Courtyard Café

The service was great and the beef stroganoff is to die for !! The purple cabbage was something different and i have never tried it but lord Jesus it was delicious!!!

Last Saturday night, we popped in for a bite. They only have a handful of items on their chalkboard menu. The food was delicious and the service was delightful. We ordered a pork schnitzel and chicken stew with pierogies. For dessert, we had a lovely slice of poppyseed cake. We would definitely come again!

Wonderful food and service. The owner posts the 3 or 4 entrees each night. Our group had weiner schnitzel, Hungarian gulosh, and pork chop. All of it was delicious ! The owner came out and visited and gave us a great history lesson on beer and his home area
He is cooking rouladen Saturday night. We will be there !

Hours incorrect. Sign says Friday thru Sunday 7a to 11. Like alot of places in Galveston the hours change, they’re wrong, whatever.

Food was awesome, owner is awesome. This is a definite «must go to» when in Galveston!

Wonderful off the beaten path restaurant. We had goulash and Wiener schnitzel. Don’t miss this spot.

Very pleasantly surprised with the food and service! So happy with the sausage, fresh and delicious! We also ordered pork chop, tender, flavorful and just delicious. They offered hot bread on house at the beginning, lovely! The owner/​manager is very warm and he loves to chat! He brought us a sample of his potato sad, which was lovely! If you want great home-​made food, come here!
By the way, the restaurant will be closed for the month of August, and it will re-​open on Sep 1^st. Save your trip till Sep. 1^st!

Extremely friendly service. We tried all three dinner options: wienerschnitzel, stuffed peppers and bourbon chicken. Wienerschnitzel was the best of the three but the other entrees were good as well, although bourbon chicken was a little heavy on the bourbon. Black Russian cake for dessert was good. Would go back.

Nice home cooking! Owner takes care of the food himself. Red cabbage was great. Atmosphere made me feel like I was overseas. No menu. They bring a chalkboard to the table. Espresso… mmmm!

Delicious food that tastes like someone’s Oma made it. Building is unique and charming. Staff members are very courteous and welcoming. Looking forward to another visit!

This place is an absolute must have experience! The owners are great, the food is amazing, and the atmosphere is downright cozy! I have been here countless times and the only thing I ever regret is when it is time to leave.
They change their menu often, so there is always great variety. The menu isn’t very large, but there is always something for every kind of taste bud. In fact, it is very hard to not order every thing on the menu because it all looks so good.
If you want great food that tastes like it is homemade with love, you gotta try this place. My only advice is that you make sure you have an empty stomach because you’re not going to want to put your fork down and you may order seconds!

Completely sweet and cozy little restaurant serving a rotating menu of Eastern European dishes. I loved the Hungarian pot roast, which was served with a warm mini-​loaf of bread and a side item (I chose the red cabbage, which was delicious but probably not for everyone). The service was friendly as can be — I will definitely go back.

On a spontaneous trip to Galveston, the Hubbs and I decided to go somewhere local and delicious for dinner. Pulling out my trusty Unilocal app, I was pleasantly surprised to find a hole-​in-​the-​wall off the beaten path that had a very high rating. On we went to our spontaneous dinner adventure!
We pulled up to an old stone/​brick building with an archway that actually looked abandoned in a kinda sketchy/​run-​down area. Hubbs was a little hesitant, but I pushed forward, eager to find a hidden gem. We walked through an emtpy and dark courtyard to a wooden door (relieved to see a Trip Advisor sticker on the window). We walked in.
So here’s where it gets a little confusing… we walked in and saw an open counter that led to the kitchen with a standing chalkboard and hand-​written menu… but then a waiter greeted us and told us to sit wherever we wanted. There were only a couple of other parties there. The room was filled with a hodgepodge of mismatched wooden chairs and a variety of sized tables, all with grey vinyl tablecloth. Each table even had salt and pepper shakers and a napkin holder with napkins I could easily buy at Target. It had a very homey feel, and I think the décor was intentional.
After having sat down, a waiter approached us and asked us what we wanted to drink. We said water, and he came back with two glasses of water with large ice cubes (much like what one would have at home). I asked for a menu, and the waiter recited the entire menu to us, and asked us if we knew what we wanted. Since there were about 7 items he mentioned (and I have a terrible memory), I asked for a paper menu. I thought that was kind of weird.
He returned with a paper menu with those same items he mentioned (along with a few other sides). The menu actually printed the dates of the day we went, plus the day after, making me think they change it often. I was disappointed to see that some of the items people raved about weren’t on the menu, but we decided to go with the wiener schnitzel (sauerkraut and potato salad as sides) and goulash over potatoes (with red cabbage as the side). I thought the menu was also weird because it didn’t have prices, but I figure it couldn’t be that expensive.
Our bread came out first. Two pieces of freshly-​baked bread with warm-​temperature butter. It was great. Lightly crispy on the outside, not too dense or thin on the inside. But it seemed like they bought the rolls from somewhere. It’s fine; I thought it was delicious.
Not too long after, we got our food. First, the wiener schnitzel. Again, I’ve never really had Polish food, so I was expecting… well, I have no idea what I was expecting. It’s basically a battered and fried pork cutlet. The batter was very thin and slightly crispy, and the pork juicy and tender. It was a little bland, but a little salt did the trick. The sauerkraut was surprisingly sweet and sour, something I wasn’t really expecting or used to (but the Hubbs said it was authentic, so I’ll take his word for it). Potato salad was pretty good; good amount of seasoning and a nice side in general.
Goulash was a little disappointing; it’s a tomato-​based beef stew over potatoes. Again, a little bland. I don’t know what I was expecting with the potatoes, but they were a little mushed (I guess that’s how they’re supposed to be?), with the stew poured over them. The red cabbage was perfection — perfectly sweet with some acidity, perhaps some vinaigrette? At this point, I started to wonder about the pricing and wondered how much the goulash would cost.
We did end up eating pretty much all of the food, which was a good sign. We decided to forego dessert and asked for the bill. At that point in time, another waiter was showing another party who had recently walked in the specials on the chalkboard and my heart dropped. $ 13 for the goulash? Really??? It was boiled potatoes (inexpensive) covered in beef stew (made in bulk, could also be inexpensive). It was at that point that this place turned from a 4 into a 3-​star review.
Wiener schnitzel was $ 13.50. Yes, it was pretty big, but it was fried pork. I kept having to remember that we were in Galveston, where cost of rent/​living is probably more than Houston (especially for tourists). But… I mean, come on.
I very much respect the owners who are more interested in cooking with real Polish ingredients than just making a few bucks. We even saw him (with an apron) walk out and talk to a couple nearby about the food (he didn’t say anything to us). And it’s nice to read the rave reviews of other people who really appreciate the owners’ niceness and dedication to authenticity. But it wasn’t enough for me to give them 4 stars. I sincerely hope we were the lone table that just got the mediocre servings, and everyone else got stellar food. Our service was great and attentive, and I wish I could give them a higher rating.

This place is AMAZING!!! The food was authentic, fresh and absolutely delicious. They even made my schnitzel gluten free! Hands down best food I’ve ever had in Galveston. AND it would even be fantastic if it were off the island.
Highly recommend. Susie, Mr. Klaus and Wanda are wonderful as well!

Great «old world» cooking from scratch. Menu is short and changes. It’s ok to call to see if they’re open and what’s on the menu! Great stuffed cabbage’! We enjoyed everything we tried including a Slovakian soup. We loved the casual, eclectic atmosphere. Can’t wait to go back and try something different.

Everything is amazing. The menu changes. They are not open often because the owners are getting older and they care about quality which is getting more and more rare.

Awesome food, service and atmosphere. Saturday night we had the Beef Stroganoff and the Cabbage Rolls and Russian Fudge Cake for dessert. Wonderful food! Always fresh and well prepared. Love this place. Have to make the trip from Carrollton, TX (north of Dallas) at least every other month just to get our fix.

Cool place

Maybe if I could actually EAT here I would love it! The times I have come they have been OUT of almost everything on the menu! Other times I can’t figure out their hours of operation?! They say they are open but locked up tight! This has happened several times to us and we get so frustrated! We really wanna try the food! Have heard such good things about it! Guess you have to hit it at just the right time!

Great place to satisfy your schnitzel cravings!
The jagerschnitzel is super good paired with the cooked red cabbage. My husband tried the cucumber salad with his and it was delish too! I must confess that I have never ventured to try anything else on the menu. Only because the thought of missing out on the schnitzel is horrible! Especially when you are paying more for your entrees – I don’t want to get something I don’t like as much as the schnitzel! Speaking of the price it is higher, however, you will leave feeling stuffed and nothing remaining on your plate!
The atmosphere is great and laid back. There is no set menu, you have to view the daily menu presented on a chalkboard at the front. Our waiter even brought it to our table once for us to view. They have European beer selections too to try. My husband was encouraged by the owner I think one time to drink it lukewarm, like in Europe. He did try it, but let’s say he ordered a cup with some ice afterwards. ;)
If you’re willing to pay a little more for great food, then this place is for you! :)

The food is excellent, but the atmosphere is, what is the word… strange? Some tables with plastic tablecloths, others with hard benches to sit on, battleship-​gray painted walls that have a concentration camp feel. Pinned to the wall over the bar are several rows of old ID cards. Although the waiter explained they were old soccer club ID cards, they strangely added to the concentration camp feel. Lets just say the ambiance could use some work.
The food was actually very good. My wife enjoyed her beef stroganoff. My goulash was very good and served over potatoes. I opted for sauerkraut as my side dish and it was excellent (I am a lover of good sauerkraut and this was some of the best I have had).
For good food, it’s worth a try, but have low expectations for the ambiance.