Speisekammer

It is possible to eat some great German foods at this establishment - try the salmon in dill sauce if it is on the menu - and drink some excellent German ales on tap. There is a beer garden, most charming during the sunny season, with its views of the oil changing station across the street. Parking is possible (there is small lot next to the restaurant), the waitstaff is quick and friendly and there is live music after 9pm (or is it 8pm) in the corner of the front dining room/bar/lounge area with one or two TV sets. There is an additional dining room in the back and it gets pretty busy in the evening. If you don' t want to have to dodge rugrats, avoid going too early in the evening. Later in the evening is a much better time for DINKS and singles. Speisekammer remains one of my favorite restaurants in the East Bay, and they are very few of them. Prost!

Pros: Salmon, pork, soups, desserts

Cons: Children all over the room

Posted 11/06/07

I was raised my an Austrian mother, and now live 3000 miles away from her. When Speisekammer first opened, the familiar menu was exciting to me. Although the quality never came close to the home-cooking I came to love, I was thrilled to have a runner-up in the area. My first experience in 2001 (although drunken) was much better than last weekend. Not only was the bratwurst BURNT (traditionally boiled, and lightly browned just to release the juices), but the portions were so NOT German -- really small. In Germany, it's a custom to be presented with a good size portion, to keep you satiated during your "stay". It didn't seem like they were hurting for customers, as the restaurant was pretty full -- so, not sure why they skimped on the meal. Also -- one other thing to note -- they had their Oktoberfest at the beginning of September to avoid other Alameda events, and the chance that the weather might not be great. September = Oktoberfest????
Our waitress was friendly, though -- and the beer was good.

Posted 10/29/07

I can't even express the fun we had with our 2 kids and their Grandparents! It was like our server was psychic!

She appeared promptly at our table with crayons and paper even tho we had obviously brought our own toys. After she went over the beverage menus she offered to get food started for the kids. We opted to wait as their Grandparents had not arrived yet and it was my Dad's restaurant choice.

The deal is that we have not been in a while because the service had been so terrible on several past occasions. We had great fun choosing our beers as the list had changed. Our server was very knowledgeable and brought us tastings so we could decide. By this time the kids were getting a little irritated, so then our Server magically appeared with balloons! What a great touch at just the right time! I opted for a glass of red and she recommended a Cab. by Andrew Lane that was a lovely and perfect choice. By this time we were having such a great time that no matter what we ordered for dinner it would be good (and it was all fabulous). Appetizers and entrees all came promptly, enough so that we actually wanted dessert....and those of you with kids know that if the service is slow there is no time for it due to imminent breakdown. Dad had a dessert cocktail he liked so much he ordered a second!

Changes that have been made at Speisekammer are so notable that if you have had any sort of bad experience you must return and let them know!!!

Pros: Fun and attentive service

Cons: Parking can be a challenge depending on time

Posted 07/06/07

After reading some of the previous reviews I had to write in with my 2 cents.
I used to work at speisekammer and still go in there regularly for dinner.
The rude manager guy mentioned in an earlier review is gone now - there is a new floor manager and the general feeling from the staff is much better.
I say, give em another try!

Everything on the menu is made fresh to order and nothing is from a can. All of the sauces are made from scratch. This type of "slow food" tends to be more expensive. Also the fact that most of the menu is meat makes the prices higher. Pasta is cheap to make.
What always amazes me is that people pay the same prices at Applebees or TGI Fridays for processed, frozen food and never complain.

Pros: great cocktails and fresh food

Cons: sometimes food is a little slow to come out on the weekends

Posted 05/30/07

I had to rate this place as a possible location for a corporate event. So I brought a friend and between us we sampled quite a good chunk of the menu. I do agree with some of the other comments about the salt, but even with the salt, it was amazing.

We started with the Potato Bacon Soup. Very Rustic, tasty and hardy.
Red Beet Salad, the beets were delicious, but seemed a little salty.

Then on to the real appetizers
Semmelkndel mit Pilzrahmsoe (Poached Bread and ham Dumplings with Mushroom Sauce) These were amazing, they were like stuffing meatballs, so tasty!

Reibekuchen mit hausgemachtem Apfelmus (Potato Pancakes with house made Apple Sauce) Not your ordinary Latka. The potatoes are shredded super thin and then I think deep fried, every little shred was toasty / crispy goodness.

For Dinner we had
Sauerbraten mit Preiselbeerkonfitre, serviert mit Rotkohl und Sptzle
(Braised Beef Tri Tip marinated and aged in Red Wine served with Red Cabbage & Sptzle) This was the other dish that was a little salty. At least the meat tasted like maybe it had been brined in red wine and salt. But as long as you had the meat with the sauce it was beautiful. The Meat was fall apart moist and tender.

My friend had a Rib Eye Steak and German Fries off the special menu which was very tender and cooked perfectly.

We were going to bring left overs to a friend, but decided we would stuff ourselves to bursting and have to come back with said friend some other night!

Pros: Great Food, Great Beer

Cons: Takes a long time to make fresh german food

Posted 04/25/07

I agree with the guy who wrote a review just before mine. Speisekammer's atmosphere is indifferent. The beer is good but overpriced. The sausages are good. I had the Wienerschnitzel, though, and it was really a disappointment. There was much more bread than veal and it just had no particular flavor. It was like a fast food version of Wienerschnitzel. My friends complained about the mashed potatoes but I didn't have any myself.

In general, a Biergarten in Germany is similar to a pub. Prices should be reasonable. It shouldn't be a big decision to go or a special treat to splurge on after being paid. It should have a neighborhood feel. This place doesn't have that feel and the five of us ended up paying $200 plus tip. We shared two small appetizers, each had a simple pub meal with my Wienerschnitzel being the fanciest choice, and we each had a couple of beers.

It was a somewhat interesting experience but we won't be going back. Also, when I was in Munich in 2005 the prices were better, the beer was better and the food was better. And remember that Germany is supposed to be expensive. You'd think Alameda could beat Munich prices, but no.

Posted 02/02/07

Citysearch says that they serve brunch, but the resaurant's website mentions only dinner. I'll have to try going there for dinner sometime. The place sounds really fun!

Posted 01/05/07

After 10+ meals at Speisekammer, my girlfriend and I decided not to go back. It was no single problem, but a cumulative effect over time. The pros of this restaurant are the family orientation, the great beer, and the cozy interior. The cons are the food and the staff attitude. If you get the sausage and potatoes, your meal will be very good and you will be happy. If you order anything else, you will pay more than average, and your chances of a tasty, well-prepared meal are about 66%. Someone in our group is always at least mildly disappointed with the meal. (At Suppenkuchen, no one is ever disappointed.) Your chances of having a nice waitress are also about 66%. But the overriding reason that I decided not to go back is that the staff, especially the manager or owner (not sure of his role), never makes us feel welcome. Sometimes the mood of the place is outright indifference. I have heard other people say similar things. Speisekammer is just not the friendly, consistently good neighborhood joint that it presents itself as and which I kept hoping it would turn into. My girlfriend agreed completely. We may go back for beers some evening, but that's it. Speisekammer, Alameda needs a good restaurant, and you can do better.

Pros: good for families, cozy, great beer

Cons: variable quality in food and service; a little pricey; not welcoming

Posted 01/05/07

love this place. Like in the old country, Fall offers the best delights: cream of mushroom, semmelknodel, jagerschnitzel...very welcome as the air turns cooler. Their beer sampler is second to none, the atmosphere is cozy and friendly, even for young ones, and the wine list is fair and full. The authenticity makes it second to none in the bay area.

Pros: food, beer, wine

Cons: service could use a little work. Not bad though

Posted 10/07/06

I have been to Speisekammer three times and agree that the food, particularly the spaetzle and sauerbraten is excellent; however, the service has never been a high point. At best, the wait staff and kitchen are slow. Recently though, the restaurant called us to cancel a Friday reservation for a party of 11 with a weeks notice. The reservation (and one would assume the reservations of everyone else) were canceled so the restaurant could be rented out for a last minute corporate Christmas party. Probably a good business move... in the short term... we won't be back, there is plenty of excellent food in the Bay Area.

Posted 12/06/05

For a great Sunday Brunch, try this place. They have excellent potato pancakes, waffles, and portions are very good size. Definitely worth the trip; we'll be back.

Posted 08/17/05

Wonderful food and beer in a very comfortable, friendly atmosphere. We dined at 8:00 on a Sunday night so the restaurant wasn't too crowded. The bread and water was served as soon as we sat down. Service overall was attentive and helpful. I enjoyed the giant bbq'd pork shank while my wife was equally satisfied with the pork and beer sauce - servings were plentiful and delicious. We plan on visiting again.

Posted 03/26/05

A wonderful place to fill yourself with authentic German food and beer. You will leave feeling sleepy and satisfied. I'm confused by past reviews slagging the food (the bread is stale, there's too much pork). That person might not be familiar with German-style bread, which is thick and dry. Also, pork is the main meat staple of the German diet. A wonderful and delicious place to spend an evening, whether you're in the hall or at the bar.

Pros: Great beer selection, Huge portions, Delicious, authentic

Cons: Slow when busy, Service can be cold, Easy to spend a LOT

Posted 03/21/05

We came highly recommended to this place,and frankly,there were somethings not so great.like the service.as someone else mentioned, poor service,we all know can spoil a dining experience, and our almost did. the bread we finally got after waiting 15 minutes, was stale, almost inedible. the waitress passed us by at least 5 times before we got eye contact and service 15 minutes later.and not friendly.food came about another 25 minutes later.no follow up care from the waitress.forget water refills. we even had to wait 5 minutes at the register to pay our bill. ambience was stark,as described, and for all this,the price of the meals was on the high side. we expected better service at these prices.and lastly, i saw that about 80% of the entree menu was PORK.nice choices among 8 different pork dinners.so my friend had pork,and um...i guess i'll have the .... pork .the food was tasty.

Posted 03/19/05

Though I'm not a huge fan of German cuisine, we decded to make a visit. Menu was full of nice, filling food; I left completely stuffed. Waitress was informative. Considerable selection of beers. The table was large and there was more than enough room for the similarly large portions. Great to go to with a bunch of people, as long as you're fond of the type of food.

Pros: Welcoming, Bright

Cons: Loud

Posted 03/11/05

This is more than German food, it is just good food. I had no idea what German food was before going there. It is really super delicious!
My friend and I had the Salmon special and the "Giant Pork Shank". The salmon pan fried and topped with a creamy cucumber dill sauce that was to die for - served with spinach and mashed potatoes (a tried and true combo). The pork shank was giant! It was cooked on a rotissierie which gave the skin a delicate crunch. I made sandwiches with the leftovers the next day.
Cocktails are large and deadly! Watch out for the caffettini - it went down a little too easy.

Pros: fireplace, music, cocktails

Posted 11/21/04

I grew up in germany so I have fond memories of german food. Often times the speisekammer lives up to my memories but a couple of times they have fallen short.

The speisekammer is a fun place to go after a tough day. The atmosphere and the beer are a good perscription for the blues. I always get a good buzz and have a great time even if I have not totally agreed with the authenticity of the dishes.

Pros: great beer

Posted 09/28/04

Speisekammer really raises the bar for restaurants in Alameda. We no longer have to drive into San Francisco for a higher quality food experience. At the same time, the restaurant maintains the unpretentious atmosphere that is Alameda.

Pros: Food, Great Bar, Atmospere

Posted 04/01/04

I most often take advantage of the food and beer recommendations of the friendly staff at Speisekammer, recognizing my betters. I've never been disappointed. The changing specials alone are worth a trip to Alameda. Top that off with live music and I'm happier than a cherry in a black forest cake.

Posted 04/01/04

Speisekammer has recently initiated LIVE vintage jazz every Friday with the Sara & Swingtime trio, featuring Sara Klotz de Aguilar on piano and vocals, Harvey Robb on sax and clarinet, and Richard Saunders on bass. Aoslo old swing and jazz DJ Slimm Buick!
They also have other acts other days of the weeks, ranging from alt acoustic rock to accordion music! Check it out!

Pros: Great atmoshphere, Charming hosts, friendly clients

Posted 03/31/04

I've eaten here at least twice a month since its opening a couple years ago. I usually have three kids in tow and come in around five pm. I've never had a bad experience, and its really nice to be able to eat somewhere nice with little kids. On several occasions before my daughter was walking, one of the waitresses which haden't started her shift yet, carried my daughter around while I ate my food. Talk about service!! The food's good too.

Pros: good parking, kid friendly, great service

Posted 03/31/04

If you are looking for authentic German cuisine and a great atmosphere, this is the perfect place!

Posted 10/10/03

I've been to Speisekammer at least three times now and have never been disappointed. Once was with a large group and everything we ordered was excellent. The parking is fairly easy, the wait is never long, unlike the sister restaurant in SF, Suppenkuche, where I waited 2 hours for a table! Try the Spaetzle with carmelized onions and emmenthaler.

Pros: Meatloaf, Sauerbraten

Posted 07/29/03

I have been to Speisekammer twice because the German fare they serve there is amazing. However, after eating there twice, I've decided not to go back. We waited 15 minutes before our order was taken, and it wasn't busy. We saw our waitress maybe three times throughout the entire meal (including taking our drink order).

Posted 06/02/03

My husband and I are always on a quest to find a kid friendly "nice" restaurant. We found one! A definite great value and absolutely hearty and tasty dinner. We had a relaxing and non-rushed meal with a couple of German biers and finished off with a warm apple struedel to die for. I give my highest recommendation.

Pros: great value, out of the ordinary, tasty menu

Cons: okay parking

Posted 04/08/03