The Cabbage Roll

2641 Lafayette St., 233-4444

Hidden away in a primarily residential area of St. Joseph’s midtown, you’ll find the Cabbage Roll, now in its 19th year of business. It’s a German-themed restaurant decorated with all kinds of German knickknacks and a wall-size mural of a castle in the Rhineland.

Owners Larry Matt and Andy Halamar are of German ancestry, and the recipes are authentic, Larry says. But surprisingly, the most popular dish on the menu and the restaurant’s namesake is not German. The cabbage rolls, made with ground chuck, onions, spices and baked in cabbage leaves, are actually Polish, he says. You can sample them, along with many specialities off their menu, at the Friday night buffets. There also is a wide range of dessert offerings, including 15 different tortes and 18 different cheesecakes. To add a little variety for the cooks and the customers, the Friday night buffet is German only every other month. So on off months, you can try Italian, barbecue or Mexican. Italian will be featured in November.

The rest of the week, the restaurant is open only from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday. Specialities include sauerbraten, jager schnitzel and pierogies, and they all come with two side dishes. For sandwiches, they offer more German specialities, including a German philly, bratwurst and a meatloaf sandwich with grilled onions and German mustard.

Dinners are $8.99, sandwiches are $4.99 and the Friday night buffet is $9.99. The buffet runs from 5 to 7 p.m., and reservations are required.