Josef’s Country Inn

This restaurant is now closed. It is out of business and the property is up for sale.

One of my favorite place’s in the area. You can’t go wrong here, if you love German cuisine.

Eaten here for years no peoblems. After looking at other reviews, thought I’d add mine.
Wife and I had a great dinner. Starter was beef carpaccio. Perfect. Main dish was a filet with potatoes and a veg. Done just right, and very tender. Price wasn’t too high either.
Do again.

I’ve eaten here for going on 5 years and every time I eat there it never disappoints.

I’m very surprised at all the bad reviews. We’ve been here twice and both times were outstanding! Excellent food, friendly and efficient service, and while some might describe the décor as «dated,» but my husband and I find it cozy and romantic. And we haven’t encounters any chairs falling apart either. The second time we went, we brought our 11 month old son, and our waitress was very helpful in accommodating him. We really enjoy Josef’s and it shouldn’t be missed!

Very disappointed last week. Drove all the way from baltimore on Wednesday for the lobster special. With a reservation for 4, clarifying for lobster. We were sat and told after 20 min. that there was only one remaining lobster. The table of 4 next to us, which arrived 15 min. after us, all received lobster. This is very bad business. Shameful!

Heard raves about this place for years. My wife and I went there a while back and it was not really to our liking. Actually, we joke about it being a wasted date night. Sorry, I am sure many people like it but we won’t be back… and we are not a Chili’s or a TGIF fan, before you claim that we just cannot appreciate good food or a real establishment. You may like it. Obviously enough people have liked it enough to keep it in business over the years.

The interior is a bit dated and, as noted by several other reviewers, some of the furniture is in bad shape. (The chair I used in the lounge area was about to fall apart.) I enjoyed the food and the really hearty portions. For our first visit we sat in the lounge area and had several servers. All were very attentive and made sure we were well taken care of. I have to admit I was surprised by the limited beer menu. (According to our waitress the have limited space which they have opted to devote to wine.) If you like wine with your meal they do have a very good selection. We did notice the owner walking around to talk to people at some tables – except ours. (We assumed this is because we’re not regulars.) We’ll return in the future for the food and the service.

Disappointing to say the least — Only one waitress for the entire dining room — very slow service — Food was spotty. The Chilean Sea Bass and Spinach salad were delicious. The veal Oscar was cold and had to be sent back. The Weiner Schnitzel was tough and the Entrecôte de Boeuf Marco Polo was overcooked. The wine should be left at the table — we had to keep asking for it. The room had lovely atmosphere and was not too noisy. We won’t be going back.

It’s extremely rare for me to give the dreaded one-​star review. I can typically find some redeeming qualities in any dining experience to avoid the 1-​star. And it’s not that everything here was just plain awful — it wasn’t — but not everything is «perfect» in the places I give 5-​stars either. I base it on the overall experience, and my night at Josef’s is right up there with the worst dining experiences I have ever had.
I often watch Kitchen Nightmares and never really got what Gordon Ramsey meant when he called a restaurant «dated» — but everything at Josef’s is dated, from the décor to the menu. The décor is stuffy and dated — it’s like eating in a study or a 1960’s country club. And it felt like the place hadn’t had a thorough cleaning since then either. Several of the chairs were either wobbly or with bad cushions, and very uncomfortable, especially for the time we spent there. (More on that below) There was gum under the table. A lot of it. And at one point a bug hopped onto the place settings on the table. Oddly, these were «just for show» and food was served on plates brought from the kitchen. That was one of many «Whiskey Tango Foxtrot» moments.
And then there was the service, or lack there-​of. We were there celebrating my mother-in-law’s birthday, and had made reservations for 8 at 6PM. There was another huge party in the same room (Appx 14 or so) also celebrating a family event, and it was apparent that the waitstaff could not manage both. And since this was our first time there, and not one of their «regulars», we were largely ignored. Our orders weren’t taken until 6:30PM. Our salads weren’t brought to us until 7:15. We finally got our entrees a little after 8PM. And it was a bit after 9PM when we left. Three hours wasted and all the while nothing was said to us about why it was taking so long, and no apology for the ridiculous wait times. At one point I saw an older gentleman (who was most likely the owner or manager) greeting every table in the room EXCEPT ours. I believe he could tell we were both frustrated and astonished, and didn’t want to hear the truth when he asks «How is everything?» The other diners seemed to be «regulars» and had a mean age of around 60 — although they might have been in their 40’s when they arrived.
But if the food and beverage is good, it can be worth the wait, right? Well, you better be damn exceptional to overlook the above, and Josef’s simply is not. First, as a pan-​European restaurant with heavy German/​Austrian influences in the food, I’d expect a decent selection of beers on tap. Instead, they offered Stella, Bass, and German Dunkel — Spaten I think. I don’t remember because the keg was tapped and according to the waitress, no one could figure out how to change the keg. REALLY REALLY? In a German restaurant? I settled for Bass — not my favorite but I needed something to stomach what was ahead. The house salad that we each paid $ 4.75 for and waited nearly an hour for was pedestrian, but enjoyable for the hungry masses. The entrees were OK, but pricy for what you got. My calves liver was good, but I’ve gotten way better for 60% less at small local eateries. My father-​in-​law liked the schnitzel, and my sister-​in-​law liked her German sausages, although I was not impressed with the Weisswurst, which is typically my favorite. But the entrees — in both selection and preparation — were extremely dated. For example, most of them came with that old school twice-​baked potato that I hadn’t seen since the 80’s. Now I know what it means for a menu to be DATED.
Against our better judgement, we opted for dessert, which was a mixed bag. My wife chose this sticky toffee cake thing that was really good, although a tad sweet for her. My crème brûlée had beautiful caramelization, but the custard was stone cold. A party member ordered the carrot cake, and said it was dry. And there was a hair found in my sister-in-law’s bread pudding. They did replace it and comp that dessert, but we viewed it as a fitting ending to the meal.
It was well over $ 400 for a dinner for 8, and we spent 3 hours shocked at how they remain in business. On the way home my I suggested to my father-​in-​law, who footed the bill, that we go over to DuClaw and drown our sorrows in some good beer. We all needed it after the fiasco that is Josef’s Country Inn.

As a vegan, I certainly do not expect to be accommodated. ANYWHERE
My family and I have been going to Josef’s since before I can remember, for my moms birthday
Today we went there to celebrate, and our experience was awful.
My sister and I do not eat meat dairy or eggs, which admittedly can be difficult to accommodate in a German restaurant.
Last year however all we asked for was pasta, red sauce, and vegetables. It was delicious! — last year. What we got tonight was vegetables, a gravy boat of questionable red liquid, and some sort if potato pancake? (Seriously? Who ordered that)
I asked the waitress if there was any cream or dairy in the pancake and she hurriedly answered me that there was butter, before rushing off back to the kitchen,
I felt blown off and disrespected.
The pancake had been mixed in with all the veg at this point and I did not feel comfortable eating my dish. So I didn’t.
I understand completely that not everyone may be aware of specific dietary restrictions, but I felt completely undermined as a customer.
I have been going here for YEARS as a meat eater AND a vegan, even had my before-​prom dinner here!!!
NEVER have I felt this way, especially enough to write a scathing review, I will never come back,

Very good service, food was ok. Overall good dining experience… not outstanding but good.

Nicest restaurant around these parts.

Josef’s, a German themed country restaurant, offers fine dining amongst the corn fields and dairy farms of upper Fallston. The first thing you’ll notice is a patio partially covered by a canopy and partially Al fresco. A Banquet room and bar flank the main dining room which is tastefully decorated and has enough natural light to remain cheerful and airy. The menu is mainly seafood and German fare but something for every taste seems available. Hot bread right out of the oven was served after ordering and our food which arrived on piping hot plates in a timely manner. The various seafood offerings my party ordered were fresh, nicely cooked and seasoned. I wouldn’t have referred to my scallops as «jumbo» like the menu stated but they were good none the less. Portions and prices were consistent with fine dining and the service was spot on. This place hasn’t got much competition in the immediate area so give them a try.