Teske's Germania, San Jose

This is about the most authentic German restaurant in the Bay Area. The food was fabulous. Where in downtown or Santana Row can you get soup, salad the entree and dessert, for about $22.00-25.00 per person. Full service bar bar with a nice wine list, but of course a tremendous German beer and Schnapps list list. Try it out, their friendly staff, and wonderful food will keep you coming back for more.

I write this several months after my girlfriend and I visited Teske's, yet the memory of this highly unpleasant experience stands out fresh in my mind. Location: Right nearby are abandoned buildings, �Workman�s Emporium,� and a law office. Transients frequent this area. Be careful, particularly at night. Unfortunately, this is about the only restaurant in the neighborhood. Facility: Needs renovation. Inside, it�s worn but authentic. (Think 1970s Bavaria.) When we were there around 8 PM on a weekday, the place was practically deserted. Food: Soup, salad and desert are all included. The Potato leek soup tasted oddly like sausage or perhaps lard. Salad was wilted and had way too much dressing. The "special" venison was tough, though the sauce was rich and tasty. Apple strudel tasted days old. In short, if you like cafeteria-style freshness, flavors, textures and attention to detail, this is the place. Service: A heavy-set man in a chair in the corner past the bar grunted something as we entered, but did not rise or welcome us. We later learned this was Hans, an owner and our gracious host for the evening. After we had ordered, and while waiting for our food, our waiter returned to say that $10 extra would be charged to �split� our $26 entr�e, and that extra soup, salad, dinner plate, and dessert would be served and charged even though we didn�t want them. Inexplicably, everything but dessert�bread, soup, salad, entr�e with sides�all came out together. Our waiter was pleasant enough but not professional. No one offered us wine or drinks until after dinner. I asked if I could please see Hans, the owner, and was told to get up and go see _him_ (suggesting I leave my date alone in the empty dining room)! Overall, $61 including tax and tip for one half-eaten meal, one drink and the worst dining in memory. In retrospect we should have walked, but we were just too tired, hungry and late. The management here should be ashamed, but I got the distinct impression that they couldn't possibly care less. I suspect this place caters to a small, select group of people who already know the owners. In other words, Teske's is in business to serve a few friends, and perhaps the occasional banquet or large party. The rest of us just suffer. Regarding the title above, my apologies to the wonderful German people. I've spent many happy months there visiting friends and relatives, and Teske's is not representative of your fine cuisine and hospitality. Germans don't deserve a restaurant this bad. Unfortunately, neither do we. Please take it back. If you want good German food in the Bay Area, try Schroeder's in San Francisco, which was simply outstanding a few years back. If you decide you must patronize Teske's (like I said, there aren't many choices in the immediate area), order a stiff drink. You'll need it.

Had the Jagerschnitzel! Price of meals include soup, salad, entree and dessert! Fun, younger crowd after 8 - 9.

Host, who claims to be a member of the Baumann family, was extremely rude, unprofessional and offensive. I will not go back to this restaurant.