Schmidt's Sausage Haus

Schmidt's Sausage Haus Und Restaurant
240 E Kossuth St
Columbus, OH 43206

If you're visiting German Village, you need to eat German food. So, forget about burgers at Thurman's Cafe and pizza at Plank's. Instead, go to Schmidt's Sausage Haus Und Restaurant. Not only is the food authentically German here, the waitstaff dons German garb and the restaurant itself is on the national registry of historic places!

Schmidt's Sausage Haus is amongst the cobblestone catacombs of German Village and can't be missed, as it has a wooden cut-out of a German man and woman that are waiting for you to take your picture with (there's a spot to have your face be their face). There is ample parking on the street and in Schmidt's own parking lot behind the restaurant. Major plus.

Inside you will first see a display case with Schmidt's FAMOUS cream puffs. SAVE ROOM FOR THE CREAM PUFFS! One is plenty for a table of two, three, four, or five (if you eat one of those massive pastires by yourself, you probably will gain 6 pounds in one sitting and I would definitely judge you).

The menu is pretty fantastic. The pretzel starters are "sehr gut" (very good) as they say in German. Get them and split them! The best option for your visit (and in my opinion the best deal) is the buffet. It is $9.50 for the all-you-can-eat buffet where you can sample various sausages and other menu items. Most other dishes cost more than this, and you'd be limited to just one entree and 2 sides. So, why people ever get anything other than the buffet is baffling to me.

Schmidt's is known for its Bahama Mama sausage, which comes in mild and regular. It is supposed to be really spicy and out of this world, but to me is not very spicy at all, and while it is good, I am not sure why it is so raved about. I much prefer the regular bratwurst and the sausage stew. The sides are fantastic as well: sauerkraut, potato salad (not anything like you'd see at any potluck around...it is vinegar based rather than mayonnaise based), mac and cheese, potato soup, beets, green beans, etc. There is also a salad bar and homemade applesauce.

While German food is never my first choice when dining out, you HAVE to eat German if you're in German Village, and Schmidt's is where it's at!

PS: There is BIER too!