There was something about the very Bavarian looking town of Helen in the mountains of northern Georgia that made me crave pretzels. So we chose to have lunch at The Heidelberg Restaurant in Helen GA because we saw that they had them on the menu.
The Heidelberg menu
We had no idea that we had something in common with the original owners. As it turned out we did. Harold and Terry, who owned and built The Heidelberg were from West Palm Beach, Florida, by way of Heidelberg, Germany where they were both born. Before Steve and I started traveling full time, we lived in Wellington, Florida, just west of West Palm Beach.
The Links got married in 1976 and decided to go to North Georgia for the honeymoon. They visited Atlanta and Helen. During their time in Helen, Terry wanted to see what German attire the shops had for sale. Her husband Harold had a German band that played at the German American Club in WPB, and she knew that the female band members needed some additional dirndls.
The Heidelberg Restaurant in the corner with the blue trim
While shopping Terry also noticed that the town didn’t have a decent German restaurant. It was a lightbulb moment that spurred the Links move to Helen, where they purchased the property where The Heidelberg is today. Terry and Harold helped design the original building and restaurant. And in 1977 they opened the restaurant which was originally named The Forge.
The unique structural design and decor of the business, showcased both Harold’s interest in blacksmithing and his and his wife’s German heritage. When they opened, the menu offered both traditional German dishes as well as American fare. But in 1980 they opted to remove many of the non-German details of the restaurant. And at the same time they rebranded from The Forge to Old Heidelberg, making it a truly German restaurant.
Outdoor dining at The Heidelberg Restaurant Helen GA
They repainted the exterior of the building in blue and white and today, the building remains the colors it was in 1980. And in the late 1980s the made additions to the building. The Links added a dedicated pub, a second dining room and a large outdoor terrace. Later the terrace was enclosed to create what today is the Bierhimmel Music Hall.
Terry and Harold Link sold Old Heidelberg in 1997. Now they live in Dawsonville, but remain involved in and around Helen GA.
There have been several ownership changes over the years. The current owners purchased the restaurant in 2013 and are dedicated to preserving one of Helen’s most famous buildings and businesses. In 2018, the name was changed to The Heidelberg. The current owners and management wanted to put their own spin on the restaurant, but they also wanted to honor the Link family and their heritage.
Mural adds ambiance to The Heidelberg
The day Steve and I went to The Heidelberg Restaurant in Helen GA, we were seated on the second floor. We had a birds eye view of the square below and a small patio with outdoor seating. We really felt like we had been transported to Germany. Even the beautiful mural on the wall by our table magnified that feeling.
We decided to share two items that really stood out. The first, of course, was that pretzel that I was craving. And the other plate was a sausage with sauerkraut.
Our giant pretzel with butter and beer cheese for dipping.
The Bavarian pretzel was so huge that it covered the entire plate. Riesenbrezel is a giant pretzel that’s freshly baked and delicious with the melted butter that it comes with for dipping. But it was over the top good with the optional addition of ooey gooey beer cheese dip.
Smoked sausage on a bed of warm sauerkraut
And our second dish to share was a very long smoked pork and beef sausage served over a bed of tangy Bavarian sauerkraut that was warm and spiced with caraway seeds and perfect with the spicy mustard we chose to accompany that great combo.
We were quite pleased with both of our selections and easily joined the clean plate club. But by the time we were finished there was no room left in our tummies for the fabulous sounding Apfel Strudel that we had seen on the menu. So we took a piece home to enjoy after dinner. Sorry, but we were too intent on eating it to take a photo before we inhaled the delectable dessert of fresh apples with cinnamon, sugar and raisins, baked in a very thing shell of pastry.
The Heidelberg Restaurant in Helen, GA is just one more reason for a return visit to this stunning area!
