Hollerbach's German Restaurant

Great food with matches the decor! Our sever was quick, kind and had a great attitude. I recommend this place! Oh don't forget their bar around the corner as well as their gift shop/general store.

Updating my review from six years ago. I loved it then. I still love it now. We came here one evening for a nice dinner with family. We've always loved the location, as it is right smack dab in the middle of the very stroll-able downtown Sanford. I always check out the local art co-op and the used book store when I'm within one mile of downtown Sanford. I love it. Nestled right in the middle of the little empire that Hollerbach's is building, is the flagship restaurant. You can't miss it. The patio is huge and stunning and fun-looking. The inside feel like you're in some sort of German wood cabin. Very warm and inviting, with various German knickknacks all over the walls.Giant windows outlooking onto the street, rows and rows of communal bench-style seating that forces you to sit next to strangers, and the big stage at the front of the restaurant for live music really set off the aesthetic for this place. One of the best in Orlando. Not kidding. As for service, I'm sure they have to staff as minimally as possible. Budget cuts and the state of the economy and all. But our poor server was run absolutely ragged with the amount of tables he was serving that night. It was a Saturday night, probably the busiest night of the week for them, but still, I hope someone called out and this wasn't their standard staffing model. In the end, though, we never went without refills for long, and the food still came out, and while it wasn't right, our server made it right the moment we asked him. Bravo to this guy. He earned his tip that night, that's for sure. As for the food. I cannot say enough how good it was. It's not Michelin star butter poached snapper or anything, but what they attempt to do, they achieve at a six star level of execution. The finest German food I've ever had. We started off with the Riesenbreze (Gigantic Bavarian pretzel served with sweet mustard and Obazda, a savory spread made with cream cheese, onions, sweet paprika, beer and Gemütlichkeit!). Just amazing. This giant thing had it all. The crispy exterior of a pretzel, the chewy inside, just the right amount of large salt sprinkled on top. And then the dips. The classic mustard that everyone looks to, and a very interesting spread that was very creamy and papriky, beery spread that I ate all up and licked the plate. Very good. My main course was the Jäger Schnitzel (A rich Hunter's pan sauce of brown gravy, wine, sautéed mushrooms and onions - with Spätzle mit Jäger gravyand Sweet Red Cabbage). This thing was massive, pounded flat, and fried to a crisp perfection. So perfect that even the thin meat inside wasn't even dry. Lovely. Even if it was dry, the deep, umami brown sauce would have taken care of that. Very nice pairing, and a very good pairing with the spätzle, those yummy little egg noodles. I loved this dish. It's in the running for what might be my last meal on earth if I got to choose. I also got to sample the Alpiner Schnitzel (Topped with Emmenthaler Swiss cheese and smoked ham with Heaven & Earth Potatoes and Gasthaus Salat). This was very nice as well. Same, lovely meat cutlet, but covered with a very potent smoked ham and a very Swissy Swiss cheese. No sauce, but none necessary. Served along with the best mashed potatoes I've ever had in my life. Looking back, I've said a lot of nice things about Hollerbach's, and I meant every single one of them. This five star review kind of makes me want to look back and make other five star reviews of mine down to four stars. This place really shined, and I can't wait to come back.

Pros: Ambiance is incredible. It's right in the heart of the very walkable downtown Sanford. Striking patio outdoors. And an amazing communal seating arrangement indoors. Really inviting. Really great.Food was very high quality. Lots of fun, sharable appetizers. Great textures and sauces and flavors in the entrees, as well. Really the high point of the restaurant is the food. Cons: No real cons. The service was the only detriment. The guy was doing his best, but it was a Full house. Perhaps the staffing ratio is off, or maybe someone called out. Either way, no harm no foul. Tips: If you are unfamiliar with German food, you have to try a schnitzel. The different combinations of meats and sauces and sides means there is a schnitzel for everyone. No matter what you get, you HAVE to get a side of the Heaven & Earth Potatoes. They are the best mashed potatoes I have ever eaten. Trust me.

Live music on a Sunday. We drive by it often, but this particular weekend Downtown Sanford also had food trucks and vendors out. We decided to walk around and part take in some of the shenanigans. A party of 3 for us, there was absolutely no wait. It was a little colder that day, we were asked if we would like indoor seating or outdoor. We said indoor, my uncle probably wouldn't have enjoyed outdoor seating. LOL! Seated right away, the waiter came over and got our drink orders. It's our first time in the restaurant. Sat near the stage, so it was a little hard to have a conversation and hear each other. But that's okay, we were going for the experience and German food! The waiter suggested a few items and we ordered. Food didn't come out hot, it came out warm, which was fine. All 3 of us enjoyed our food and definitely can cross this off our list. May be back again if we're in the mood for German. Parking is tight. It is downtown. Be careful where you park to not get cited or towed.

Man.... This place is so good! I got the pork Jäger Schnitzel. It's so tender and the portion size is just right. I'm absolutely in love with the Schnitzel :) The red cabbage is a little sweet, so I blended gravy with it. The gravy was excellent. Everything was wonderful. It was a bit of a wait but the wait was worth it. I also ordered a Weisswurst and Bratwurst, had it with the mustard provided because I guess ketchup would be disrespectful lol. Great beer as well. Decided on the Köstritzer. 5 stars! Thank you

After visiting Germany this summer, I was intrigued if the food at Hollerbach would compare. To my tourist ass, it's pretty authentic compared to what I remember :P Really appreciate the concerted effort to maintain traditional German flavors and decor.Despite the restaurant being full, my partner and I walked in on a weekday and were seated at the bar with no wait. We seemed to be surrounded by regulars who chatted up the staff with familiarity. The atmosphere feels casual and inviting, from their humor-infused newspaper menu to the highlights reel rolling on their TV.SCHNITZEL SANDWICH (chicken): Comes with either salad or fries. Ever-so-lightly breaded with just enough seasoning to complement the chicken. Veg were fresh & the pretzel bun was perfectly sweet and salty.NOTE: At the time of visiting (Jan 2025), they were woefully understaffed and took almost an hour to get out our orders. We overheard the staff mentioning they haven't taken breaks or had coworkers call out... Felt really bad for them and wouldn't knock the restaurant for having this issue! But just a heads up that your order might take a while as they're dealing with all that.

This reminded me of the Amana colonies in Iowa. Authentic German food. The staff was great and provided great service. The food hit home and was all so good. We went on a Tuesday and I ended up playing Bingo for a $5 donation to the charity that night. I will be back!

If you're looking for a culinary trip to Germany without leaving Sanford, Hollerbach's is das best! We visited at open on a Saturday and quickly realized just how popular this place is. It was packed by the time we left!The star of the show: the potato pancakes. This is a do not miss. They are so good that they don't even need sour cream or applesauce. The pork schnitzel was everything it should be--perfectly golden and delicious with lemon juice. Everything screamed "CLASSIC" in the best way. I could not stop thinking about how my late grandmother would have loved this restaurant. The vibe here is gemütlic; cozy and fun with a dash of lederhosen flair. My only regret is not bringing a bigger appetite or smuggling out an extra potato pancake in my bag. 5/5, Hollerbach's. Worth a drive from Orlando!

Hollerbach's had been on our "must-try" list for a while now. Every time we walked by for years, it was packed! After a recent trip to Germany where I loved the food, we decided to give it a try. We made a reservation for 6pm for 4 people, arrived early, and were seated right away. To our surprise (probably on the website somewhere and we missed it) we were seated at a table with other people. Luckily, both parties were smaller so we had a chair in between on both sides. Just beware of is if you're planning to visit and do not like sitting arm and arm with strangers. Everything had great charm. The menus were like newspapers and at 7pm live music started. Some of the workers were dressed in German attire but not as much as I expected. Now let's talk food. For an appetizer, we ordered the potato cakes. They were served cold and I've never had them like that. Paired nicely with the applesauce but wish they had been warm. For our meals, we had a variety which you can see pictured below. Everyone enjoyed their meals but agreed that my pork was the tastiest. When it came time for dessert, we ordered 2 slides of the Black Forest cake. Our mistake, but we had no idea it had cherries and it was disgusting! Overall, the food was about a 6.5/10. It's definitely better in Germany but nice to have a local restaurant like this here in Sanford.

This place is a lot of fun. Love the beers in massive sizes and variety (can't remember the last time I saw a dunkel on the menu, and red cabbage!). Communal seating and generous portions take me back to my visits to Munich. I'll come whenever I'm in Sanford.