Sad that this place is closing down (likely closed by the time you read this). It was a great staple for German dishes, and plenty of German beer for purchase. Brezel had a great slightly crunchy exterior and slightly fluffy interior. Gaumenkitzel schnitzel was amazing and incredibly flavorful with a perfectly breaded and fried exterior. The plate sizes were just a little small. I'm going to miss this place. 13 amazing years

What a bummer that the restaurant is closing this month. The owners make such great German food, a lot of which you don't normally see at other German restaurants. My most recent visit I enjoyed the Knödel & Rahmenschwammerl which was two delicious bread dumplings bathed in a rich mushroom gravy, with golden beet cubes on the side. Delicious! The schnitzel and spaetzle are always good and they do something special with their stewed purple cabbage that stands out from other restaurants. We also always order the house-made bread, made famous on Check Please! Great variety of German beers, some on draft but most in bottles, and surprisingly a lot of German wine too. The server was helpful in recommending another beer when the one I ordered was not available. Their model right now is for guests to order at the register and sit and be served. I think this has improved the efficiency that they serve the customers. We were fortunate on a recent rainy Friday night that we were able to get seated after waiting only 10 minutes or so without a reservation. Best of luck to the owners in their next adventure!

The food here is excellent. The jaeger schnitzel is a top 10 meal I've ever had in my life. Anything we've ever ordered here has been "very tasty" at worst. The only downside is ordering at the counter can be a bit weird, doesn't match how the food makes you feel, which is you want to sit down and enjoy an extra beer. The actual room itself is cool, and feels like some blend of Berkeley and Germany all rolled into one.

Owner will take the time to make sure you're most satisfied and provided at no cost a 'flight of beers' taste testers. Our meals were over the top spectacular in the most comfortable and humble surroundings. Btw, each beer has its own special glass and he is supposedly one of the few authentic pourers. Albeit, I've just had my own full -sized glass of full strength German beer, I can keep my wits about me and give an honest review. So delicious and truly feels like we are coming into his and wife's home whereby they whip up these masterpieces! I'd give this a zillion stars if I could!!

The food was good but the flavors were just a little bit off from other German food that we have had, the snitzel was a bit too salty and too fried, the hot mustard was too sweet, the salmon was quite fishy... Overall the food was OK. I probably won't be back. The atmosphere was nice and comfortable. You order at the counter and pay, and they will deliver to your table. They have a cute variety of beers and jams for sale. The parking is street parking in the adjacent roads.

Gaumenkitzel in Berkeley offers an extraordinary culinary experience. The 100% Grass Fed Beef Goulash was incredibly delicious, and the catch of the day dish was equally satisfying. Pairing the meal with Plank Bavarian Hefeweizen and Kostritzer Schwarzbier from their impressive beer selection elevated the experience. The ambiance is warm and inviting, and the service is attentive. Gaumenkitzel delivers an exceptional dining experience worth savoring. Cheers!

Came here based on the Yelp reviews. We were in search of good German food after being disappointed with the schnitzel and spatzel of another place a couple months ago. Next time we'd probably make reservations. The seating was a bit limited. We ended up snagging a spot in the middle of the long communal table. The restaurant is counter service. Friendly service. Our group of three ordered the hibiscus drink, mushroom spatzel dish, and the beef stroganoff. Dessert was the Black Forest cake. I preferred the mushroom spatzel to the beef stroganoff. But both were delicious. The beef was perfectly tender and very filling. The drink was served in a very tall glass. It was a little pricy. Over $100 for three people for dining that felt like a more casual ambiance. But Bay Area prices. The food was very good and we'll likely be back if we are in the area again.

Excellent! Very tasting German food. We got the goulash, sausages, potato salad, pretzel and some German beer. This place is a small family business where the husband takes your order and the wife handles the cooking. It makes you feel like you're getting authentic home cooking. You can also buy the sausages, mustard and some of the beers in cans. Check this place out!

Been coming here for years and finally thought of leaving a review - after seeing some of the comments below. Not sure why a couple of people saying they're German are hating, I'm from Germany and the home-style cooking here IS authentic and it IS good. I also get my German treats, beers (mini kegs), and Kinder Christmas advent calendars from here during the holidays. I order the schnitzel every time with various appetizers or a bretzel if I'm not too hungry. I've tried many beverages on the menu (from beers to house-made drinks) and even found my all-time favorite German Riesling here. The food is solid and everyone I've introduced to the restaurant loves it. I will say that I've had a couple times I found something not up to snuff (overcooked Goulash and a drink that I didn't love), I didn't think it was a big deal so did not mention - but I'm sure the owner would have addressed it properly had I said something. Try the Spätzler and feel better :)

This place has been on our list for over a year and we just haven't gotten the chance to try it. Neither my boyfriend or I were sure what to expect since our only exposure to German food was beer and sausages, which we've always found a bit salty. We stopped by right before a hike in the Berkeley hills to grab a small bite, and ended up sharing a Brezel (pretzel) and the Jägerschnitzel "Hunter's Style Schnitzel". The host was also nice enough to let us sample a couple of their beers, and we enjoyed sharing one of the lighter options. Honestly, we were so pleasantly surprised by what Gaumenkitzel calls "slow food" - basically comfort food made with traditional cooking methods and sustainable ingredients. The schnitzel was perfectly crispy and served over spätzle (almost like a small handmade pasta), the braised red cabbage was a nice, slightly sweet contrast, and the creamy mushroom ragout held the entire dish together. We liked the food so much that we even stopped by after our hike to share a slice of Black Forest cake! It was a drier cake, but the flavor was delicious. The last time we came, we tried the 100% Grass Fed Lean Beef Goulash in Spatzle ($22). The beef is definitely on the leaner side, but the flavor was good. If it's your first time here, I would recommend the Jägerschnitzel because it was amazing. Each dish is pretty big and could be shared between 2 people. I'm now a fan of German food!