Lisle, Illinois, is in DuPage County, approximately five miles northeast of Naperville and 22 miles west of Chicago. Approximately 22 percent of the community's more than 23,000 residents identified themselves as German as of July 2009, making it the largest ethnic group in Lisle, according to city-data.com. The Lisle area is home to a small number of casual restaurants that feature food and beer of Germany.
The Bavarian Lodge opened for business in Lisle in 1986 and was voted one of the "Top Ten German Restaurants in the United States" for 2010 from GermanDeli.com. The restaurant is known for its wiener schnitzel ala Holstein, a fried pork cutlet topped with a fried egg, pickle, tomato and an anchovy. The restaurant has 35 German, microbrew and other imported beers on draft as well as dozens more by the bottle. Its extensive selection has previously won the restaurant a Gold Medal for being one of the "Best Beer Restaurants in the World" from RateBeer.com. The Bavarian Lodge serves lunch on Sundays and dinner Wednesdays through Sundays. The restaurant closes every Monday and Tuesday. Reservations are not accepted though typically a wait only occurs on weekends and is an average of 15 to 30 minutes. Casual attire is appropriate. Parking is available in the restaurant's free lot though this often becomes full on the weekends, leaving street parking down the road as the alternative.
The Bavarian Lodge
1800 Ogden Avenue
Lisle, IL 60532
630-241-4701
bavarian-lodge.com
Bohemian Garden Restaurant is less than seven miles from Lisle (approximately 12 minutes by automobile). A featured dinner is the sauerbraten, a classic German dish that consists of boiled beef in a gingersnap gravy, accompanied by spaetzel noodles. All of the German entrees come with soup or tomato juice, a German starch like dumplings or hot potato salad, a vegetable or sauerkraut and dessert. The restaurant has a full bar. Bohemian Garden Restaurant serves lunch and dinner Tuesdays through Sundays and closes every Monday. Reservations are taken by phone. Casual attire is appropriate. The restaurant has its own parking lot available for diners. On weekdays, senior citizens can enjoy discounted prices on their meals during lunchtime. A children's menu is available for young diners.
Bohemian Garden Restaurant
980 W. 75th St.
Downers Grove, IL 60516
630-960-0078
bohemian-garden.com
Schnitzel Platz is in Glendale Heights, around 11 miles from Lisle (about 19 minutes by automobile). A specialty of the house is the Deutsche haus platte, a platter of pork schnitzel, chopped steak, mixed sausages, red cabbage, home fries and sauerkraut. The bar serves five German draft beers and at least 17 bottled German and other imported beers. Ten German wines are also available. Schnitzel Platz serves lunch and dinner daily. Reservations are accepted and highly recommended on Friday, Saturday and Sunday evenings to avoid a long wait. Casual attire is the norm. The restaurant features a live two-man German band on weekend evenings. The restaurant has a free parking lot for diners.
Schnitzel Platz
729 North Avenue
Glendale Heights, IL 60139
630-942-9900
schnitzelplatz.com
