7 Best German Restaurants in Helen, GA

Helen started remaking itself in an Alpine style around 1969, and the German kitchens followed. Today you can get schnitzel in a three-story chalet, fried cheese on Chattahoochee Strasse, and strudel from a bakery with a stone hearth oven. Here are seven places that are open now, with what each does best. Oktoberfest at the Festhalle runs through Sunday, November 1, so this is a busy month; for the festival itself, see our Oktoberfest guide.

The short answer

For a sit-down German dinner, start with The Heidelberg on North Main (dining room open until 9 PM Sunday through Thursday, 10 PM Friday and Saturday) or Bodensee on Munich Strasse. For a beer-hall night, try Hofbrauhaus. For something casual by the river, go to the Troll Tavern. For dessert or breakfast, Hofer's is the stop, but it's closed Tuesday and Wednesday.

Quick reference

Hours come from each restaurant's own site where one is live, and from the Helen visitors bureau dining list otherwise. Menus and prices change, so we've left dish prices off; check before you go.

1. The Heidelberg

You can't miss the blue chalet on North Main. The Heidelberg is a three-floor German restaurant, pub and music hall, with the Bierhimmel Konzerthalle on the top floor. The visitors bureau calls it Helen's oldest German restaurant, and the menu leans on schnitzel in a few forms, including Wiener-style and Jägerschnitzel with mushroom cream sauce. Its own site says it's first come, first served for most seating, though a reservation link for the dining room also appears on the same page, so call if you have a big group. Our Heidelberg guide has more.

2. Bodensee

This family-owned restaurant sits on Munich Strasse, one street off the main drag, and takes its name from Lake Constance. The visitors bureau points to its bratwurst with sauerkraut, German potato salad and apple strudel. The restaurant's website says it isn't accepting reservations right now, so go early on a festival night. It's a good pick when you want German food and a quieter room. See the Bodensee guide for the menu.

3. Hofbrauhaus

The Hofbrauhaus Restaurant and G.I. Germany Pub is modeled on Munich's beer hall, with the loud, long-table energy that implies. The visitors bureau describes it as a long-established Helen landmark that has been renovated and redecorated, and the menu includes Kartoffelpuffer (potato pancakes). It hosts a Fasching party on Saturday, January 23, 2027. Hours aren't posted online, so call 706-878-2248 before you go. More in our Hofbrauhaus guide, and for evenings out see Helen's live music scene.

4. Old Bavaria Inn

The Old Bavaria Inn Restaurant and Lounge is on the visitors bureau's dining list, but we couldn't confirm an address, hours or menu from an official page, so treat it as a call-ahead stop. Our Old Bavaria Inn guide has background.

5. Muller's Famous Fried Cheese Cafe

Muller's is the casual pick, a cafe on Chattahoochee Strasse built around fried cheese, with a German and Central European menu behind it. Despite the name floating around some old listings, it isn't a fried chicken place. It's a good lunch stop between shops, or a quick bite before heading to the Festhalle. Details are on the cafe's website and in our Muller's guide.

6. Troll Tavern

The Troll Tavern sits on the river under the bridge on North Main. It has patio seating, bar seating and a large indoor dining room with plenty of TVs, and the menu is German-inspired. It's the easy choice for a mixed group where not everybody wants schnitzel. Hours are Monday through Thursday 11 AM to 9 PM and Friday through Sunday 11 AM to 10 PM, subject to seasonal change. See the Troll Tavern guide.

7. Hofer's of Helen

Hofer's is a bakery and cafe that bakes its breads in a stone hearth oven and sells strudel and cakes. The visitors bureau lists Jägerschnitzel, Bienenstich (almond-honey cake) and Rote Grütze (red berry pudding) on the cafe side. The cafe stops serving at 3 PM on most days (4 PM Saturday), and the whole place is closed Tuesday and Wednesday, which catches a lot of people out. The Hofer's guide has more.

Eating German during Oktoberfest

The Chamber calls 2026 the 56th annual Helen Oktoberfest, and it's the busiest stretch for every kitchen in town. The dates and gate prices are below; the hours are posted on the Chamber's page. Plan your dinner around the Festhalle, not the other way around.

Weekend evenings in October are crowded, so eat early or call ahead. For holiday visits, the Christmas Market runs November 28-29 and December 5-6 (10 AM to 5 PM, free), and you can read the history behind it in how Helen became Alpine. If you want a deeper dive on what's on a German menu, our German cuisine guide explains the dishes.