Schwabenhof Lounge & Hall

Friday night all you can eat fish and chicken that is so crazy good, you’ll almost forget the 30 minute drive out into the boonies.
Seriously, the fish and chicken is insane. Every plate comes out just as piping hot and delicious as the first. Do yourself a favor and immediately ask for a second plate when they bring the first round. (You’ll be shocked at how fast the first round vanishes.)
This is a gem of a German bier hall, so don’t forget to try their brews. I tried the Spaten Lager (forgive my poor spelling!) which was light enough to pair well with the heavy fried food.

I went for the first time during Lent, it helps to arrive early (we got there at 4pm).
The fish was very good, German potato salad is excellent, the potato pancakes are frozen patties that gets tossed into a fryer (not so good).
The waitresses were hustling and provided good service.
Oh yeah, authentic German beer and the local favorite drink-​the Brandy Old Fashion.
Overall, I’d say this is a good place to come to.

If you go during Lent– sit back and enjoy a tankard of tasty beer because you are gonna wait, arrived at 540– told wait would be 35 minutes– seated at 635. No sweat. Great fish fry– my preferred place. They should include two servings of fries with the all you care to eat fish fry. So cool to see the young and old dining in the ballroom.

Finally tried Schwabenof’s fish fry. It was a cold Friday and the first of the Lent season. The joint was not overly crowded at a bit past noon but it appeared several groups of 5+ had shown up at the same time and the lone waitress was overwhelmed but determined. There were about 20 of us customers seated and only two tables with food on them. Every looked like the slight extra wait wasn’t particularly bothering any of them.
What drew me and the Mrs. here today was the unique option of the combination fish fry and fried chicken; all you can eat. The fish was very good; large pieces about 8″ long and quite moist. The corn meal coating did not detract from the flavor of the fish. I am a beer battered deep fried fish man myself but this was a well prepared alternative. I selected French fries with mine and they came a bit on the warm side. I put that down to the unusual load our waitress was doing her best to manage. The coleslaw was made in house, I’m guessing. It was different from others I’ve had… in a good way. The rye bread had a salted crust which is unique and good in moderation. My wife had the German potato salad. It seems to be made in house as well. I don’t judge other’s German potato salad as none compare to my grandmother’s…it is a magnificent taste burden I bear. I can say Schwabenof’s was on the sweet side. The fried chicken was simply coated, fried nice and crispy, and left juicy — not greasy.
My hat is off to our waitress and the cook. Our waitress made it back to our table to check on us twice despite her hustling back and forth to the kitchen carrying trays with 2 — 7 plates of food on them.
The price makes this establishment worth a try. From 11:00 am — 3:00 pm the combo meal is just $ 10.95

I went here for the first time on January 30, 2016. A relative requested the buffet following a very large funeral. All of the food as excellent: the chicken, salad, mashed potatoes, gravy, dinner rolls, and corn. The bartenders were energetic and accommodating for our huge group. They have a wide beer selection (as a German restaurant should), and they make a solid bloody Mary. I have heard nothing but positive things about their Friday fish fry and certainly plan to return for that and a more uplifting occasion!

I love this place. Relaxing atmosphere with outstanding fish fry. Periodically I’ll order the fish and the chicken together. Very tasty. Nothing fancy but fun place to go to if you have a big family gathering with very casual atmosphere. Probably not every ones cup of tea but I love it here. Yummy… Prices are reasonable…

I was taken here for Friday fish fry and have since returned many times. The all you can eat fish and chicken is excellent and very affordable too! The building has a lot of character and gives off that family supper club charm. Many great German beers as well!

Great fish fry. I’ve gone here for years. The service isn’t the best. Get there early or else you’ll wait. The building needs to be updated. Tables are wobbly and the fans I think have never been cleaned. I keep going just for the fish and beer that’s it. No fries no bread no coleslaw just fish

It’s Wednesday night, I wanted prime rib. It was just starting to get busy. They only had 2 waitress’s working and they had a party in the big hall. Though they were friendly, but service was terrible. My friend had the fish, it was hot and he enjoyed it. My prime rib was very good. The salad was just plain ice berg lettuce, one slice of cucumber and I piece of tomato. I’ve had better salads. I won’t go back there, we waited 40 minutes for our food, and 20 minutes for them to take the check., did I say service was TERRIBLE. They didn’t have enough waitress’s or kitchen help. Be prepared to spend 2 hours there. I don’t drink beer, but they had a large beer list.

Für deutsche Verhältnisse eher wie ein Vereinsheim aufgebaut. Gehört wohl dort auch dem Verein der Donauschwaben. Ein riesen Raum daher sehr laut — essen war in Ordnung für mich war die Speisekarte ein wenig zu klein da ich schleckig bin. Wie in jedem Restaurant in Amerika war die Klimaanlage wieder voll aufgedreht und mir war sogar im Pulli kalt. Freitags ist dort Fisch Tag (gibt allerdings fast nur panierten Fisch)

Finally came to Schwabenhof after my future mother-​in-​law talking about it, We went on friday for the fish fry. I’m not a big fish guy so i got the Fish and chicken. we waited about 25 minutes to get a table, then once we were at the table the lady came and took our drink and food order, a little while later our appetizers showed up but not our drinks, we finished the app’s without any drinks then the food came out and the lady finally noticed we didn’t get drinks. After we ate we sat for a while before she asked if we wanted anymore (i suppose their way of keeping people form getting seconds. We got the bill and it took 10 minutes to get our card back after waiting a few minutes for her to pick it up, The chicken was very good actually i’d consider going back for the chicken, the fries are good, the mozzarella sticks (app) were ok. the service was the downfall. Worth a visit to try the fish, I haven’t had fish in nearly 10 years till this experience but it was ok. Seems to be a very popular place for fish, so give it a shot…

We stopped here to have a drink the bar. We found a large selection of German beers and reasonably priced drinks, like Old Fashioneds and Bloody Marys. While we did not eat here, we noticed that the menu was limited but seemed to provide good value, like all you can eat fish and chicken (or combo) dinners for $ 12.95. Not as much German fare as you’d expect from a place called Schwabenhof (potato pancakes and German potato salads were pretty much the only nods as far as food goes).
The place is big and you can tell it has been around for a long, long time. It also looks like they have a large biergarden that will be open in the summer.
For a full Bloody Mary review, visit
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My family and I belong the club, that being said this place is like my second home. The fish fry is alright, but if you get the chance go on another night, or go when the Schwab club is making the food, like Oktober fest, you will be happy. It’s made by the women of the club and Jim the chef is just as good. I had my wedding reception in the beer pavilion and loved it. It was reasonable and we could decorate pretty much any way we wanted. The food was outstanding! No one left hungry, in fact we had some people ask what the food was (German, ie red cabbage, schnitzel, dumplings). It’s great for the family, your kids can actually run around and play. The prices are reasonable and the beer selection is good plus you might learn a little German. Guten tag!

My husband swears by it that this is the best fish Fry in town.
This is a large space establishment with a good variety of beer on the tap and at the bar. There is always a wait but nothing to complain about as there is enough space to sit by the entrance. You can also get a beer from the bar while the kids play some games at the pool/​video game consoles that are available at the front.
Once we went here when our son in college came home. As soon as we entered he asks «is this a white folks place??»…hmm come to think of it «well…yes this is a white folks place «but no worries the staff is down to earth, friendly and just your average Joes.
I would personally rate this place a 3 but I generally add another ½ rating if you have good, attentive and friendly staff which this place has. another ½ since it’s my husband’s fav fish fry place.:)
There are variety of other menu options including hot dogs and chicken sandwiches as well. the laid back nature and huge dining hall makes this a good place to go with a family or multiple families (with kids).
The combination platter is a good way to try both the chicken and the fish.
While my husband’s natural choice is to suggest to come here every Friday for fish fry, I am still in a personally quest to find the «ultimate fish fry»

The Schwabenhof holds a special place in my heart for me. As a child, I attended numerous Christmas parties here with my mom and grandparents. I love the old fashioned feel of the hall. Not a whole lot has changed about the place over the years. There is still the game room adjacent to the bar with a pool table and a couple of old school arcade games. And there is also the outdoor pavillion which is a great venue for gatherings in the summer.
One thing that the Schwabenhof is known for is their fish fry. It’s an all you can eat fish fry, and it is served on Wednesdays and Fridays (4−8pm on Wed and 11am-​10pm on Fri). The cost is $ 12.95. If fish isn’t your thing, they also have an all you can eat chicken dinner for the same price. Both meals include a choice of German potato salad, potato pancakes, french fries or baked potato. Also included are coleslaw and their homemade tartar sauce. They also have other entrees on the menu to choose from. Every time that my husband and I have been here, the food has always been delicious. The fish and the chicken are always brought out to us hot and fresh. One thing that does bear mentioning: they tend to be VERY busy during Lent.
If you are a German beer aficionado, then you will love the selection that the Schwabenhof has to offer. They also have a full bar if you would rather have a cocktail.
I now have a craving for the fish fry after writing this review. A trip to the Schwabenhof will have to be planned for the near future :-)

First off, I will say that this is my favorite fish fry in Milwaukee! It is seldom that I have another fish fry that passes the «Schwab» test.
What makes this good is that it captures what an old fashioned fish fry should be — the cod pieces are not too chunky (very large filets) and breaded just right. They usually get the food hot to the table which is crucial in my book. Put that together with your choice of potato, coleslaw and good rye bread and you have Friday night perfection.
The standard fish fry also can be ordered with fried chicken at NO EXTRA CHARGE for white or dark meat. I usually get the fish and chicken and never go home hungry.
They often have German beer specials — bonus!
One oddity is that the fish or chicken is all you can eat but not the fries??? You would think they would have you fill up on the cheaper starches but go figure.
Service is usually super friendly and punctual but they can get busy between 5:30 — 7:00. Even so — I have seldom had to wait for more than 15 minutes to get a table and I cut the waitresses slack as they have to lug the plates from the kitchen on the far side of the building.

The fish fry is good and why wouldn’t you want a good juicy piece of chicken too? I really like being able to have both. Also the French fries were fresh and crispy. Good fish fry close to the house.

Not what I thought… one big hall filled with people of all ages and a sub par fish fry. However the beer is fantastic. Since I speak German I am determined to like this place. Maybe I’ll try another night other than Friday.

Disclaimer — we didn’t eat here, we just sat at the bar for a few drinks.
Schwabenhof is an interesting place — it’s mostly a «hall» or catering facility, but serves food on Wednesdays and Fridays to the public. Those days you have a choice of fish fry (several varieties) or fried chicken or a combination. The bar part is also open to the public but only Tuesday — Friday nights.
The interior reminded me a lot of a VFW post — it’s kind of dated. Lots of wood paneling. Various German societies base themselves from here, so there are trophies and memorabilia posted throughout. When we visited, there was a large Stammtisch table filled with guys with heavy German accents enjoying some drinks so it’s certainly authentic in that respect.
Beer prices are really expensive for the location — a half liter is $ 5.50 which is the same price as OGBH on Old World Third. I wasn’t really expecting downtown prices at a fish fry hall in Menomonee Falls. Also, the bar service wasn’t great — pretty much teenagers who spent 95% of the time trying to hit on the servers and/​or texting on their phones.
It’s an interesting place and I’m glad we checked it out but I’m not dying to return.

I would say 3.5 stars. The best way I can describe the experience and food is solid. Nothing to great but nothing to bad. The fish was cod and cooked nicely. The fried chicken was breaded with a thin coating which is ok but I know some people like a ticket coating. I thought it was a little salty but my wife didn’t. It was all you can eat but the portions were so generous I probably shouldn’t have ordered a refill lol. The clam chowder was good. Thinner than most chowders but better that than too thick. I would come back again if in the area but probably wouldn’t go out of my way for the fish fry.

Listen up because this part is important. People are going to tell you, «you have to go to Swabenhof’s» or «Schwabs is soooo good,» and none of this is true. There is nothing remarkable about this restaurant. I say this because often Schwabs is talked up as some sort of fish fry mecca. The food is ok. If you think endless fish fry is more important than fantastic fish this review is not pandering towards your interests. The hall is large and can cater to big groups. The décor is authentically German which is cool but keep in mind you could have went anywhere for fish on Friday but instead you’re stuck at Schwabs.
Now I may not be in the majority when it comes to reviewing this establishment. Plenty of people in the party found the restaurant charming and one could make the argument that the inside was cozy. It’s cute but the food tasted like Sysco food. The slaw fell short. I don’t think I was served bread.
Let me drown you in some facts about my evening:
Arrived on time — the rest of the party did not. No biggie fries.
While we waited for the rest of our party of 10 we ordered drinks. They must have been harvesting the wheat for the beer and the sugar cane for the rum because it took an eternity.
Our waitress was crafty and very aloof. I find this quality enduring in cat burglars but not in people who should be silently and diligently dropping off pieces of fish and crinkle fries. The ordering and delivering of food collectively took 50 minutes. When you take into consideration that everyone ordered the fry and the chicken (which should be pouring from the heavens like manna on a Friday) this was unexplainable.
This mystery also was experienced — 2 of the orders from the large order were placed after the larger order. They arrived before the larger order. While this is frustrating it’s also impossible because everyone ordered the same thing. Bonus fish came out in a New York minute. Emotions and confusion ran high and thick.
Facts about the perch — meh. People «enjoying» the cod enjoyed the cod (but it was just cod).
All in all — it’s not going to be the worst or lowest point in your life. It’s ok, but just ok. In the future I would suggest a different place to eat.