-law got the Sauerbraten and said it was perfect. My daughter got the veal paprika and based on both our opinions as she gave me a taste, it was great. It is a restaurant that I look forward to going back to when we are able. Our waitress, Ulla, made our celebration memorable as she knew the menu, how to be attentive without being invasive, kind to our children, personable, and gave us a feeling of being transported to Germany without the distance we would have to travel and the expense of flying there. She helped us know how the dishes were prepared and really went out of her way to make our dining experience enjoyable.

😃Everything was so perfect we came back the next night. Great red cabbage, potato pancake, cucumber salad, schnitzel. But beyond description was the goose (served only in season). Although the restaurant was full on a Friday night the service was flawless. I'ved lived in Chicago for too many years and enjoyed their fine German restaurants (many now gone) but this classic restaurant could have given them lessons. We get to San Diego only once a year but the first night I'll be right back here hoping that they are serving goose.

The food was great. The service was great and everyone was friendly. Great place to be to experience good German food. Have recommended and been a few times myself and each time it gets better.

Great food!

Very good table service, nice selection of wines, the seperation between tables made the experience more comfortable.

Have come here when ever I am in San Diego great German food, decided to try something besides saurbraten so tried the strogenoff which was so tender and as always the red cabbage and spatzle are fantastic.

I've been going here for years, for what has been the best German/Austrian food in the San Diego area, but my latest visit left me disappointed. Both the food and the service had declined in quality. I know there's a pandemic going on, but other restaurants seems to be trying harder rather than slacking off. It wasn't bad, just worse. Meanwhile, prices appear to have gone up. Although the waiter was friendly, it took nearly a half hour after being seated to get menus and drinks. When the food started arriving, the soup was lukewarm, as was the goulash subsequently. The duck was tasty but a bit dry from being overcooked. Of course, the beer was all good. I'll give it some time and try again after the pandemic eases. I see a lot of other reviews also are mediocre, so hopefully management will take the necessary steps to restore their reputation.

We had to wait for out of town guests to find this place. As locals we've driven by for years and never noticed. It doesn't really catch your eye from the drive by (obviously) but it is very charming inside! The food was authentic and excellent. Great traditional menu items and a huge draft beer selection. The service was very professional and we had a great experience. The outdoor patio and Biergarten looked casual and inviting, but we opted for finer dining inside. If you are looking for German food in San Diego this is the place to go.

We (2) just got back from an anniversary supper at the Kaiserhof Resturant. We have been eating there for a few decades. (We saw Jerry Lewis there one evening many years ago holding court with 8-10 people.) As far as we know, at present this is the only restaurant in San Diego that provides a good selection of German food. This evening we got the new local waitress (You got it! You got it! You got it!) which is OK for us as my GI German is pretty rusty. We had a Weiner Schnitzel and a Saurbraten meal. There was a small salad and two sides with each meal. Add a ½ liter of house Zinfindel, a small pitcher of Spaten Lager, and the small pretzel, and the grand total was $81. Of course the tax and tip was additional so the final bill was over $100. We did not have room for desert (and it isn’t on my list of allowables). As usual, the food was plentiful and very tasty. ( We brought some of the meat home so the dog could have a little taste of Germany.) The beer tasted like real German beer. There were plenty of servers so the service was prompt. They have a parking lot in the back which can get crowded at times, but wasn’t tonight. The décor includes many paintings of scenes in Germany. A small beer garden with several TVs is available if desired but I believe smoking is allowed there. We were in and out in slightly over 1 hour. Although the dress code is very loose, reservations are recommended. The only negative I have with this restaurant is the cost. Of course it is “whatever the market will bear”. A similar meal in a good restaurant in Germany is about the same cost (50 - 60 Euros), but the tax and tip is included in the base price. We will continue to visit the Kaiserhof Restaurant when we need a fix of German food and can work it into our diet and budget. .

Great food and wonderful relief from the standard tourist grilled salmon, panini, or ravioli. On a recent trip to San Diego I used the internet advice on restaurants and was generally unimpressed. Then on our coastal drive back from the Mission Bay museums, we spied this jewel. After 8 years living in Germany and the excellent food, we gave up trying to duplicate the experience in the US. At first we drove past, then feeling too tired to access the internet, we turned back around and found parking at the rear of the restaurant. Wow! Fabulous food! Service was excellent, not too fast indicating microwave use, but allowing you time to eat an appetizer & drink a beer. The Oxtail soup was delicious, my teenager scrapped the bowl after I assured him there was no cow tail in the soup. The sauerbraten was perfect. The Schnitzels were wonderfully breaded. The German salat delightfully sweet and tangy. My teenager said he will now ask for potato pancakes instead of fries. This is now his new best restaurant in his short life. The top slot was blackened prime rib at Mikes American Grill in Virginia. So thank you Kaiserhof for a sparkling gastronomic change from the standard California fare. And a broading education for my teenager. We will be back.

During a recent Conference my colleagues went to a great German restaurant! I figured it must be authentic as I heard folks at another table speaking in German and others with a German accent. Needless to say the food was great!

We happened upon Kaiserhof while taking a walk and it was the best experience of San Diego. Though not dressed for a lovely restaurant and with no reservations, they accepted us, treated us like royalty, and the food was truly lovely. I had tarragon chicken and my associate chose an assortment of sausages. Both of us were amazed at the lovely dishes, the friendly staff, and reasonable prices. Though too full to try dessert we left satisfied and looking forward to another visit the next time in the area. Prepare to enjoy.

As a german citizen i was unfortunately pretty unhappy with my experience at the Kaiserhof. It's not authentic german food - it's german oriented i would agree - but this is not what we serve back at home. The german kitchen is famous for great hearty sauces and the sauce on my plate was something mixed together with ketchup or something. The prices are way to high for my taste and i wouldn't mind high prices if the food was good. Yes, you will get good Spaetzle and Knoedel, but overall nothing that blows you away. I don't think i will go there again and trust me i wish San Diego had a great German Restaurant.

I used to love this restaurant. So 4 of us went there again last evening for my birthday. WHAT A DISAPPOINTMENT! I got the sauerbraten which is usually melt-in-your-mouth tender with delicious sauce (or gravy). I received 3 large slices of well-done roast beef with just a smidgeon of sauce. The roast beef was very lean, no fat or gristle. But it was dry & chewy with almost no flavor, definitely not tender. Had I been blind-folded I wouldn't have known it was sauerbraten. I also ordered spaetzel (to go with my hoped for sauerbraten gravy) which wasn't even salted & was so gummy it all stuck together in a big blob. Very unappetizing. My German potato salad was served cold (not warm) & only so-so. However it was the best thing I had to eat. One of our party ordered the wienerschnizel. Again it was very dry. Just a breaded, fried piece of meat with no flavor or sauce of any kind. He could only eat a few bites & felt like he was having to choke it down. He also ordered the fried bread. It tasted like boxed sage stuffing mix, made into a ball, & deep-fried. At least this came with some brown gravy. But the ball itself was gummy in the middle & inedible. We all agreed that we like our stuffing with turkey but certainly not by itself. Another of us ordered the chicken with peppercorn sauce. At least the sauce was good, but the chicken was so overcooked, it too was extremely dry. He ordered the German fried potatoes to go with it. They were small medallions, pan fried, with absolutely no salt or seasoning of any kind. We were told they were fried in butter, but there was no butter or oil flavor at all. The potatoes were so dry that table salt wouldn't even cling & just rolled off them. Again inedible. The 4th of us ordered the fried fish (I think it was flounder). She said it was o-k & cooked properly, but with a lot of breading. She got the "German" applesauce to go with it. Looked & tasted like it came out of a jar... nothing special about it. The dinner rolls were served hot, but they were baked so dark & hard that our butter knives couldn't cut them. Only a steak knife could have done the job. The pats of butter were so cold & icy that they didn't melt on the bread so we couldn't spread the butter. For our first course, 2 of us ordered salad & the other two ordered the soup-of-the-day which was "tomato bisque". The salads were average & the best thing about the soup were the 5 little croutons sprinkled on top. ( it, too, was very bland) The place was only half full, yet it took alost 45 minutes to get our food. On a positive note, our waiter was outstanding, knowledgable about the menu, & checked back with us regularly so see if we needed anything. However it took over 20 minutes to get our check. All-in-all this meal took us 2 hours, 10 minutes from start to finish. Way too long. Especially when half of the food went uneaten. Clearly the Kaiserhoff is not what it used to be. The prices are extremely high for the mediocre food & the decor is very old & dated. If the food doesn't improve this restaurant might go down fast. Unfortunately if you want German cuisine, there aren't many choices. Even tho it doesn't advertise itself as such, I would highly recommend DZ Akins for German food.

Great atmosphere and wonderful food. Beers and Schnapps hardly ever found outside of Germany! If you have never had German food! anything on the menu will get you hooked!

Came for happy hour (3 hrs) with work friends and enjoyed the atmosphere, food, beer, and staff. Large beer selection but also a full bar. Everything we ate was very good...but fried. My favorites were the crab cakes, and pretzel.

I lived in San Diego for many years and used to be a bit of a regular here. I've also spent a fair amount of time in Germany. The food is on par with what I got commonly in Germany and in some cases, better. I keep trying new things at Kaiserhof because I've never tried anything that wasn't amazing. I would commonly go there after work to relax and I came to refer to it as 'my happy place' because a sense of relaxation came over me when I was there. It just felt right. The beer is great, the food is amazing, that atmosphere is warm and the music is just right. Yes, the servers can be a bit...blunt. But this is common to my experiences in Germany. They're not rude, just very direct. The prices can be a bit high if you order off of the regular menu and go all out, but its worth the money. Every time I go back to San Diego, Kaiserhof is on my list of Must Do's. My retirement plan is to buy a house across the street and go there every day.

Took a party of six there on a Saturday night. We were seated in the biergarten, which was fine as the weather was great. However, after our order for drinks was taken and served, we did not see our server for 30 minutes. Took our dinner order. We asked for bread and a hot pretzel while we waited for the food. Another 20 minutes, and bread shows up. Another 20 minutes, the soup and salad. Another 30 minutes the entrees. This was no kitchen back-up. Other tables were seated, served and left while we waited endlessly. The food, when it arived, was quite good. the dishes were well-prepared and used high-quality ingrediants, the portions generous and were served hot. But at the end of the meal, after waiting another 20 minutes, with no one to clear plates, or ask if we wanted dessert or coffee, I finally had to track the server down in another part of the restaurant to get a check. I would recommend the food to anyone , but see if they can pack it to go.

Went here on St. Patti's day and enjoyed it to the fullest! Great food! Good service and fun atmosphere!

This is a wonderful restaurant and very special if you are looking for excellent German meals. The Wienerschnitzel is excellent. Even if you aren't a big Brussel Sprout fan, this appetizer is incredible. Service is very good and a very friendly staff.

If you want hearty German food - this is your place. Ja?

The beer was okay but...no porter or stout on tap and they didn't have two of the beers on their menu we had planned to buy. Their glasses were fancy.

We have been at Kaiserhof last weekend, to enjoy a special dinner. I´m originally from Germany and my Wife studied overthere so we know lots of amazing places for Germanfood. This place was really nice typically German. We took a seat outside at the tentarea and ordered a Sausage-Sampler, Wiener-Schnitzel and Paprikaschnitzel. First i thought the prices are quiet expensive, but than the waitress told us that we can choose 2 sidedishes and you get a salad as well for an starter so in total $25 for an Schnitzel is alright with Fries and handmade spätzle on the side ( you can choose from over 6 sidedishes). The Schnitzel could have been a little bit bigger but for american standart its ok. In Germany its normal that you get 2 big Schnitzel overhere the portion was only one mediumsize. As an dessert we hade some Apfelstruddel which was amazing too. So after all it was an nice experience to remind me of the country, where i´m originally from. Well Done Kaiserhofteam! PS: You get refills on your dietcoke not like in Germany ;)

Best damn spot in san diego for german food !best spot for octoberfest! i absolutely love the ambience the owner was helpful kind the staff was best service i have received in a while and real germany beer selction will knock your socks!5stars

I was surprised how expensive this place was - $18 for a plate of two so-so bratwurst. We went because our German friend who's in the States for 10 months missed her national cuisine. Unfortunately, she gave the place a grade of "D" as far as authentic German food. The service brought the place down in my mind. My wife was asking our German friend about a dish and our server rudely interrupted and told her to ask him instead. Won't go back.

I visited this location initially during the France v. Germany game for the 2014 WC and I wasn't thrilled with the service, but I decided to give this restaurant another chance under the circumstances. A friend and I visited during the late afternoon/early evening time and the location was not overly busy, about so-so. We sat in the biergarten and it took about 5-7 minutes for the waiter to initially address us. He was awkward and his friendly sentiment seemed overly forced, like he was having a bad day, I'll overlook that point. We ordered a pitcher of beer and it took 10-12 minutes for it to arrive and when it did we ordered our food, this being about 20 minutes after we were sat. I asked about the currywurst, a common German dish, which I had actually enjoyed on my initial visit, and was told that they didn't have that dish (keep in mind this second visit wasn't more than 3-4 weeks after the initial). We ordered ONE single mini brat and an order of fries, nothing else....our order took 20 minutes to arrive, we spent 10 minutes eating, and then it took another 15-20 minutes for our check to be presented and for us to successfully pay it and leave. I was very disappointed by the level of service I received and I felt like the employees were not concerned about the customers whatsoever. One of the waitresses I noticed during my initial visit, who was very outwardly grumpy the first time around, was present the second time and still very noticeably grumpy. I was very disappointed with this location, the service, and the atmosphere. The food was of mediocre quality, the only thing at this location of note was the specific variety of German beer.

Full menu of great food. AND they have a Happy Hour too. Tuesday - Friday. Closed on Mondays. Nice place to visit. Sometimes parking may be a little tight.

This place is the worst restaurant EVER!!! Waiter...waiter... we are over here. Hum, extremely slow service despite being one of the few guests. They allow smoking even though that's illegal in California to smoke in a restaurant, they claim its outside, but you are under a tent like structure that is more building than tent....the smoke stays inside. Too bad, they have good beer....BUT NOT NOT WORTH IT! Try getting a check...more waiting. Too many good place to waste a second here. REALLY!

First visit ever to this restaraunt, and what a great experience for lunch. We all sat at the bar and enjoyed their Weiner Schnitzel for lunch. The bar had an excellent selection of German beers, with a wonderful bartender serving us. This is a must if you are visiting San Diego.

We came here after reading the reviews and it was fantastic. The potato pancakes are to die for. Don't miss this great mom and pop restaurant!!

We (wife and I) went to Kaiserhof after reading reviews for Sunday brunch. We've both traveled to Germany several times and do miss the food and atmosphere most German Restaurant/Biergarten present. Parking was a little cramped but a bigger problem was dealing with the traffic at a very busy intersection. Once inside we were greeted right away and asked where we'd lie to sit. We chose the Biergarten just for the roominess and fresh air. We each had a HB bier as we perused the menu. I chose rouladen with red cabbage and my wife chose the schweinhaux with a cucumber salad. Both excellent choices. The schweinhaux was quite large and my wife managed to nearly finish it and my rouladen was a single large portion prepared as expected. It was tasty with an added carrot spear along with the pickle spear. Interesting, although it was still just a carrot. The meal was quite large so we passed on any desert. Authentic in appearance, employees very friendly and in costume, food good to very good. All in all we will return another time in the near future.

Excellent authentic German food and terrific service. We had the Wiener schnitzel, the pork schnitzel, the spätzle, and great beer.

Our table was ready upon arrival. The escargot was excellent but the snails were smaller in size than normal. The dinners were great. The veal was tender and plentiful and the same for the Goulash. Good service. The restaurant provided a free slice of cake for the birthday person, a very nice gesture. Great authentic German cuisine. A must visit if you like Bavarian food.

It's too bad this restaurant is so far away from NH. We found this restaurant 6 years ago when we visited San Diego and returned again when we were just out in Sa Diego. The food was even better than we remembered. It is the best German food we have had in the US and rivaled the best we got in Germany. My wife had a cucumber salad and the Rouladen with red cabbage and spätzle and I had a salad, Weiner Schnitzel and dumpling. Each individual item was perfection! We were too full so took dessert with us, a fantastic black forest cake and an delicious apple strudel. The service was good and the atmosphere put us back in Germany for a wonderful evening. If we are ever in San Diego we will definitely return, probably for a couple of meals.

We came here to celebrate having completed the Southern Tier, and we were not disappointed. Having lived in Germany, the food here is as close as you will find in Germany. The home made bratwurst and spaetzle is wonderful. The menu is wast, so check out there web site. The atmosphere was very nice, the staff was good, all thou a bit abrupt. We do think it is worth the visit. Many great beers on Tap.

If you like German food, this is the place in San Diego. My favorite is their Sauerbraten. There is a nice atmosphere and an authentic German Beer Garden.

What a wonderful place! We had a wonderful authentic German dinner. The service was great, with a nice atmosphere.

Schweinshaxe and venison to die for!!! We are never disappointed here and my Bavarian wife can vouch for the authenticity of everything from the beer to the food to the desserts to the Schnapps. A must visit if you want to experience German food in San Diego.

All the different German dishes we have had here over the years were always outstanding. Tonight's selections were no different - great roasted pork shank and sauerbraten. However, tonight, for the first time, the service was not up to par. It took extraordinarily long to be served our entrees. I know they were busy but, this was too much. I am a patient person. It got me so upset, I got up to search for our server. I came close to asking for my bill (drinks and appetizer) and going elsewhere to have dinner. Luckily, the food showed up - finally.

Another restaurant with history and friendly service. Great German beer pub decor. Quiet indoor dinning, and an outside patio beer garden. Didn't get a chance to eat there, but the menu look very good. Lots of meat dishes.

One of my favorite restaurants best German food outside Germany. Many authentic dishes with a large selection of side dishes. Has a good selection of German beers that are very tasty.

I had spent several hours walking around the Ocean Beach are of San Diego looking for a place to eat. None of the establishments or food offerings in the area had any appeal to me. As I was leaving the area, I noticed the sign for Kaiserhof Restaurant and Biergarten. It took me about 20 minutes to flip the car around and return to the restaurant. I am so thankful that I did. The restaurant was not busy, and the atmosphere made me feel that I was in an old Germany Village store, with authentic German music playing. I was quickly seated by beautiful hostess dressed in authentic German clothing. (No accent though) . I was explained the specials and decided on the Weiner Schnitzel. I could not decided on the sides to go with dinner, and my waitress made 2 perfect recommendations for me. Soup and bread were served quickly, and both were excellent. The main course followed on time, and the food was presented and prepared perfectly. The Spatzel was great, and the Sauerkraut was out-of-this-world. Best I have ever tasted. They complimented the Schnitzel perfectly. My waitress checked back on me several times, and my drink glass never got below half. Other patrons were quiet, and seemed to enjoy the atmosphere as much as I did. The only disappointment about the dinning experience was when I left the restaurant and stepped out the door I was back in California, and not experiencing Germany anymore. Thank you for a great dinner and evening.

Once there was a great family-owned German Restaurant in Stanhope, NJ, and a favorite for authentic food and drink. The Black Forest Inn closed in the late 1990's. Imagine our surprise in moving to San Diego to find that the family had relocated here and had re-opened the restaurant as the Kaiserhof Restaurant and Biergarten. This is a good place for authentic German food, drinks and, best of all, beers. Mom and Pop have since retired but have passed the restaurant on to their chef son and his wife. Not a beat was missed in the food or service. There are a couple of formal dining areas, but the favorite place for most of us to eat is in the Biergarten, a large enclosed patio that serves a special Biergarten menu and from which the very large collection of German beers is poured and served. The entire restaurant is decorated in typical German fashion. Since this is San Diego and also German, you can dress as you wish and you will always be treated as special guests, almost family, no matter what the occasion or with whom you visit. Kids are definitely welcomed. To make life easier there is a large parking lot to the rear of the building in which you can nearly always find a safe place to park in the Ocean Beach area of San Diego. Access ramps for the impaired are provided to the front door. Of special note are the great serving staff here who work hard to meet your every needs. Guests range in age from toddlers to retirees and everyone is welcome. Waiters will guide you to menu items that might interest you and your family. Female servers wear typical German dress and make for interesting observation and conversations. The Kaiserhof complete menu has great appetizers and is one of the few places serving real steak tartare in the European fashion. Appetizers include a variety of sausages as well as one of the best shrimp cocktails in San Diego. There are even German sandwiches for those not so hungry. Main courses range from Jaegersnitzel to Pork Snitzel to Sauerbraten to Roulade. There are numerous specialties of the house like homemade bratwurst. There are special Sunday brunch menus with Eggs Benedict and Poached Salmon with Hollandaise. Dessert specialties include Black Forest Cake and Ausbach (Brandy) Coffee. You would be hard pressed not to find favorites on this menu and they present a nice offering of the best of German cuisine, prepared to expectations. To date this is the only full-service German restaurant in the area.

Almost two separate restaurants - the biergarten was lively, noisy and lots of fun; the indoor restaurant a little more staid. We opted for a biergarten table (smoking!) with the full restaurant menu although a lot of other customers were eating small plates from the biergarten menu. Portions are massive, food is tasty wholesome German fare, staff are chatty, amusing and efficient. I had the roasted pork knuckle and was in total lipsmacking pork heaven for 30 minutes. Loved it.

Typical German menu with all the classic dishes. We had rouladen and goulash soup. All sorts of German beer and wine. The service was also typically German, professional, but a little slow. This is not a fast food place, very busy with the locals, child-friendly. They have an outdoor biergarten.

Kaiserhof has REAL SchweineHaxen! (My favorite German food) And so much more DELICIOUS AUTHENTIC German Food: Schnitzel/Rouladen/Sauerbraten/Goulasch/MaulTaschen/Spaetzle/and FlammKuchen. And of course, WONDERFUL German Bier! You will NOT be disappointed with the Food & Drink here! (Just be sure to make a Reservation for Dinner on the weekends.) Wish they would open a 2nd location....

Superb! We were so happy we decided to try this restaurant. My husband, daughter & I had drive by a number of times always saying we have to try. Definitely not disappointed! My husband and daughter got the escargot, & loved it. We also got the brussel sprouts for an appetizer, & I personally could of made this my meal. I got the special of meatloaf with spaetzel & German fried potatoes, again excellent. My husband got the homemade bratwurst, with the onion rings & potato pancake, also excellent. My daughter got the wiener schnitzel Holstein, with the potato pancake & German fried potatoes, again excellent. More than abundant amount given, with enough for another meal for all of us. Atmosphere was very nice, service excellent, as well as the food! Definitely would recommend & will definitely go back.

Great ambiance awesome food try it once....you;ll be back

My family drives to San Diego 2-3 times a year to eat at this restaurant, and we have never been disappointed. We've lived in Deutschland and know what German food should taste like. The food at Kaiserhof is wonderful, we enjoy the atmosphere, and the server on our visit last week was attentive and engaging. This restaurant earns a 5+ from us.

A German friend took me there and I'm nothing close to German but I love it.I wish I can even make a pronunciation of what I eat but I can't. What I can tell it's that the food is amazing and according to my friend very traditional so is the clothe of the receptionist. A litter bit pricy but worth every single penny. Best pretzel I've ever eat also. I don't necessarily know if it's kids friendly. At least they don't have kids menu. But I recommend it 200%.

We went here because we had German food for our wedding and wanted to celebrate with German food for our anniversary. Please setting but dated, the decorations could use sprucing up. Food was generous and well seasoned. Had cucumber salad, goulash, sauerbraten, veal schnitzel, spatzle, potato pancake, mashed potatoes. Hubby didn't like whole mushrooms on veal, preferred sliced. Very tasty sauces. Apple strudel could have been heated. Prompt attentive service.

Kaiserhof is our favorite family restaurant in San Diego. Food is German with a Hungarian twist. They run early bird specials that are fantastic value for $. The waitstaff are professional and wonderful. And the beer selection is unparalleled. The portions are large so be careful about eating too much bread before the entrees come out. Or share an order if you're not a big eater. Truly special items on the menu: pretzel, pork hock, roasted duck, fried chicken, liver and onions, red cabbage, bread dumpling.

My wife and nephew and I had a great time at Kaiserhof. The whole experience was wonderful ... the food, the service, the ambiance. Great restaurant. I will say, though, that the sauerbraten was a little tough ... not the melt-in-your-mouth meat that I was hoping for. Overall, very good meal!

Awesome place! I had a Wiener Schnitzel that was better than 90% of the Wiener Schnitzels that I had in Germany/Austria. Also the place has a very nice atmosphere and a nice selection of beers and other traditional German meals! Highly recommended!!