The Rathskeller

The Rathskeller is a lovely German restaurant located in the heart of downtown. Formerly in the building known as Das Deutsche Haus, the current name of the building is now the Athenaeum.

So my experience at the Rathskeller was incredibly enjoyable. We arrived at the restaurant on a Thursday night, the weather was beautiful, and I was ready for some great German food. When we arrived, we had to walk down a flight of stairs to the lower section of the Athenaeum to reach our destination. When you arrive at the foot of the stairs, you see that you have several directions you can go. If you go straight, you will reach the Rathskeller's highly coveted bar area where you can enjoy a selection of some of the finest international beers in the world, or even go out into the concert area and enjoy a local band. I believe they call this area the "beer garden" if I'm not mistaken.  If you take a left, as we did, you will run into the host stand for the Rathskeller restaurant.

Upon arriving at the host stand, we were promptly greeted by a friendly woman and then seated at a corner table in the dining room. Although our table was in the corner, which I wasn't extremely happy about, we were sat right next to a pretty great antique fireplace. Our waitress was very friendly and extremely knowledgeable about the items on the menu, and she knew a lot about the different beers on the menu, which was a nice touch to the service.

The food was pretty tasty, and I had absolutely nothing to complain about in in that department or anything else for that matter. We were served a fresh plate of breads, pumpernickel, pretzel, and white, along with spicy mustard for dipping to start. Shortly after, our soup and salad selections arrived offering a nice compliment to the fresh bread. After our first course, we were then served our entrees.

We had a large selection of sausages that came out for one our dinners, as well as chicken Diane for another. I will have to say that I have seen chicken Diane cooked so poorly that it was dry and tough. Believe me when I say that this was by far one of the best chicken dishes I've ever been served in my twenty-two years of eating. The chicken Diane was light, refreshing, and well balanced on flavors and doneness. It was accompanied by red beans and Cajun rice, as well as a baked potato. All of our food was really delicious and very enjoyable.

The atmosphere at the Rathskeller is interesting to say the least. If you are looking for a cookie cutter interior to dine in, then I would not suggest eating at this establishment. The inside is rustic, eclectic, yet very original. The entire building that the restaurant is in is actually quite a mystery itself. The Atheneaum is rumored to have many, many secret passages within its walls. And even some that are yet to be discovered. If you are looking for a good mystery with wonderful food, the Rathskeller is your place. I would highly recommend this restaurant for anyone that has a diverse interest in food.