Dakota Inn

Went here with our German exchange student, and while she said the pretzel wasn’t quite as good as home, the food was great! We went when it was pretty slow, but still enjoyed the piano player and atmosphere. Fun place for a group.

Dakota Inn and her lively, attentive staff will sweep you away into a different time and place. Truly unlike anywhere else. You have to give them a try! Dined with my husband for Valentine’s day and was SHOCKED the place wasn’t packed. I almost feel like gatekeeping this awesome place but, hey, the more the merrier! Try the potato pancakes; best we’ve ever had and that’s really saying something. Sauerbraten, jaeger schnitzel, spaetzel, beet salad, apple streudel - it was all delicious. Truly.

The Dakota Inn is a fun and unique place to visit! The German food is delicious, the live sing-along music adds a lively atmosphere, and the decor—reminiscent of a Bavarian hunting lodge—creates a charming and cozy vibe. It's a great spot for an enjoyable evening!

You can't beat the Dakota Inn for authentic German food and music! Service is friendly and fast. Atmosphere is perfect for a German Rathskeller.

I always have an amazing time at the Dakota Inn! Perfect place to have authentic hardy German meal. The Bavarian pretzel is a MUST as an appetizer, and the apple strudel is delicious. Piano singer started at 7pm, and the staff were very friendly. Call a few days ahead to get reservations around the holidays. Will be frequenting this restaurant for years to come!

Absolutely one of the hidden gems of Detroit. We came on a Friday night after hearing great things about this place. We have been to Germany before so we knew what to expect going in. The staff were super friendly and the waitresses had great looking dirndls. Everyone was really fun and friendly and helpful with the menu. They lead everyone in many sing alongs and play live music, many guests tend to sing along. The food was authentic and really great. I've had schnitzel in Germany and this was made exactly how it would be in Germany. Also you can get it with a mushroom gravy which I never saw in Germany so this place officially makes it better. The beers were good and they had barenjager shots as well so it was grand. They have their own fenced in private parking. The atmosphere is very Bavarian and tons of fun. We cant wait to come back, this is easily one of the best restaurants in Detroit. Highly recommended.

5 stars all around! Service, atmosphere and food!! Fantastic German beer selection. The pretzels were great. The potato pancakes are the best I’ve ever had!! The red kraut and warm potato salad is phenomenal! The spatzle with sauerkraut and Swiss cheese was amazing as well. My husband loved the brat dinner he had. Absolute rich history in this restaurant. I can’t believe we had never heard of it until recently. A must go!

If you like loud music and dancing you'll love this place. The food is fantastic and all of the employees understand the meaning of friendliness and customer service. Ten out of ten to them. Men's room definitely needs attention and disinfectant. I'm pretty sure the fixtures and paint are the original ones installed.

Great food. Great beer and amazing atmosphere. Home For the piano sing alongs on Saturdays!

Under new owners.. You feel like you were back in Germany !! Delicious German cuisine and Brews !! Sing alongs Evening to German songs !!

Great time! Can't say enough about the staff and the decor. It's an authentic feel with the dress and building. The entertainment is next to none and we really enjoyed ourselves. The food was above average and could be better, but still solid! Will be back and we can't wait.

We really got into Oktoberfest Season this year. We hit up plenty of celebrations and really embraced it. This was my first time at the Dakota Inn. I have been wanting to come for a few years, but it never seemed to be in the cards. Well, this year it was. What an absolutely great place. We got to speak to the manager and he gave me some history of the place. Amazing. We enjoyed the live music, the atmosphere, the food, and service. I can't wait to bring my German born step father here! My son is learning German and like to immerse himself in the culture. This is definitely on my list of places to come back to with him!

This place is great. Pre book for Octoberfest and you won't be disappointed. Food is classic and great. Beers are fresh and authentic. They close for parts of the year so check the hours before travel. They have a private lot.

We had a great time celebrating my mother in laws birthday. The food was great. The staff was wonderful. The decor is fun. Only drawback is that it is very loud and hard to hear others at the table. However they do have entertainment which was fun. A wedding party was there celebrating with a large group.

Tried to check in but apparently Verizon doesn't serve that part of Detroit. So let's start with reality, this is the hood. This is not what you would call a good area but the have a fenced and guarded parking lot. Only opened Thursday, Friday and Saturday. Okay, so this is authentic German food. I have been to Germany at least 30-40 times and I love the food. This is it. How good? I drive 50 miles one way into the hood to eat here. Nuff said? I had, what else? The Schnitzel!!! My companions both had the combo. All so good. Now I had beir for dessert but they both had apple strudel that blew them away. Now for the service. Our waitress was awesome. She was slowed up a bit by singing with the piano player but no one cared. What a set of pipes. She did an Etta James number almost as good as Etta James and I don't know a higher compliment. Honest engine, great night out.

This spot has held a warm place in my heart for more than two decades now. When I came back from working in Europe, I had fallen in love with Munich Oktoberfest and was looking for something similar here. A friend of mine took me here and the rest is history. It has become an almost yearly tradition since then. Located away from the flashy new downtown area, Dakota is old school as it gets and in about as an old school area of the city. But you're not coming here for the glitz and glam, you're coming here for the schnitzel and kraut and wurst and beer, beer, beer. What they lack in modern aesthetics they more than make up for it with old world charm. The entire restaurant is decked out in Steins and clocks and other accoutrements of a Bavarian hunting lodge. The bar area is small so more than likely you will need to sit at a table, and there is a piano for the sing a longs. Imagine group karaoke. The menu is meat and potato heavy as you could imagine. My absolute favorite is the potato pancakes with apple sauce. More than the bratwurst or knockwurst or wurstwurst? Yes indeed. My absolute favorite. The gem of the night for me is beer selection. They have a great selection of classic German marzens along with more common ones we find locally. The service is always pleasant, although lately, like most places they seem shorthanded, so we wait around a little bit. But you shouldn't be eating all that meat so fast anyway. This is one of those places I love bringing people to and have introduced as many people as would go with me. It's a fun time, everyone should check it out.

I can't believe this is my first time reviewing this special gem! If there's any place that should be celebrated it's the Dakota Inn! Located in Detroit, the Dakota Inn has withstood the test of time. Built in the 1930s, this special place has so much character and if the walls could talk, I'm sure there are many stories to be told. Every time I walk through the doors, I'm transported to another time. True to the Germanic charm, the Inn is full of life, music, singalongs, dancing, authentic style food and of course, the universal love language....BIER!!! The food is amazing and prepared, home-made with extra love in the ingredients! If you haven't been to the Dakota Inn, especially during Oktoberfest, you are most certainly missing out on an experience. PROST!!!!

We had a great time on a Saturday evening. Early dinner for 15 celebrating a college graduation. Food was good, beer was German and good, and the atmosphere is fantastic! This is a must visit kind of place in detroit!!

I grew up 3 blocks away and we came back as a family and the place still has the same charm and great food. So many memories.

Service was good Foodwas excellent Older crowd , kinda loud Lady played the piano they honored marines that night Rough area , hookers on the corner, patking well lite with security All and all fun night

We love going here for Oktoberfest. However you better get your reservations in at least a month early! They have amazing German beer, food and music. The same people have ran it for years. So it's always nice to go back and see the same friendly faces. This year we ran in to other patrons from several years back. Everyone keeps coming back for a great time! The front step is a challenge for a wheelchair (my husband always has to pop me up). The bathroom is not very accessible either. I always have to ask someone to stop people from coming in because I have to leave the door open. Even with the accessibility issues I keep going back. So if accessibility isn't an issue than you should have a great time.

Believe it or not, I've never heard of this place before, even though it's been around since 1933? How have I missed this exquisite opportunity to eat good food? A friend invited me out to dinner, and suggested we come here, and I thought, why not try something new? I'm kind of glad I did. I wasn't sure what to expect when dining in here, but overall, the place is good. I guess it's been family run since it opened almost 90 years ago and seems to be quite the popular place for authentic German food. Walking in, the place is quaint and well decorated. It seems not much has changed in regards to décor, but it had plenty of seating and a decent menu. Admittedly, I don't know much about German food aside from German chocolate cake, so I was excited to see what they had to offer. The one downside to this place is that most of the food here's pork based. As someone who doesn't eat pork, it limited me to only a few certain dishes, so I was down to their chicken and potato pancakes. I think they had a noodle dish, but I wasn't really feeling it so I went with the potato pancakes instead. As someone who grew up eating Latkes (Potato Pancakes) I know when it's good and when it's not. This place knocked it out of the park! Holy goodness were they delicious. I mean like really really good. I couldn't have made it better myself, for real. It came with steamed veggies which probably could have used some butter, (mental notes for next time) and a red dish that I wasn't familiar with that was okay but not very tasty. My friend also ordered two pretzels and they were delicious as well! They even came with two different types of mustard which I sampled and everything was delicious. Service here was excellent, and our server dressed in authentic German clothing. Everything was on point, and overall, I liked it here. So why only 4 stars? Well, first, their hours are limited. Their closed more then their open. Primarily open only on the weekends for dinner, and basically anything past 6 PM you're going to have to pay a cover charge of $5 and a band of some sorts going to be playing. They were setting up when we arrived, and it sort of started to get loud. Not very good if you want to have conversation due to the high noise level, which I do. So, if you want good authentic good food, don't mind a drive and want to eat sort of early, come on down and check the place out. It's literally right off the expressway and sort of easy to find from the street. I'm glad I got to check this place out, well worth the time and energy!

This place is one of a kind. One of the best experiences of Detroit! Has a built in piano that creates the best atmosphere. The staff really makes you feel comfortable and gets everyone to join in the songs. Went around Christmas time so we sang a ton of Christmas songs. The food was some of the best I had while I was here. I had the knackwurst with German potato salad and a huge side of sauerkraut. All in all 10/10 would recommend and I will be back.

Great food, great service. Made a reservation and was greeted and seated immediately. This is a true Detroit experience.

Really warm, family owned restaurant that has a great loud ambience; it's rich with history and equally warm customers who come back for the great atmosphere. The food is a somehow a bit too salty, but on the blander end. I wish the sausage dishes had a bit more other then a singular sausage sandwiched between a scoop of potatoes and saukerkraut, but it was enjoyable since I was probably only a 2/10 in terms of being hungry. There is easy parking, and someone watching over the parking lot. In general, I felt safe and warm coming here, but it is missing a little something that would make me want to return.

We were there with a group for dinner on a Thursday night, 2-weeks before Christmas, 2023. The place was packed. Since I had never been to this restaurant before I did not know what to expect. What we did get was a great night of entertainment with sing-along's and also a couple different waitresses belting out a tune in their traditional German-ware, and a great piano player. I loved the entertainment. I did not particularly like the food but that is because it is not food that I would normally eat, and it did not appeal to me. I'm not saying it wasn't good food, just not my kind of food.

Pretty disappointing food but nice atmosphere and the piano player was a lot of fun. Not worth going back, though, with the food as it is. The sauerbraten was well overcooked with gravy dumped on, not marinated. The jaegerschnitzel was tough and flavorless, and the mushroom sauce tasted like it came from a came--pretty sure I didn't see any mushrooms in there. The mashed potatoes were like chalk, too. And there was something in the gravy that tasted...sweet? Like molasses? Reminded me of a gingerbread house which is a weird combination with a dry roast. I'm befuddled. I can't imagine why this place gets so many good reviews. The food was also very slow--it came fifty minutes after ordering.

Every time I come here - and I get the bill, the waitresses ALWAYS come back and tell me how much percent I paid in tip.. that is very unprofessional on their part. IF YOU want your employees to get a certain percentage from the customers, then change your POS system to add TIP PRICES, instead of seeming desperate for tips when someone doesn't tip you an exact percentage.

It's a December Friday, or Saturday- could be a time warp. Nothing has changed huge festive crowd ready for singalong, German beer and food. Same decor as ever. A guarded? Parking lot. Shared a plate of really good potato pancakes! Also shared a bratwurst plate- came with sauerkraut and hot potato salad - just mediocre. Server was good, considering she was working like crazy. The piano man may have been over serving himself during breaks. He seemed to have a difficult time keeping up.

amazing food and vibes! very cozy and friendly. vegetarian options are great. also shout out to our waitress Mary, she's awesome and made me want to come back every day just to chat over a pitcher of beer. i'll be back soon!

I came here for a Marine Corps Birthday Celebration dinner and had never been here before so I had no idea what to expect. Walking in, the restaurant is cozy and I love the German murals and decorations on the walls. The location is pretty random, who knew this gem was hiding here in plain sight! We had a cheese and sausage plate to start with. The Gouda and sausage were delicious as were the pretzels and sausage. I ordered the combo dinner which was two different types of sausage, sauerkraut and warm German potato salad. Everything was delicious! I have never really had German food outside of sauerkraut and spaetzle so trying something new was nice. I even sampled off other people's plates and the food was delicious. I sampled some German beer, no idea what I had since someone else ordered the pitcher but it was great! I'd love to come here another night and enjoy piano night where you can sing along, or even Oktoberfest! Definitely good food and beer. A must try!

This legendary place first opened its door on August 1, 1933, meaning it's been around for almost 9 decades. Isn't it impressive that they survived WW II? Imagine a German restaurant in the US during WW II and continue to last until now. The place has very cute and interesting decor. The staffs are SO friendly and welcoming. They wear traditional Bavarian costumes too! The pianist does live performances and he's hilarious. I mean even for the experience itself it was already fun. Regardless, we come here for dinner so food is mainly what we're here for. I ordered Sauerbraten, which is eye of the round, marinated in red wine vinegar and spice brine, served with homemade spaetzle and red kraut. I personally love it although I admit it might be of an acquired taste. It is, as the name, sour (strong red wine vinegar taste), but the meat was tender and succulent. The spaetzle was so tasty and I am in love with kraut in general so of course, I love the red kraut. I think the acidity really lightens the whole dish so it doesn't feel heavy at all despite being a meaty dinner. Price is what I would expect from a German restaurant, which I think is reasonable. Hope this place continues to hang around

Whew! The hostess needed a class in gemütlichkeit this evening! We stood at the door for a few minutes waiting to be seated, and when no one came, we decided to seat ourselves. Yeah, I guess don't do that, or you'll get called out. Man. Happy birthday to me, I guess. Usually the service is better than that when I come here, but who knows, maybe she's already lost her Karneval spirit. I honestly wanted to leave after our initial encounter but we stuck around anyway. Hopefully things improve. The salad was basic, just iceberg, some carrots and radishes. They offer three salad dressing; ranch, Italian or house with bacon. The food came out in varying degrees of cold to Luke warm. I could hear the faint beep of a microwave going off throughout our meal and the water glasses had water tasting of bleach. I'm sorry, I started with a 3 star review and each moment we're here, they're losing stars. And they charge for pop refills!!!! It'd be one thing if the initial drink was somewhat substantial, but it isn't. Oh man, I'm sorry Dakota Inn, but this was substandard, embarrassing and expensive for the treatment and the food that we received. The bleach water is disgusting and the hostess (older woman) needs to take a chill pill and start taking care of the customers who are currently in the building instead of the customers coming in later in the night. She made it known to everyone who came in when they had to leave because of other reservations. That's fine, but I'm sure customer service would teach you a less crass way of telling people the clock is ticking on their table because future peoples money is greener.

Friend made reservations for this last Saturday night. It's right off of Woodward for those of you that Waze- which sent us, let's just say, an extremely INTEResting route. This restaurant is in a neighborhood that hasn't transitioned. The parking lot has a fence and a kind gentleman to look after cars while you dine (tipping shows appreciation!) The food was excellent and appeared from my limited knowledge- authentic. Waitress was good with dietary restrictions and knowledgeable about ingredients in dishes on menu. I had the pork chop. It's not called a pork chop- something more German. I'd recommend it. I consumed all 12 oz of smoked goodness. Ok maybe my friends at the table had a bite also... did I mention it was gone? And yes... I was full. Be careful- go hungry, and make reservations.

I love this place. I truly do. The food is delicious. The entertainment suits any age group. Because it's fun and inclusive. They treat you like family. Everything tastes like your grandmother cooked it. Because someone's grandmother is cooking their food. You can taste the love. The devotion to good ole family supper is evident in every bite. That's what's endured them for 90+ years. Good ole fashioned service and cooking with love.

Go if you want weird German Chuck E Cheese with bad show tunes played on an out of tune church piano. Food was also not great.

This was my first time In Dakota Inn. Place greeted us with live music and cosy atmosphere. The inside quite successfully aims to resemble a German inn. They had a lot of beer options and a simple menu with traditional German food. Prices ranged between 12 and 17 dollars for the main meals. They had an Oktoberfest event during our visit so the wait times were quite extensive. The food was tasty but not worth 16 dollars in my opinion. However, I would recommend this place for the German experience that it undoubtedly provides (disclaimer: I'm not German :))

YOU DON'T GO HERE FOR THE FOOD! Now that's out of the way, the place is hopping in Sept & Oct for Oktoberfest, a fun time to be had by all. Tons of singing and drinking, and fun time for sure. The food, however, is less than stellar. The potato pancakes, spaetzal, kraut (if you're into to kraut), apple strudel, and cake are the only things on the menu worth eating. The Rouladen was so dry and chewy, I couldn't take more than a bite. The sausages were like bologna, and the schnitzel was terribly dry and under seasoned. I only hit this joint once a year, and it ain't for the food.

Grab your chicken hat and get ready to get full on German meats and sauerkraut!! We didn't have a reservation (note for next time!) but still managed to get a table during Oktoberfest weekend. $3 entry fee and the music was juuuust getting started by the time we finished dinner, but I can see why it fills up during the holidays! The area around is a little sketch, but they do have a monitored private parking lot, that does it full, and extra parking across the street. They were PACKED for the weekend - I had to request water fill up twice but it was decent service and very loud ambience. Also they sell these hilarious chicken hats for $10, basically if you DONT get one, you'll feel left out hahaha. So great to see old men and ladies wearing a bright pink or blue chicken on their heads! My dinner date got one but I will just have to steal his later heehee. On to the food! It's a small menu and probably limited for vegetarians: Appetizer (but came out the same time as our meal): Kartoffelpuffer - 3 German style homemade potato pancakes served with applesauce. Ask for the sour cream. These were a good size and warm and DELISH. $5 and would definitely order again, maybe 2 haha! We didn't get a cheese and sausage board (with pretzels) but everyone else around us was ordering them left and right - clearly they are a favorite! NEXT TIME! Entrees come with choice of Reuben soup or salad (and maybe something else?). I got the salad, a basic lettuce, tomato mix with Italian dressing. Simple salad but good to get some greens in with the German meal to come. My date had the soup which he didn't feel like was "Reuben" tasting, so he didn't finish it but we did end up dipping our breadsticks in it while waiting for the entrees. 1) Bavarian Bratwurst ($12.45) - Veal-Pork sausage, simmered in beer and lightly browned. Served with hot German potato salad and home cooked sauerkraut. YUMMMM and I was so full afterwards. Only one sausage but it was flavorful. The potato salad was warm and so good, I ate everything on the plate! 2) Jager Schnitzel ($16.95) - Tender pork cutlet, lightly breaded and sautéed, served with mushroom sauce, mashed potatoes and fresh mixed vegetables. My date got this house special and enjoyed his cutlet, but skipped over the potatoes, saying they were nothing special, maybe even instant. His veggies were beans and he also finished them. I probably enjoyed my food more than he did, but he enjoyed his beer, chicken hat, and the ambience (and company - heehee) enough to state that he would come back. He stated it was a better "German dining experience" than Jacoby's - so maybe 3/5 stars from him but hey, I'm the one writing this up....so 4/5 from me and a new fan of this Detroit gem!

Much has changed since its glory days. I've been going there on and off, not that often, for 45 years. They blame covid and this and that. No drink refills, no bread basket, no soups available, no substitutions, just nothing. Wines not priced. Very slim menu pickens any more .

This was a really unpleasant experience. 6 people came for dinner, none of us were happy when we left. Our waitress Fay was surly and rude while waiting on us. I had the unfortunate luck to be in the spot where she apparently wanted to stand while handing out menus, drinks, water and food. Her elbow threatened to hit me in the face multiple times. I had to physically move my chair out of her way to not get hit, then move back when she left. This happened every time she came to our table. Service was atrocious, we waited to get waited on, we waited 1.5 hours for our food to show up, even after we inquired about it. The answer was "it's on it's way". Well no kidding. We waited to be asked if we wanted more drinks or a water refill. I can't recall having such awful service and bad attitude from a waitress. The food was terrible so that didn't redeem the situation. Everyone picked at their sad iceberg lettuce salad and their overcooked, flavorless food. I ordered schnitzel - it could have been shoe leather for all I know. After a few bites, I gave up. We tried to make the best of it by having cocktails, but even that didn't work because our waitress rarely showed her face to ask us if we needed anything. To add insult to injury, the bill was $185. Four of the guests had cash, my bf used his credit card. When he checked today - guess what - they double billed his card. They put the whole $185 on his card, plus another charge of $70 which is what he had instructed and written on the cc receipt. So now he has to dispute the charge and call Dakota Inn (they are closed on Monday) to tell them of their mistake. I'll update this if they fix the situation in a timely manner. The accordion player blasting music in my ear did not endear me to this place or make me forget the bad service or food. Oh yea, the bathroom was gross with a 1/4" of water around the toilet, and no TP in one of the stalls. This place should give up and go out of business.

Like the previous review said... OKTOBERFEST!!! Plenty of authentic Octoberfest beers on tap. And what a great atmosphere! Went here with my brother-in-law after reading how great of a time this is during Octoberfest (Friday's and Saturdays in September and October). Live entertainment starts around 7/8 and takes you well into the night with 2 sets. We were jamming to some authentic songs inside and outside (literally). Recommend getting a reservation as we were not sat until 10 o'clock, but we fully anticipated this and found a great standing room only spot next to the bar. Plenty of reviews and patrons inside warned us about what to order and what to not order, and to summarize- stick the the classics, potato pancakes and sausages... you will not be disappointed. And the Dessert!!

Holy crap. I went here solo one Friday night that I unexpectedly had free and I had a ball!! It was Oktoberfest. The place was packed but not annoyingly so. I was able to get a seat at a table. The band was so much fun. Lots of great singalongs. I ordered potato pancakes. Yum! Just as good as Buscias (my polish grandmother). They had a vast selection of Oktoberfest nd other traditional German beers. I tried a couple. The price was affordable. They also had fun shots. I don't remember what she called it but it was similar to jeagermeister (same brand maybe). The neighborhood is a bit empty. There is a secure parking lot. Go during Oktoberfest. You won't regret it. Don't miss this authentic German experience!

The atmosphere is great, the service was quite slow, and the food... well I've had much better German food. I really want to like this place more, and it pains me to give it only 3 stars. We went there on a Thursday evening and there were only 2 other tables of people eating. Nothing like the craziness of a Friday and Saturday night. The waitress seemed to have other things on her mind because we had to always call her over to get refills and she was leaning against the bar so she wasn't busy. I love sauerbraten and I've had it many times and many locations and when I had it there and it seemed off. The "gravy" was really thick like tomato paste. When I've had it other places, it was like au jus. Anyway, I will go back and try other dishes and hope it was just an off night. UPDATE: Went back and had the rouladen. It was really dry and flavorless. I highly doubt we will give this place another shot. I think this place caters to people who don't know what real German food tastes like.

OCTOBERFEST!!! Went on a Friday evening during October. What a blast. The live entertainment was great. The earlier sets had a lot of German songs. Later on the music trended more to popular songs that everyone could sing along with. The band had everyone on their feet 3 or 4 times throughout the night singing and dancing. We arrived at 8 which is when the first dinner seating starts. If you want to get seated before 9:30/10 get a reservation for this first seating. People come to eat drink and enjoy for a while so tables don't really turn over. It was no worries on the wait as my brother and I had a great spot at the bar to take in some beers and the atmosphere. When we did get seated around 10 true wait staff was still attentive and we had a delicious German feast to end the night. I will be back again for sure.

This is a really interesting place in a sketchy neighborhood. No worries, they have a protected parking lot. Don't let the neighborhood stop you from checking out this place. As soon as you stop inside this old establishment, you will feel like you just stepped into an old Bavarian tavern. If you like German food, you will love this place. If you like German beer, you will really love this place. I recommend it as a winter stop, although we had fun there in the summer.

Located in a very depressed and sketchy area of Detroit. The lot has an attendant and a Concertina wire fence, but please go in a group. Inside is an awesome 1930s rathskeller style German dining and beer hall. Limited beer selection but really really great German style food. The interior is great old style German beer hall. Open limited hours and reservations are a great idea. Strongly recommend. Well worth the trip.

In a quest to add more fun to our annual holiday family traditions I made reservations at the Rathskeller for a Holiday Sing Along Night (p.s it took me two years to get in because the first year I didn't make a reservation far enough in advance) for my family. By the week of Christmas, I am in dire need of magical holiday experience to make it through (when did we make the holidays so darn stressful?). The Dakota Inn is the answer when you need a boost in holiday spirit. Good food, good beer, music, singing (the whole restaurant participates). Check out their Facebook page for videos of the 12 days of Christmas sing-a-long, the highlight of the night. Do not expect to get in and out in a timely manner i.e don't try to combine with another event you need to make by a specific time. This truly was one of my favorite nights of the holiday season!

For all those who do not care for this place or those who are thinking about going but are not sure, be sure to go only when they have a band playing. It is much busier, alot more fun, a completely different place than when there are no bands. Sure, the service might take longer when they are busy, but who cares unless you are in a hurry. If you just want to go in, eat and leave, then don't go when bands are there. You can find out on their website when there are bands. It is a great place for groups or to go with friends and family. If you want to go to a german place where everyone sings along and dances, then this is for you! Be sure to make reservations. Thee is a $3 cover per person when the oompah bands are playing. They have guarded parking.

I've been a fan of this place for years. Actually, I was brought up in the "Dakota Inn" culture; my dad used to frequent it when he went to U of D, when I was just a twinkle in his eye. When I was younger, I used to love going here with friends for their famous sing-along (Ist das nicht ein Schnitzelbank...) I've spoken of it many times since I met hubby, but in our 8+ years together, we'd never been... until last night. We stopped by here for a nightcap after our DRW-inspired trip to The Caucus Club. We ended up leaving just as the sing-along was starting, but now that hubby has been introduced, he agrees we'll have to come back with the gang soon to participate.

Fun spot to hang with friends, to sing, down some beers and soak in the ambiance. This is a cool and fun spot. I can't say the food is great, at least not for not brat or meat eaters. The beers are non-stop and flowing, good German beers, but I don't drink much beer at all.

Cold food - colder service. We walked in before 6pm on a Friday, and the place is empty. When the hostess asked if we had a reservation we said No. She looks down at her reservation list and points to a table saying "You can sit here but you have to be out by 7:30.". Wow. Could you be any more boorish?! It's not even 6 yet, and there are only 2 of us, I think we can mange to be out by 7:30. With that warm welcome we sat. We decided to try something different since we always get the Schnitzel. Hubs got the Sauerbraten and for me, the Schweinefleisch (Roast Pork). Hubs said his was good. Mine was ice cold. When our server finally came back around I told her it was cold, she just takes the plate from my spot and says "I'll warm this up, back in 2 seconds." Translation "I'll throw this in the microwave." Sure enough identical plae comes back, still cold. The pork was tender, but didn't have any taste at all. I could have gotten a better meal from a high school cafeteria. It was such a let down! Our service was horrid. Normally, we've come during the entertainment and we can understand if they are busy and service can be a bit slow with a packed house. There we literally 6 other customers in the entire place and it think my cold dinner was warmer than our service. The servers were all too busy talking to the regulars. So if you aren't "in", your are shit outta luck! The whole time we were there, we noticed them turning away more people because they didnt have reservations and the dining room completly empty. They turned away a woman and she said "Well what about the bar?" Hostess says "Well if you want.". This isn't "around the corner" for most of your customers. Wouldn't you at least TRY and seat them instead of turning money away?! the atmosphere of this place on a busy night is hard to beat, but after our last visit, I don't think we will be back to try again. :(

Went there a week ago and loved it! This was the first time visiting in many years, and it was the same as last time. The wait staff is very attentive, the food was authentic, beer was great. We left before the live music started, but would have loved to stay ..... next time I won't miss it. By the time we left, the place was packed! Reservations are definitely in order. Oh yeah, and the lively crowd makes this place a loud visit, for sure!

Recently patronized one of the "D's" most unique and iconic dining establishment's known as the Dakota Inn Rathskeller located north of McNichols on John R. The "Inn" opened for business in 1933 in a former Chinese laundry located in a heavily German working class neighborhood at the time and is still owned and operated by the founding family. Upon walking into the Dakota Inn one immediately notices the authenticity of a genuine Bavarian Rathskeller (animal heads, beer steins and a pipe organ) where one would enjoy an evening of food, drink and possibly even a singalong with friends . The three of us were warmly greeted by the staff and seated . The menu was as one would expect is full of German specialties centered around beef, pork and sausage dishes. My 50% German heritage couldn't wait to indulge in one of these tasty entrees. We started with the cheese (Gouda) and sausage (summer) board with pretzels and mustard dip. This was a nice start to the evening and very plentiful for the 3 of us. We then indulged ourselves into our entrees. I had my favorite German dish Sauerbraten (beef) which is marinated in red wine vinegar and spice brine served with homemade spatzle (noodles) and red sauerkraut. My wife had the Schweinefleisch (pork loin) with mashed potatoes and red kraut. Our daughter had the Schweinefleisch Schnitzel (lightly breaded pork cutlet) with mashed potatoes and mixed vegetables. All meals were served with salads and hard breadsticks. The food was absolutely delicious and the sing along made the evening even more memorable. If you want to have a fun enjoyable unique experience , The Dakota Inn Rathskeller in the "D" should be given consideration. It is well worth your time and money. Overall experience for us this evening was "Sehr Gut"!!!

Simply awful ! If it wasn't for the beers and the live music this place would have been long gone. The food is dreadful ! Embarrassment of German cuisine !

Such a unique gem in Detroit!! The staff is friendly and attentive. They have a vast selection of german beers, grub and entertainment! The building itself dates back to the 1800s and much of the original style has been preserved! The entertainment is engaging and interactive, and sticking around for the schnitzel song is a definite must! The Reuben soup was to die for! The summer sausage and smoked Gouda plate were a great way to get us started. We all loved our food-- and would totally go back and save room for the German chocolate cake next time!!!

For the most part, a disappointing experience. For starters the menu is very limited. I get it that they're trying to offer you strictly a German food experience. But I think a few more combinations of different things would be nice. I was very disappointed with the skimpy portions, especially considering the prices we were paying. $14 gets you a single piece of sausage and a small amount of potatoes, and sauerkraut. Additionally, I was very disappointed that they do not offer free refills on soda, which my kids drink like crazy. I was forced to buy two pictures of soda, and felt extremely ripped off in the process. The service was a little slow as well, which is never a good thing. To be fair, the server was actually quite pleasant, and I could tell she was trying. About the only redeeming part of the experience was the absolutely wonderful red kraut. I have a feeling we won't be back.