Himmel's

Best and most authentic Wiener schnitzel in all of Chicagoland. So delicious. The obadtze and pretzel bread are also great. Servers are lovely and the vibe is great - there is often a live band playing!

My wife and I visited Himmel's for the first time recently and really enjoyed the experience. The food is great and the owners and our waitress Sarah were so kind and welcoming. The beer selection isn't large, but honestly, sometimes we prefer that, especially with a good selection of authentic German beers and some others on tap. I can see a lot of people being regulars here. We will definitely be coming back when we're in the area again.

Very cool people, my partner and I love going there! Very tasty food, not expensive, large portions, a lot of variety of drinks and meals. Live music

My husband and I have been wanting to try this restaurant. We visited last evening. Our server happened to be Diane Himmel. We laughed that we had the same 1st.name. Our food was delicious the duck was crisp and juicy. My husband that the sausage plate. The pretzel bread is delicious. A lovely friendly restaurant.

Himmels is absolutely perfect. A family business that makes you feel as such. The entire team is friendly and engaging. Their food is perfection as well as their authentic German beers. Their wood fire oven that cooks their pizzas, italian cuisine and authentic family German recipes brings a feeling of home every time I visit. If you need a suggestion - house salad - steak tartar - pizza - chicken parmigiana - rham schnitzel - chicken schnitzel

This place is incredible! We made a reservation just an hour in advance, and it turned out perfectly. The live music and overall atmosphere were fantastic. The food was delicious, and the service was excellent. Although we're not German, we thoroughly enjoyed the entire experience. I highly recommend visiting!

The last time I had really good German food was when I was in Ohio. I have to say Himmel’s was spot on. The food was super fresh and well worth the wait. I will recommend the pizza rustica and the champignon rahm schnitzel! And the waiter we had recommended dishes and was very friendly to my friend and I! I will defiantly be coming back again. And on the weekend they have fresh pretzel bread for customers and live music!

The Band was great ! The food was excellent! And Sarah is the BEST !!!

This place is the best - delicious food and drinks - cozy, welcoming, fun atmosphere - and staff that makes you feel part of the family immediately!! We celebrated my step dads 63rd party here and by the end of the night he was best friends with 2 70 year old regulars at the bar and they exchanged numbers. The food - GREAT - I was nervous going to a german restaurant as a vegetarian but the mushroom stew was to die for. So fricken good. Like heaven on my tongue. My brother got the chicken parm - could have been enough food for 4 people HUGE. My little 10 year old sister got the kids schnitzel and loved it - she ate it in 5 minutes! We all loved our beers. Combine that with some live german musicians playing acordians and a 85 year old couple dancing to it sweetly and I could not be happier.

When I was growing up in Chicago there were many German restaurants and they were a solid culinary staple. Now it is hard to find one. Himmels is an intriguing mixture of pizzeria and local German eatery. This informal one room space is the venue for good vibes and like an episode of Cheers everyone could know your name if you were a regular. We had dinner and sat near the door as they had a live band playing all types of covers and the sonic power was a tad much. The waitress was a real charmer and quite funny. We ordered the gorgonzola salad, the rosti, the chicken schnitzel and the saurbraten. If course we had to order a tall glass of HB beer. The saurbraten did not have the traditional brown gravy and the red cabbage was a little bland. Also the food was not hot. So my expectations were not met. The service staff were great. However this place seems to have a loyal following but they may never know my name

Himmel's is one of the few surviving German restaurants in Chicago's Lincoln Square neighborhood. A go-to establishment that people flock to for authentic German cuisine. - You'll find it hard not to fill up on their house made pretzel bread - One of the only places to make traditional liver dumpling soup. It tastes like a combination of a meatball and matzoh ball in a very comforting flavorful broth. - Any dish that comes with their housemade spatzel and red cabbage doesn't disappoint! Pork medallions are one of the best dishes! That sauce is to die for! Live music most nights too! Only detriment is the kitchen and service can be a bit slow. So as long as you're not in a rush and you like the people you're dining with, it's a pretty good night.

Wow! We are visiting from out of town and had a blast! Service was lovely, Rahm schnitzel was so good! Lynn for the win!! If we lived here we would be back every week!

Amazing German food. Loved the sauerkraut, probably the best I've ever had. Service was exceptional. Ambiance is fun, casual place with some live music and dancing. Definitely recommend.

The last time I had really good German food was when I was in Ohio. I have to say Himmel's was spot on. The food was super fresh and well worth the wait. I will recommend the pizza rustica and the champignon rahm schnitzel! And the waiter we had recommended dishes and was very friendly to my friend and I! I will defiantly be coming back again. And on the weekend they have fresh pretzel bread for customers and live music!

I went 3 times on my recent visit to Chicago Bavarian deliciousness! Rahm schnitzel excellent, pretzel bread addictive. Friendly staff, cozy decor. Wish they had better hours.

Old world, German atmosphere. Friendly service. Great made in house pretzel bread. Music on weekends. Authentic German menu. I recommend the chicken schnitzel. Pictured is one portion.

Cozy atmosphere with a German flair; delicious pretzel bread and authentic German cuisine. If you're a fan of spatzle, sausages, schnitzel, cabbage, etc. , this place will hit the spot!

Great place! The pizza is fantastic and the German fair is flavorful and delicious. Service is top notch. Can't wait to go back.

We took our dad here for Father's Day. We had a good time with food and ambiance that did not disappoint. We arrived at opening and got seated right away. The weekend we went, they had entertainment with a live accordion player. Despite staffing challenges, the host and owners did their best to keep things moving. Most things ordered were outstanding especially the following: * Steak Tartare * Lachs Toast * Bayerische Platte - A charcuterie of meats, spread, pretzels and cheese * Champignon Rahm Schnitzel *Cherry Strudel The house made bread was pretty good too. Parking in Lincoln Square is hit or miss but if you time it right and arrive at opening or off times, you can find a spot. Enjoy and Prost!

Himmel's might be the only restaurant that you can get authentic #German and #Italian cuisine in the same place . They have all the German favorites like schnitzel, bavarian pork shank and sauerbraten , but they also have been serving pizza that is hand crafted and baked in a wood burning oven that came from Rome, Italy. I love this family owned restaurant (two sisters) that sits on the Northside Chicago in Lincoln Square . Every time I think I feel like I've been waited on by a family member so it seems so homey. They also have a great selection of German beer on draft served in steins. This is a great place to have a family dinner and good times!

The chicken schnitzel was good, but there were a couple issues. I found it a little odd that you can only have vinaigrette salad dressing in a restaurant. I've never been to a place that's only offered one dressing, but whatever that's minor. Also, we ordered a couple side plates of the German fried potatoes and 2 of the plates were almost black in color. No respectable chef would have sent them out of their kitchen. I'll post the nicest looking of the bunch, but even though they were nicer in color than the others all 3 batches were firm to raw in the middle. The service was also rude (seems a handful of reviews have said the same thing about this guy lately). There was an event going on when we went and every single table was reserved. Would have been nice if they posted that on their website and that reservations would be needed that day instead of giving attitude when paying customers come in. A family of 4 was sent away for not having a reservation while we were just sitting there waiting forever for our check so we could leave. Also forgot about pop that was ordered at our table and the table next to us, but eventually got it. Also, the table next to us came in after us and was finished eating by the time we even got food. I'm pretty sure they forgot to put our orders in and then had to rush the potatoes which is why they were burnt on the outside and raw on the inside. Giving 2 stars because the schnitzel was pretty tasty.

Step inside and it's as though you've been transported to Old World Bavaria in December. The small dining room is adorned with all manner of knick-knacks and Christmas decorations. This place morphed from Pizza D.O.C. to Himmel's about 9 years ago but they kept the pizza and other Italian specialties on the menu. While not exactly fusion cuisine, Himmel's menu provides an opportunity to mix or match German and Italian classics. The mere thought of sauerkraut pizza makes my intestines frown. Our party dined here during Oktoberfest. We had the honor of being served by one of Himmel's co-owners. Their special Oktoberfest menu featured German classics (10 entrées, all sturdy, none 'light'). Of course, some apropos imported beers are offered on tap. I regaled my palate with a half-liter of Hirter, an Austrian dark beer dating back to 1270. All entrees include a basket of delectable pretzel bread and a choice of soup or house salad. The only salad dressing offered, red wine vinegar and olive oil, was so tart it made my mouth pucker. Substitutions are verboten, which certainly does not set well with anyone having a food aversion. I ordered sauerbraten. The meat should have been fork-tender, but I found it to be quite chewy and the flavor less savory than at other places where I've had this dish. The accompanying spätzle and red cabbage were superb. My Missus' chicken schnitzel was a much better entrée than mine. Boneless white meat was pounded thin, breaded, and fried to a juicy crisp. Others in our party gave high marks to the Wiener (veal) schnitzel, Champignon Rahm (mushroom & pork tenderloin) schnitzel, Schwammerl stew (mushroom stew with bread dumplings), and calzones. Portions were super-generous and our server Diana was great. Only two desserts were offered - apple strudel and cherry cheesecake. You couldn't have the former a la mode because there was no ice cream. Live music began around 6:30. A talented musician with a guitar forwent traditional Teutonic oom-pah-pah, crooning instead pop standards such as "Here Comes the Sun" and "Mrs. Robinson."

We sat for nearly 2 hours and never got our food. The German festival is going on and the restaurant was really busy, so at first we were understanding that service was a little slow. We were seated around 8:55pm last night and got our drinks fairly quickly. But it was nearly an hour before they brought the appetizer and soups/salads that came with our meal. Since soups/salads should be quick and easy to bring out, we asked a couple times for this but still they only showed up about an hour after we placed our order. At one point the manager apologized for the slow service saying that the kitchen was inundated. He didn't offer us anything to compensate, like a round of drinks perhaps. By 10:15pm the place was half empty, we hadn't seen our waitress in at least half an hour, and still no sign of our food. By 10:35pm we had had enough, we calculated that the drinks and appetizer we did receive was about $55-60 so we left that much on the table in cash and got up to leave. Seeing this, they told us that our bill was $199 but of course we didn't get any of our entrees, and the manager (who had apologized for the slow service an hour earlier) appeared surprised that we never got our food (obviously he hadn't followed up on us) and tried blaming the waitress for not putting our orders in. It seems like several of the staff dropped the ball. Which is a shame because I was really hoping to try their schnitzel with käsespätzle. At nearly 11pm, we had to settle for dinner at McDonald's instead.

This is truly an authentic German restaurant with incredible service from this family owned gem . Excellent beer selection and so many German favorites, combined with live music, will keep you coming back again and again.

I cannot say enough good things about this gem of a restaurant! The staff here are so kind. They treat you like family from the moment you enter the door. The food is spectacular. My favorites are the Obatzda appetizer, Pear And Gorgonzola Salad, Pizza Patate & Rosmarino, and Kasespatzle. Go on Thursdays for live music!

The food was terrible. This is not the real deal folks. Very cold atmosphere inside. The guy who said he was a server acted crazy . Really aggresive and weird. The place definitely had bad vibes. Pick another place if you want to be comfortable. Food was the worst. Champignon Rahm Schnitzel was like rubber Ambiance was creepy. I guess the crowd here has one thing in common and I think it is political in nature. Can you guess? We paid for our food and could not eat it. Chicago deserves better and so do you.. Tom Brenner Chicago

My husband and I were supposed to go to concert tonight, but due to timing and our GPS from the burbs acting up and sending us everywhere but where we should be, we ended up here. We wanted to try a place we have never tried before. Being in the Lincoln Square area of the city there are a ton of great restaurants. We ended up at Himmel's. Not disappointed at all!! The minute we walked in we were greeted by Carol, who shook our hands and offered us a seat at the bar. It's a great mixture of regulars and those who are new the establishment. Live music going the entire time, awesome German beer and food! Everything we ate was absolutely delicious, and we had leftovers to take home to our kids. (Our daughter is in German Club and class in her high school and next summer she is headed to Germany, Austria, and Switzerland for a school trip. So we wanted to bring back some food for her.) It was a cozy atmosphere, amazing service!!! The entire time we felt so welcomed, and that doesn't always happen in the city. Definitely coming back!

One of the few good German restaurants left in the area. Really enjoyed the hackenpeter appetizer, liver dumpling soup and the chicken schnitzel. Good beer selection as well. Try it!

Last night was among one of my worst restaurant experiences. My husband and I had eaten here a few years ago and enjoyed it as Himmel's, and the first time when it was Pizza DOC. Service--The server was surly, and seemed irritated to be there. He brought our drinks, but forgot the water. When my husband asked about the water, he got a snarky answer. We noticed him and other staff downing shots at the bar, which may explain some of the behavior. When delivering our check, he was dancing around weirdly. Just strange. And he filled up the water as he was giving us the check and we were ready to leave. Food--My husband had a mediocre German plate. Although my pizza was pretty good, it certainly didn't make up for the poor service and atmosphere. If I wanted poor service and mediocre food, I could eat at home. Ambiance--Part of the reason we pay extra to eat out is to enjoy a nice ambiance, something different from watching TV at home. The stage area looked promising with an array of instruments. A fellow did come up and play what turned out to be a fake accordion! Actually, it looked like a real accordion that had preprogrammed music like the tunes on a Casio keyboard. As someone who took accordion lessons from age 5 to 12, I know it was fake because he absolutely didn't pick the instrument up to use the bellows (the part that makes the sound), his finger movements didn't go along with the notes, and there were no wrong notes! The best player in the world will have an occasional hesitation or wrong note, but that doesn't happen when it's just playing a programmed midi file! All in all, very disappointing, and we won't be back.

Great food fun atmosphere with live accordion music. Very traditional feel. A bit loud

Bartender's are welcoming and great on service! What a find....1st time here and I will be back ....love this place. Pizza was dynamic! Harper and Sarah were fantastic !

Absolute best authentic dining and live music experience. It really is possible to master German food and Italian pizzas. They are the best! If you use Grubhub don't trust anything Grubhub tells you. Highly recommend the potato salad and Champignon Rahm Schnitzel

the food is good but they do not answer their phone. they do not answer email either. I find it almost impossible to make reservation, get takeout or deliver.

WE moved into the area 5 years ago. As soon as the lock downs were loosening up a bit, we went to Himmel's, in June of 2020. They had set up an area outdoors behind the restaurant. I dont know that I was ever so happy to be eating at a restaurant before. The food is great, a mix of German and Italian, the atmosphere is so welcoming, the beers are all German (I think), and very good. But the owners and employees are as good as it gets. The sisters, Diane and Carol, couldn't be nicer and we feel like friends. The servers, especially Lynn, are wonderful. We go every month or so and absolutely love the place. If you go on a Friday night, they have live music played by Anthony, and he is terrific too. Carol will join him at times. Go to this place!

Himmel's has added a beer garden, which has been an awesome go-to spot this summer. Everything on the menu is consistently delicious and the service is always friendly. There's always live accordion music on Saturday. I tried a pizza this time and was thoroughly impressed. I keep coming back to Himmel's for the ambiance and food. Recommendations: Tartar, Pizza with Prosciutto

Always great food and good service. We've been to the biergarten in back a few times this summer and one time they had live music. I love the sauerbraten so tend to always get that there. So good and large portions! The dishes others I've dined there with have also been delicious and large. Danke for the great times!

The food was delicious! They give big portions so you won't leave hungry. The staff was very nice and attentive. You have to try the bread which they serve before you order. I would recommend that if you like German food you should try this place.

I miss the Brauhaus. But Himmel's has filled that hole in my kraut-crusted heart nicely. When the polka band plays and an elderly couple is dancing, I soak it in, a stein of Steigl in one hand and a knackwurst in the other. The pretzel bread is like absolute crack. I'm pretty gluten sensitive, but I can't resist it. It's worth the 2 days of trouble afterwards! Prost!

A definite go-to! I've been going for years and have never been disappointed. Very pleasant atmosphere and frequently fun (live music, special events, etc). And I'm not even German. Great pizza too.

These German sisters sure know how to pound the schnitzel. Honestly, The best schnitzel in the city. Almost as good as what I had in Vienna Austria with the author of "Fight Club" many years ago when I toured the world with my book. I like mine w/ the jaeger (or hunter) sauce w/ mushrooms. Oh and get the spaetzle (noodles) w/ it! Tell 'em the Mancow sent you! I like to sit at their childhood table. It's very quaint.

Excellent restaurant with excellent food. Highly recommend this Chicago jewel. Try the pizza.

Authentic, delicious german food with home baked pretzel bread! We will definitely be back!

9/12/21 - 2251 W Lawrence Ave Chicago, (773) 784-8777, himmelschicago.com Q-tips say: After the German American Fest we walked to Himmels for early dinner with our friends. Nice ambiance, clean & inside had nice German decorations & full bar. Music at dinner time. Some had: Liver Dumpling soup - was good indeed. Then two had: Champignon Rahm Schnitzel - Pan-fried Pork Tenderloin in a shallot mushroom cream sauce. Served with spätzle and red cabbage. Had way too much creamy sauce all over it. Not at all like the photos they show. The other two had: Wurst Plate - Brattwurst, Thueringer, Kassler, Sauerkraut & Spätzl. Servings were so big that all took some home.

Can't believe it took so long to get here. Great flavors, huge portions and a really interesting menu. Held up well with COVID takeout too. Will be back ASAP.

The food is really excellent, a little on the pricier side though. And I like that they often have live music. Another plus are the people who actually bring the food and drinks and the water. They are superb and very friendly. The reason that I only give 3 stars is first, that the live music is so loud you can't talk to each other at all, even if your table is on the other side of the room away from the stage. And secondly, the waiter that took our orders. He started okay and then later that evening just got rude. And the worst of all he got rude and impatient with the people that brought out the food and drinks for him. I understand that being in service is stressful, it also was a busy night because the Octoberfest was going on, and he probably just had a bad night. But being rude to your other staff and guests is just unacceptable. Still, the food is really good and authentic with a special vibe due to the interior.

Don't be put off by the electic menu-the German food here is good! We were particularly impressed by the pretzel dumplings and rosti. While we've had better spatzle, the schnitzel, red cabbage, pretzel bread, and wurst platter were all tasty and fresh. Despite a significant snafu with GrubHub, Himmel's were very pleasant to workwith us and accommodated our few change requests!

Their staff is amazing my job catered from here and they went above and beyond. The staff was very welcoming and their food was great. I can't wait to bring my family here because the atmosphere is very inviting. Can't wait to work with them again next year.

Their Wurst Platter is the best! Ordered for pickup, as dining-in is still verboten in Chicago. Huge portions and absolutely delicious. The pretzel bread was a nice surprise. So glad the woman on the phone suggested the apple bread pudding. OMG, so good. Will definitely order again.

The food is outstanding! Check out the homemade cheesecake! Best ever. And the owner and others who work there are the friendliest!! Will be a regular!

Headline: A sublime and varied menu; friendly staff and owners. We were so excited to learn that one of our favorite servers, Roderick, has brought his skills from high-end downtown eateries up to our beloved Lincoln Square. This adorable restaurant features live music on many nights, almost always has ample street parking, and will let you sample just about anything from its comprehensive beer/wine list before you make a decision. ALWAYS ask about specials, because they are ALWAYS surprising and delightful (last night's order of short ribs was accompanied by a fresh and delicious cob of corn -- and it's nearly October!) Long-time patrons may recall when this was called Pizza D.O.C., and the wood-burning oven remains. But the German fare is a fresh twist, and never disappoints, whether you're into schnitzel or spaetzle. We look forward to many future meals at Himmel's!

I ordered the Christmas Meal as I had to spend the holiday by myself. For the affordable price of $27.50, I received enough food for two meals. Their chicken schnitzel and bread pudding were real winners. Thank you for giving me something this holiday.

The wife has been coming here since approx 1998 when she claims that it was all old Italian men smoking cigarettes. She says it "used to be a great establishment." Tonight is different. The spinach gnocchi the wife used to love is gone. It has been replaced with a salty bowl of heavy cream with gnocchi that is good, but not excellent. I had the trout special. It was good, but crazy salty. I like salt but this was insane. Side of Potatoes was so over cooked as to be inedible. I note that this place is no longer as busy as it used to be. It was nearly cleared out by 8:00 p.m. The chef spent at least an hour playing the drums for a terrible singer. The live music has to go. I would suggest checking to see if there is live music before making a reservation. If yes, go somewhere else. Service was good, but waiters used to bring shots for the table. This restaurant has descended into mediocrity.

Schnitzel? Milanese? Good Italian, good German, and it all works. A fun crew of regulars seems to hang out at the bar. Enjoyable, reasonably priced, with good service.

Let me start with the good. The atmosphere is cute and fun! Usually someone playing or singing fun songs while you dine. The food is delicious, at least the two dishes that I always get. I have not been here in a few years and all of my previous experiences were positive, but my friend and I ate here a few nights ago on a Wednesday and it didn't go so well. I was willing to overlook the server and his strange vibe. He was not friendly but not unfriendly either. I was willing to overlook the fact that we had to ask for water three times and that was over a 30-45 minute period. The second time that we asked his reply was, "water's coming". I assumed he was going straight to get us water and return, but I was wrong. 15 minutes later and we still didn't have it, so we had to ask again. When he brought us the waters (which are miniature bottles) he emphatically put them on the table without a word about how sorry he was that it took so long for us to get water refills. I was willing to overlook all of this because we wanted to have a good time. But the nail in the proverbial coffin was when he brought over the check/tablet with the bill. He selected 20% FOR ME and then he scribbled a signature on the signature line FOR ME and then he handed me the table to hit "confirm". I was so dumfounded and still just wanting to have a nice time and I felt totally uncomfortable but instead of saying something to him (I really wish I had), I clicked confirm. I'm still pissed and flabbergasted and annoyed from this experience. He made us both feel so uncomfortable and unwelcome. He was the only server in the whole place, but that doesn't mean we couldn't have gotten comments like, "I'm really sorry, I'll go get your waters now." or "I apologize for the wait" or anything remotely nice. We got weird vibes instead.

Fun, authentic German place with live music on some nights. I've dined there dozens of times, and the only thing I've ever ordered is the chicken schnitzel, which is consistently delicious and generously proportioned. The pretzel bread, made on site and baked in their giant brick pizza oven, is to die for.

If you love Germany, especially the food and beer, Himmel's is your place. They have an amazing atmosphere and the staff made us feel like part of the family. We also had the unexpected pleasure of listening to their house band "The Tuesdays" after dinner. Our first time was an awesome experience! It won't be our last.

We ordered our Easter meals from Himmel's. It was our first time getting food from this place and it was amazing - we will definitely be back. The chicken schnitzel and braised lamb were delicious. And the spaetzel and red cabbage were spot on - I could eat a boatload of them! The pretzel bread and dessert pudding were fantastic. Everything was packed nicely and hot when I got home from the 15 minute drive to our house. Thank you for the delicious meal!