Jim and Nancy do not disclose the fact that they will review a restaurant before they attend, ensuring their reviews are unbiased and uninfluenced by their position with the Sun Day.
Believe it or not, Nancy has a real job. She is a travel agent, and years ago she won a river cruise for two through Bavaria with a German cruise line. Out of 80 passengers, only 10 spoke English. As we were sailing along, our cruise director would point out various landmarks and give a five minute dissertation in German. He would then point and say to us in English, “there it is.” While showing her clients some photos of our trip, she developed a taste for German food. We remembered seeing the Bavarian Lodge in Lisle and decided now would be a good time to review this restaurant.
Bavarian Lodge
1800 Ogen Avenue
Lisle 60532
(630) 241-7041
bavarian-lodge.com
Directions: Take Rte. 47 South to I-90 East to 53 South to 355 South to Ogden Avenue exit, west to restaurant.
Estimated Travel Time: 59 minutes
The moment you pull into the parking lot, your mind is immediately transported to Bavaria. Before you stands a quaint lodge adorned with flower boxes and lace curtains on the windows. The Bavarian theme is repeated on the inside with dark wood paneling and floors. Tiffany style lighting fixtures and beer steins complete the atmosphere. This restaurant is very large, but it’s sectioned off to give you that homey feeling.
When we looked at the menu, we started to drool and wanted to try everything, but we contained ourselves. For an appetizer, it had to be the (4) German Potato Pancakes ($8.95). These were rustic potato pancakes seasoned with a touch of garlic and served with applesauce and sour cream. They were crispy, packed with a lot of flavor, and awesome. Nancy could have made a meal on them.
Jim spotted a dish from his childhood, namely Chicken Paprikash ($16.95). This was two chicken breasts sauteed in a rich paprika cream gravy. His dinner came with either soup or salad, and he chose the bacon potato cabbage soup. His entree was served with spaetzle. The dinner was very good, but like he said, “you can never go back.”
Maybe Nancy is right, and I am a moron. I hate to admit I thought Wiener Schnitzel was only made from veal. After reading the menu closely, Nancy informed me it could be either veal or a pork cutlet. I will never hear the end of this! Nancy had a tough time narrowing down her choice today, but after this revelation, she decided on the “Pick Two” option ($15.95). You get a choice of two meats, one starch, and one vegetable. She chose the Wiener Schnitzel made with a pork cutlet (for a 50¢ upcharge), and Thuringer for her meats. Her starch was a no brainer; spaetzle, and for her vegetable, she chose the sauerkraut. Her entree came with either soup or salad and she, of course, chose a salad with Red Pepper Garlic Dressing that packed a punch. She can find garlic anywhere!
Her entree arrived on a platter that was piled high with food. She lifted up her Wiener Schnitzel and her eyes bugged out. She started to blush when she saw the largest sausage she has ever seen in her life! Everything that she ordered was out of this world. Do not pass up the sauerkraut, it had a touch of sweetness that made it unforgettable. We both agreed, the gravy that came on the side wasn’t a keeper.
If you’re at a Bavarian restaurant you have to try their apple strudel ($5.95) for dessert. This was surprisingly disappointing. It wasn’t the flakey crust we all know and love about a strudel, and they didn’t even offer ice cream!
Nancy’s dinner, without a doubt, was a big bang for your buck. Everything was delicious and she stuffed herself. There was even enough left over to bring home a decent doggie bag for me.The price for a déjà vu moment was $61.31, wunderbar!!!
Jim’s take: I loved everything about our meals, even the cabbage soup was delicious. They served the best sauerkraut I’ve ever had. Nancy definitely won this time.
Nancy’s take: I have to agree with the moron, from the potato pancakes to our entrees, I thought everything was excellent. I missed out on so many years of Wiener Schnitzel. From now on, I will ask the waiter if the schnitzel is veal or pork before I make my selection.
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