The Rhein Haus is located at 649 Division Ave, across from Wright Park
Review and photos by Kurt Kwon
Gutten Tag! Das Rhein Haus ist hier in Tacoma! That’s basically all the German I know, but I do know the food much better! The long anticipated Seattle restaurant has made a big splash in the Stadium District. Long lines still await patrons at this German sausage and beer house, but customers in Tacoma don’t seem to mind. Is it worth the 1 to 2 hour wait?
Short Answer: No way!
Long Answer: I wouldn’t wait that long for this type of food. The Rhein Haus is a beautifully decorated, huge venue that has two full service bars. The seating is impressive, but the newness hasn’t worn off yet and getting a table can be difficult, especially on a Friday or Saturday evening. The place is designed to accommodate larger groups and has two bocce ball areas. They have a few shuffleboard tables and some odd wall game as you go towards the restroom.
The venue is awesome. It is worth just walking through even if you don’t want to eat there. They have a good selection of German beer along with the normal taps. Prices are slightly on the high side, but this is to be expected with this type of business. The two Oktoberfest beers were tasty and come in half liter to 1 liter sizes.
Unfortunately, the food is inconsistent. The first time I tried it I had the sausage sampler that consisted of nearly 8 different types of sausages on a bed of huge mashed potatoes and some sauerkraut cabbage. Overall it was quite good and a great way to sample the different types of sausages. The mashed potatoes were probably the star of the dish. The second time I went I went with a bigger group of people and everyone tried a variety of menu items. Unfortunately no one was impressed, including myself. I ordered their chicken schnitzel sliders and side of German potato salad - little to no seasoning on both dishes. The potato salad could have used salt and a lot more vinegar. It was just too bland. The chicken schnitzel sliders were on a pretzel bun. Sounds great, but the pretzel bun overpowered the entire slider. I felt like I was eating bread more than anything. The chicken was underwhelming. I think a McChicken sandwich from McDonald’s actually had more flavor.
Overall I would give this place an average ranking. People have knocked it down pretty good for the food, which I have done also. But this isn’t gourmet food, it is basically sausages so I can’t be to hyper critical. The service has always been top notch and friendly. The venue is a great location to meet a group of people, drink a few beers and play some games. Besides that I wouldn’t spend your entire evening for a full dinner there; at least not yet. I think they will improve over time as new restaurants generally do with change.
A couple of tips if you want to go on a busy evening: Go up and leave your name on the waiting list and they will text you when your table is ready. We went up an hour before and it worked out perfectly. Also don’t order the little pretzel, it was dry and hard. If you are with a larger group, try the $15 giant pretzel to share. It tastes much better!
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