Arrived at 12:04 PM
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Appetizers to Table at 12:22 pm
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Entrees to Table at 1:11 pm
OL’ HEIDELBERG | One of the first Huntsville restaurants we wanted to try when we set off on this blogging quest was the famed Ol’ Heidelberg. Serving up authentic German food since 1972, this restaurant has become a beloved Huntsville staple over the years. From the quaintly-decorated, dimly-lit interior to the homemade, succulent cakes and pies to the friendly, adorably-costumed staff, this place is a must-visit in Huntsville!
With every meal, you are served a basket of Ol’ Heidelberg’s homemade “German farmer’s bread” – a small basket of thick slices, alternating dark and light, pumpernickel and rye.
Appetizers
Escargot in Garlic Butter (12 pc.) - $14.99
Disclaimer: Many of us had never tried escargot before today!
The Detective – “We ordered an appetizer of escargot for the table. I’d never tried snails so this was a cool experience. They were served on garlic toast. The snails themselves didn’t have much taste but the whole bite with the garlic toast and snail was pretty good!”
The Engineer – “We also ordered escargot as an appetizer, which I had never eaten before. It definitely wasn’t bad, but, like the cordon bleu, didn’t really carry very much flavor. All of the flavor came from the garlic bread underneath.”
The Hipster
Once my eyes grew accustomed to the dim lighting, I grew to appreciate the cozy atmosphere. Speaking of cozy, the restaurant was a little on the small side, but this did not take away anything from my experience. Our waiter and a waitress nearby were very spirited to say the least, and maybe shared a little too much information. Other than that I had a great experience.
WHAT SHE ATE:
Home-Made Vegetable Beef Soup - $6.99
I ordered the Home-Made Vegetable Beef Soup (which the waiter said they should really call it restaurant-made, because it is made in the restaurant). It was such a delicious soup, yet it would be more aptly named a stew, in my opinion. After delivering my food, he asked if I wanted crackers, and he promptly brought me back some. He refilled my lemonade a few times, which I appreciate more than ever because of that experience at The Boot I had had. We finished our meal off by sharing a slice of chocolate cake. This cake is some of the best cake I have ever had. The meal I had was so delicious and I will be visiting again.
The Boss
I had been to Ol’ Heidelberg several times before and was excited to return as it is a favorite of mine. We were seated immediately since we called ahead by about 10 minutes, so that was impressive. Our waiter was a little bit slow to serve us, but the restaurant was busy. The waitress that was serving the tables around us was loud and somewhat obnoxious, to be honest. I hadn’t ever had a bad experience with the wait-staff at the restaurant before this, though, so I was surprised by that.
WHAT SHE ATE:
King Ludwig Chicken w/Fried Potatoes and Coleslaw- $12.00
Open faced chicken cordon bleu sauteed in a light cream sauce, topped with a mixture of German meats, Swiss and Roquefort cheeses.
My dish was very flavorful with unique and rich tones from the cheese and the cream sauce. I didn’t care for the large chunks of ham and I thought there was too much sauce on my plate, but the flavors and textures were all very good. The fried potatoes and coleslaw both had bacon in them, giving the dishes extra delicious flavor. The potatoes were crispy and the coleslaw was cool and refreshing with a strong onion flavor. Overall, I was very pleased with my food, as usual, and I had enough food at the end of my meal to take some home for leftovers!
The Detective
Another rainy Friday in Alabama? Surprise, surprise! The decision of our lunch destination came with much arguing and indecision. I wasn’t so sure about trying German food. We finally decided and headed out to lunch. The restaurant is in a strip mall so the outside visual isn’t great. Going into the restaurant you feel like you just walked into a crowded place in the middle of the night. It was very dark and a little musty smelling and feeling. The seated us quickly and got started on our drinks right away. The decor was what I would expect of a touristy German restaurant, overloaded with German art and decor. Our waiter was pretty nice but not very professional and the waitress working right around our table was VERY forward with customers and very loud, so not a very welcoming presence either.
WHAT SHE ATE:
Bavarian Pork Schnitzel w/Fried Potatoes and Cauliflower - $12.00
Pork loin stuffed with Jarlsburg cheese, mushrooms and onions and topped with a mushroom sauce
I ordered Bavarian Pork Schnitzel with a side of fried potatoes and cauliflower. Our waiter said it was his favorite thing on the menu so I was glad I picked it! It was a bit of a wait for our food but not too bad. The pork had cheese, mushrooms, and onions in the middle, with mushroom sauce on top. It was pretty good! I really loved the potatoes, they had bacon in them and were quite delicious. We all shared a piece of chocolate cake at the end of our meal and it was very good! (I’m not really a cake person but it was good!)
Strings O'Shaughnessy
When I walked in to Ol’ Heidelberg it was just as I remembered it was 10 years ago. A dimly lit and cozy atmosphere. This atmosphere was ruined when we were seated, however. It was really cold in the room, and we had to listen to the political banter of a waitress who I assume had an external locus of control. The Escargot appetizer was good to try for the first time, but I would not order it again as it was nothing special.
WHAT HE ATE:
Chicken Schnitzel Cordon Bleu w/Fried Potatoes and Cauliflower - $12.00
Stuffed with Jarlsberg cheese and ham, breaded and then pan-fried
I ordered the Chicken Schnitzel, however I received the Chicken Schnitzel Cordon Bleu. I do not like ham at all, so it was hard to eat. My side was fried potatoes, which are the reason this review is not at 0 stars. The fried potatoes were excellent and had crispy bacon and onions mixed in, these fried potatoes were some of the best I’ve had in a while.
The Engineer
My experience was far from negative, though there were a few things that were not preferred while I was there. To start, the restaurant was quite cold, which didn’t really help my appetite. It was also dark, which didn’t really feel very inviting. This was all remedied by the fact that our waiter, David, did a great job serving us. He kept our drinks full, and was great to recommend dishes to us. I was a little unnerved by the environment, but David really did bring it all together for me with his great service. In terms of cleanliness, it was pretty clean, though it was hard to tell with the dark lighting. Overall, I was happy with the experience, but not exactly blown away.
WHAT HE ATE:
Chicken Schnitzel Cordon Bleu w/Fried Potatoes and Cauliflower - $12.00
Stuffed with Jarlsberg cheese and ham, breaded and then pan-fried
I ordered the chicken schnitzel cordon bleu, which was recommended by our waiter. This was a good choice for me, as my mom made this dish for me many times as a kid, and I was excited to try it again! It was cooked very well but my only complaint with it would have to be the flavor. It wasn’t that it tasted bad, it just didn’t quite have the zing that I was hoping for. I was looking for a nice crunchy outside with spices to flavor it up, followed by the ham layer with a savory meat, and to finish with the smooth creamy cheese middle. Unfortunately, though welcomed by the textures, it was missing the flavor and was pretty bland. I will say though, my side of fried potatoes was absolutely incredible! The flavor had a great kick and really complimented the cordon bleu when eaten together. I would say the food was pretty good, but I wasn’t exactly impressed with the flavor content.
Mr. Clearwater
We were seated immediately when we arrived. Ol’ Heildelberg was decorated with deer heads and tons of German mugs. It was very dimly lit and was a little hard to hear, but all in all, my only complaint was that it was frigidly cold because of the AC being on full blast. To be fair, the wait staff turned the AC off about 15 minutes after we arrived (because some other customers complained) and it became much more comfortable.
WHAT HE ATE:
Veal Schnitzel Cordon Bleu w/German Potato Salad and Sauerkraut- $12.00
Filled with Jarlsberg cheese and ham then pan-fried
We started off the meal with escargot. This was the first time I’d ever had snail, so I was very excited. I was expecting something very unusual, but honestly it didn’t really taste strange at all… It was chewy, but almost had an almost mushroom texture. For my main meal I had the Veal Schnitzel Cordon Blue with sides of sauerkraut and German potato salad. The cordon bleu was cooked to perfection (I ended up eating Strings’ cordon bleu as well) and the sauerkraut and potato salad were very complementary. Overall, I give the food a 4.3/5
Judge J.
Right off the bat, the decor of Ol’ Heidelberg hits you in the face. Either cheesy or authentic, take your pick. When we decided on the German restaurant, I wanted the full experience and it did not disappoint. I have always thought Escargot to be a traditional French dish, so I was a little surprised to see it on the menu. Slathered in garlic butter sauce and paired with toasted garlic bread, it wasn’t too bad. I did overhear a comment that it had a slightly fishy aftertaste, which I could agree with.
WHAT SHE ATE:
Chicken Schnitzel w/Fried Potatoes and Carrots - $11.00
Prepared the original Vienna style. Encrusted in seasoned bread crumbs and then pan fried.
My main was the chicken Schnitzel with fried potatoes and a side of carrots. I definitely enjoyed the crispiness of the chicken and the bacon-flavored potatoes. It’s best to pair the dish with something fresh, like vegetables, in order to lighten up the plate. Overall, a good option if you want to go outside of the norm and try a different cuisine!
Chocolate Cake
Many of us expressed that this was probably the best piece of chocolate cake we have ever had. It was a HUGE piece of cake with ganache-like icing between the many layers and on top of the cake. The eight of us at our table passed this piece around the table twice and we still didn’t finish the slice. It was moist and delicious. Highly, highly recommend saving room for some homemade dessert if you visit Ol’ Heidelberg!
