Vancouver, WA: Operation Schnitzel: Gustav’s Remains a Trusted Rally Point

Gustav's

1705 SE 164th Avenue

Vancouver, WA 98683

Phone number: (360) 883-0222

gustavsvancouver.com

Prices: $$$$

After redeploying from a few years abroad, we somehow always find ourselves maneuvering back to Gustav's--because in the AO of Portland-Vancouver, good, reasonably authentic German chow is harder to find than a clean porta-john in a warzone. Prices? Reasonable. Portions? Adequate firepower.

We hit the OBJ and, as usual, no wait. Immediate seating. No need for Close Air Support or a table reservation. The staff ran their mission tight--friendly, fast, and squared away.

The atmosphere? Straight out of a Bavarian forward operating base--warm, wood-heavy construction, stained glass, tall ceilings. Cozy, inviting, and well within German cultural ROE.

We kicked things off with the Fondue ($9)--a hot LZ of creamy cheese with German bread for dipping. Solid value. Good taste. Zero casualties.

My main op was the Hungarian Jägerschnitzel ($21)--breaded pork cutlet, mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes. Cutlet wasn't exactly a shock-and-awe portion, and it could've used more gravy for fire support, but overall, I was a happy camper.

My XO ordered the Chicken Cordon Bleu ($24) with spaetzle--breaded chicken stuffed with ham and Swiss cheese. Again, portions weren't the kind of heavy artillery you get in Munich, and there was no soup or salad backup, but she enjoyed every bite.

 

Not sure why this place keeps falling off our radar, but we'll maintain loyalty--because German restaurants in this theater of operations are few and far between, and Vancouver has exactly zero others as far as intel indicates.

CombatCritic Gives Gustav's Factory 8 Bombs Out of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better -- Unless You're On The Receiving End ... HOOAH

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

1.3+ MILLION VISITORS AND COUNTING ... HOOAH!

408,000 VISITORS IN THE PAST 12 MONTHS ... OOH-RAH!

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

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• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

Read Chris S.'s review of Gustav's on Yelp

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Title: Vancouver, WA: Operation Schnitzel: Gustav’s Remains a Trusted Rally Point

Key Words: Vancouver, WA, Washington, schnitzel, German, Gustav’s, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, hotel, accommodation, destination, product, service, business, review, Yelp, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2025 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Colorado Springs, CO: Good Schnitzel, Reasonable Prices ... HOOAH!

Schnitzel Fritz

4037 Tutt Blvd

Colorado Springs, CO 80922

Phone number (719) 573-2000

Website: schnitzelfritz.com

Prices: $$$$

The place is basic, so do not expect anything fancy. You order from the counter and they bring you your meal, helping yourself to a fountain drink (1 Free with Yelp Check-In), tea, or water. They have a small deli with German fare and a couple of racks up front with a decent selection of German food products.

I had the Cordon Bleu Schnitzel ($11.99) with fried potatoes and cream ("rahm" - which is brown here) gravy. The schnitzel was cooked just right with ham and gooey cheese oozing from the center. The fried potatoes were plentiful, well seasoned, and flavorful.

 All-in-all, a good German meal and a very good value.

CombatCritic Gives Schnitzel Fritz 7 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Seven Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "Shits & Grins"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18 

• 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 1 Million Views!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Colorado Springs, CO: Good Schnitzel, Reasonable Prices ... HOOAH!

Key Words: Colorado Springs, CO, schnitzel, German, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, hotel, accommodation, destination, product, service, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2018 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Coos Bay, Oregon: A Delicious Taste of Germany in Coos Bay

Blue Heron Bistro

100 Commercial Avenue

Coos Bay, OR 97420

German, Seafood

Website: blueheronbistro.com

Phone number: (541) 267-3933

Prices: $$$$

Hours on Yelp are wrong, they are open from 4pm to 8pm daily. Therefore, it is difficult to make a reservation, handy during COVID distancing requirements, because they only answer the phone during business hours.

It's a cute little place on a corner right on the main drag going south in Coos Bay. It has a Bavarian look inside and out, reminiscent of many a gästhaus I have been to in Germany. They even have a small biergarten out back with three large picnic tables.

They have a nice selection of traditional German favorites at reasonable prices. I had the Jägerschnitzel ($22), coming with a cup of goulash soup, a small salad, and bread before the main course arrives. The schnitzel was huge with a wonderful crispy batter that was light, not greasy and topped with a tasty mushroom gravy, accompanied by hot, crispy and light french fries. I normally like the more traditional fried potatoes with my schnitzel, but the fries were yummy and plentiful.

My only negative and a personal pet peeve of mine was that our entrees came out way too soon. We were not even halfway through our soup and salad when the owner arrived with our dinners. I have spent many years in the restaurant business and there is no reason the next course should arrive before the last course is finished and cleared from the table. They probably would have gotten my highest rating had they not screwed this one up.

The meal was a very good value, considering that we paid nearly the same amount we had at Foley's Pub in Bandon the night before, getting three times as much food and a much higher quality meal ... ACHTUNG!

CombatCritic Gives Blue Heron Bistro 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19/'20  

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

Read Chris S.'s review of Blue Heron Bistro on Yelp

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Coos Bay, Oregon: A Delicious Taste of Germany in Coos Bay 

Key Words: Coos Bay, Oregon, Blue Heron Bistro, blue, heron, bistro, German, Germany, schnitzel, Jägerschnitzel, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, hotel, accommodation, destination, product, service, business, review, Yelp, Zomato, Google, Facebook

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Phoenix, AZ: Is That A Schnitzel In Your Liederhösen Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

Edelweiss Biergarten
2625 E. Bell Road
Phoenix, AZ 85032
Phone: (602) 404-5919
Website: edelweissphoenix.com
Prices: $$$$

Achtung meine freunde, from the outside, this place looks like a country biker bar more than a German restaurant, but the inside is, relatively, much nicer and the place has pretty damn good chow ... HOOAH!

Having served our great nation for 20+ years, including 6 years in Europe (England and Italy), I spent quite a bit of time in Germany and know what authentic German food tastes like. This place gets it right despite the austere exterior. The inside is HUGE, reminiscent of one of the large hofbräus or gästhaus in Munich and other German cities with flags of the different states hung on the walls and a guy wearing liederhösen playing the accordion on their small stage. They even have a large biergarten, hence the name, in the back where you can enjoy a bier or a meal when the weather permits.

For an appetizer, which I received a 20% discount on for checking-in on Yelp, I got Opa's Favorite ($11.95 before discount), wedges of Gouda cheese breaded and fried, accompanied by their homemade cranberry sauce. The wedges were, as President Donald would say, HUGE and the cranberry sauce very tasty, a nice accompaniment to the Gouda, I polished of 1.5 of the 2 wedges, but had to stop to make room for my main course.

I decided on the Schnitzel Cordon Bleu ($17.95), pork cutlets filled with ham and cheese, then breaded and pan fried to a golden brown. I asked the server if I could get a side of Jaeger sauce for my cordon bleu and he told me, "that will be $1.00 extra, is that OK", to which I replied, it's my birthday, let's splurge!". The cordon bleu was thick and crispy on the outside and hot inside, allowing the gooey cheese to ooze out when I made my first cut ... WUNDERBAR! The jaeger sauce was the topping that iced the cake or, in this case, the schnitzel, a delicious cream sauce with plenty of mushrooms and pieces of bacon to enhance the flavor of the already very good cordon bleu. The spätzle appeared to be made in-house and was also very good and the accompanying cucumber salad decent.

I never did get a "happy birthday" or a gratuitous dessert and that was just fine with me because I do not like being made a fuss over and I was so full that I could not have eaten it anyway. It would have been nice of them to offer though, even if I would have turned it down in any event.

Seedy, dilapidated exterior, a more appropriate interior, decent service, and wonderful, reasonably priced food made this biergarten a hit with me and "I shall return", wait, that was Patton, "I'll be back", no that was Schwarzenegger, oh, never mind.

CombatCritic Gives Edelweiss Biergarten 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Translation for Civilians: "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

Read More Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp "GOLD" ELITE '14/'15/'16/'17/'18/'19 

• Over 1.4 Million Views A Year

Read Chris S.'s review of Edelweiss Biergarten on Yelp

Tabelog - Official Judge - "Silver"

Zomato - #1 Ranked "VERIFIED" CONNOISSEUR (13) - Over  4 Million Review And Photo Views ... And Counting - #1 Reviewer in Portland, Oregon!

Booking.com - Frequent Traveler "Genius"

Google Maps - "Top Photographer" With Over 3 Million Views!

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube and our sister channel, CombatCounselor Chronicles, with Over 1,250 Subscribers and 1,000,000 Video Views ... HOOAH!

Title: Phoenix, AZ: Is That A Schnitzel In Your Liederhösen Or Are You Just Happy To See Me?

Key Words: Phoenix, AZ, Edelweiss Biergarten, Edelweiss, biergarten, German, schnitzel, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato, TripAdvisor, Google, Facebook

Copyright 2019/2020 - 3rd Wave Media Group And CombatCritic ™ - All Rights Reserved

Portland, OR: Achtung ... PIckle Soup And Other Bavarian Delights

Otto & Anita’s European Restaurant
3025 SW Canby Street
Portland, OR 97219
Multnomah Village
Phone number: (503) 452-1411
Website: ottoandanitas.com
Prices: $$$$

Achtung, pickle soup? Ya, it is gut! Good, solid German food and this is coming from a guy who has spent a lot of time in Germany and other schnitzel eating countries. I have never had or seen Pickle Soup before, in Germany or elsewhere, but they have it here (Cup - $3). It is bright green, looking like radioactive waste, but with a creamy, mild dill flavor that is quite pleasing to the pallet.

They have three german biers on draught, a Pilsner (piss, like Bud, but made in Germany), a Hefeweizen (wheat), and a Schwarz (literally "black" or dark beer - all 1/2 liter - $5.50). Those are general, descriptive terms for a class of beer, but when I asked specifically what the schwarz beer was, I was simply given the definition. Rather than push the issue, I simply asked the server to bring me one of whatever it was. It was quite good with a rich, caramelly flavor and hints of coffee, whatever it was.

My wife wanted the Rahmschnitzel ($17.50) of course because she always picks the dish on the menu that I want, but I swayed her toward the Jägerschnitzel ($18) instead. When I try a new German place, I like to sample the staples - schnitzel, wurst, goulash, spätzle, red cabbage, sauerkraut - in order to get a feel for their knoweledge of German cuisine. I ordered the rahmschnitzel, mostly because this was the only place I had seen rahmschnizel on the menu outside of Germany and it happens to be my favorite.

The Jägerschnitzel was delicious, but the sauce tasted more like a Burgundy than a sauce made with white wine as is normally the case. It was very good despite the French, vice German, flavor with sliced, fresh mushrooms. The rahm sauce was rich and creamy, also with sliced shrooms, but with a reddish/orange tinge, probably a touch of paprika which we also found on the fresh, warm bread rolls (made with white flour - not traditional pumpernickel) that came before and during dinner. Both dinners came with carrots, which I immediately gave to my wife (I love raw carrots, but detest cooked ones), spinach, and spätzle (which I sub'd fried potatoes for). Red cabbage is a more traditional side, but a little red cabbage goes a long way, so this was a nice diversion. 

The pork cutlets used for the schnitzel did not seem to be have been dusted in flour prior to searing in the traditional way, but were bountiful, probably 6-8 ounces. My single complaint being the, how do I say it politely (?), "durable" texture of the pork cutlets. It was not what I would call "tough", "chewy" or "gristly", but it was slightly difficult to cut, even with a knife and definitely not with a fork. Most schnitzels I have had are tender as a whore's heart and could easily be cut with a fork. I am not sure of the cause, possibilities include frozen product, microwaving, having been pre-cooked and stored, none of which are good options, but the issue may need to be addressed. You should not have any difficulty either cutting or chewing your schnitzel. 

CombatCritic Gives Otto and Anitas' European Restaurant 8 Bombs Out Of 10 ... More Bombs Are Better!

Eight Bombs Equates To:

Read Reviews By CombatCritic:

Yelp - Elite '14/'15/'16/'17 - 650,000+ Views A Year

Tabelog - Official Judge (Silver)

Zomato - #1 Ranked "Verified" Foodie - Over  1,890,733 Review And Photo Views

... And Don't Forget To Subscribe To TravelValue TV on YouTube

Read Chris S.'s review of Otto & Anita's European Restaurant on Yelp

Title: Portland, OR: Achtung ... PIckle Soup And Other Bavarian Delights

Key Words: Otto and Anita's European Restaurant, Otto, Anita's, Anita, Otto and Anita's, German, Germany, Bavarian, schnitzel, CombatCritic, TravelValue, travel, value, restaurant, menu, review, Yelp, Zomato

Translation for Civilians: WTFO! = "What-The-Fuck ... Over!"

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