Bodensee Restaurant
Master Chef Aurel Prodan's German kitchen on Munich Strasse
The short answer
A German kitchen with a real résumé
Plenty of Helen's German menus are written for tourists. Bodensee's is written by a cook. According to the restaurant's About page, Master Chef Aurel Prodan studied hotel and restaurant management in Romania, moved to Bavaria with his wife, Doina, in 1981, and in 1990 settled in Baden-Wuerttemberg, where he became a renowned Master Chef. The two now own the restaurant. That Swabian-Bavarian background explains the menu: a whole page of spaetzle, three house gravies, and dishes like Tafelspitz and Beef Roll that you rarely see outside Germany.
The name comes from the Bodensee, the German word for Lake Constance, the lake where Germany, Austria and Switzerland meet. The restaurant sits in the middle of the village on Munich Strasse, an easy walk from Main Street, and the Helen visitors bureau lists it for breakfast, lunch and dinner with karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights.
What to order
Start with the Bavarian Pretzel, which arrives warm with beer cheese and sweet German mustard, or the potato pancakes with apple sauce and sour cream. For a main, the garlicwurst is the house signature: it's made in-house and comes with sauerkraut and German potato salad. Schnitzel is a good place for a first-timer. Pick pork or chicken, then add a gravy for $3: Jaeger (mushroom), Gypsy (paprika and spices) or Bavarian (creamy onion). Sides are where Bodensee gets generous, with spaetzle (or cheese spaetzle for $3 more), red cabbage, sauerkraut, pan-fried potatoes and German potato salad.
Starters
| Dish | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Bavarian Pretzel | Warm, with beer cheese and sweet German mustard | $14 |
| Potato Pancakes (3) | With sour cream and apple sauce | $14 |
| Smoked Mountain Trout | With tartar sauce and toast | $14 |
| Goulash Soup | Slow-cooked beef with paprika and spices | $9 |
| French Onion Soup | Topped with bread and melted cheese | $8 |
Lunch plates
| Dish | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Goulash (beef stew) | Served with garlic fried potatoes and red cabbage | $14 |
| Homemade Garlicwurst | With sauerkraut and German potato salad | $14 |
| Smoked Pork Chop | Topped with gypsy gravy, with sauerkraut and potato salad | $14 |
| Lunch Spaetzle | House-made spaetzle tossed with melted cheese and crispy bacon | $14 |
| Pork Schnitzel | Breaded and fried, with your choice of side | $13 |
| Chef Schnitzel | Chicken schnitzel with sauteed onions, mushrooms and melted cheese | $15 |
Dinner highlights
| Dish | What it is | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Sauerbraten | Marinated beef roast with red cabbage, a potato dumpling and gravy | $26 |
| Tafelspitz | Slow-simmered beef with horseradish gravy, potato dumpling and vegetables | $26 |
| Schweinebraten | German roast pork with spaetzle and sauerkraut | $25 |
| Goulash (beef stew) | Served with spaetzle and red cabbage | $26 |
| Pork Schnitzel | Breaded pork cutlet; add Jaeger, Gypsy or Bavarian gravy for $3 | $23 |
| Fresh Mountain Trout | Roasted, with toasted almonds and dill sauce | $27 |
| Wurst Platter | Bratwurst, garlicwurst and weisswurst with sauerkraut and potato salad | $29 |
| Pork Hocks | Two slow-roasted hocks on sauerkraut, with gravy and potato salad | $53 |
Prices are from the Food Menu PDF on bodenseerestaurant.com and can change. The full menu also has a Sampler Platter and Mix Grill for two, a Fish Platter for two, grilled salmon, Chicken Cordon Bleu and ribs.
Hours, reservations and parking
| What | Details |
|---|---|
| Hours | The restaurant's site showed 11 AM to 8 PM on the day it was checked. Call (706) 878-1026 to confirm the day you're going. |
| Reservations | Not accepted at this time, per the restaurant's site. Walk-ins only. |
| Kids | Kids menu for ages 12 and under, $7 a plate. |
| Entertainment | Karaoke Friday and Saturday nights, per the Helen visitors bureau. |
| Parking | Downtown has free city lots and private pay lots that post their rates at the entrance. See the parking guide. |
Tips
Go for lunch
The lunch menu serves goulash, garlicwurst and schnitzel at $13 to $15, a lot less than the same dishes at dinner.
Share the big platters
The Sampler Platter ($56) and Mix Grill ($65) are priced for two and let you taste several dishes.
Beat the Oktoberfest rush
With no reservations, early is the plan on Oktoberfest weekends.
Walk it off
The Alpine Village walking tour starts a few minutes away.
Bodensee questions
What are Bodensee's hours?
The restaurant's website showed 11 AM to 8 PM on the day it was checked. Hours can differ by day and season, so call (706) 878-1026 before you plan a dinner around it.
Does Bodensee take reservations?
Not right now. The restaurant's website says it isn't accepting reservations at this time and invites walk-ins during business hours. On Oktoberfest and fall color weekends, arrive early.
What should I order at Bodensee?
Start with the house-made garlicwurst, the spaetzle, schnitzel with a gravy (Jaeger mushroom, Gypsy paprika or Bavarian onion), goulash and the Sauerbraten. The Fresh Mountain Trout comes roasted with toasted almonds and dill sauce.
Is there a kids menu?
Yes, for ages 12 and under, at $7 a plate: chicken or pork schnitzel, cheese spaetzle, chicken wings, chicken tenders, fish sticks or a grilled cheese, each served with fries or a side.
Is there live entertainment?
The Helen visitors bureau lists karaoke on Friday and Saturday nights.
Who owns Bodensee?
Master Chef Aurel Prodan and his wife, Doina, own it. Chef Prodan studied hotel and restaurant management in Romania, moved to Bavaria in 1981 and to Baden-Wuerttemberg in 1990, according to the restaurant's About page.
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