8 South Carolina German Restaurants That Bring A Taste Of Bavaria To The South

If a plate of schnitzel can make you forget about barbecue for a minute, dinner is going very well.

South Carolina has German restaurants where sausages snap, spaetzle soaks up rich sauces, and warm apple strudel makes skipping dessert feel impossible.

The fun goes beyond the food. Wooden interiors, family recipes, and dining rooms give these meals the kind of character that turns dinner into an outing.

You may arrive craving one favorite and leave talking about something completely different. That is the danger of a good German menu!

By the last bite, Munich can stay on the bucket list a little longer.

1. Cafe Old Vienna, Myrtle Beach

Would you believe me if I told you the Alps have a beachfront cousin? Sand on your sandals and schnitzel on your plate make a surprising pair.

Cafe Old Vienna has served Myrtle Beach since 1997, bringing German and Austrian comfort food to a coastal setting.

The dining room leans into an Alpine-lodge look, while the menu stays focused on familiar Central European specialties.

Schnitzel is the easiest place to start. Current choices include veal, pork, and chicken preparations, with Jäger-style versions adding mushroom gravy.

Sauerbraten, beef rouladen, Viennese goulash, bratwurst, knackwurst, and weisswurst broaden the savory side without turning the menu into a geography lesson.

Sides keep the plates grounded. Spätzle, red cabbage, home fries, sauerkraut, and German potato salad give richer entrées plenty of contrast.

Homemade soups and salads offer lighter directions, while seafood choices such as grouper and flounder keep the South Carolina coast connected to the meal.

Dessert can stay traditional with homemade apple strudel, and vegetarian and gluten-free options give mixed groups more flexibility. An afternoon menu is available before dinner service, and reservations are strongly recommended.

The restaurant sits at 1604 N Kings Hwy in Myrtle Beach, close enough to pair dinner with an afternoon along the oceanfront.

Come after the beach, settle into the Alpine atmosphere, and let the menu move the evening several thousand miles inland without leaving the Grand Strand.

2. Horst Gasthaus, North Myrtle Beach

I had to do a double-take when an accordion started playing near the golf courses. Somehow, a little slice of Austria is hiding along the Carolina coast.

Horst Gasthaus has been part of North Myrtle Beach since 1984, reaching its 42nd year in 2026.

The room keeps a warm Bavarian character through rustic details, old-world touches, and a dinner format built around traditional German comfort food.

The menu gives schnitzel plenty of room. Veal, pork, and chicken versions appear alongside bratwurst, bauernwurst, sauerbraten, smoked pork chops, and a combination plate that brings several German staples together.

Goulash soup and soft pretzels make straightforward starters before the heavier dishes arrive.

Spätzle, bread dumplings, red cabbage, sauerkraut, German potato salad, cucumber salad, mashed potatoes, and home fries round out the plates.

Pork cordon bleu adds another filling option, while homemade apple strudel and several cakes handle dessert when available.

Live accordion music is scheduled on Friday and Saturday evenings, adding another layer to a place that already feels far removed from the nearby beach traffic.

Reservations are available and make sense on busy weekends, especially when the accordion schedule adds another reason to settle in for a longer meal.

Find Horst Gasthaus at 802 37th Ave S. South Carolina has plenty of coastal dining rooms, but few pair the Grand Strand with schnitzel, spätzle, and accordion music this naturally.

3. Schwaben House, Greenville

Here’s a thought worth chewing on: German food doesn’t have to be old-fashioned. Classic recipes can wear a modern outfit and still taste like home.

Schwaben House opened in Greenville in 2009 with a modern German-European approach rather than a strictly traditional menu.

Its culinary focus reaches into Swabia in southwestern Germany, and the dining room aims for Gemütlichkeit, the German idea of comfort, warmth, and easy company.

Maultaschen is one of the clearest regional signatures. The filled pasta appears in several preparations, including versions with potato salad, onions, gravy, or cheese spätzle.

Jäger Schnitzel pairs pork with mushroom sauce and spätzle, while Wiener Schnitzel keeps the plate simpler with potato salad and a house salad.

Cheese spätzle, bratwurst, meatloaf, Wurstsalat, and seasonal soups widen the choices at lunch.

Dinner adds more composed entrées, including a Dijon-crusted salmon option that reflects the restaurant’s broader European side. Organic and locally sourced ingredients are prioritized whenever practical.

The setting is polished enough for a longer dinner without losing the comfort suggested by its name. Business-casual attire is requested, and reservations are useful for evening service.

For a refined take on German regional cooking, head to 1810 Laurens Rd, where lunch and dinner are served on a limited weekly schedule. The restaurant has a scheduled closure through October 19, 2026, before regular service resumes.

4. Julia’s German Stammtisch, Columbia

Schnitzel this good in the Midlands can make the map feel slightly confused. Some flavors simply refuse to stay on their side of the ocean.

Julia’s German Stammtisch serves traditional German cooking from its current Columbia location at 120 Sparkleberry Crossing Rd.

The name refers to a regulars’ table, and the menu follows that communal spirit with familiar dishes built around schnitzel, sausages, potatoes, cabbage, and traditional sides.

Pork schnitzel appears in several forms, from a straightforward breaded cutlet to Jäger-style versions with mushroom gravy.

Veal options are also available, while beef rouladen brings rolled beef with onion and pickle to the table. Bratwurst and knackwurst cover the sausage side without overcomplicating the meal.

Potato pancakes with applesauce make a classic opener. German potato salad, red cabbage, sauerkraut, home fries, and spätzle give the main dishes the supporting cast they need.

Seasonal soups such as potato or goulash add a warmer option during cooler months.

Desserts change with availability, so the final course can vary from one visit to the next. The dining room stays casual, which fits a menu built around straightforward comfort food rather than elaborate presentation.

Lunch is served on select weekdays, with dinner service later in the day and on Saturday. In South Carolina’s capital, this is a practical stop when the craving is specifically for schnitzel, rouladen, and spätzle.

5. Nick’s German Kitchen, Mount Pleasant

Imagine for a second a schnitzel menu so long you need a game plan. Old recipes, fresh ideas, and a whole lot of crunch are waiting.

Nick’s German Kitchen in Mount Pleasant takes a modern approach to German cooking while keeping recognizable classics at the center.

Most dishes are prepared from scratch, and the current menu gives schnitzel several distinct personalities.

The Black Forest version combines pork cutlet with ham and cheese, while Jägerschnitzel brings mushroom sauce and homemade spätzle.

Frankfurter Schnitzel, Wiener Schnitzel, and Chicken Paprika Schnitzel offer different directions without losing the restaurant’s German focus.

Starters include potato pancakes, a Bavarian pretzel, and Pilzknödel, a bread dumpling served with mushroom sauce.

The menu gives first-time diners plenty of room to compare regional styles without feeling locked into one familiar classic. Sharing a few plates can make it easier to sample both the traditional recipes and the kitchen’s more playful variations.

Cheese spätzle works as a substantial beginning or a meal for anyone who wants to skip the cutlets. Current specials can add weisswurst, a sausage platter, pork shank, currywurst, or seasonal cakes.

Apple strudel remains a dependable finish, with other desserts rotating through the specials menu. The restaurant also operates a food truck with bratwurst, currywurst, pretzels, sauerkraut, and other compact versions of its German staples.

The dining room is at 1150 Hungry Neck Blvd Ste E. Reservations are available, and the restaurant currently serves dinner Tuesday through Saturday.

That schedule makes it easy to plan a deliberate evening rather than hoping a table appears by chance.

6. Gerhard’s Cafe, Spartanburg

It makes you wonder, doesn’t it, how one menu can travel so far? Austria, Germany, and the seaside all show up at the same table.

Gerhard’s Cafe opened in Spartanburg in 1993 and continues to combine Austrian and German dishes with steaks, seafood, and other European-influenced cooking.

The setting is warm and rustic, with a main dining room plus a more formal room for special occasions.

Traditional choices remain easy to find. Wiener Schnitzel comes with fried potatoes, Alpine Rouladen arrives with red cabbage and spätzle, and Hunter’s Medallion pairs pork tenderloin with mushrooms, onions, and spätzle.

Bratwurst and Swiss-cheese knackwurst are available in a smaller sausage plate with sauerkraut and mustard.

The menu stretches beyond those classics without losing its Central European foundation.

Rainbow trout, crab cakes, grilled salmon, shrimp and grits, pork tenderloin, and several steaks make the restaurant workable for groups with different preferences.

Side dishes include potato salad, red cabbage, cucumber salad, sauerkraut, fried potatoes, and spätzle.

In the South Carolina Upstate, that range makes Gerhard’s different from a narrowly focused schnitzel house. It can feel traditional on one plate and broadly European on the next.

The restaurant sits at 1200 E Main St Ste 10. More than three decades of service give the place real history, while the current menu keeps it from feeling locked into one era.

7. Alfred’s Restaurant, Hilton Head Island

Sauerbraten might be the best souvenir on a beach trip. Palm trees and pork schnitzel make a surprisingly tasty team.

Alfred’s Restaurant has operated on Hilton Head Island since 2008, focusing on German and wider European cooking in a small, reservation-friendly dining room. Seating is limited, so the experience feels more intimate than a sprawling resort restaurant.

German potato pancakes make an easy starting point, served with sour cream and applesauce. The current German selections include bratwurst, pork schnitzel, veal cordon bleu, sauerbraten, Wienerschnitzel, and Jägerschnitzel.

A German Mix Platter combines bratwurst, sauerbraten, Wienerschnitzel, mashed potatoes, sauerkraut, and caramelized onions for anyone who would rather sample several traditions at once.

Spätzle and red cabbage appear repeatedly across the menu, tying the richer entrées together.

Seafood and other continental dishes provide alternatives for mixed groups, while German chocolate cake and rotating desserts finish the meal without shifting away from the European theme.

The dining room is intentionally compact, and reservations are highly recommended, particularly when island traffic is busiest and evening tables are in greater demand.

Service currently runs Monday through Saturday evenings, with Sunday closed.

Find Alfred’s at 807 William Hilton Pkwy Ste 1200, behind the businesses facing the main road. Along the island coast, it is an unusual place to move from seaside scenery to sauerbraten in the space of one dinner.

8. Gene’s Haufbrau, Charleston

The plainest storefronts often hide the best stories. A wall of opaque glass blocks is your first clue.

Gene’s Haufbrau has operated in Charleston since 1952 and remains one of the city’s longest-running neighborhood hangouts.

Its broad American menu includes a small but persistent German influence, giving the historic room a different character from the more traditional restaurants elsewhere in the state.

Bratwurst with sauerkraut is the most direct connection. The current menu also includes a Wiener schnitzel plate with potato cakes and steamed cabbage, giving diners a more substantial Central European option.

Burgers, sandwiches, salads, daily blue-plate specials, and familiar comfort dishes make up much of the remaining selection. That range makes it easy for a table to mix German-inspired plates with more familiar American favorites.

The atmosphere carries more history than polish. Exposed brick, built-in wooden booths, vintage pieces, and layers of old details give the room a lived-in character that fits its long run on Savannah Highway.

Pool, darts, shuffleboard, pinball, and other games add to the casual setting without turning the meal into a formal occasion.

They also reinforce the sense that this is a neighborhood gathering place rather than a restaurant built around one specific cuisine.

The German side of the menu is concise, centered mainly on bratwurst and Wiener schnitzel. That narrower focus works alongside the restaurant’s much broader Southern and American comfort-food identity.

Gene’s sits at 817 Savannah Hwy. The combination of neighborhood history, casual games, and a few enduring German flavors gives this Charleston institution a personality all its own.