Cafe Steinhof

Maybe fans of German food will disagree, but after a light breakfast at Steinhof, it felt like my innards were steaming and bloated as though under the suns of a thousand hells.

Pros: Close to home

Cons: Too close to home

Posted 03/24/09

My husband and I decided to try this place based on all the wonderful reviews at City Search. We walked in and were greeted with the friendliest smile and a pleasant "good morning". Looking over the prices on the menu, I was surprised at how reasonable they were and just assumed the portions reflected the price. After ordering the Farmers Pan for myself and 2 Eggs with Kielbasa for my husband, we were shocked at how large AND tasty the portions were. We were stuffed to the gill and still ordered the cheese crepe because we knew it would just be so good... And it was! As I'm sitting here writing the review, I'm ready to go back and we were only there this morning!!!

Between the fantastic customer service, delicious food and reasonable prices, this is officially my favorite local joint.

Pros: Service, Quality, Price

Cons: Park Slope parking

Posted 12/27/08

Such amazing food. I have never been disappointed. My favorite is the potato and smoked salmon soup and the bread dumplings. I really can't say enough about them. My husband gets the Sauerbraten or the Jaegar Schnitzle with a side of the hot red cabbage. So good. The bar is great, the bartenders are really knowledgeable about the wines and the beers. The bar and the tables do fill up fast, so get there early or late, just not at regular dinner time, or plan to wait a little. Seriously, go. You will not be unhappy.

Posted 05/21/08

The food is unique and filling, so don't over order! The staff is amazing and helpful, and I adore the bartenders. Great beer selection. Great for brunch. A chill out space for a low key happy hour. I always find something to eat or drink here, even when I'm not hungry!

Pros: Great staff, great beers, cool design

Posted 04/22/08

I have been at Steinhoff many times, and mostly come here for their happy hour. Good, well-priced drinks, seating outside in the summer or at the bar in winters is very relaxing. Bartenders are fun and easygoing, place is clean and gets a fun crown to look at. My friends once spent 6 hours drinking Riesling (very good!) outside, and noone asked us to leave or was rude to us. The rule is - if you order drinks only - you sit at the bar or outside, and serve yourself. You will not get a waiter, unless you order food. They will take your glasses, but you have to fetch your own drinks from the bar. I guess that's why I have not encountered any rude waiters :) . The food here is decent, but could be better. Chicken liver pate is bitter, and fish is fried in too much oil. But deserts are actually pretty good. All and all, I like the place, it's not the best, but certainly is one of my favorite. Oh, did I mention that it is very reasonably priced?

Pros: Happy hour, great ambience

Cons: no finger food at the bar

Posted 12/27/07

Cafe Steinhof is a great neighborhod place in South Park Slope. The kitchen is mostly no-frills, serving up standard German/Austrian fare without fanfare. Monday nights the kitchen serves a choice of two meals, goulash (which is excellent) and fried trout (also good). On other nights the menu is expanded to feature expected items such as saurbraten, schnitzle and chicken paprika. The atmosphere is relaxed, and you'd be served just as well eating at the bar as you would a table. Sunday nights turns into movie night where you can eat and enjoy a beer while watching the week's selection. The bar has a small selection of German beers, the standout of which is the Kostritzer Schwartbier (if you've never tried it, it's a must, only a small handfull of places in all of NYC have this on tap). The staff is friendly enough. Having read a few of the other reader reviews, I would comment that you should not go to this place if you are high maintenance and demand a certain quality of service - that's not what this place is about. If that's what you're looking for go to the Silver Swan or Rolff's instead.

Pros: Food, Beer, Relaxed Neighborhood Atmosphere

Cons: No-frills Service, Ambience

Posted 10/14/06

Definitely a cut above your average South Slope dining options. Highly recommended for graciousness, great prices, and a menu that features all Austrian bistro classics, like Chicken Paprika and the best Sauerbraten this side of the Atlantic.

Pros: ambience, food

Posted 09/15/06

I think ...some of reviews were written by people runing this business
Food S ucks ! Waiters too.

Pros: no crowds

Cons: food s u c k s

Posted 09/14/06

I want to add my 2 cents about service at Steinhof. Yes, it's a casual cafe, not a five star restaurant. I've NEVER had bad service there, maybe my expectations are lower when I go to a fun, hip neighborhood pub. In fact, some of my best dining and social experiences took place at Steinhof. And the prices are cheap.

Pros: fun place, wifi

Posted 09/08/06

let me start by saying that i have eaten at cafe steinhoff at least two dozen times. the food is tasty. the service is another story, a tail actually, of the pony variety. one of the wait-staff members is pretty rude. we almost always get this person. if you get this person you will leave the restaurant feeling empty and unhappy. beware!

Pros: schnitz, chix-paprika, food is delicious

Cons: worst waiter in the world

Posted 08/26/06

We live down the block from Steinhof, so of course there is the convenience factor, but this place has been a consistent pleasure for us over the many years that we've been going: drinking, chatting with the friendly neighbors - many of them musicians and writers - watching the mostly funny Sunday night movies, and thoroughly enjoying their Austrian/German/Hungarian dishes (which we are able to do now without a dictionary).
I highly recommend the chicken paprikash with spatzel and the seafood bowl, which is loaded with fish, mussels and seasonal vegetables. For dessert the Malakoff torte and the Linzer tart are my faves. My gf is partial to the salmon with spicy (jalapenos ?) spinach puree, and the salmon cake appetizer. Anything featuring salmon is likely to make her happy.
I don't know how they managed to keep their prices at the same level for 6 or 7 years now, as far as I know there has never been a price hike since they opened. And I almost never miss the 5 buck goulash mondays, can't beat it for value and fun. Nice special drink menu, which changes daily, as well.
The music can get a little loud, but the sidewalk eating is great people watching. We know almost everybody on staff by name, all very lovely individuals, and recognize many people from repeated visits. It is our Cheers indeed, but worth a trip from outside the hood as well, I would say.
I've been wanting to give them a positive shout out for a while, here it is.

Pros: atmosphere, kid friendly

Posted 08/05/06

Cafe Steinhof is a big disappointment. I've been there three times. On the first visit, a Saturday, the service was friendly and prompt, the food was delicious and plentiful, and the bill was cheap. On the second visit, a Sunday, the service was unfriendly and lethargic and the food was bland -- if plentiful. In particular, the waitress, a middle-aged malcontent, had to be hailed down to get a beer -- after waiting for five minutes -- and a request for additional bread took another five minutes. She never bothered once to ask how the food was. On the third visit, also a Sunday, I encountered the same waitress and waited the same five minutes to have my drink order taken, even though there were very few customers. The mussels -- what all the hipsters eat as they dine al fresco next to the heaps of garbage on 7th Avenue -- were tough, the sauce bland. Apart from the food, on the second and third visits, the beer was warm, the restaurant was noisy and the temperature inside must have been close to 90 F. What a shame! Bottom Line: Don't waste your money here. Instead, try the Thai restaurant next door. It's BYOB, the waitstaff is polite, the food is delicious and the price is right.

Posted 07/30/06

The food here is excellent, the drinks are excellent, and the staff is incredibly nice. They show movies on Sunday nights and treat the customers like they are actually glad they came. Go there--the place is fantastic.

Posted 07/22/06

We went to Steinhof about a week ago and sat at the bar since the place was packed, but they have the full menu at the bar. We had the grilled sausage platter with spatzel and a weiner-schnitzel and both were excellent. Great selection of beers, especailly their german draft beers.

Pros: good beer, cheap food

Cons: loud

Posted 05/26/06

Just don't go if you are hard-of-hearing - the noise level can get incredibly high. But great food, nice bar and atmosphere, child-friendly. Bar staff very nice but wait staff snooty as all hell. Fab Schnitzl, Goulash, tomato soup, cucumber salad, Bratwurst and Kielbasa. If you want cheap food with your drinks, you can't beat this place. Outside seating in the summer but be warned, it's literally just wobbly cafe tables on the sidewalk.

Pros: food, music, bar

Cons: wait staff, wait staff, wait staff

Posted 03/05/06

I was there a few times with adults only and a few times with quite a few kids. I was pleasantly surprised by how great the service was despite the kids running around, knocking down glasses, etc. The waited was very friendly, very patient, and recommended chicken paprika which meat literally was falling off the bone. It was so good that my 2 kids ended up eating like 3/4 of the portion while I had to nibble on the other 25%. The drinks are one of the best I ever tasted, especially the martinis.

Posted 12/26/05

From a Park Sloper who has lived in Vienna, and his German roommates: this is the real deal, if you are looking for Austrian/German/Hungarian pub fare. The Wiener Schnitzel covers the whole plate, the Sauerbraten is tender and full of flavor, the salad platter way too big to finish, desserts excellent, all in all huge portions...extremely friendly staff, inventive drink menu, low prices, we are hooked.

Pros: cheap, big portions, friendly fun vibe

Posted 11/28/05

Steinhof is an Austrian insane asylum and nowhere is that better reflected than here. We were hassled about seating by our waiter who seemed at the end of his pony-tail, so we opted for the bar, quaintly decorated with giant fly strips. The specialty drinks were good, when we could wrestle our bartendress' attention away from conversation. As far as the food, some was spectacular, some was wretched. The tomato soup and the keilbasa were tasty. The Beef Gulash was lacking beef, but had plenty of gristle and fat. The Weiner Schnitzel was tough and came cold. Still, we tried desert, the Topfen Cheese Crepes are fantastic. Worth a twenty minute wait? No. But very good. Still, the worst part was there was no one to voice our complaints to. Hopefully there's a manager present on weekends . As I said, it wasn't packed.

Pros: Music, Location, Inexpensive

Cons: Staff, Lack of Manager, Hygiene

Posted 11/20/05

Food was good, waiteress was very helpful with all our questions.

Pros: Food, price

Cons: Noisy

Posted 11/19/05

We moved to Park Slope a year ago, and Cafe Steinhof is hands down our favorite place for friendly atmosphere and very satisfying food. The saurbraten and chicken paprika with spatzel are superb, and all main courses come with a tasty salad.
Love the chocolate custard and the malakof tort (reminds me of tiramisu). Kid friendly, and generally always very accomodating and nice staff. Great beer selection, and the Sunday movie nights are fun.

Pros: reasonable prices, friendly staff

Posted 08/17/05

the only "german" is the name
food sucks
music inside very loud, had to seat outside.
Wiener Schnitzle looks and taste like pork chop from cheep bodega.
Waiter needs a course on savoir vivre.
Place looks nice inside but this is the only benefit......
When we ordered pepsi , waiter gave us something that looked like pepsi but tasted like mixed leftovers of vanilla soda and ginger ale........when asked he said " it's generic pepsi"
Since I lived in Germany I know about German food DO NOT RECOMMEND THIS JOINT

Pros: PLACE LOOKS OK INSIDE

Cons: FOOD, WAITERS, NOISE

Posted 08/12/05

Great food, ok service, crowed house. If you cannot get a table eat at the bar the bar service is great.

Pros: Food

Posted 05/11/05

This is a cool place to get drinks. My Schnitzel, with pork in lieu of veal, was pretty good. My gf's seafood ragout was less impressive. We had chocolate crepes and chocolate flan, both delicious. My only grievance is the $10 corking charge--a bit steep for a place like this. I would come back here, for a lighter meal--beer and a sausage.

Pros: laid back, cheap, beers

Cons: corking fee

Posted 04/30/05

I have been going to Cafe Steinhof for about 3 years (since it opened) and I have found the food to be consistently deliciouos and the service always to be friendly and welcoming. The ambience and decorations are unique, interesting, comforting...I can't say enough about this place! The $5 goulash on Mondays is delicious, but really, I've never had a bad meal. It's my favorite place in NYC.

Posted 02/16/05

My boyfriend and I were looking for a nice German place in Brooklyn and were pleased with this place. The food was good (I had the weiner schnitzel and spaetzle, my personal favorites) and it was really good. The portions were enough to completely fill me up and the price was about right. All in all, I highly recommend Cafe Steinhof to people who are looking for something other than takeout Chinese or pizza.

Pros: large portions, inexpensive

Posted 09/29/04

Stopped in Cafe Steinhof randomly one night and was pleasantly surprised with the food! The cheese and meat plate is a great value. Potato pancakes and the kielbasa were enjoyable. Definitely a place I would good back to in the future!

Pros: Decent prices, Yummy food

Posted 04/18/04

Came here more than once, and have to admit that it's as close to Austrian/German as anything in Brooklyn ever gets. BUT, having actually lived in both countries I feel sorry for anyone who thinks this place offers an equivalent food substitute. The food ain't all that and the service was a bit slow. All in all it's a very laid back and reliable place.

Pros: Good Value, Beers, Parking availablity

Cons: Inconsistent Service, Not Authentic, Fake Mimosas

Posted 11/22/03

I lived in Germany for several years and must admit that Austrian and German cuisine was not my favorite. Cafe Steinhof reintroduced me to some old favorites and made me rethink Germanic fare. The Hungarian inspired dishes are especially good (Chicken Paprika, Goulash), the salads satisfying and the drinks are downright creative. Try the elderflower spritzer or the sour cherry martini. The service is very attentive, friendly and welcoming. I've enjoyed Cafe Steinhof more than any Biergarten, Gasthaus or Kneipe in Europe. You must try the chocolate custard -- Wunderbar!

Pros: Great food, Great service, Great atmosphere

Cons: none

Posted 11/05/03

A fantastic little neighborhood bar/restaurant. The ambience and attendive staff is really what keeps me going back. It truly has the feel of an Austrian cafe - very European and laid back, always great music playing. It's small and intimate without being pretentious. Also, both the bartenders and waitstaff know how to treat customers well, from recommending a meal to buying regulars a free round.

Pros: Ambience, Friendly Staff, Good Vibe

Cons: Not for large parties, Portions not huge

Posted 01/27/03

both Tom and Kevin, the bartenders are great. Caleigh and Robin are awesome as well. I have frequented this place since it opened...their menu has gotten substantially better, and the beers on tap are not matched anywhere (even though there's only 6). I highly recommend it, though the food is on the dryish-thickish side. What the hell, it German!

Posted 10/13/02

A little bit of Europe right here in Park Slope - great, hearty Austrian food and delicious draft beers. The interior is comfortable and the service is a bit lax but friendly enough to compensate.

Posted 10/12/02