Mark P.
Yelp
On our way back from meeting our new grandson for the first time in Rhinebeck ((born early this morning, 10-4-25, and everyone doing splendidly) , we stopped at one of our favorite local places for authentic tasting German food--Jaeger Haus (5084 NY-9G) in Tivoli, NY. My one sentence review for card-carrying members of team Cliff Notes: "German beer on tap, a good selection of German wines, and authentic tasting German cuisine at really reasonable prices served up by friendly staff in an environment which just exudes Gemütlichkeit." Everyone else is invited to continue reading, Bitte.
There used to be numerous German restaurants in NYC and throughout upstate NY, but over the years those numbers have dwindled substantially to a handful. A relatively new addition to the local Hudson Valley dining scene Jaeger Haus was started in 2018 (in a 70 year old restaurant building) and serves up seriously tasty and authentic tasting German beer, wine, and food. We've dined there a few times over the last two years of visiting this year--the mood is relaxed, the beer is delicious, and food remind us of our travels to Germany and Austria. The menu is tight and by that I mean it's focused on what they do well--which is traditional German food. While I wish they might add a few classic German appetizers to their menu for variety, their range of entrees provides ample choice and I am slowly making my way through those selections.
Lola, one of our servers for the evening, quickly took our drink orders. I ordered a mug of Hofbrau Original Lager (on tap) and after being given a tasting, my wife ordered a pint of Hofbrau Weissbier (which is similar to the sort of wheat beer she occasionally enjoys). So refreshing. A basket of house-made thinly sliced Roggenbrot (rye bread) arrived soon after our drinks with softened butter, lightly sprinkled with sea salt.
We passed on the appetizers, knowing that our entrees would be substantial. My wife ordered the Wienershcnitzel which comes with braised red cabbage and house-made spaetzle lightly sauced with a cream gravy. These are classic sides which one can find served in restaurants from Vienna or Munich to Heidelberg or Berlin. I ordered exactly the same thing (having tried other dishes on our prior visits), except I ordered my Wienerschnitzel "a la Holstein" (with a fried local farm egg). The egg, especially the large yolk, provides an added level of lusciousness to the crispy veal.
Our meals arrived in due course. They were gorgeous to look at and ate even better than they looked. The spaetzles were soft and fluffy, the red cabbage was rich and well spiced, and the veal . . . the veal was heavenly. Crisp on the outside, fork tender on the inside, dipping into a bit of the egg yolk (in my case); goodness what a delightful taste sensation. Just delicious. We both earned "clean plate" certificates tonight--suitable for framing--felt satiated, but not overly full (which is where we like to end a meal). We nursed our beers a bit longer, sharing memories from this special day, paid our bill (the bill encouraged customers to tip in cash, which we did), thanked the staff, bid the co-owner "danke schön und Wiedersehen" and we were on our way.