Bauernschmaus Restaurant

Small, cozy restaurant with excellent German/​Austrian food at a very reasonable price. It’s out of the way and in a strange location, but don’t let that deter you!

I had no idea we had a dedicated German restaurant in the city.
You ever have a friend in your group that is ethnically different that you try to learn everything about their culture? Well I’m that guy. Not that guy, the other guy. The guy that’s pestering the guy who’s different.
Our German friend suggested this place for News Years Eve and I did not know what to expect.
It’s quite easy to miss on 99 street so make sure you slow your roll. Parking was dicey as the restaurant is situated beside many other smaller stores and for whatever reason the strip mall was packed on the last day of 2014.
When you enter, the only thing missing is the clashing of beer steins that would make it complete. Really warm lighting bouncing off walls hung with European style paintings and signs. Seating is quite packed so make sure you make reservations.
I’m not sure if it’s standard but the only dining menu was a 3 course menu for $ 29: a salad, a choice of soup and a choice of entrée. I ordered the goulash soup (not goulag as my German friend pointed out as that’s a prison. Yes, I’m that guy) and the zigeunerschnitzel with dumpling and vegetables as a side. As previous reviewers have noted, service does take quite a long time. The first salad didn’t quite roll out until an hour into a party of 7 service. Thank goodness they gave us the gift of bread and butter.
The goulash was very delicious. The vegetables were not overcooked and the pork/​chicken were stewed just right. The broth was very flavorful and I kinda wish I didn’t two hand the bowl. You know what i’m talking about when you’re drinking delicious soup.
I think because my entrée had the word schnitzel in it, I raised my expectations for the dish. In reality I became a little deflated when it merely was breaded pork. There wasn’t any flair or excitement to it. Unfortunately, I’d have to compare it to a lunchtime cafeteria. It was very average tasting and honestly not even hot.
I wasn’t sure what to expect with the dumpling. When I think dumpling, I always refer to an Asian one. The German dumpling was huge like Nikki Minaj’s video (My anaconda DON’T). Unfortunately, it tasted a little bland, like a big ball of breaded stuffing.
I can totally appreciate the home-​cooked vibe from this place and I’d love to come back and try more authentic dishes.
TL;DR: dinner service was very long, great goulash, schnitzel was ok.

Authentic german atmosphere. Alright german food. Slow service. Freshly made dishes.
Ive been craving german food since falling in love with the country earlier this year. German food is hearty and satisfying. Those roadside diners in the countryside were some of the best european dishes ive ever had. Walking into this place it reminded me of the little restaurant I visited in munich which was a converted house-​restaurant. This place completely transported me to the countryside of germany. Steins hanging from the ceiling, the yellow walls with old european posters. Its nostalgic alright and it has that cozy feel like your going to a germans house for dinner.
I visited on saturday night and 80% of the tables were reserved. Maybe just 3 tables not reserved and they were only available for parties of two. So come early or make reservations. Mostly seniors in large groups eat here.
I found service a bit haphazard. Coming in early at 530, our waitress took our orders and served us after some tables that were seated after us. A pet peeve of mine… so I gotta minus a star for it. Other tables had their salads much before me and my courses were not paced very well. (Too fast and close together). And yet I noticed large groups seated before me had their food after me. So it seems Its normal here. Theres only two servers for a packed house. I think since its a packed house they should get another server. Bc the service is awkward and executed shamefully. But enough of that…
I started with a fried cheese to start. It was a firm cheese that was super stringy. The batter to fry the cheese was the same as what they used for the snitzel. It was bland and flavourless. Crispy but boring. It could of used more spices or something. After 2 pieces I was finished with it. And I LOVE cheese. But it was too boring for me. The beef goulash was much tastier and reminded me of my travels to hungary. Stick to the soups… I noticed other patrons doing this as well.
The vienna snitzel was massively huge. I could only eat half. It came with vienna pasta which was soft and yummy. And a few blanched carrots. It was big but I found the bland taste to be quite boring and disappointing. Its not at all authentic german snitzel. I find continental treat to be much more authentic tasting. So minus a star again. Also for $ 22 my plate was pretty small as all the dishes didnt complement eachother. (They never served carrots in germany-​whats up with this).
I was disappointed bc dishes dont come with sauerkraut. So I ordered it on the side. It was the only thing I was not disappointed in. Slivers of sausage made it really tasty and unique. The side sausage tasted just like a breakfast sausage you buy at the grocery store but were bigger. The potato dumpling was a interesting dish that was unique. The texture was a bit off putting. So Id have to say the vienna pasta was the best side we had.
No room for dessert. I was stuffed. Our leftovers were wrapped in cute little swans made out of aluminum foil. Just like in germany! So cute. Overall… not worth the drive for me. Its a nice dinner experience. But the german food left me wanting something more despite being stuffed. No complimentary pickled red cabbage or veggies, sauerkraut $ 3.75 or great sausage (heissewurst) $ 2.90 here. My 3 sides alone cost half the amount of an entrée. But who can eat german food without a bit of sauerkraut! Replace those carrots please! Then maybe its worth coming back for.

The Bauernschmaus is an interesting, if not difficult name to remember and pronounce. It doesn’t exactly roll off the tongue nicely. A buddy of mine and I decided to check out this German/​Austrian restaurant on a cold, first Sunday of winter for lunch. The place has an old school vibe to it and reminded me of being back at my grandma’s house. From what I saw, I’m guessing that 99% of their clientele are regulars as many were dressed in their Sunday best and of a certain age (aka. old geezers). We were greeted rather rudely by one of the waiters when we first walked in (Urbanspoon never lies) but the waitress we had was nice enough. Also, I oddly got some stares from a few of said older clientele which was a tad off putting.
Don’t you just love when a restaurant has no website AND no menu to see beforehand? I took a few photos to remedy the situation (sorry, the photos aren’t the best). Most of the dishes are in the $ 15 – 18 price range but include a soup (goulash) or salad along with your choice of side.
We ordered:
— Bread pork cutlet with mushroom cream paprika sauce ($ 11.50) — I picked the mixed salad and dumpling as my choice of side. I like how you can hear your meat being hammered back in the kitchen so you know it’s fresh. The sauce was delicious with the pork cutlet and the meat itself was tender (and not greasy as it was lightly fried). The dumpling was interesting to try as I’ve never had one before. The lunch deal is cheap but could have used more vegetables (two dinky carrots don’t cut it).
— Promenaden platte ($ 15.50) — combination platter of breaded smoked pork loin, sausage and pork cutlet. I tasted a bite of the sausage which was quite good. My buddy enjoyed his as well but would have liked a sauce to go with his various meats.
Verdict? The food is decent but be prepared to wait. I’m not sure if I would go out of my way again to eat at the Bauernschmaus. German/​Austrian food is heavy on the meat, deep fried and doesn’t have that oomph/​flavour that makes me want to go back for more. If you want something simple, then definitely check them out. Look for the Centre 99 sign as it is located in quite the random spot.

Absolutely fantastic. A real gem and truly authentic. Fairly priced with excellent service. It’s like a trip to Germany.
We sampled a couple of dishes and purposely mixed up the sides so we could share and try as many as possible.
None disappointed. Located in an unlikely spot you may miss the turn if headed south on 99 St.

If you order the special of the day, then the value proposition is good. The bread rolls that they bring out complements of the house are poor quality and they belong in some kind of greasy spoon, not an establishment of this calibre. Perhaps the proprietors can try to get some kind of arrangement set up with the nearby Artistic Bake Shop. They offer very good authentic German bread products.
The sauce ladled over my cutlet used canned or bottled mushrooms, which surprised me. This may be typical of German cooking, though, and Northern European cuisines do tend to make used of picked and preserved foodstuffs.
My water glass was not refilled once, nor was I asked whether I wanted a refill. It’s a good thing that I’m a real sipper when it comes to my water, as I managed to get to the very end of my meal without requiring a refill. All in all and despite the fact that German food has never really excited me that much, I think that Bauernschmaus Restaurant merits consideration. Recommended.

Extremely reluctant to review this gem of a restaurant for the simple fact that I’d rather not share this hidden secret with anyone else.
The good was absolutely delicious. I had the butter pan fried pork chops with dumpling.
The sauerkraut complimented the meal well and the rye bread was great for cleaning the platte afterward.
Atmosphere was great with authentic German/​Austrian décor throughout.
Service was nothing short of excellent.
Prices were very reasonable and we left very satisfied.

It’s a pretty cozy place, maybe a bit dated and worn but the staff is super friendly so it has a grandmas house feel to it. The menu is in both German and English is which is handy, and fun to learn German words. We went at lunch on a Friday and it was mostly seniors but we were seated right away. The entrees don’t come out super quickly but they give you bread and salad right away. The food is pretty good but very rich so go there hungry.

This was one of our favorite restaurants since arriving in Edmonton over a year ago. The food was truly wonderul and the ambiance was like being in Bavaria. However, I took out of town friends there for lunch with reservations and waited over an hour for the salad and drinks. I complained and was told it was due to only one cook and many walk in customers which came in prior to my reservation. If you can stand to wait this long, more power to you. However, I have removed it from my list of restaurants to go to in Edmonton.

Wow. This place is money. Like eating in the Old Country or should I say «Auld» Country. All kinds of schnitzel here and the goulash soup is an amazing start to the meal. The salad is simple but a perfect note before hooking into my Parmesan breaded pork schnitzel. Too stuffed to try their talked about strudel. Not that I need a reason to go back

Friends took us — we would not have chosen a German Restaurant. However, the food was much better (lighter) than we expected. As with other reviewers, the salad was delightful. Entrees were tasty and not too meat heavy. The only downside was the waiter who while mostly competent could have used a personality/​energy transfusion.

I did not know about anything about authentic German cuisine until I met my SO. He took me here for our first Valentine’s Day. We’ve been back many times to celebrate other occasions throughout the years. It is Edmonton’s best kept secret as it’s already a busy place without being advertised. Reservations are highly recommended as walk-​ins would be turned away.
My fiancé’s all-​time favourite is their Farmer’s feast. It’s got almost everything. Huge portions! They also have got something for vegetarians, but not for vegans. (Deep fried cheese and fried mushrooms; delicious when dipped in ketchup!)
I love their salad. Maybe it’s their secret dressing, but I always wished there was more salad. I usually get their dumplings to go with my main course. Yum!
If you are able to come hungry, start with their paprika goulash — it is to die for!
I also agree a previous reviewer in regards to the Paprika Hendel; it is delicious.
Music is always gorgeous — classical and very fitting to a nice family dinner or a romantic dinner for two. When I can’t finish my meal, the waiter/​waitress packs my food up in a beautiful foil swan. How adorable!

The Bauernschmaus is one of my favorite restaurants in the city — we do all of our family dinners there. It is an incredibly charming little family run business. When you walk through the doors, you are immersed into the atmosphere and culture; it truly is an experience.
My favorite dish is the Paprika Hendel (chicken with paprika sauce), potatoes, and a side of sauerkraut. If you like sauerkraut, you have to have it here because it is phenomenal!
The menu items are named in German but the descriptions of the food are in English. The meal starts with fresh buns and rye bread, followed by a salad that is to die for! My family has been trying to get the recipe for about 20 years now!
The service is always great and the staff are friendly. I love everything about The Bauernschmaus. It’s a pretty well-​kept secret except to those who frequent it. And those who do, are loyal customers who eat there on a regular basis for the many reasons I have listed above.
Check it out! I dare you!