Unfortunately Helmer's has been closed due to a fire. They are rebuilding and we look forward to their re-opening. Helmer's is one of our favorites. - Hobokeni.com Webmaster.

A few things come to mind when you walk in the doors of Helmer's Cafe´, my first two: Did I just walk into the back door of the local VFW hall? When I move to the suburbs I want the bar in my basement to look exactly like Helmers. Located on the corner of 11th and Washington in Hoboken for over 65 years, little has changed and that's one of the things that make this dining experience so unique. Serving authentic German food and boasting a lengthy(150++) beer list(18 on Tap) Helmers can satisfy all sorts of palates.

My guests and I arrived on a Saturday night around 7:30 and found an interesting crowd already knee deep in beer and bratwurst. The bar dining area seats about 50 plus 10 or so seats at the bar. It is interesting to note that many regular patrons prefer to eat at the bar(probably to keep them as close to that beer selection as possible). This is the room that we sat in and got a true sense of the old world ambience. I could write a whole page on the beer alone(great idea!!..next time) Many patrons come often just for the beer(I think my local pharmacist has a room there).

We sat at the bar and ordered some Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest, a seasonal draft currently available on tap, which was a nice treat. I followed it up with an old, yet rare favorite of mine, Magic Hat # 9 from Vermont. As my cousin and I savored the sampling of tap beers the girls reminded us that we were there for dinner(oops) and our table was ready. It was a difficult task to leave the bar and its beer list that is one of the finest in the NYC area, but the waitress reminded us that we could order beer from our table too!! (Whew)

Having experienced a Helmers entree before the four of us skipped appetizers. However, I have had the Leber-Kaese, which is a grilled type sausage on the spicy side. I also recently ordered a sampling plate of German sausages(wurst), which wasn't on the menu, as an appetizer and they were happy to oblige. German Wurst is very unique and can be made from anything from pork to veal with a variety of spices inside. Feel free to ask the helpful wait staff for advice on ordering wurst and don't forget the mustard!!

The entree´ menu is very large and can be a bit overwhelming. The good news is that the newcomer to Helmer's cant go wrong with the German Specialties. We each ordered one entree´ from this menu. The Oktoberfest Platter is the "Grand Slam" of Helmers. It is massive in portion including: 2 Wurst, Baurenwurst(sort of a spicy hot dog) and Weisswurst(an excellent "white" wurst made from veal), a thick smoked pork chop and a glob of mashed potatoes with gravy and onions. In amazement my cousin finished the entire platter as I reached for my phone to call a cardiologist. Next up was the classic Wienerschitzel. Don't be scared by the name, all it consists of is a pounded veal cutlet "lightly" breaded and pan fried with a fried egg on top. This is a very plain yet tasty dish for German cuisine, normally served without gravy. The last two meals were Scwabische and Jaeger Schnitzel. The two are very similar: the aforementioned breaded veal smothered in a thick brown sauce and topped with bacon and mushrooms (Scwabishe) and onions and mushrooms (Jaeger). Either choice is highly recommended. Order a side dish of Spaetzle to go with the brown gravy from the veal dishes. Spaetzle is a dough like side dish and is somewhere between egg noodles and fresh pasta. Germans serve this like we serve rice or potatoes with a dish and it goes best with gravy. We skip desert in lieu of more beer..But if you have the room don't miss the Black Forest Cake or Struedel.

Overall the four of us rated our meals a 9 out of 10. The beer menu an 11. Whether you are in the mood for an authentic German meal or the largest European beer list in town, you can't go wrong. Helmer's is the type of place you don't go to once a week, but every time you leave you find yourself asking..Why don't I come here more often? I will!