Reviews Marikka's

Name: Marikka's
Address: 411 Southland Dr, Lexington, United States, I-40503-1826
Telephone: +1 859-275-1925
Rating: 84

Hungaryhungaryhippo

Very tasty meal. Sausages were excellent, kraut was very mellow, and beer selection tops 800! Not a fancy place, prices are very reasonable and I'll be back soon

Sep 11, 2016

April @ KentuckyAtHeart Blog

+4.5

One of our favorite places! Pretzel and cheese, all their dishes, wonderful. The selection of imported, hard to find beers is the best in town. Love the food particularly during Octoberfest. The menu at that time is incredible. Select bartenders remember your taste. Highly recommend.

Jun 13, 2016

Mikie Steve

+3.5

Have always wanted to eat here. Not a fan of German food but pretty decent. Huge portions. How authentic I don't know but the flavors were good.

Oct 19, 2015

Hail To The Victors

+4.5

AMAZING beer selection. Really tasty brats and German potato salad. A good casual spot for brews & brats!

Nov 09, 2014

The One They Call... Charlie

+4.5

I moved to Louisville almost a year ago now and have missed Marikka's terribly. There are some restaurants where I now live which CLAIM to serve authentic Bavarian cuisine. Well, they don't!

Even in the Northern Kentucky / Cincinnati area (with a large German heritage population) there is nothing to compare with Marikka's.

Having lived in Bavaria, myself, I firmly assert that Marikka's is the ONLY authentic Bavarian restaurant I've found in the entire state of Kentucky.

Whenever I come back into Lexington, I always try to stop in. It's something I look forward to enjoying.

My menu suggestion would be: the Jaegerschnitzel - but instead of the potatoes (Bratkartoffeln) substitute the egg noodles (spaetzle) and have them put the mushroom gravy over both the schitzel and spaetzle. It's every bit as good as the best corner Gasthaus in Bavaria!

Oct 15, 2014

TheFoodFrog

(I am reviewing the restaurant, not the neighboring bar.)
For a long time, I thought Marikka's was just a bar (I'm not much of a bar person). But some friends invited us there, and I was surprised to find out that it is two separate places beside each other. We had such a good experience at the restaurant we went there again the following weekend without our friends! And we have gone there multiple times since.
+ Food is mostly good - The meats are excellent. My favorite wurst is the mettwurst. Be sure to try the red cabbage. The hash brown potatoes can be a little unevenly cooked. I thought the potato pancake was too mushy (the base is more like mashed potatoes than shredded potatoes).
+ Portions are typically huge - We plan on leftovers. However, the last time I had the wurst dinner I was disappointed it went down from 2 sausages to 1 (not easy to do leftovers there).
+ Good value - With the leftovers, you are getting a good deal.
+ Nice atmosphere - I personally like the somewhat simple/rustic atmosphere lightly sprinkled with German themes. (Note that the atmosphere is not as subtle in October!).
TIP: Sides can be substituted from those listed with each meal, but price may change due to sides being different prices.

May 27, 2014

Food32

+4.5

Loved the veal. Perfectly cook. Fork tender. Red cabbage has a nice vinegar bite. Potato pancake is nice, has some good crunch but could have used a touch of salt & pepper. Service is very good. I look forward to my next visit.

Mar 23, 2014

Jordanlbridges

+4.5

This place has something for everyone: excellent craft beer selection (beer menu is 17 pages). Also wine. A full German food menu. Pool darts arcade. Even sand volleyball. And the waitresses/bartenders are awesome!

Dec 18, 2013

Kitteemom

+4.5

First time but not the last. So out of the blue, my husband decided he wanted Hungarian food for dinner. The closest one I could find online was Chicago--a bit of a drive. So I suggested German food instead--Marikka's in particular. I'd never been there but had heard about it forever. We decided to go at 8 p.m. or so on a Saturday night, a bit of a gamble when you want to dine out in Lexington. Imagine my surprise when we got there and the place was empty. The service was immediate and very friendly--she even took the time to tell us her personal favorites from each section of the menu upon hearing that we were first-time visitors. We appreciated that and it helped our decision-making.

We began with potato pancakes--not listed in the appetizers but there was no problem with having them as one. There were two for $5.99, but they were pretty big and served with applesauce. They were scorching hot, crispy on the outside and soft and creamy on the inside....really good, especially when we put the applesauce on top. We also got drinks--my husband got a beer (after needing some help negotiating the HUGE bar list), and I a glass of Riesling--not a big drinker but it was fantastic. I'll definitely have it again next time.

My husband decided on the mixed sausage plate with warm potato salad ($9.99), and I ordered the Jaegerschnitzel with sauerkraut and spatzle ($10.99). Everything arrived within minutes and was nice and hot. The schnitzel was so tender I cut it with a fork and the flavor was amazing; the breading was very crispy, but not greasy at all, and contrasted well with the gravy. It was seasoned just right. It's easy to see why it is so popular. The sauerkraut was sour indeed, but not enough that it set your teeth on edge. I'd have them both again. The only disappointment I had, and it was minor, was the spatzle; it was bland, and just a bit rubbery. It also seemed like it wasn't quite as hot as the rest of the meal. Maybe the blandness is normal and I just hadn't had it before? Maybe it was made ahead of time and that's why it seemed rubbery? I'm not sure. It just wasn't on par with the rest of my meal...but it doesn't matter because next time I will get the warm potato salad. My husband laughed when I said it was life-changing but I don't think I exaggerated. It was indescribably delicious. The dill, the vinegar, the texture of the potatoes--there was something different to discover in every bite. I even joked that next time I'm getting the vegetable plate with three orders of potato salad--it's THAT good. He enjoyed his sausages as well; I sampled the mettwurst and liked it a lot. Can't wait to try that on a pretzel bun.

The portions were huge, and I ended up bringing half of mine home. I am so looking forward to leftovers today! Our total was about $42, but that was with the appetizer and two drinks. It's worth it, especially since we basically got 3 meals for that. I can't wait to go back.

Dec 08, 2013

Connoisseur Of The Mundane

+4.5

Great place for beer and uncommon food.. The beer selection here is fantastic and the food is too. I don't go very often anymore, but I wish I did.

Feb 18, 2013

ElBecko

+4.5

Tasty German Food and Beer. First of all, the portions are huge, which makes meals a great value! No one in our party finished their meal, although we all enjoyed ours. Actually, everything leaving the kitchen looked and smelled great. I appreciated that they offered a variety of schnitzels and wursts, as well as other options. Their potato pancakes are AWESOME and definitely worth the charge to upgrade from fries (although the fries are really good too). I was really excited to see Licher Weizen on tap, which is brewed near the town where I lived for 4 months in Germany. As far as authenticity...well, it's about the same as most other American German restaurants, so heavy on the fried meat and potatoes. But that doesn't make it any less delicious!

Feb 07, 2013

Sarah Gregory

+4.5

Great Place to Hang Out. I love to join my friends for a few beers and cocktails at the Bier Stube. They have a great selection at low prices (especially for imports). It's a fun place to hang out in the summer and play volleyball, and great year round when UK is in session for a swinging time. The bartenders are all friendly, and I have never been disappointed in any of their drinks. I always walk away with a lower tab than what I thought. Great prices, good food, and a fun atmosphere.

Oct 22, 2012

Sal

+4.5

Awesome sausages and a huge selection of beers.

Jul 30, 2012

Jen

+4.5

Great food, great staff, great atmosphere. You can eat in the restaraunt or enjoy your meal outside watching volleyball. Good mix between traditional German fair and delicious fried appetizers. Amazing beer selections as well!!

Jul 26, 2012

Ajm_blazer

+4.5

BEER! AMBIANCE! Oh, and a decent German restaurant too!. I'll say up front I've been to the bar dozens of time and the restaurant once. I'm of German/Polish/Prussian heritage so I've eaten a fair amount of food from that part of the world over the years. I'm not an expert on it but I know if I like it. The food was good and the portions were generous.

Now...the bar. I wouldn't say it's a German Beer Hall or whatever but more of an American bar with a Beer Hall influence. LOTS of great beers from all over the world and the atmosphere is great. My buddy and I were in the Marines together and we like to go, call one of our friends who was stationed somewhere far off and exotic, get a recommendation on the beer they drank there, and then see if Marikka's has it. They usually do!

They have foozeball, darts, pool, and girl watching aplenty. The music is usually modern rock, dabbling in punk, metal, alternative, grunge, and good classics. Sometimes you hear Johnny Cash or some rap but never any country drivel or rap crap. The bartenders are civil if not the friendliest and some of the staff is pretty easy on the eyes. Good place to take a new date to feel them out if you're into rock and roll and beer. If they don't like it there then it's probably a sign. The crowd is usually 20-30's without being full of college kids or old guys looking to score a college chick. Crowd is usually pretty well mannered and you don't have drunks vomitting on the floor or fights breaking out while the bathroom doesn't make you want to find a dark place in the alley to visit instead.

Jul 12, 2012

Travis

+4.5

Great German Food (as far as I know). I'm not an expert on German food, but I really enjoyed Marikka's. I ordered the sauerbraten with spaetzle and green beans. The sauerbraten was a tad dry, but the flavor was great. Spaetzle, a type of German pasta, was served with a rich brown gravy on top, but was good on its own as well. Green beans were cooked well with good seasoning.
The portions here were borderline ridiculous. Bring an appetite or be prepared to take a box home. Give the place a try.

Jun 20, 2012

Me So Hungry

+4.5

Love, Love, Love Marikka's. Had heard about Marikka's for a while and always wanted to go, now it is in heavy rotation when I dine out in Lexington.

The food takes some adjusting to, I don't mean that negatively, it is just different like any exposure to any ethnic food for the first time, and it really grows on you. The wursts are fantastic, and the metwurst is one of the best sausages I have ever had, though it seemed slightly smaller and little different on my last visit (hope this was just a slight inconsistency). I like the Brats as well, though they are different from your usually brats (very pork and black pepper forward, but pleasantly so). The metwursts and brats are grilled perfectly, really juicy, crisp casings outside.

I also enjoy the knackwurst as well (reminiscent of really good bolgona, garlicly) though I might request that it be grilled like the mets and brats on my next visit...

I like the jagerschnitzel a lot too, a breaded pork cutlet with mushroom gravy, button mushrooms are always very fresh tasting.

I have also sauerbraten, which was OK, though the beef was tender and flavorful, could've had stronger wine/vinegar flavor (though much German food, and Marikka's is vinegar forward).

I also tried a special once, "Roulanden" which I loved. It was ground beef wrapped in very thin sirloin steack with mustard and pickle in the inside, covered in gravy. It sounds a bit strange, but it was delicious, kind of an amalagum of good pot roast and a good cheeseburger. I wish Rouladen appeared on the menu more often!

Girlfriend gets reuben sandwiches sometimes, which I have tried and those are good as well (I'm very critical of Ruebens, corned beef cannot be sliced too thick). She gets curly fries (not homemade, though) sometimes with ruebens and the fries are always hot and crisp, which makes a big difference. It's the little things that count.

Sides: I like the sauerkraut, which has a very deep, slow cooked flavor. The rotkraut (red cabbage) is also good, vinegary and sweet from sugar (and probably red wine?). I LOVE THE WARM GERMAN POTATO SALAD, creamy boiled potatoes, dill, bits of bacon, onion and vinegar (I like vinegar). My girlfriend has had green beans and they are cooked til soft, but tasted very fresh. Had potato pancakes too, those were OK. If you get the either of the kraut sides a la cart, it is a lot, and probably more than you will eat, unless you're sharing, though one or the other comes with or can be substituted in most meals.

We always get a giant pretzel (even bigger than usual on the last visit!) with mustard and the best beer cheese around.

German bier is my favorite, and Marikka's has great German and Austrian draughts you can get in liter mugs. Marikka's also has good American craft/micro draughts, United Kingdom selections, Austria and more. Tons of bottles too. Best beer selection in Lexington for my money.

Marikka's is always fun, the dining room is small and is usually full on Friday and Saturday evenings. One gets the vibe that the dining room is always filled with friends/families who come often and really enjoy Marikka's. Service is always excellent and genuinely friendly.

The bier stube is fun: pool, darts, air hockey (gets very busy on Friday and Saturday nights though).

I can't recommend Marikka's enough, and I would advise to give it a least 2 tries if you haven't had German food a lot.

Dec 28, 2011

Chris Benge

+4.5

Rich...Rich...Rich food.. Classic German style food, very rich. My favorite appetizers are77is the mini corndogs and the fried mushrooms. I often go and just get the mini corndog appetizer, it's a meal in itself. If you want a rich and heavy meal their food is good as well. But, if you want liter fare then you will have to skip this one.

Dec 24, 2011

Always Hungry

+4.5

Marikka's - fun place. I enjoy Marikka's to hang with friends and try some new beers. They've also got pool tables and dart boards, which gives the place an open and relaxed feel. I highly recommend Marikka's as a place to your friends or new folks visiting Lexington. On the food side, I'm not super stoked to recommend eating from the menu again, but I'd def. say give it a try. Lots of people seem to enjoy the food, but I found it a bit lack-luster for the money. The brats and potatoes I had weren't very flavorful and left me a bit disappointed. But the joint is cool and I'd go back for the atmosphere more than anything.

Dec 18, 2011

Broke My House

+4.5

Always Reliable, Always Great. We've been going to Marikka's for years and have never had a bad meal. Their beer selection is a sight to behold. They have our favorite beer (Hoegaarden) on tap and the service is always great. The staff is friendly and the food is always well-prepared and comforting. On our most recent visit, we had Goulasch Mit Spatzel und Rotkraut(Paprika Beef Tips with German Noodles and Red Cabbage) and Mixed Sausage Plate(you can pick three of their many sausages) which included a great potato salad and a flavorful mustard. We opted for Pepper Wurst(it was the best), Kielbasa, and Knackwurst. The beef tips were tender with a lovely gravy. The spatzel was obviously made in-house and had the perfect density. The red cabbage was earthy and out-of-this-world good. We could have eaten an entire plate of it and been content. The decor may be on the chintzy side but its the place to be if you like hearty food, friendly people, and delicious beer.

P.S. Don't forget to try the Currywurst, Beer Boot, and their gigantic pretzel at least once!

Oct 23, 2011

Daniel Wei Deng

+4.5

Only German restaurant in town. Love their sausage and veal, as long as fried schwine. Friendly waitress.

Aug 28, 2011

Marthadiana

+4.5

Love it.. Biggest Bavarian pretzels I have ever seen. Food is decent and with a husband from Bavaria we have eaten in a lot of really bad German restaurants. This is not one of them. Love the red cabbage, schnitzel and the bier selection.

May 16, 2011

Chopperbaby

+4.5

One of my fav's. This is one of my fav's but for one thing only...
POTATOE DUMPLINGS
the rest of the stuff is alright....

Mar 06, 2011

Annie Kittinger

+4.5

Fun Place. The beer selection is great, there is ample space to move about, the bar-food selection is pretty good. The staff is efficient, but not friendly. I know the owners and they are a little rough around the edges, so that explains it. Besides that, it is a great place to hang out.

Feb 27, 2011

Robert Z.

+4.5

Good place to go to drink darts and throw beer!. I am second Gen American and grew up in a German household so I am qualified to say I know a little about german food. Marikkas does a pretty good job of making an approximation of what I know as German food. They do cut some corners for the sake of faster food such as deep frying schnitzel instead of pan frying. Everything is good and as authentic as I have had at a restaurant, just not quite like Omi would make.

Marikkas beer selection is unsurpassed! Where else in town (other than Liquor barn) are you going to get strong bow hard cider on tap? How many other places carry orvale on hand in the cooler?

Marikkas also has some of the best dart throwing facilities in town.

Dec 03, 2010

Zac Bond

+4.5

Gutes Essen jeden Besuch. I go to Marikkas once a month or so and I'm almost always satisfied. So far, my favorite entree has been the jägerschnizel, which is a large slice of pork fried in batter and smothered with a delicious mushroom gravy. Their green beans have good flavor, and the spätzle is to die for: sometimes I get two orders of it as my two sides!

Once in awhile I'll get the hamburger. I find it very good, but slightly different from what I normally get at a restaurant. It's hard to describe how. Perhaps they use a leaner cut of meat? The fries are also excellent: very crunchy, and obviously pulled from the fryer just moments before plating.

I can't say anything about the beer because I don't drink. Usually I'm too full for dessert, but the chocolate cake I had once was OK even if it did not taste very fresh. I typically start with one of their salads, which are pretty tasty and include potato sticks as a garnish.

Nov 07, 2010

Kentucky Old-Timer

+4.5

Köstlich!. People come for the beer (I myself have had over 300 different kinds here over the years) but now that I'm an old man the food keeps me coming back. Get the jagerschnitzel with red cabbage and fried potatoes - they're good for you - and wash it down with a Maredsous Tripel while you're at it.

Sep 03, 2010

Allan C.

+4.5

Never been in the restaurant area.. But you can order any menu item while in the bar. You just have to ask for a menu at the bar, and place your order there. You can put it on your tab.

What I have had there was authentic, and very good.

They also serve okay pizza in the bar, and the soft pretzels stuffed with cream cheese and jalapenos are the bomb.

Apr 06, 2010

+4.5

Good authentic atmosphere, just a fun nite out.

Feb 13, 2010

Stacie

+4.5

Awesome!. Best selection of beers I have seen in a long time. Go around the world in beer! The food is very authentic German and excellent. I have never been disappointed.

Nov 02, 2009

+4.5

Best beer selection. In Lexington!! place has regular bar food, plus lots of German dishes - spaetzle, red cabbage, yummy mashed potatoes, fried fish.

Feb 06, 2009

Jeff Miller

Amazing German food!!! The food here is great. The best German food I have had in Lexington. This place is well known in the area and a favorite among locals. Definitely worth the stop here for a delicious meal. The service was great and really great description by the staff. Can be a little loud if you have hearing issues like me, go on an off night instead of Saturday or Friday. You'll enjoy the food!!!!!

Makayla Scott

The food was AMAZING, me and my partner were looking for a good German restraunt after moving to Central Kentucky and this place hit the spot. The pretzel is HUGE btw. Highly recommend. The cheese fries were also out if this world 😍

Trudi Matthews

My family loves Marikkas. Best German food around. Yummy wurst (sausages), schnitzel (breaded veal- beef-pork- chicken). Make sure to try the spatzle (egg noodles) and rot kohl (sweet and sour cabbage) - they are the best. They also have a fantastic beer and cider selection.

Meredith Goodin

Cool place! German restaurant in one area with a bar in another area that also serves German food. Didn't go to the restaurant but seemed like two completely different vibes. Bar has plenty of seating, and an outdoor area. More like a fast casual setting, order at the bar and they serve it to wherever you sit. Or just go to drink. Food was mostly German (and it was good!) but also a few American items, burgers, grilled chicken, etc. Restaurant seemed nice from the glances I got, still casual but less so than the bar. Also, the bar area has indoor and outdoor volleyball courts, which is different than anyplace I've seen. Nice little spot to meet friends and chill!

Matthew Hubbard

My girl, and some friends, and I went to watch the UK football game versus Missouri. Had a great time. The place is very clean and the staff are friendly. My girl and I got hey Don Julio margarita for 9 bucks. It was great. We had to each. They have draft beer for 17 bucks a picture and at least a hundred or more different kinds of beers. They have indoor volleyball and outdoor volleyball. There's dart boards foosball tables and air hockey. The restrooms are clean and I haven't got to check out the restaurant side but they have a restaurant side as well.

Christian Ulrich

Be very, very hungry when you dine at Marikka's. Each entree could feed two people easily. I had the veal with spaetzl and red cabbage. It was perfect. My wife had a Reuben sandwich with onion rings and our son had the goulash with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. It all came from the kitchen piping hot. They enjoyed their meals and had leftovers to take home. The server was johnny on the spot and friendly. Marikka's has never disappointed us in any way.

Phil Eken

Had a great time celebrating my birthday with the family. The place was very busy for a Wednesday along with only having one waitress she did a great job the food was excellent and the beer was cold.

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