Let me begin by saying I'm of German descent, and I really wanted to like this place. My definition of Dreamland Palace: Bad German version of Denny's that appeals mostly to customers 65+. My advice about Dreamland Palace: If you are under 65 years of age, or don't live in the area, don't bother with this place; it's not worth more than a 5 minute's drive. In this day and age, if you are going to do food old school style, by which I mean classic or old fashioned dishes that aren't concerned with presentation, you should make certain your flavors and food shine. And unfortunately that is not the case here. The Good: 1-The Salad Bar was decent. It had a refreshing assortment of marinated salads, (no lettuce salads) which on the night we visited included 2 variations of sauerkraut slaw, marinated carrot salad, 3-bean salad,and a marinated cucumber salad. The best were the cucumbers and the darker sauerkraut slaw. 2- The dessert display case had a variety of tasty-looking options, however we did not order dessert, so I do not know if they tasted as good as they looked, or if they were homemade. 3-The interesting decor items gave you something to look at while waiting for your food to arrive. 4-The friendly, pleasant, competent waitstaff. The Bad: 1-Many of the food items are sub-par. The Applesauce, Sauerkraut and/or Red Cabbage accompaniments came in condiment-sized ramekins... perhaps a couple of tablespoons worth. My question is with meals almost twenty dollars, why so skimpy on the cheap cabbage dishes and jarred applesauce? Just about every entree came with Potato Pancakes and the most amazing thing about them was how they managed to be soggy despite being very thin and so darkly browned. They were about 1/8'' thin, and only crispy on the very edges where they were paper thin.They were also rather greasy and easily the worst potato pancakes I have ever eaten. The Sauerbraten which was touted as the house specialty was two small 1/8'' slices of beef drowning in what appeared to be the thickened brine/marinade, as half the plate was covered in the overwhelming marinade/gravy making it impossible to taste the actual meat. The only plus is the meat, what little there was, was tender. The Jaegerschnitzel, hmm...I don't even know where to begin...There was basically nothing right about this meal, including the fact that it came with the aforementioned skimpy accompaniments. The meat was pounded to the ubiquitous 1/8'' thickness that appears to be their standard here, and then breaded and fried. It was supposed to be veal, but barring a DNA test, there is no way to tell if that was the actual meat used or not because you couldn't taste the meat under all the breading. Unfortunately it also seems as if it was deep fried because the overwhelming flavor was that of stale grease. It covered over half the plate with its edges curling up like a bowl which was filled with Mushroom Gravy. No clue if the gravy itself was homemade or not, however the mushrooms definitely came out of a can/jar; they were pale; limp, chewy and tasteless. I don't understand why fresh mushrooms are not used if you are serving mushroom gravy on so many of the dishes? The Soup at the soup/salad bar was tepid, tasteless and lacking texture. It was apparently vegetable soup, however if I had been blindfolded, I would have been at a loss to guess what it was other than mushy. 2-Confusing entrance. You enter the restaurant into a large room that if it were not for the salad bar near the back, you would think you were in a small antique shop. There is no sign to direct you, and no host/hostess to help you either. It took us a minute or so to notice the narrow hallway to the seating area. At the far end of that hallway was the "wait to be seated" sign, where you stand until someone finally happens to notice you. 3-Poor layout/traffic flow. Yes, I understand that this is an old historic building, but the way they are using the space only adds to the flow issues. While we were visiting the soup/salad bar, about 6 customers arrived and were waiting in the hallway, making it impassible for others to get into the seating area until they were all seated. Meanwhile my not-very-hot-to-begin-with soup grew colder by the minute while we were stuck in "traffic." 4-The owner talks at length (as in 15 minutes) with a few guests who perhaps he knows or are regulars, but totally ignores the rest of the patrons. 5-The long drive for most everyone. The Ugly: 1-The smell. Musty, dusty, old smell as you walked in and throughout the place. Guessing the owner and workers have become "nose-blind" to the smell. 2- Being totally ignored by the seemingly chatty owner. 3-The gross vinyl tablecloths that make you wonder how long those poor sticky/tacky things have been in use.
(1)
Bill T.
This dining experience would have to be the worst of all time. I purchased a groupon and was excited to try this restaurant for the first time. We arrived 30 minutes early and were seated promptly. The restaurant was packed with a lot of customers and the banquet room was even full. I had high hopes!!! The waiter took our drink order within ten minutes. Our drinks arrived and this is where the nightmare began. My wife and I both ordered the Roulade, a steak for my daughter and a hot dog for the three year old. After eating from a sub par salad bar with two choices of beets, cottage cheese and other various vinegar based salads we waited over two and half hours for our meals. Bread was brought to our table one time during the two and half hour wait. Our drinks were filled once and the wait staff was not attentive at all. The food arrived and was not pleasing to the eye. The rouladen, covered in gravy looked like a frozen meal and tasted about the same. The potato pancakes were very thin, super thin and tasted like they were from a box. My daughters steak was grey in color. She had one bite and spit it out into her napkin. My three year olds hot dog was the last to arrive and brought out about three-five minutes after the other meals. Nothing was brought out at the same time. I immediately thought of Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares. The restaurant is outdated, dusty, and had a very stale smell in the air. From what I experienced I feel it's my duty to warn people of this "Restaurant"!!!
(1)
Jeremy S.
Went to Dreamland quite a few years back, food took forever to come out and it was all cold. Prices too high for what it is. Owners were very rude when we confronted them about the cold tasteless food, they pretty much told us to never come back and to head home. Worst restaurant experience I have ever had by far. I could add to this negative experience, but I am keeping it simple for my review. Stay FAR AWAY from this rude establishment. If I could give negative stars, I would do so.
(1)
Shannon D.
We drive 55 miles one way to eat here a few times a year. It's always very good, I get the beef rouladan which is always tender and tasty. My husband likes the sausage platters or the pork chops, each one very good. The salad bar is always fresh and the vegetable soup is delicious. My only complaint is the stale crackers on the soup bar. The service is usually pretty good. The young man named dillon is very nice and attentive, there's another young man with blond hair that really isn't that attentive, but he's a nice guy and tries to make up for his unattentiveness. Worth the drive for us only if we have a Groupon, otherwise with the price of the food and the gas, it really isn't worth it.
(5)
Pamela W.
We drove 45 minutes in anticipation of a great German lunch. Sad to say this is not what we experienced. The prices are high, the quality of food is low, and service not too good. I had a $70 groupon, there were 4 of us, no alcohol ordered and our bill was $87. CRAZY for a gross lunch. In the lobby area there was a display case holding desserts. They were displaying a moldy piece of pie. I will NEVER go here again and will steer others away.
(1)
Annette N.
I have no idea what the food is like, but the service was horrible! We were seated. Waited. We're brought a glass of water. Waited. The waiter came to get our drink order, we asked what German beer was on tap, he kind of knew. We ordered a dunkel, which was wonderful. Our waiter stopped at a table to visit with guests, stayed for ten minutes. We waited. Other guests arrived and were seated. We waited. More guests arrived and were seated. We waited. We knew what we wanted to eat because we looked at the menu online. We waited. The guests that arrived after us had their orders taken and were heading to the salad bar. Forty minutes passed, we finished our beer and stood up. Our waiter finally came over. We asked for our check. He looked confused. We told him we only had a beer. He asked if we wanted to order food. We told him no. (Not now, earlier). We go out to pay for our beer, wait for a couple to finish up and step up to the register and our waiter appears to put another guest in front of us because that guest was in a hurry. I cannot imagine that we will return.
(1)
Rick F.
I having been wanting to try this place for years. The recent Group-On coupon got us to finally go. A great relaxing Sunday afternoon experience. The atmophere, food, and value was excellent. Very authentic German experience. The owner is very friendly as well as the waiter we had. We will be back soon.....coupon or not!I
(5)
Marshall W.
This was our first visit to Dreamland Palace and we were quote pleased with the visit. The staff is extremely friendly. The food was excellent. We most definitely will return.
(5)
Jeannette S.
Food was terrible and high priced! Service was okay. Wanted the stuffed peppers they didn't have any. Potatoe pancakes tasted like they were left over from yesterday! Would not recommend!
(1)
Amy S.
Not good. We used a Groupon to try out the food, it was extremely bland! My husband is full blooded German and he hated it. We ordered cake for dessert, still frozen, yuck. The place was empty and I see why now. AND every week they do Groupons, that should be a clue that they don't get business.
(1)
Kristi L.
Dreamland palace is defiantly worth the drive to Waterloo! The interior is very kitschy, kind of like your grandmother's living room, but in a good way! The food is great! The potato pancakes are the best I've ever had anywhere. We will be going again soon!
(4)
Becky W.
A little hole in the wall out in the middle of nowhere, but definitely worth the trip. We arrived around 6:30-7pm, but there was no wait. There were only a few tables with diners at them when we arrived, but the dining room started to fill up as the night progressed, so any worry I had that it was not popular was soothed. There was a bad smell when we walked into the dining room, but one of the men in our party reported there were plumbing problems in the men's room, so I assume that was the cause. All of the dinners included the soup and salad bar, which I wish was mostly pickled vegetables and vegetable soup. If you don't like vinegar, you won't like much here. I enjoyed the carrots, but they were a little too strong for my taste. Others in my party had the vegetablle soup and they said it was very good. My mother said the sauerkraut slaw was very good, and I had the cabbage slaw which I enjoyed very much. I ordered the Alpenschnitzel which was delicious. The pork was very tender and the Swiss cheese and mushroom gravy blended with the light breading and made it taste even better. I've had better spaetzels in my time, but they were still very tasty. The potato pancake was fantastic, I just wish it would have been thicker and that they would have provided a spoon to scoop out the applesauce as the pancake was too thin to dip. My mother chose the Schweinschnitzel which was very like the Alpenschnitzel, but with more breading and no cheese. It was still delicious, but I prefered what I had. My boyfriend ordered the Dreamland Platter which include beer steamed bratwurst and knockwurst. These were both very good. They were spiced perfectly and very tasty. The meat was very lean, which was a delight for sausages, and the bratwurst had almost a sweet flavor which was very nice. I do not ike sauerkraut, but he said it as fantastic and even when he reheated his leftovers a couple of days later, he still was raving about the flavor. My father ordered the Beef Rouladen, but ate it so quickly I didn't get a bite, I'm guessing that's a rave review! I don't know what my 2 city friends ordered, but they seemed to like it, but were very apprehensive, so it was hard to tell. It was easy to see that the decor was a compilation of purchases made when on vacation in the Rhineland, which, gave the place a home like feel, and whenever I looked up I saw something new. My only complaint was that it was hard to tell what was for sale in the gift shop and what was part of the museum. I may have made a purchase had it been easier to spot what was for sale. Overall, if you enjoy German food, or trying new things, I definitely recommend making the trip to Dreamland Palace.
(4)
Jerome H.
Have you ever wanted to eat in a retirement home lunchroom that the cast of some invisible reality show converted into a West German antique store circa 1985? Are you tired of generic salad bars with their lettuce and low-fat thousand island and yearn instead for beets and German-style cabbage salad and hearty minestrone? Do you want what is probably the best schnitzel in the St. Louis area? Does your ideal restaurant scoff so heartily at the idea of healthy eating that it puts pork chops and bratwurst on the "lighter side" portion of the menu? Do you want a restaurant that actually serves Hassenpfeffer and Beef Rouladen, the latter of which I'll vouch is delicious if a wee bit dry? Do you dream in Red, Yellow, and Black? Moegen sie deutsches Essen? Do you like a good selection of German beer? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you'll probably find the short drive from St. Louis to the middle of godforsaken nothingness well worth it. For fair prices, you get decent-to-good German food in the tradition of a cheap/mid-range steakhouse ("salad" bar of German vegetable salads, potato choice, entree), solid entrees (the schnitzels are probably some of the best in the Midwest) AND you get to eat it in a place oozing with mid-century German kitsch (plus there's a gift shop!). That said, it's not the absolute best German food overall that I've had (the sauerkraut isn't amazing, for example), and for me, it's one of those "only every now and then" type of places. I imagine the charm of eating in a room that looks like the resort in The Shining up and moved to Dusseldorf wanes a bit.
(4)
Allison B.
My husband loves German food and this is his favorite German restaurant in the area. We went there most recently last night for his birthday. I will say the food did not disappoint at all! I'm not a huge fan of the "salad bar", but my husband is. The reason I say "salad bar" is because it is not what you would traditionally think of as a salad bar. There is no lettuce salad at all. Instead it is an assortment of cold vegetable salads (carrot salad, beets, slaw, sauerkraut salad, pasta salad, bean salad etc.). Don't get me wrong, if you like that kind of thing, it is good! Their homemade soup on the bar is also pretty good. For the main course we have had a variety of different things. Last night I had the rouladen and my husband had the wurst platter. Both came with potato pancakes and your choice of red cabbage or sauerkraut. I opted for the red cabbage, which was excellent. The rouladen was delicious as were all through sausages on my husband's platter. We also added a side of spaetzle which did not disappoint either. Last night we had no room for dessert but they had a nice looking selection of home made pies. The beer selection was mainly German beers, which was fine with us, but if you are looking for more of a selection this may not be your place. In my opinion the decor is a little out dated, but it is all German so I guess it goes. I knocked a star off only because it is out in the middle of no where :) You definitely have to be planning to go there, it's not a restaurant near or on the way to something you would be doing. All in all a great German restaurant though!
(4)
Sue B.
My husband chose Dreamland Palace for his birthday dinner destination. He was not disappointed. The service was excellent and the food...definitely worth the drive. We noticed the dessert case was running low and my husband had his heart set on carrot cake. We asked our waiter if he could save the last slice for him...no problem. It arrived after dinner with a scoop of ice cream and a birthday candle...how nice. My hubby raved about he vegetable soup from the salad bar and he loved the carrot salad. Our main meal was excellent, he chose the bratzel and I had Gefullter Paprika which tasted like my grandma used to make. The owners even stopped by to make sure the meals were to our liking. We had the best time and chatted with them till closing. Best German food in the area. What a nice place.
(5)
James H.
My wife and I take our three girls to Dreamland at least once a month to eat. The kids love the atmosphere with cuckoo clocks and Stag mounts on the walls, including all the wonderful memorabillia from auf Deutschland. the food is great too. The vegetable soup is second to none and the Schweinschnitzel is my favorite. My kids literally beg me to take them there! Great friendly service makes this restaurant a must stop on your list of eateries.
This restaurant feels like a home. Everything is made from scratch. This is not the place where you can grab a quick bite to eat. A friend had been raving about this restaurant for a while so my husband and I took him for his 21st birthday. From entrance to exit our meal took 3 hours and I loved every bit. Time flew by. This is a place to sit and relax, enjoy a beer, or two, and enjoy the company of friends and family. My only issue and it's a very small one, it is a tad warm in the main dining hall.
(5)
Alan P.
Another great meal at Dreamland! Everyone that works there is excellent, but Nathan is a great waiter. The husband and wife that own this restaurant really have it designed perfectly, with red, black, and yellow tablecloths, amazing decorations and knickknacks, and awesome German cuisine.
(5)
Tammy H.
We had a groupon for this place. Which was why we went. And I'm so glad we went. The food was great. And the owner was so sweet. He came over and talked with us and got to know us. Who does that anymore. He made us feel like family. We loved talking to him and hearing the history of the place. We will definitely go back and next time we will bring more people. Spread the word. This place is great. Bring your family. The price is right and the food is yummmmmm. So get in your car and go for a little road trip. You won't be disappointed.
(5)
Stuart K.
The restaurant business must be one of the toughest to be in. If you lookover the reviews for this place, dozen's have given it great reviews . If you look at my review from last year I thought that the restaurant was great with authentic food. Interesting is that my last review of dreamland was on 10/7/13 and I wrote this about a meal on 10/13/14. An interim visit had I written it up would have gotten a three or 4. Well consistency is a key, and a bit of management when hiring your servers. Our party of three entered the restaurant Sunday at 4:30, the group ahead of us were seated by a waiter. We waited 5,10 minutes to be seated. In the interim, the owner and the manager who is also the cashier walked passed us, but did not say a word. Waiting in the lobby gave us a chance to notice that the restaurant could use a thorough steam cleaning. All of the "memorabilia" is great, but if management does not dust it more than once a decade, then it looks bad. Why did we wait? Prominently posted in the doorway leading to the dining room is a sign on a stand saying, "Please Wait to be seated by hostess." I finally walked in looked around the dining room. There was not an employee visible. Finally I headed toward the bar, as someone was walking toward a tap. He looked at me and turned around. Finally a waiter came out and I asked him to be seated at one of 5 open tables. He commented, "oh sit where you want!" Then he told us that the sign about the hostess was not valid, they had not had a hostess for years. I asked him why it was there, and he shrugged his shoulders. 10 minutes more for water and 5 more for a menu. Are you starting to get the drift! Lousy service all night. The "salad" buffet had not been stocked for hours, with most of the goodies gone. I made the mistake of pouring a bowl of vegetable soup, which appeared to be basic oily stock and a couple of diced carrots. The sauerbraten, and pickled cucumbers were great, but the soup was tasteless and cold. When one of the two waiters working came to bus the table and asked me why I did not eat my soup, and told him it was cold, he said he would tell the chef. He may have told the chef, but he did not come back to tell me that the soup was heated and to try it. I ordered the schnitzel Holstein, which is supposed to have an egg on top (the most expensive item on the menu) I asked for my egg, "over easy" which means the yolk will run but the white is cooked. The egg came out over hard. If you cannot cook an egg, you are in trouble. The two schnitzels served at our table looked the same, a thinly pounded portion of perhaps beef, veal or pork since I could not tell the source of the protein, thickly battered and cooked to death. I cannot imagine what they did to what may have been a piece of meat that would make it so overcooked. Horrible. My wife was the only one not to complain, she had the sauerbraten. As bad the food was, as bad as the service was, the last insult was trying to pay and get out of the place. The owner apparently only talks to his friends,, which if he or anyone reads this does not include me. He made eye contact twice but did not get the hint when I made a hand sweeping motion to my chest to get him to come over. Let him read my review and weep. Get enough staff to handle your customer load in a reasonable period of time. If you are going to have a salad buffet, keep it stocked. If you are going to serve soup, get it at least to the health department minimum standard of 130 degrees. Try hiring wait staff with at least 1/2 of a sense of the fact that customers pay his/her salary through tips, and be attentive. Have enough servers and wait staff to take decent care of your customers, or you will never see them again. Train your wait staff. Demand that they look clean and at least neat, a tie isn't necessary but if the waiters wear them, they should be tied.. No training or dress code for the two high school kids trying to act as waiters at Dreamland, What I found was a restaurant that is in trouble.
(1)
Jim J.
Came here hoping for some good German food. My wife and I met in Germany and lived there for a few years, so we were excited when we saw this Groupon. What we got was one of the worst dining experiences in recent memory. Walked in and there was one table of three people. Stood by the "wait to be seated" sign for 10 minutes. Servers sat 5 feet from us rolling silverware and ignoring us. Finally seated by owner who was actually very nice. The first thing I noticed was the awful smell in the dining area. It was musty with more than a hint of decay. Okay, now I'm getting worried. Looked down on the floor and saw half a hotdog at my feet. Ordered a nice Weizen beer, which was delivered in a bottle with a frosted mug. I asked the server for a non-frosted Weizen glass which I could see on the bar. She brought it, and the beer was great - the only highlight of the evening really. The server was completely clueless, but I blame management for not training their staff. The food was awful and not at all authentic. In fact I'm pretty sure the entire meal came out of jars, cans and boxes. Nothing homemade here. I ordered the jaeger schnitzel. The mushrooms in the gravy were not fresh - slimy jar mushrooms. The gravy itself was runny, unseasoned powdered gravy mix (or at least tasted like it). The meat (veal? Pork? It was supposedly veal) was not pounded out enough, and appeared to be deep fried in oil that was in need of changing. Really dark in color and that weird oily taste of a weeks worth of deep fried food that comes from over used fry oil. The dish was barely edible. The potato pancakes looked perfectly cooked, but were extremely thin, room temperature, and completely tasteless. They tasted like they came out of a package - dehydrated potatoes? My wife made the mistake of ordering fish (fried cod). BAD IDEA! Posting a picture of the $14.95 frozen and fried cod brick that came complete with lunch room packets of tarter sauce! Is this a joke? It had the same look and flavor that accompanied my schnitzel. She also ordered the spaetzle as a side, which came out cold, watery and tasteless. Kids ordered brats on pretzel buns. These would have been good, but the buns had been microwaved, so they were really tough. Everyone knows you can't microwave bread, no?? The brats themselves were in fact edible for the low price of $9.00 each. The salad bar was a complete joke...a few cold salads (three bean, cole slaw, cottage cheese) and vegetable soup. This place was so bad, that I find it hard to believe some of the positive reviews I see here. The owner told us that they had been voted best German restaurant last year. How in the world is that possible??! By whom exactly? This restaurant is ripe for an episode of Kitchen Nightmares...seriously, that's what kept going through my mind. I liked the atmosphere of the place (minus the stench) complete with lots of German memorabilia, and German fest music. I really wanted to like this place, but trust me...pass on this one.
(1)
Rachele B.
Amazing food and atmosphere, authentic German cuisine and a friendly environment. The owners are very nice and fun and you can have a full conversation with the entire staff. The decor is very old school German and an overall awesome first experience. Will definitely be back to try out that outdoor patio. Did I mention the food is amazing!?
Wow! Don't let the scary decorations run you off. Try to make sure you sit in the front, as I have been seated in the back and was a bit overwhelmed by the decorations and crafts that are for sale. Whether sitting in the front or rear, the food is good, authentic, German food. My wife had the sauerbraten, which was tasty, but not enough food for a bigger fella (a real man type). I was glad I had the Weinerschnitzel Von Holstein (a fried egg on top of pork schnitzel) which was a generous serving and was awesome!! The potato pancakes were also to die for. Worth the trip to Foster Pond. Give it a try!!
(4)
Gene B.
Dreamland palace was a nightmare salad bar was a joke soup was cold food was average at best even with a Groupon it is over priced Wouldn't recommend
(1)
Jimmie R.
Our family went to Bavaria last month and I was craving more German food. So 10 of us went there for my birthday. We walk in and it seemed like we were back in Germany, beautiful decor! We were seated and the owner came over to talk to us. He told my daughter that if she drew him a picture he would buy it for her. Once she finished he gave her $5.00 for the drawing, very nice of him. Everyone found something they would eat (very picky family) and loved every dish. I had the dreamland platter, highly recommend! The food was incredible and the service was top notch. Well worth the drive and already have a date set to go back!
(5)
Sara W.
Wonderful place for great German food, catering, and banquets. I went here on my first date with my husband. We also had our wedding reception there! Wonderful food! Great selection of beers. Also love the red German wine they have. Great salad bar with many different salads and their vegetable soup. Wonderful decor and atmosphere. The owners are all wonderful people as well. They will come up to your table and talk and make you feel at home. I definitely suggest trying it if you have never been here before!
(5)
Matt B.
Fantastic food and scenery is amazing. The building they are in has some really neat history!
(5)
Tom J.
I guess a couple of things might run through your mind when you see a German restaurant in a rural town. The glass-half-full crowd would think it's quaint; they're proud of their heritage and the history of their town, etc. For us cynics, it's hard not to wonder if a bunch of nazi war criminals found a refuge right here in Illinois farm country. I saw a collection of old Mercedes by the garage. Such is life in post-911 America, I guess. Any chance to be suspicious, I jump on it. The people at Dreamland Palace were very nice, and this place definitely reminded me of some of the restaurants I visited in Germany. The soundtrack was probably "Live From the Hofbrau Haus" and really made the scene complete. The other thing we loved here was the beer - huge glasses of hefeweisen on draft and a nice selection of bottle beer, too. Our favorite was the Paulaner Dubbel Bock. For an appetizer, we had something called brat bites, or something like that. They were deep fried pieces of bratwurst and came with some brown mustard. They were good, but please don't tell my doctor I had them. For entrees we ordered Jaegerschnitzel, breaded veal with a mushroom gravy and something called Black Forest Schnitzel, which I don't recall seeing in Germany; chicken with ham and swiss on top. For sides, we had potato pancakes, German potato salad, green beans and red cabbage. You got to go through the salad bar before your meal, which reminded me very much of dishes you might find at the Hometown Buffet. Definitely no seconds. Probably the best things were the chicken and potato pancakes. The rest was just okay. The aren't a lot of German restaurants in the St. Louis area, but I don't think there's really a need to drive way out here for a fix. To summarize: Great beer, okay food, very authentic German atmosphere and friendly service.
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : No Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes
Colleen J.
Let me begin by saying I'm of German descent, and I really wanted to like this place. My definition of Dreamland Palace: Bad German version of Denny's that appeals mostly to customers 65+. My advice about Dreamland Palace: If you are under 65 years of age, or don't live in the area, don't bother with this place; it's not worth more than a 5 minute's drive. In this day and age, if you are going to do food old school style, by which I mean classic or old fashioned dishes that aren't concerned with presentation, you should make certain your flavors and food shine. And unfortunately that is not the case here. The Good: 1-The Salad Bar was decent. It had a refreshing assortment of marinated salads, (no lettuce salads) which on the night we visited included 2 variations of sauerkraut slaw, marinated carrot salad, 3-bean salad,and a marinated cucumber salad. The best were the cucumbers and the darker sauerkraut slaw. 2- The dessert display case had a variety of tasty-looking options, however we did not order dessert, so I do not know if they tasted as good as they looked, or if they were homemade. 3-The interesting decor items gave you something to look at while waiting for your food to arrive. 4-The friendly, pleasant, competent waitstaff. The Bad: 1-Many of the food items are sub-par. The Applesauce, Sauerkraut and/or Red Cabbage accompaniments came in condiment-sized ramekins... perhaps a couple of tablespoons worth. My question is with meals almost twenty dollars, why so skimpy on the cheap cabbage dishes and jarred applesauce? Just about every entree came with Potato Pancakes and the most amazing thing about them was how they managed to be soggy despite being very thin and so darkly browned. They were about 1/8'' thin, and only crispy on the very edges where they were paper thin.They were also rather greasy and easily the worst potato pancakes I have ever eaten. The Sauerbraten which was touted as the house specialty was two small 1/8'' slices of beef drowning in what appeared to be the thickened brine/marinade, as half the plate was covered in the overwhelming marinade/gravy making it impossible to taste the actual meat. The only plus is the meat, what little there was, was tender. The Jaegerschnitzel, hmm...I don't even know where to begin...There was basically nothing right about this meal, including the fact that it came with the aforementioned skimpy accompaniments. The meat was pounded to the ubiquitous 1/8'' thickness that appears to be their standard here, and then breaded and fried. It was supposed to be veal, but barring a DNA test, there is no way to tell if that was the actual meat used or not because you couldn't taste the meat under all the breading. Unfortunately it also seems as if it was deep fried because the overwhelming flavor was that of stale grease. It covered over half the plate with its edges curling up like a bowl which was filled with Mushroom Gravy. No clue if the gravy itself was homemade or not, however the mushrooms definitely came out of a can/jar; they were pale; limp, chewy and tasteless. I don't understand why fresh mushrooms are not used if you are serving mushroom gravy on so many of the dishes? The Soup at the soup/salad bar was tepid, tasteless and lacking texture. It was apparently vegetable soup, however if I had been blindfolded, I would have been at a loss to guess what it was other than mushy. 2-Confusing entrance. You enter the restaurant into a large room that if it were not for the salad bar near the back, you would think you were in a small antique shop. There is no sign to direct you, and no host/hostess to help you either. It took us a minute or so to notice the narrow hallway to the seating area. At the far end of that hallway was the "wait to be seated" sign, where you stand until someone finally happens to notice you. 3-Poor layout/traffic flow. Yes, I understand that this is an old historic building, but the way they are using the space only adds to the flow issues. While we were visiting the soup/salad bar, about 6 customers arrived and were waiting in the hallway, making it impassible for others to get into the seating area until they were all seated. Meanwhile my not-very-hot-to-begin-with soup grew colder by the minute while we were stuck in "traffic." 4-The owner talks at length (as in 15 minutes) with a few guests who perhaps he knows or are regulars, but totally ignores the rest of the patrons. 5-The long drive for most everyone. The Ugly: 1-The smell. Musty, dusty, old smell as you walked in and throughout the place. Guessing the owner and workers have become "nose-blind" to the smell. 2- Being totally ignored by the seemingly chatty owner. 3-The gross vinyl tablecloths that make you wonder how long those poor sticky/tacky things have been in use.
(1)Bill T.
This dining experience would have to be the worst of all time. I purchased a groupon and was excited to try this restaurant for the first time. We arrived 30 minutes early and were seated promptly. The restaurant was packed with a lot of customers and the banquet room was even full. I had high hopes!!! The waiter took our drink order within ten minutes. Our drinks arrived and this is where the nightmare began. My wife and I both ordered the Roulade, a steak for my daughter and a hot dog for the three year old. After eating from a sub par salad bar with two choices of beets, cottage cheese and other various vinegar based salads we waited over two and half hours for our meals. Bread was brought to our table one time during the two and half hour wait. Our drinks were filled once and the wait staff was not attentive at all. The food arrived and was not pleasing to the eye. The rouladen, covered in gravy looked like a frozen meal and tasted about the same. The potato pancakes were very thin, super thin and tasted like they were from a box. My daughters steak was grey in color. She had one bite and spit it out into her napkin. My three year olds hot dog was the last to arrive and brought out about three-five minutes after the other meals. Nothing was brought out at the same time. I immediately thought of Ramsey's Kitchen Nightmares. The restaurant is outdated, dusty, and had a very stale smell in the air. From what I experienced I feel it's my duty to warn people of this "Restaurant"!!!
(1)Jeremy S.
Went to Dreamland quite a few years back, food took forever to come out and it was all cold. Prices too high for what it is. Owners were very rude when we confronted them about the cold tasteless food, they pretty much told us to never come back and to head home. Worst restaurant experience I have ever had by far. I could add to this negative experience, but I am keeping it simple for my review. Stay FAR AWAY from this rude establishment. If I could give negative stars, I would do so.
(1)Shannon D.
We drive 55 miles one way to eat here a few times a year. It's always very good, I get the beef rouladan which is always tender and tasty. My husband likes the sausage platters or the pork chops, each one very good. The salad bar is always fresh and the vegetable soup is delicious. My only complaint is the stale crackers on the soup bar. The service is usually pretty good. The young man named dillon is very nice and attentive, there's another young man with blond hair that really isn't that attentive, but he's a nice guy and tries to make up for his unattentiveness. Worth the drive for us only if we have a Groupon, otherwise with the price of the food and the gas, it really isn't worth it.
(5)Pamela W.
We drove 45 minutes in anticipation of a great German lunch. Sad to say this is not what we experienced. The prices are high, the quality of food is low, and service not too good. I had a $70 groupon, there were 4 of us, no alcohol ordered and our bill was $87. CRAZY for a gross lunch. In the lobby area there was a display case holding desserts. They were displaying a moldy piece of pie. I will NEVER go here again and will steer others away.
(1)Annette N.
I have no idea what the food is like, but the service was horrible! We were seated. Waited. We're brought a glass of water. Waited. The waiter came to get our drink order, we asked what German beer was on tap, he kind of knew. We ordered a dunkel, which was wonderful. Our waiter stopped at a table to visit with guests, stayed for ten minutes. We waited. Other guests arrived and were seated. We waited. More guests arrived and were seated. We waited. We knew what we wanted to eat because we looked at the menu online. We waited. The guests that arrived after us had their orders taken and were heading to the salad bar. Forty minutes passed, we finished our beer and stood up. Our waiter finally came over. We asked for our check. He looked confused. We told him we only had a beer. He asked if we wanted to order food. We told him no. (Not now, earlier). We go out to pay for our beer, wait for a couple to finish up and step up to the register and our waiter appears to put another guest in front of us because that guest was in a hurry. I cannot imagine that we will return.
(1)Rick F.
I having been wanting to try this place for years. The recent Group-On coupon got us to finally go. A great relaxing Sunday afternoon experience. The atmophere, food, and value was excellent. Very authentic German experience. The owner is very friendly as well as the waiter we had. We will be back soon.....coupon or not!I
(5)Marshall W.
This was our first visit to Dreamland Palace and we were quote pleased with the visit. The staff is extremely friendly. The food was excellent. We most definitely will return.
(5)Jeannette S.
Food was terrible and high priced! Service was okay. Wanted the stuffed peppers they didn't have any. Potatoe pancakes tasted like they were left over from yesterday! Would not recommend!
(1)Amy S.
Not good. We used a Groupon to try out the food, it was extremely bland! My husband is full blooded German and he hated it. We ordered cake for dessert, still frozen, yuck. The place was empty and I see why now. AND every week they do Groupons, that should be a clue that they don't get business.
(1)Kristi L.
Dreamland palace is defiantly worth the drive to Waterloo! The interior is very kitschy, kind of like your grandmother's living room, but in a good way! The food is great! The potato pancakes are the best I've ever had anywhere. We will be going again soon!
(4)Becky W.
A little hole in the wall out in the middle of nowhere, but definitely worth the trip. We arrived around 6:30-7pm, but there was no wait. There were only a few tables with diners at them when we arrived, but the dining room started to fill up as the night progressed, so any worry I had that it was not popular was soothed. There was a bad smell when we walked into the dining room, but one of the men in our party reported there were plumbing problems in the men's room, so I assume that was the cause. All of the dinners included the soup and salad bar, which I wish was mostly pickled vegetables and vegetable soup. If you don't like vinegar, you won't like much here. I enjoyed the carrots, but they were a little too strong for my taste. Others in my party had the vegetablle soup and they said it was very good. My mother said the sauerkraut slaw was very good, and I had the cabbage slaw which I enjoyed very much. I ordered the Alpenschnitzel which was delicious. The pork was very tender and the Swiss cheese and mushroom gravy blended with the light breading and made it taste even better. I've had better spaetzels in my time, but they were still very tasty. The potato pancake was fantastic, I just wish it would have been thicker and that they would have provided a spoon to scoop out the applesauce as the pancake was too thin to dip. My mother chose the Schweinschnitzel which was very like the Alpenschnitzel, but with more breading and no cheese. It was still delicious, but I prefered what I had. My boyfriend ordered the Dreamland Platter which include beer steamed bratwurst and knockwurst. These were both very good. They were spiced perfectly and very tasty. The meat was very lean, which was a delight for sausages, and the bratwurst had almost a sweet flavor which was very nice. I do not ike sauerkraut, but he said it as fantastic and even when he reheated his leftovers a couple of days later, he still was raving about the flavor. My father ordered the Beef Rouladen, but ate it so quickly I didn't get a bite, I'm guessing that's a rave review! I don't know what my 2 city friends ordered, but they seemed to like it, but were very apprehensive, so it was hard to tell. It was easy to see that the decor was a compilation of purchases made when on vacation in the Rhineland, which, gave the place a home like feel, and whenever I looked up I saw something new. My only complaint was that it was hard to tell what was for sale in the gift shop and what was part of the museum. I may have made a purchase had it been easier to spot what was for sale. Overall, if you enjoy German food, or trying new things, I definitely recommend making the trip to Dreamland Palace.
(4)Jerome H.
Have you ever wanted to eat in a retirement home lunchroom that the cast of some invisible reality show converted into a West German antique store circa 1985? Are you tired of generic salad bars with their lettuce and low-fat thousand island and yearn instead for beets and German-style cabbage salad and hearty minestrone? Do you want what is probably the best schnitzel in the St. Louis area? Does your ideal restaurant scoff so heartily at the idea of healthy eating that it puts pork chops and bratwurst on the "lighter side" portion of the menu? Do you want a restaurant that actually serves Hassenpfeffer and Beef Rouladen, the latter of which I'll vouch is delicious if a wee bit dry? Do you dream in Red, Yellow, and Black? Moegen sie deutsches Essen? Do you like a good selection of German beer? If you answered yes to any of these questions, you'll probably find the short drive from St. Louis to the middle of godforsaken nothingness well worth it. For fair prices, you get decent-to-good German food in the tradition of a cheap/mid-range steakhouse ("salad" bar of German vegetable salads, potato choice, entree), solid entrees (the schnitzels are probably some of the best in the Midwest) AND you get to eat it in a place oozing with mid-century German kitsch (plus there's a gift shop!). That said, it's not the absolute best German food overall that I've had (the sauerkraut isn't amazing, for example), and for me, it's one of those "only every now and then" type of places. I imagine the charm of eating in a room that looks like the resort in The Shining up and moved to Dusseldorf wanes a bit.
(4)Allison B.
My husband loves German food and this is his favorite German restaurant in the area. We went there most recently last night for his birthday. I will say the food did not disappoint at all! I'm not a huge fan of the "salad bar", but my husband is. The reason I say "salad bar" is because it is not what you would traditionally think of as a salad bar. There is no lettuce salad at all. Instead it is an assortment of cold vegetable salads (carrot salad, beets, slaw, sauerkraut salad, pasta salad, bean salad etc.). Don't get me wrong, if you like that kind of thing, it is good! Their homemade soup on the bar is also pretty good. For the main course we have had a variety of different things. Last night I had the rouladen and my husband had the wurst platter. Both came with potato pancakes and your choice of red cabbage or sauerkraut. I opted for the red cabbage, which was excellent. The rouladen was delicious as were all through sausages on my husband's platter. We also added a side of spaetzle which did not disappoint either. Last night we had no room for dessert but they had a nice looking selection of home made pies. The beer selection was mainly German beers, which was fine with us, but if you are looking for more of a selection this may not be your place. In my opinion the decor is a little out dated, but it is all German so I guess it goes. I knocked a star off only because it is out in the middle of no where :) You definitely have to be planning to go there, it's not a restaurant near or on the way to something you would be doing. All in all a great German restaurant though!
(4)Sue B.
My husband chose Dreamland Palace for his birthday dinner destination. He was not disappointed. The service was excellent and the food...definitely worth the drive. We noticed the dessert case was running low and my husband had his heart set on carrot cake. We asked our waiter if he could save the last slice for him...no problem. It arrived after dinner with a scoop of ice cream and a birthday candle...how nice. My hubby raved about he vegetable soup from the salad bar and he loved the carrot salad. Our main meal was excellent, he chose the bratzel and I had Gefullter Paprika which tasted like my grandma used to make. The owners even stopped by to make sure the meals were to our liking. We had the best time and chatted with them till closing. Best German food in the area. What a nice place.
(5)James H.
My wife and I take our three girls to Dreamland at least once a month to eat. The kids love the atmosphere with cuckoo clocks and Stag mounts on the walls, including all the wonderful memorabillia from auf Deutschland. the food is great too. The vegetable soup is second to none and the Schweinschnitzel is my favorite. My kids literally beg me to take them there! Great friendly service makes this restaurant a must stop on your list of eateries.
(5)Pat S.
We had a wonderful experience at Dreamland Palace. My mother is from Germany, and we found the food to be quite authentic and the décor reminiscent of an old German gasthaus. I ordered the Wienerschnitzel Ala Holstein, which was tender and delicious. However, the egg was fried until the yolk was almost firm, and I am used to the yolk being runny in this dish so it can act as a gravy for the schnitzel. When I mentioned this to the waiter, he said that customers complain if they serve it with a runny yolk. I guess I can understand that. The portions were generous, and the potato pancakes that came with the meal were fantastic. The meal also came with a tasty vegetable soup and a nice buffet selection of vegetable salads which are very typical of what you would find in Germany. The owner was very friendly, making his rounds to all the tables and chatting with people as they were leaving. My 9 year old loved the two gift shops. We'll definitely be back. I want to try the Saurbraten and the Hasenpfeffer.
(5)Shelby S.
This restaurant feels like a home. Everything is made from scratch. This is not the place where you can grab a quick bite to eat. A friend had been raving about this restaurant for a while so my husband and I took him for his 21st birthday. From entrance to exit our meal took 3 hours and I loved every bit. Time flew by. This is a place to sit and relax, enjoy a beer, or two, and enjoy the company of friends and family. My only issue and it's a very small one, it is a tad warm in the main dining hall.
(5)Alan P.
Another great meal at Dreamland! Everyone that works there is excellent, but Nathan is a great waiter. The husband and wife that own this restaurant really have it designed perfectly, with red, black, and yellow tablecloths, amazing decorations and knickknacks, and awesome German cuisine.
(5)Tammy H.
We had a groupon for this place. Which was why we went. And I'm so glad we went. The food was great. And the owner was so sweet. He came over and talked with us and got to know us. Who does that anymore. He made us feel like family. We loved talking to him and hearing the history of the place. We will definitely go back and next time we will bring more people. Spread the word. This place is great. Bring your family. The price is right and the food is yummmmmm. So get in your car and go for a little road trip. You won't be disappointed.
(5)Stuart K.
The restaurant business must be one of the toughest to be in. If you lookover the reviews for this place, dozen's have given it great reviews . If you look at my review from last year I thought that the restaurant was great with authentic food. Interesting is that my last review of dreamland was on 10/7/13 and I wrote this about a meal on 10/13/14. An interim visit had I written it up would have gotten a three or 4. Well consistency is a key, and a bit of management when hiring your servers. Our party of three entered the restaurant Sunday at 4:30, the group ahead of us were seated by a waiter. We waited 5,10 minutes to be seated. In the interim, the owner and the manager who is also the cashier walked passed us, but did not say a word. Waiting in the lobby gave us a chance to notice that the restaurant could use a thorough steam cleaning. All of the "memorabilia" is great, but if management does not dust it more than once a decade, then it looks bad. Why did we wait? Prominently posted in the doorway leading to the dining room is a sign on a stand saying, "Please Wait to be seated by hostess." I finally walked in looked around the dining room. There was not an employee visible. Finally I headed toward the bar, as someone was walking toward a tap. He looked at me and turned around. Finally a waiter came out and I asked him to be seated at one of 5 open tables. He commented, "oh sit where you want!" Then he told us that the sign about the hostess was not valid, they had not had a hostess for years. I asked him why it was there, and he shrugged his shoulders. 10 minutes more for water and 5 more for a menu. Are you starting to get the drift! Lousy service all night. The "salad" buffet had not been stocked for hours, with most of the goodies gone. I made the mistake of pouring a bowl of vegetable soup, which appeared to be basic oily stock and a couple of diced carrots. The sauerbraten, and pickled cucumbers were great, but the soup was tasteless and cold. When one of the two waiters working came to bus the table and asked me why I did not eat my soup, and told him it was cold, he said he would tell the chef. He may have told the chef, but he did not come back to tell me that the soup was heated and to try it. I ordered the schnitzel Holstein, which is supposed to have an egg on top (the most expensive item on the menu) I asked for my egg, "over easy" which means the yolk will run but the white is cooked. The egg came out over hard. If you cannot cook an egg, you are in trouble. The two schnitzels served at our table looked the same, a thinly pounded portion of perhaps beef, veal or pork since I could not tell the source of the protein, thickly battered and cooked to death. I cannot imagine what they did to what may have been a piece of meat that would make it so overcooked. Horrible. My wife was the only one not to complain, she had the sauerbraten. As bad the food was, as bad as the service was, the last insult was trying to pay and get out of the place. The owner apparently only talks to his friends,, which if he or anyone reads this does not include me. He made eye contact twice but did not get the hint when I made a hand sweeping motion to my chest to get him to come over. Let him read my review and weep. Get enough staff to handle your customer load in a reasonable period of time. If you are going to have a salad buffet, keep it stocked. If you are going to serve soup, get it at least to the health department minimum standard of 130 degrees. Try hiring wait staff with at least 1/2 of a sense of the fact that customers pay his/her salary through tips, and be attentive. Have enough servers and wait staff to take decent care of your customers, or you will never see them again. Train your wait staff. Demand that they look clean and at least neat, a tie isn't necessary but if the waiters wear them, they should be tied.. No training or dress code for the two high school kids trying to act as waiters at Dreamland, What I found was a restaurant that is in trouble.
(1)Jim J.
Came here hoping for some good German food. My wife and I met in Germany and lived there for a few years, so we were excited when we saw this Groupon. What we got was one of the worst dining experiences in recent memory. Walked in and there was one table of three people. Stood by the "wait to be seated" sign for 10 minutes. Servers sat 5 feet from us rolling silverware and ignoring us. Finally seated by owner who was actually very nice. The first thing I noticed was the awful smell in the dining area. It was musty with more than a hint of decay. Okay, now I'm getting worried. Looked down on the floor and saw half a hotdog at my feet. Ordered a nice Weizen beer, which was delivered in a bottle with a frosted mug. I asked the server for a non-frosted Weizen glass which I could see on the bar. She brought it, and the beer was great - the only highlight of the evening really. The server was completely clueless, but I blame management for not training their staff. The food was awful and not at all authentic. In fact I'm pretty sure the entire meal came out of jars, cans and boxes. Nothing homemade here. I ordered the jaeger schnitzel. The mushrooms in the gravy were not fresh - slimy jar mushrooms. The gravy itself was runny, unseasoned powdered gravy mix (or at least tasted like it). The meat (veal? Pork? It was supposedly veal) was not pounded out enough, and appeared to be deep fried in oil that was in need of changing. Really dark in color and that weird oily taste of a weeks worth of deep fried food that comes from over used fry oil. The dish was barely edible. The potato pancakes looked perfectly cooked, but were extremely thin, room temperature, and completely tasteless. They tasted like they came out of a package - dehydrated potatoes? My wife made the mistake of ordering fish (fried cod). BAD IDEA! Posting a picture of the $14.95 frozen and fried cod brick that came complete with lunch room packets of tarter sauce! Is this a joke? It had the same look and flavor that accompanied my schnitzel. She also ordered the spaetzle as a side, which came out cold, watery and tasteless. Kids ordered brats on pretzel buns. These would have been good, but the buns had been microwaved, so they were really tough. Everyone knows you can't microwave bread, no?? The brats themselves were in fact edible for the low price of $9.00 each. The salad bar was a complete joke...a few cold salads (three bean, cole slaw, cottage cheese) and vegetable soup. This place was so bad, that I find it hard to believe some of the positive reviews I see here. The owner told us that they had been voted best German restaurant last year. How in the world is that possible??! By whom exactly? This restaurant is ripe for an episode of Kitchen Nightmares...seriously, that's what kept going through my mind. I liked the atmosphere of the place (minus the stench) complete with lots of German memorabilia, and German fest music. I really wanted to like this place, but trust me...pass on this one.
(1)Rachele B.
Amazing food and atmosphere, authentic German cuisine and a friendly environment. The owners are very nice and fun and you can have a full conversation with the entire staff. The decor is very old school German and an overall awesome first experience. Will definitely be back to try out that outdoor patio. Did I mention the food is amazing!?
(5)Michelle B.
This restaurant is a bit out of the ordinary in terms of location. However, if you choose to go - give yourself plenty of time to enjoy the beautiful drive to this hidden gem tucked away in the middle of gorgeous Southern Illinois. We planned to visit this restaurant in the evening and we used our gps to find it. The roads are windy so be careful and then your eyes fixate upon the quaintest house sitting alongside the road. The indoor lights sparkle and the atmosphere of a roadside German gathering place overflows from the large windows. Yes, I was so intrigued that we passed it the first time. Nothing a quick U-turn can't fix. The restaurant décor is not fancy but authentic and welcoming. I felt as if I had strolled into a family home. Don't expect fancy, expect homey. The place is full of incredible antiques and artifacts. The waiter sat us down at rather simple tables, the hand embroidered doilies reminded me of the small German town I grew up in. Now to the FOOD!!! I had told my children that while I spent my college work study in Germany, I was afraid to try the food because I didn't know what it was. The waiter took our drink and appetizer order. he suggested the bratwurst slices and potato pancakes. They were delicious. We were a table of five which was fabulous because we could all try something different. My husband had the smoked pork chop!! I actually took half of his second chop. It was delicious - I would say like a smoked ham. The salad bar hosts authentic German salads - so don't expect lettuce and cucumbers. There is a wide selection of slaw, sauerkraut slaw that is over the top and these tasty sweet and sour diced carrots to name a few. YUM!! The soup was homemade and vegetarian - it was okay. Okay, so I'm embarrassed to admit that I forgot what my dish was called BUT it was incredible and I ate the WHOLE thing which is extremely rare. It was a chicken schnitzel, with potato pancake and German potato salad. We also had a Dreamland platter at the table which was a selection of Knockwurst, bratwurst and another wurst. Again - YUM, YUM, YUM!! There was more - so much more food, Nothing disappointed, And then there was dessert. My one suggestion would be if your going - go early. The locals know about this place and they go early. They were out of streudel, black forest cake and German chocolate cake. But we enjoyed Coconut Crème Pie and Lemon Pie. Prices can vary. I had the lighter fare which is half of the original size so the price was half. The average full size meal is $15 and made to satisfy the big eater. Nobody finished their full size platters. For 5 people, with no alcohol, we hit $90. It was worth it and we overate and over ordered. Take a drive out to Dreamland Palace. It's worth it if you like authentic German food.
(5)Dave H.
Wow! Don't let the scary decorations run you off. Try to make sure you sit in the front, as I have been seated in the back and was a bit overwhelmed by the decorations and crafts that are for sale. Whether sitting in the front or rear, the food is good, authentic, German food. My wife had the sauerbraten, which was tasty, but not enough food for a bigger fella (a real man type). I was glad I had the Weinerschnitzel Von Holstein (a fried egg on top of pork schnitzel) which was a generous serving and was awesome!! The potato pancakes were also to die for. Worth the trip to Foster Pond. Give it a try!!
(4)Gene B.
Dreamland palace was a nightmare salad bar was a joke soup was cold food was average at best even with a Groupon it is over priced Wouldn't recommend
(1)Jimmie R.
Our family went to Bavaria last month and I was craving more German food. So 10 of us went there for my birthday. We walk in and it seemed like we were back in Germany, beautiful decor! We were seated and the owner came over to talk to us. He told my daughter that if she drew him a picture he would buy it for her. Once she finished he gave her $5.00 for the drawing, very nice of him. Everyone found something they would eat (very picky family) and loved every dish. I had the dreamland platter, highly recommend! The food was incredible and the service was top notch. Well worth the drive and already have a date set to go back!
(5)Sara W.
Wonderful place for great German food, catering, and banquets. I went here on my first date with my husband. We also had our wedding reception there! Wonderful food! Great selection of beers. Also love the red German wine they have. Great salad bar with many different salads and their vegetable soup. Wonderful decor and atmosphere. The owners are all wonderful people as well. They will come up to your table and talk and make you feel at home. I definitely suggest trying it if you have never been here before!
(5)Matt B.
Fantastic food and scenery is amazing. The building they are in has some really neat history!
(5)Tom J.
I guess a couple of things might run through your mind when you see a German restaurant in a rural town. The glass-half-full crowd would think it's quaint; they're proud of their heritage and the history of their town, etc. For us cynics, it's hard not to wonder if a bunch of nazi war criminals found a refuge right here in Illinois farm country. I saw a collection of old Mercedes by the garage. Such is life in post-911 America, I guess. Any chance to be suspicious, I jump on it. The people at Dreamland Palace were very nice, and this place definitely reminded me of some of the restaurants I visited in Germany. The soundtrack was probably "Live From the Hofbrau Haus" and really made the scene complete. The other thing we loved here was the beer - huge glasses of hefeweisen on draft and a nice selection of bottle beer, too. Our favorite was the Paulaner Dubbel Bock. For an appetizer, we had something called brat bites, or something like that. They were deep fried pieces of bratwurst and came with some brown mustard. They were good, but please don't tell my doctor I had them. For entrees we ordered Jaegerschnitzel, breaded veal with a mushroom gravy and something called Black Forest Schnitzel, which I don't recall seeing in Germany; chicken with ham and swiss on top. For sides, we had potato pancakes, German potato salad, green beans and red cabbage. You got to go through the salad bar before your meal, which reminded me very much of dishes you might find at the Hometown Buffet. Definitely no seconds. Probably the best things were the chicken and potato pancakes. The rest was just okay. The aren't a lot of German restaurants in the St. Louis area, but I don't think there's really a need to drive way out here for a fix. To summarize: Great beer, okay food, very authentic German atmosphere and friendly service.
(3)