These 10 Southern California German Restaurants Deserve A Spot On Your Must-Try List
There is a very specific kind of hunger that only a plate of schnitzel can solve.
Maybe it starts with the crackle of a crisp cutlet, a warm pretzel torn apart at the table, or the sight of sausages arriving with enough mustard to make sharing feel negotiable.
German comfort food is not particularly interested in being delicate, and that is exactly why it works.
Southern California has a surprisingly strong collection of restaurants keeping hearty traditions alive.
Go beyond the first familiar order. Try the dish you have only seen on somebody else’s table. Compare potato sides. Debate which schnitzel earns the top spot.
These 10 restaurants deserve more than a passing mention.
They are the kind of places that make a long drive feel justified before the plates are even cleared.
1. Wirtshaus German Restaurant, Los Angeles
Over 35 German beers on one menu sounds like a challenge, and at 345 N La Brea Ave in Los Angeles, CA 90036, plenty of guests treat it that way.
Wirtshaus pairs that huge drink list with German wines, so nobody at the table feels left out.
The food leans traditional but never feels stuffy. Bavarian pretzels arrive warm and chewy, potato pancakes come out crispy at the edges, and the apple strudel is the kind of dessert people fight over with their forks.
What really sets this place apart is how welcoming the menu is. Vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free dishes are clearly marked, which saves you from playing twenty questions with your server.
Bring your dog along, because the patio is happy to have four-legged guests. Trivia nights turn the room into a friendly competition, so show up with a teammate who knows random facts.
A tip worth remembering: the La Brea area gets busy in the evening, so arriving early gives you a better shot at a good patio table. Parking takes patience, and rideshare is often the smarter move.
Whether you want a quiet beer after work or a loud table full of friends sharing sausages, the mood here bends to fit the night you had in mind.
2. Rasselbock Kitchen, Los Angeles
Mar Vista does not scream Bavaria, and yet there it is: Rasselbock Kitchen & Beer Garden at 3817 Grand View Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90066.
The kitchen cooks German classics with a lighter, fresher attitude that fits the Westside crowd perfectly.
Schnitzel gets the spotlight here, and it comes several different ways, so you can order thin and crispy or smothered in sauce depending on your mood.
Sausages, warm Bavarian pretzels, and a famous apple strudel round out the plate lineup.
Families do well here. Kid-friendly plates keep younger eaters happy, and vegetarian and vegan options mean the whole group can share without anyone settling for a side salad.
A practical note: this is a neighborhood restaurant, not a tourist trap, so weekends fill with regulars. Reservations or an early arrival help a lot.
Rotating handles are part of the fun, and staff members here genuinely enjoy steering first-timers toward something they have never tried before.
3. Mattern’s Sausage & Deli in Orange
Some places win you over with a sandwich, and Mattern’s Sausage & Deli is one of them.
The Reuben gets ordered constantly, and for good reason, but the smoked pork chop sandwich has its own devoted following. Everything is built to order, so expect a short, worthwhile wait.
Fresh German cold cuts fill the case, and the sausages have collected awards along the way. Buying a few links to grill at home is almost as popular as eating in.
Warm German potato salad is the side you should not skip. Tangy, savory, and completely different from the mayo-heavy version most people grew up with.
Uwe Saler and his daughter Emily have owned and run the shop since 1997, while the Mattern family still operates the factory behind the meats. That kind of continuity shows up in the quality.
Grab a German drink from the shelves, order a sandwich, and take a look around the market before you leave. Mustards, breads, and imported snacks make it easy to walk out with a full bag.
At 4327 E Chapman Ave, Orange, CA 92869, this deli and market has been a neighborhood favorite for years.
4. Kiez Küche, Los Angeles
Picture long shared tables, clinking glasses, and the smell of sausages hitting a hot grill.
That is a normal afternoon at Kiez Küche & Beer Garden, parked at 4939 York Blvd, Los Angeles, CA 90042, right in the middle of Highland Park.
The vibe leans communal, which means strangers often end up chatting over the same bench. Open-air seating keeps things breezy, and the York Boulevard people-watching is free entertainment.
Food here is German comfort cooking without the fuss. Sausages come in a range of styles, schnitzel arrives crisped with real care, and pretzels show up with your pick of mustards or a gooey cheese dip.
A rotating lineup of German and European brews means the board changes, so regulars keep coming back to see what landed on tap this week.
Plant-based eaters have a real seat at the table thanks to vegan schnitzel and a sausage list that goes beyond the usual pork options. Nobody gets stuck nibbling bread.
Go with a group if you can. Ordering a few different sausages and passing plates around is the best way to figure out your favorite, and the shared-table setup practically encourages it.
5. Kaiserhof Restaurant , San Diego’s Ocean Beach
Opened in 1972, Kaiserhof Restaurant has been serving German food near the coast longer than many San Diego locals have been alive.
The setting is comfortable rather than fancy, with both indoor tables and outdoor seating. On a mild San Diego evening, the patio is clearly the right call.
Schnitzel fans get options. Wiener Schnitzel keeps it classic and lemon-bright, while Jäger Schnitzel arrives under a savory mushroom sauce that begs for a side of potatoes.
Sauerbraten and goulash bring the slow-cooked, hearty side of German cooking to the table. Both taste like something a grandmother spent all afternoon on.
Regulars talk about the cozy, welcoming atmosphere as much as the food.
Plan your visit around a walk afterward. Sunset Cliffs and Ocean Beach are minutes away, so you can trade a heavy dinner for salty air and a sunset view.
Few German restaurants anywhere can offer that combination, which is exactly why this one belongs on your list.
You will find it at 2253 Sunset Cliffs Blvd, San Diego, CA 92107.
6. Wurstküche, Los Angeles
The Arts District location fits the personality of the place. Exposed brick, long lines out the door, and a menu board that dares you to order something you have never eaten before.
Rattlesnake sausage. Bison sausage.
Rabbit. If that list makes you raise an eyebrow, you understand why Wurstküche at 800 E 3rd St, Los Angeles, CA 90013, earned a reputation as the king of unusual meat sausages.
Classic eaters are covered too. Traditional pork bratwurst and other familiar links sit right next to the wild stuff, so cautious friends will not go hungry.
Then there are the Belgian fries, which honestly deserve their own fan club. Crispy, hot, and served with a lineup of dipping sauces that turns a side dish into the main event.
The drink selection is deep and worth exploring, especially if you like European pours you cannot find at a corner store. Order at the counter, grab a number, and find a spot at one of the long tables.
Fun bit of trivia: many first-timers come in planning to play it safe and leave bragging that they tried alligator or rattlesnake. Bring cash for parking and an appetite for adventure.
7. Rasselbock Kitchen & Beer Garden in Long Beach
Since 2016, the Long Beach branch of this place has been feeding the Bixby Knolls crowd from 4020 Atlantic Ave, Long Beach, CA 90807. Word spread fast, and the place has been comfortably busy ever since.
Freshness is the promise here, and the kitchen keeps it.
Classic schnitzels come out golden, Bavarian pretzels are pulled warm, and the apple strudel has earned quiet praise from more than a few dessert skeptics.
Families and mixed groups fare well. Kid-friendly plates, vegetarian dishes, and vegan choices mean you can bring your picky cousin and your plant-based roommate on the same night.
Something helpful to know: the beer garden seating is the seat everyone wants, especially on warm evenings. Arriving before the dinner rush improves your odds considerably.
If you have already visited the Mar Vista location, this one feels like a familiar friend with its own accent.
Same devotion to real German cooking, different neighborhood energy, and an easier drive if you live south of the 405.
8. Old World Restaurant, Huntington Beach
Calling it a restaurant undersells the place. There is a bakery, a market, a full bar, and a courtyard that feels like a small German town dropped into Orange County.
Oktoberfest celebrations here go all the way back to 1977, which makes Old World Restaurant & Biergarten something close to a Southern California institution.
You will find the whole village at 7561 Center Ave #49, Huntington Beach, CA 92647.
Plates arrive loaded with schnitzels, sausages, and tangy sauerkraut, and the German beer list is exactly what you would hope for. Order a stein and settle in.
Live music and dancing turn dinner into an event, especially during Oktoberfest season when the courtyard packs with people in dirndls and lederhosen. Reservations during that stretch are close to mandatory.
Indoor and outdoor seating both work, though the Biergarten is where the noise, laughter, and accordion energy live. Sit inside if you want to hear your table talk.
Save room to wander the market afterward.
Imported chocolates, mustards, and baked goods make excellent souvenirs, and the bakery is a solid reason to come back on a quiet weekday morning when parking is easy and the pastries are fresh.
9. The Bierstube German Pub, Brea
Wood-paneled walls, imported taps, and the low hum of conversation give The Bierstube German Pub the feel of a hall you might stumble into overseas. Its home is 375 W Central Ave, Brea, CA 92821.
There is real history attached. The pub belongs to The Phoenix Club, a German cultural and social organization that relocated to Brea in 2023 and brought its traditions along for the ride.
Bavarian cooking anchors the menu. Jaegerschnitzel comes blanketed in mushroom gravy, Schweineschnitzel keeps things crisp and simple, Rouladen delivers slow-cooked beef comfort, and Bratwurst never disappoints.
Because the pub sits inside a cultural club, keep an eye on the event calendar. Festivals, dances, and community gatherings can turn an ordinary Saturday into something much bigger.
North Orange County residents have an easy win here, and anyone visiting from farther out gets a two-for-one experience: dinner plus a peek into a German American community that has kept its customs alive for decades.
Go hungry, order the Rouladen, and thank yourself later.
10. Gazzolo’s Sausage Co Restaurant and Deli, San Bernardino
Family recipes kept secret since 1952 are the backbone of Gazzolo’s Sausage Co Restaurant and Deli at 132 E Highland Ave, San Bernardino, CA 92404.
Generations of the same family have guarded those sausage formulas, and it shows in every bite.
The house-made sausages are the headline act. Ordering a sausage plate gets you hot German potato salad, sauerkraut or red cabbage, and fresh German bread on the side.
Traditional dishes fill out the rest of the menu. Schnitzel, sauerbraten with its tangy gravy, and rich goulash give you plenty of reasons to visit more than once.
Nothing about the dining room is flashy, and that is part of the charm. Cozy tables, friendly service, and regulars who greet the staff by name create the kind of atmosphere chains cannot fake.
Consider stopping by the deli counter even if you are not staying to eat. Taking sausages home means recreating a bit of the experience in your own kitchen.
For anyone driving through the Inland Empire, this is a genuinely worthwhile detour.
More than 70 years in one community says plenty about how good the food is, and the portions will keep you full for the rest of the drive.
