Came here to try out a classic Chicago restaurant with a good Christmas ambiance and certainly wasn't disappointed. The decorations are festive and full of holiday spirit. I wouldn't say the food is amazing, it's average - or at least the schnitzel was. You can get better schnitzel with potatoes at the German restaurants in Lincoln Square. Come here primarily for the ambiance and good conversation in a cool and classic location. If it's busy here (and it will be around major holidays), expect service to be a bit slower. This is a very well-known spot. Had a great experience though!

After visiting The Berghoff a few times over the last decade, I finally made it there during the holiday season! It was the perfect beginning to a "World's Columbian Exposition"-themed holiday outing, followed by the Joffrey Nutcracker, which is set at the grounds of the 1893 World's Fair. I made reservations a few weeks ahead of time for an opening spot, hoping to be sat in the main dining room with all of the gorgeous, historic murals of the Fair. I appreciated the holiday window displays and the extensive Christmas decorations within the restaurant, including the large nutcracker and finely-dressed tree. The potato pancake appetizer was much more elevated than I expected, it was enjoyable but the pancakes could stand to be a little larger in circumference ;) A warm mug of glühwein was a nice treat. My absolute favorite is the Jager Schnitzel with an additional side of the very best red cabbage I have ever had! The Berghoff is known for German standards, and although they have a fairly expansive menu with more modern offerings, it's the classic dishes that keep bringing me back! Excellent, professional service that speaks to this restaurant's reputation as a Chicago institution.

I like it here! It's extremely casual and has options for dining, including a grab and go counter with self seating as well as a full dining room. - I love traditional German food. They do a great job of providing a wide variety of options yet sticking to a traditional preparation of the cuisine. - The ambience is lively. I enjoy seeing the decor as well as the staff fully emerged in the culture. Restaurants like this make Chicago the melting pot that it is.

Dined here for our Christmas Dinner this year. Was NOT disappointed. Beautifully decorated AND Santa was there. #iknowhim !!! Of course, I had to snap a shot with my baby. He's 19 but he'll always be my baby. The food was good and the service as well. Definitely a great little night in my city. Downtown Parking IYKYK

Classic German food, every sausage you want, selection of beers, friendly attentive staff, room for big groups. We stopped by in the early evening after all kinds of touristing all day. They had plenty of room to accommodate our large group. Service was prompt, friendly, and attentive. They have every classic German food with a nice selection of sausages of course. I love their smoked sausages the best. I had their tasty Octoberfest beer (yeah, this was in late September), and we all had different classic German beers. They're in the middle of town, so we took a ride-share there and an easy bus-ride home. A great experience!

We sent into the city for some shopppng and stoped here for lunch. They were busy but it's big enough to usually walking and get seated in about 30 minutes. We went to the bar for a few German beers while we waited. The bar help was attentive. We were seated hand started with the bread basket which is still a favorite of mine. My wife ordered thr sauerbraten and I had a sausage plate. The meals were excellent and reasonably priced. This is a must when visiting during the holidays. They had a Santa visiting with the tables.

RESERVATIONS IN ADVANCE ARE ESSENTIAL I messed up and ended up having to do a walk-in and their system for that was particularly bad at predicting the wait time that evening, and I suspect is more concerned with matching to exact chair availability than say, letting 2 sit at a 3/4 table. Thankfully an on sight Santa came to us when we did get seated and salvaged what would've been a lower rating. This visit strictly for small orders and drinks. Root beer: amazing. Hot potato salad: restored my faith in the German credentials (what's more, the use of pastrami instead of bacon may make it a kosher version of the dish. But double check that!) Pretzel very nice. GET A RESERVATION