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Review Highlights 2008 VERY GOOD TO EXCELLENT

- Guardians of Teutonic "tradition" just say "Ja" to this "authentic German" in Southwest Houston, an "old standard" for "fantastic" "home-cooked meals", "beer in liter mugs" and even a good "salad bar"; it's "like a visit to Bavaria" complete with a "polka band" .... "What's not to like?"

Food: 23 Decor: 18 Service: 24 Cost: $ 22

Review 2007: “Loyalists” love this “fun” Deutsch treat in Southwest Houston, where they can go “back to the old country“ via “authentic”, “tasty” German-Austrian “classics” and an “excellent selection” of beers as they sing along to live “oompah music” (especially during Oktoberfest); chef-owner Rudi is “the nicest” and his prices are “reasonable”

www.zagat.com

Editorial Review for Rudi Lechner's – by Citysearch Editors

In Short
This comfortable neighborhood spot accommodates festive dining and beer drinking, mostly patronized by a wealthy, older (and exuberant) crowd. Don't be surprised if live music and dancing suddenly commences out of nowhere. Expect good American and Austrian food, such as wiener schnitzel, roast chicken and dumplings and sauerbraten. Regulars like the well-stocked salad bar, too. Don't be afraid to try something different: The waitstaff is friendly and will answer any questions.

"A great place to take your clients or family for a quiet lunch. The price charged reflects superior value for the quality and quantity of food. I raise my glass to Rudi for consistent and high quality food as well as surroundings."

http://houston.citysearch.com

Whether preparing for a special occasion, serving brunch or lunch or dinner, Rudi Lechner is always at the restaurant to welcome you and make you feel at home. Since Rudi Lechner's opened twenty-five years ago, Mr. Lechner has developed a loyal and regular following. Mr. Lechner's ability to individually recognize and appreciate each customer makes each visit memorable and personal.
The menu consists of German-Austrian specialty items. The selection of sausages includes weisswurst, knackwurst or Polish sausages. The wienerschnitzel is a delicate veal cutlet that is breaded and pan-fried. The menu also offers the Heritage Dinner. It includes red cabbage, sauerkraut, Austrian potatoes, sausages, roasted chicken, porkloin, wienerschnitzel and sauerbraten.

This Southwest Houston restaurant offers a comfortable neighborhood dining experience. A diverse group of regulars enjoys hanging out here with family and friends. Live entertainment plays several times a month. In the mood for Wiener schnitzel or sauerbraten? Then you have come to the right place. Menu prices range from $8 to $20, and a glass of house wine is available for a modest $3.50. Reservations are recommended, but not required.
Review © 2007, Wcities

For more than thirty years, noted Houston restaurateur, Rudi Lechner, has served some of the best sausages, wiener schnitzel and German beers and wines in Texas. And if you have not experienced his legendary Kaffee Gute Nacht, also known as Coffee Good Night, made tableside by Rudi, you just haven't lived!

www.cleverley.com

http://www.yelp.com/rated 3rd place The 100 Best Restaurants In The Top 50 Cities

www.bestrestaurantssaltlakecity-ogden.com

5 star rating

recommened as one of the best in Houston

Rudi Lechner's. Solid traditional German dishes and a lively buffet and salad bar.

Good Wiener schnitzel and sauerbraten

Rudi Lechner's Don't escape without trying the grilled salmon or smoked pork chops. Try "The Heritage Supper Plate" for a treat.
L, D, Bar, $$-$$$,
www.htexas.com

A quote from the HOUSTON MEMORIAL SUN in 2005 sums it nicely up:

“When a place stays in business for 29 years in a competitive environment like Houston,

it must be pretty good. Rudi Lechner’s is an exception to that. …it’s real good.

If you like German food, the conversation starts and ends here.”

Some of our guest comments:

MY REVIEW: Went to Rudi's for the first time for lunch this past week and it was great! Loved the lunch specials, were reasonable and delicious. I had the goulash for the soup/salad and the sausage plate. One brat and one knok. Both were great! Will return soon.
NAME: Scott
SUBMITTED: 4/6/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: 04/2008

MY REVIEW: Went for the first time on a Wednesday and what a great time! An authentic german polka band played in the corner while we enjoyed the buffet and braised brisket with spinach. Discounts on German beer too! Everything we ate was wonderful with second helping of the zucchini bread! The desserts are made fresh at the restaurant, and there are 2 on the menu that take 24 hours to prepare! ( Call ahead I'm sure they are worth it! ) We will definately be coming back!
NAME: Keith & Katy
SUBMITTED: 4/3/2008 LAST VISIT WAS: 4/2/08
FREQUENCY: Visited once

Daniel M. has been a customer at Rudi Lechner's for 25 years, dating back to its days as La Quiche. He and his wife have eaten there "literally hundreds of times." Now his father, who lives in California, is a fan , as well. "Dad said between bites, 'Golly, the Wiener Schnitzel is worth the trip from Sacramento'.""

(printed in Dining Guide)

Hello Rudi, Have you published your wonderful recipes in a book? That would be wonderful!!

Carol

Wonderful service and atmosphere. The food was exceptional. My friend and I had the sausage plate, mine with knockwurst and polish sausages, hers with a brat and polish sausage. It came with a wiener that had been split and fried in a way that it looked like a little meat flower. Too cute.
My other friend had salmon with capers and fresh spinish. That too was delish.
The zucchini bread you get for free was AWESOME!
I'll be back many times!

NAME: KAF
Wonderful Ambiance, Great Germany Music and the very best Germany food in town. When I want a taste of days gone by in Frankfurt, Germany.. I head for Rudi's.

NAME: Jeri
FREQUENCY: Everybody here knows my name...

Thank you for a great Dinner.

I had no idea what Rudi Lechner's was.

I am new to Houston. This was a great experience and a lot of fun.

Also - Franklin was very charming, as well as efficient & professional.

He helped make it a great evening.

Ceceli Smith (plus the Chickendance!)

Wonderful Ambiance, Great Germany Music and the very best Germany food in town. When I want a taste of days gone by in Frankfurt, Germany.. I head for Rudi's.

This restaurant was suggested by a new client and friend of mine. It was wonderful! I have heard of this restaurant since the 1980's, but had never been. I had the swiss cheese soup as a starter (yum!) and then the crab cakes for my meal. (Another yum!) I have to give compliments to the hostess, too. I arrived about one minute before my guest and they did not have my reservation which I had made the day before. (Note: When you call to make a reservation, they ask is this for a birthday or anniversary...I thought that was nice.) She did not say a thing, but simply noted I had some documents in my hand and said it looks like you have some materials to share with your guest...would you like a quiet table where you can talk easily?...and she led me to a back room. It worked out perfect and our waiter was very efficient. When we departed, Rudi was right there greeting each of us and I thanked him for a lovely meal and for actually putting crab in the crabcakes! They were some of the best I have ever had. Also, the nice thing is that there are traditional German dishes on the menu, but there are also other types of food like what I had. I will definitely go back and recommend this restaurant to others.
NAME: UH1980 SUBMITTED: 8/14/2007

On Saturday, July 21st, my wife and I invited some neighbors and friends to join us at Rudi Lechners for dinner. There were 14 of us. The music, food, drinks, and service were superb! For several days afterward, I received e-mails and phone calls from our friends letting us know how much they enjoyed the evening. Thanks for such a wonderful evening

Paul A. Brezik (7/21/2007)

It was soooo worth the drive!! Not only is it open from 11am-10pm (not closing at 2 til 5, which is so annoying), but the waitress was so sweet and the hostess was so nice. Rudi said hello to us as we entered the place. The ambiance is great, it feels like home.
The food- OH MY GOD!!! It is soo Good! I am German and I know good German food (all the women in my family live to make good food)- and this is good! We got the potato pancakes, swiss cheese soup, and I got Wienerschnitzel. My brother got the sausage platter. Everything was amazing. The Zuchinni bread was so great- I can't say enough good things. We drove for an hour through thunderstorms to try it, and it was so worth it!! We will definitely return. I never write reviews, but a restaurant this good made me feel like giving it a 'plug'. If you are considering trying it-go for it you absolutely will not be disappointed. Danke.
T. Zeitland (7/6/2007)

We celebrated our fifth wedding anniversary on saturday.We reserved a booth for 7 p.m.We were seated promptly and congratulated on our anniversary by the hostess.This is not the first anniversary that we celebrate at Rudi's.We also enjoy celebrating birthdays and other special occasions there.
Since it was St.Patrick's day the decor was irish/bavarian.very colorful and cheerful to say the least.
i can't say enough good things about Rudi's restaurant.The service was top-notch as always.Rudi himself stopped by our table several times and made us feel very welcome.The food was to die for.My husband loved his grilled sausage plate,which consisted of knackwurst,red cabbage and Austrian potatoes.He had an excellent German dark draft beer.I had the grilled salmon with spinach and steamed veggies.The caper sauce was out of this world and the salmon was perfection itself.The buffet salad was fresh and crisp.The zucchini bread was completely addictive.The food was amazingly delicious.
Rudi kindly treated us to a complimentary carrot cake with a lit candle.It was the best,most moist carrot cake we have ever tasted.By far.The capuccino was huge,and had a very strong,authentic European flavor.it was amazing.
The live volksmusik band"The Wanderers" was outstanding.The lead singer has a beautiful voice and yodeled like a master.
Rudi Lechner's restaurant has the best ambiance in houston,the best German food and exceptionally good service.We plan to return many more times.
LEONOR MÜLLER (3/18/2007)

read such great reviews about this place I had to try it, and was not disappointed. great enviroment, and food. love the salad bar-not just veggies but fruit and boiled shrimp too. tried the goulash and the beef was so tender it practally fell through my fork. will definitly be coming back.
R B (3/15/2007)
I have been going to Rudy's since the 80's and last night was excellent as usual. Having lived in Germany for 8 years I would say that not only is it authentic but it is much better then you would get in most of Germany's finest restaurants. The cheese wine soup is amazing as was the sampler platter. Two thumbs up as usual.
texlend.com (3/2/2007)

Everybody here knows my name... My favorite german place in town!I have been going to rudi since the 1980's and i have never had one problem with either food flavor,temp,or service.Very nice place for dates or if you have to hang out with your boys go and try the side entrance into the bar.I recommend the beirschnitzel accomandated with a glass of spaten!I am swiss,and not having nymore swiss places to eat in town,this is the best next thing to home!
A.Kunzi (12/20/2006)

Everybody here knows my name... Great place, unique atmosphere, and friendly, attentive waitstaff. Loved eating and listening to accordian player/band. Took the family there and we all got something different. Bratwurst, salmon, trout, roasted chicken, and three appetizers: stuffed cabbage, potatoe cakes , and some other german plate. All were delicious and came to our table very promptly. Give this place a try if your looking for someplace out of the ordinary.
ILIKEBEER (12/2/2006)

I like the three types of bread, and the salad bar. The musicians are fun to listen to. Our family firstate at Lechner's when Tony Frisch (part owner of Lechner's at the time) was the place kicker for the Houston Oilers in the 1970's.
Mark (11/13/2006)
I had heard how good the food and atmosphere was so I stopped for lunch. Describe it as excellent food and service and loved the atmosphere. Have a separate bar area.
I had the bratwurst and knockwurst with red cabbage and German potatoes. Also included is a self-serve salad bar. Wide selection of salad items and a large plate to put them on. Everything was fresh. Two kinds of bread also came with meal. The service and meal were excellent. Came to $9.20 without beverage. I will go back. I would get there early as this place fills up at lunch and there is a mall parking lot in front but plenty of parking some distance from restaurant.
Hugh Diner (10/12/2006)

Last week I had the pleasure of revisiting Rudi Lechner's restaurant on Gessner near Westheimer. It has been 15 years since I had been there because of a move. Rudi was there to make sure the food was up to standard. Just a great place to take your clients or family for a quite lunch. The price charged reflects superior value for the quality and quanty of food. I raise my glass to Rudi for onsistent and high quality food as well as surroundings! Pros: I like the owner taking part in the restaurant experience.

Rudi's the bomb! So's the Tafelspitz, Goulash & the Schnitzel.....and the pickeled herring at the salad bar... Ditto for Greta, Jose, Artemio, Gustavo, Yevgeny, Juan, Maurilio, Junior, and Jorge. Oh; and Mike & partner play great music! A heartfelt encomium, folks...
Steevo (8/19/2006)

I've been going to Rudi Lechner's my entire life, or at least the life of the restaurant (we're pretty lose in age). I've never been disappointed. The food is hearty and comforting as traditional Bavarian fare tends to be. The salad bar is delectable (try one of everything, and the zucchini bread croutons!). Rudi himself is a true restaurateur, greeting the guests and making sure everyone is comfortable and taken care of.
The very best time to go is on the weekend (you'll need a reservation), when there is live music and a rousing crowd of regulars. It's a great evening out with some good German beer, good food--and if you save room and aren't driving home, Kaffee Gute Nacht (Coffee Good Night) is a spectacular way to end the meal. It's just as much of a production as it is an excellent way to take your coffee and alcohol.
I've never found anything there I didn't like but my personal favorites are the half roasted chicken ith Austrian potatoes, the Wienerschnitzel (be sure to get some red cabbage with it, as is tradition), and the pan-fried trout.

Everybody here knows my name... We visited Rudi Lechner's for the first time and were pleasantly surprised. We called and reserved a table for 6 only half an hour ahead of time on a Saturday night and were seated in the "wine room" where we could hear the band, but it was not too loud. However, if we had wanted to be involved in the dancing and such, it would have been more difficult being seated in another room. As we were seated, Mr. Lechner came and introduced himself to us, which was a great touch! The food was great. We were given some plain white bread and some great zucchini bread to start with a cheese and a patte dip. All of this was wonderful. Although I am not a huge fan of German food myself, I found lots on the menu to order. Everyone was quite pleased with their meal. I got the bowl of soup and the salad bar for $8. The salad bar, though small, is quite impressive with more than just your normal salad fixins'; there were small shrimp, some pasta salads, and fruit salad to choose from. Some of the plates can be close to $20, but if you get the special, you can get the salad bar, trout, 2 sides, and dessert for $14, what a deal!
As for the service and atmosphere, we were quite pleased. Our waiter was very attentive and we really enjoyed the band. We even got to do the chicken dance before leaving! We will definitely return for many more fun evenings at Rudi Lechner's. lovetoeat (4/24/2006)
the best real goulash with nockerl in town. and also an authentic liptauer - a spicy cream cheese. delicious! i am austrian and can strongly recommend this place.
NAME: feinschmecker (3/1/2006)
I have been to Rudi's several times and have NEVER been disappointed. I try to make it a point to try something new every time I go. Tonight I had the special- Lamb Shank it was out of this world! I had it with his wonderful red cabbage and mashed potatoes. I am one who must have dessert even though tonight I did not know where I was going to fit it, I decided on the carrot cake... Moist and absolutly one of the best carrot cakes in town. My waiter Jose was great! I was greeted with a smile by the "new" hostess who made it a point to get me seated and comfortable. The young lady who used to greet me at the door noticed me shortly after I was seated and made it a point to come by several times and make sure I was doing well she is always very pleasant and personal. The service is always very nice and you can count on seeing Rudi making the rounds to is guest. It does get very busy on the weekends which I learned the hard way on my first visit so I make sure to call and make reservations. Sometimes the music is a little to loud but, depending on what your in the mood for you have the option of the wineroom which is a much more quite area. In short rudi's is a wonderful place to visit and have great food. I have felt like I was a friend coming to dinner from my first visit. Rudi you have a new regular thank you.
joining the many (2/11/2006)

Wounderfull surroundings, nice employees, FANTASTIC food. The owner/manager tries to make his rounds as much as possible. Great for an upbeat anniversary dinner!
klkithas (10/6/2005)
FREQUENCY: Visited 2-3 times MY REVIEW: Selected their site based on the top of the page ad listing. We were a table of 6 with reservations. Most in our company had no idea what German food was prepared. The food was excellent for all involved. The traditional Wienerschnitzel was my choice and beyond what I expected. Generous portions, well prepared and timely service. The ambiance was very authentic and the music entertained all. Great choice!! Great value!! Great experience. We will return.
Problems: Weise beer selection was much more limited than on the menu.
Dinning Enthusiast (8/13/2005)

A typical German restaurant serving typical German fare. This is a Houston's landmark German restaurant, famous for its Oktoberfest culinary celebration. This restaurant has been in business for over 25 years.

Everybody here knows my name... We were greeted warmly and seated quickly, despite the place being very busy. The server served our drinks and took our order quickly even though he had 3 tables seated at the same time; one with 6 customers. We really enjoyed the music and toasts. The musicians seemed very friendly and jovial. The food took a little while to arrive but our server kept us posted on it's status. The food itself was absolutely delicious. We both got the "sampler" plate. Took about half of it home there was so much food. The hostess was very friendly on our way out as were other staff members. Recommended!!
J S4/30/2005 (04/05)

We've been going to this restaurant for 20 years and it's one of our favorites. My husband thinks the salmon here is the best anywhere and I love the bread and pate so much that once I fill up on that I just have room for the soup and salad bar. This is one of the best salad bars in Houston offering fruits, shrimp, cheese, the best crutons I've ever had and more. The french bread is wonderful and the zuchuni nut bread is a real treat. The service is normally excellent and the prices can't be beat. The music on weekends can be a little annoying if you're in the main resturant; I prefer the wine room. I've tried many entrees over the years and some have been disappointing but the salmon and the trout are always excellent and the mashed pototoes are great. This place is popular on weekend nights and it's best to have a reservation.
Vicki and Frank Roberts (4/1/2005)

Everybody here knows my name... I have dined in Germany, dined in the german communities of the great Texas Hill Country and I find that Rudi Lechner's serves true delicious Austria-German food. I entertain clients monthly in Houston and many times at Rudi's.
Rudi is a great chef and gentlemen. Rudi never fails to get my guest and I on each visit. The food has always ben delicious and my guest have always been complimentary. The service is excellent and I look forward to lunch or dinner with Rudi and his staff.
TGoyne (3/18/2005)

My husband and I have been to Rudi's several times alone and then we decided to bring friends and family so they could share in the festivities but most especially, the wonderful food. The atmosphere is great; the service is prompt. I only have one little suggestion and that is for the waiters to be a lilittle more gentle when placing the silverware on the table; the last two times we were there, it was almost tossed on the table; even our guests were a lilittle startled. Please don't let this stop you though from enjoying a wonderful evening. We are going again tonight, February 20th, bringing my sister and brother-in-law.
Jeanette (2/19/2005)

Rudi's has something for everyone, dieters included. The white wine & cheese soup and pan sauteed trout are signature dishes you won't find anywhere else in town...we love the salad bar, with the uniquely European dishes and some old favorites, too. Service is always reliable but not "hovering", and Rudi is there to greet you and make you feel welcome. The music is a plus! This is one of our favorite places for any occasion as well as those Fri. nights when there's nothing special to celebrate. Being at Rudi's is special enough. We've dined there for at least 20 years, probably longer...never had a bad meal or poor service. I think some of these reviewers went somewhere else! Bravo, Rudi Lechner, for your consistency and excellence, warmth and gemutlicheit!
NAME: BB (2/9/2005)

Everybody here knows my name... the food was very delicious, we tried the sampler platter and the weiner scnitzel platter and it fed 3 people. we should have had leftovers but we couldn't stop eating, they have a zuchinni bread they bring to the table... we ended up buying a loaf to take home for later. the only thing that might have been better than the food was the waitstaff, Jose and the hostess will really take care of you, we will be back... this was an enjoyable outing. Next time I need to leave room for dessert.
tim cormier (12/18/2004)

Would you like the recipe for one of Rudi's specialties?
Drop us an email and we'll post it here within the week!