Bodensee
$$$ German / Bavarian • Hours vary; call 706-878-1026
German restaurant at 64 Munich Strasse, run by Master Chef Aurel Prodan, who trained in Romania and worked in Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg. No reservations right now, so walk in.
Helen GA Restaurants
German beer halls, steaks, coffee and a riverfront tavern, with hours and addresses checked in October 2026
By The Explore Helen Editorial Team
Updated
Hours and addresses checked against each restaurant's own site or listing
Start here
Most of Helen's restaurants cluster along Main Street, Edelweiss Strasse and Munich Strasse, with a few more in Nacoochee Village, Sautee Nacoochee and Cleveland. Filter by cuisine, price or occasion below, then jump to a full guide or driving directions. Price signs are rough guides, and hours change by season, so call before you go.
Set hours at a glance
| Place | Type | Hours |
|---|---|---|
| The Heidelberg | German / Bavarian | Sun to Thu 11 AM to 9 PM; Fri and Sat 11 AM to 10 PM |
| Troll Tavern | Pub / German-American | Mon to Thu 11 AM to 9 PM; Fri to Sun 11 AM to 10 PM |
| Paul's Steakhouse | Steakhouse | Daily 4 PM to 10 PM |
| Spice 55 | Thai / Sushi | Wed-Mon 11:30 AM-9:30 PM; closed Tue |
| Hofer's Bakery & Cafe | Bakery | 8 AM to 5 PM; closed Tuesday and Wednesday |
| Sweetwater Coffeehouse | Coffee Shop | Daily 8 AM to 6 PM |
| Habersham Winery | Winery | Mon to Thu 11 to 7; Fri and Sat 11 to 8; Sun 12:30 to 7 |
Everywhere else lists changing hours; the cards below show a phone number to call.
Editor's Top 3 for Tonight
Editor's Pick Bodensee
$$$German / Bavarian
German restaurant at 64 Munich Strasse, run by Master Chef Aurel Prodan, who trained in Romania and worked in Bavaria and Baden-Wuerttemberg. No reservations right now, so walk in.
Editor's Pick Hofbrauhaus
$$German / Bavarian
Restaurant and G.I. Germany Pub at 9001 N. Main Street, recently renovated and one of Helen's long-running German spots.
Editor's Pick The Heidelberg
$$German / Bavarian
A three-floor German restaurant, pub and music hall at 8660 N. Main Street, with schnitzel, bratwurst and pretzel sandwiches. The dining room takes reservations.
All Restaurants
Hofbrauhaus
$$ German / Bavarian • Hours vary; call 706-878-2248
Restaurant and G.I. Germany Pub at 9001 N. Main Street, recently renovated and one of Helen's long-running German spots.
The Heidelberg
$$ German / Bavarian • Sun to Thu 11 AM to 9 PM; Fri and Sat 11 AM to 10 PM
A three-floor German restaurant, pub and music hall at 8660 N. Main Street, with schnitzel, bratwurst and pretzel sandwiches. The dining room takes reservations.
Old Bavaria Inn
$$ German / Bavarian • Hours vary; call 706-878-3729
German restaurant and lounge at 8619 N. Main Street, with stein and lederhosen sales on the side.
Troll Tavern
$ Pub / German-American • Mon to Thu 11 AM to 9 PM; Fri to Sun 11 AM to 10 PM
Riverfront tavern under the bridge at 8590 N. Main Street, with patio seating, craft beer, bratwurst and schnitzel plates, smash burgers, and vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options.
Paul's Steakhouse
$$$ Steakhouse • Daily 4 PM to 10 PM
Steaks and seafood at 8537 S. Main Street, with a margarita deck. Open seven days a week, year-round.
Bigg Daddy's
$$ American / Tavern • Hours vary; call 706-878-2739
Restaurant and tavern at 807 Edelweiss Strasse, with sports on TV and live music Thursday to Saturday at 7 PM and Sunday at 2 PM, according to the restaurant.
Cowboys & Angels
$$$ Southern / Steakhouse • Hours vary; call 706-878-3433
Hand-cut steaks, Southern specialties, seafood, burgers, Sunday brunch and Tapas Tuesday at 60 Chattahoochee Strasse, with live music through the year.
Muller's Famous Fried Cheese Cafe
$ Cafe / Fried Cheese • Hours vary; call 706-892-1212
A casual downtown cafe known for its fried cheese. Check mullerscafe.com or call for the menu and hours.
Spice 55
$$ Thai / Sushi • Wed-Mon 11:30 AM-9:30 PM; closed Tue
Thai and sushi bar at 705 Brucken Strasse, across from the Welcome Center and serving Helen since 2013.
Dillard House
$$ Southern • Call 800-541-0671 for hours
Family-style Southern Appalachian cooking at 768 Franklin Street in Dillard, about an hour from Helen. The restaurant has been renovated and now has a Front Porch Lounge.
Hofer's Bakery & Cafe
$ Bakery • 8 AM to 5 PM; closed Tuesday and Wednesday
European-style bakery at 8758 N. Main Street with breads baked in a stone hearth oven. The cafe serves until 3 PM on weekdays and Sundays and until 4 PM on Saturdays.
Sweetwater Coffeehouse
$ Coffee Shop • Daily 8 AM to 6 PM
Coffeehouse in Sautee Nacoochee (2242 GA-17) since 1995, serving organic and Fairtrade roasts, pastries, quiche, bagels and sandwiches, with a shop of local pottery next door.
JumpinGoat Coffee
$ Coffee Shop • Hours vary; call 706-892-1207
Local roaster that roasts its own coffee, with a Helen location at 7082 South Main Street in Nacoochee Village.
Habersham Winery
$$ Winery • Mon to Thu 11 to 7; Fri and Sat 11 to 8; Sun 12:30 to 7
Producing Georgia wines since 1983 at 7025 S. Main Street. Tastings end 30 minutes before closing.
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Editor's Notes on Helen's Dining Scene
Helen's German restaurants are what the town is built on, and they range from a chef-owned dining room to pub-and-music-hall setups. Bodensee, Hofbrauhaus, The Heidelberg, Old Bavaria Inn and Troll Tavern are all within a few blocks of one another, so it's easy to look at a couple of menus before you pick. If you only have one meal and you've never been, a German dinner is the move.
Beyond the Bavarian core, Paul's Steakhouse (open daily 4 to 10 PM) and Cowboys & Angels handle the dressed-up nights, and Spice 55 adds Thai and sushi near the Welcome Center. Dillard House, about an hour north, serves family-style Southern Appalachian meals and is worth the outing. For breakfast and pastry, Hofer's Bakery is open daily except Tuesday and Wednesday, and JumpinGoat and Sweetwater Coffeehouse cover coffee.
Waits can run long on festival weekends. Bodensee isn't taking reservations right now, so go early. The Heidelberg's dining room accepts them, and Troll Tavern takes reservations for groups of 20 or more. During Oktoberfest, the Festhalle serves its own short menu of wurst platters, pretzels and nachos (see our Oktoberfest guide).
Troll Tavern lists vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free selections. At other restaurants, call ahead if a dietary need matters, especially on busy weekends.
Late-night options are limited. Most kitchens wrap up by 9 or 10 PM, and for anything later you'll likely drive to Cleveland, about 15 minutes away.
Frequently Asked Questions
Where is Helen's dining strip?
Most restaurants are along North and South Main Street, Edelweiss Strasse, Munich Strasse and Chattahoochee Strasse. More are in Nacoochee Village and Sautee Nacoochee to the south, and in Cleveland, about 15 minutes away.
Which Helen restaurants serve German food?
Bodensee (64 Munich Strasse), Hofbrauhaus (9001 N. Main), The Heidelberg (8660 N. Main), Old Bavaria Inn (8619 N. Main) and Troll Tavern (8590 N. Main) all serve German dishes. Bodensee is a chef-owned restaurant, Hofbrauhaus has a pub, and The Heidelberg is a three-floor restaurant, pub and music hall.
Do Helen restaurants take reservations?
It varies. Bodensee says it is not accepting reservations right now. The Heidelberg's dining room takes reservations, and Troll Tavern accepts them for parties of 20 or more. Call ahead on festival weekends, when waits are longer.
How expensive are Helen restaurants?
Prices vary by restaurant, and the price signs on this page are rough guides rather than menu prices. Check each restaurant's menu before you go. At the Festhalle during Oktoberfest, the Chamber's 2026 menu lists a two-wurst platter with a side at $16 and a pretzel with beer cheese at $13 (prices subject to change).
What's open late in Helen?
Late dining is limited. Troll Tavern is open until 10 PM Friday to Sunday, The Heidelberg until 10 PM Friday and Saturday, and Paul's Steakhouse until 10 PM daily. For anything later, you'll likely need to drive to Cleveland.
Are there vegetarian and gluten-free options?
Troll Tavern lists vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free selections, and Sweetwater Coffeehouse in Sautee offers vegan, vegetarian and gluten-free options. Elsewhere, call ahead to ask what the kitchen can do.
