Laschet’s Brings German Comfort Food to Chicago

A warm jumbo Bavarian-style pretzel with sweet mustard is a fine way to settle into Laschet’s, the longtime-feeling German bar and restaurant just off Irving Park Road. The entrance can be easy to miss from the street, but inside, the place opens into a distinctly different world: a front bar for beer and television viewing, plus a comfortable restaurant side built for a proper meal.

German décor and photographs give the rooms a homey, lodge-like character rather than a theme-park version of an Alpine tavern. The dining room has booths as well as other indoor tables, while bar and counter seats make a casual beer-and-snack visit entirely plausible.

It works nicely for a couple lingering over dinner, a family ordering several plates to share, or a larger table looking for sturdy food and conversation. The restaurant side is generally comfortable for talking, even if the energy can rise to a moderate buzz at busier times.

The food here is built around the reassuring grammar of German comfort cooking: rich meats, potatoes, cabbage, gravy, dumplings and sausages with proper snap. Portions tend toward substantial, so a few starters can turn the table into a useful tasting tour before the main dishes arrive.

Goulash soup is a particularly inviting opener. Tender beef gives it real body, while the spice has a noticeable kick without overwhelming the soup’s deep, savory character.

Hackepeter offers a less familiar detour for many American diners. This creamy, salty preparation is served with capers, a small sharp note that keeps the richness from becoming too heavy.

Hot sausage appetizers are available for diners who would rather begin with something more direct. A salad can also provide contrast, especially one dressed with bacon vinaigrette—proof that even the greens are not expected to behave too quietly here.

Chicken schnitzel and Wiener schnitzel are among the dishes people return to at Laschet’s. A schnitzel dinner has the straightforward appeal that makes this style of cooking endure: a crisp breaded cutlet, a generous plate and sides that are ready to do their share of the work.

This is food best approached without fussy expectations. The pleasure is in the contrast of a crunchy exterior and tender meat, with the familiar accompaniments making the plate feel like dinner rather than a snack dressed up for the evening.

For a table with varied appetites, schnitzel is also an easy anchor. One person can commit to the cutlet while somebody else heads toward sausage, beef or a Hungarian specialty, and everyone still seems to be speaking the same culinary language.

Pork knuckle is one of the menu’s grander declarations. It arrives with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes, pairing tender pork with crisp skin, tangy cabbage and a soft potato cushion underneath. This is a plate with enough presence to slow down a meal.

Rouladen, served with spätzle, is another deeply traditional choice. The tender rolled beef and little egg noodles make a particularly satisfying combination, the sort of dish that rewards taking a break from the usual steak-or-pasta decision.

Sauerbraten remains on the roster for diners in the mood for one of German cooking’s most recognizable beef dishes. Leberkäse also gives the menu another hearty, less-common option for people who enjoy exploring beyond the greatest hits.

Laschet’s sausage choices include bratwurst, Thüringer and knackwurst. They can be ordered as dinners or gathered into a sausage platter, which is a sensible route when the table cannot agree on a single favorite.

The different sausages give the menu a little range without demanding a lecture before dinner. A platter lets diners compare styles, pass bites around and make room for cabbage, potatoes and mustard along the way.

The menu also includes a small group of Hungarian specialties. Chicken paprikash is a familiar favorite in that portion of the offerings, bringing another layer of Central European comfort food into a meal that need not stay strictly German from start to finish.

The bar is more than a waiting area. German beers are available on draft, including large liter pours for the person who has decided the evening calls for a traditional beer-hall scale rather than a modest glass.

A visit can easily begin there, perhaps with a beer before moving to a booth or dining table. Televisions in the bar give that room a different pace, while the restaurant side offers a calmer setting for a long meal and unhurried conversation.

The drinks list is not limited to beer. Riesling and schnapps give diners a couple of classic alternatives, and Shirley Temples provide a nonalcoholic option that still feels more festive than plain soda.

After pork knuckle, rouladen or a sausage platter, dessert may sound ambitious. Apple strudel is the gentle argument in favor of trying anyway, especially with coffee to stretch the evening a few minutes longer.

Daily specials add another reason to look beyond a familiar order. A seasonal Lenten menu has also appeared during that period, so the kitchen can offer a different path through the food when the calendar calls for it.

Laschet’s can handle groups and has a private dining room, useful when the occasion calls for more than a few adjacent booths. The combination of regular tables, booths, bar seating and counter seating gives the place flexibility without losing its neighborhood-restaurant feel.

Street parking nearby may be free or paid, with additional possibilities on surrounding side streets. Some diners walk in without reservations, while the late-afternoon-through-evening stretch can be a better time to reserve ahead.

The staff is known for being friendly and attentive, and recommendations can be useful with a menu that ranges from a warm pretzel and a draft beer to a full plate of rouladen with spätzle. There are worse ways to spend an evening than letting that decision take a little time.