Student Prince Cafe and Fort Restaurant

My husband and I ate here twice two months ago. Both times the food and service were great! I took my daughter there tonight to impress her and was disappointed, mostly in the server. We ordered the beef kabob special. I asked for no additional spices beyond the teriyaki marinade and when served, it had been slathered with BBQ sauce. The chef re-​prepared it for me. The beef was a bit tough but the rest of the meal was good. I especially like the fresh cucumber salad. We had arrived before the place got busy and we’re the only guests in the dining room. I was disappointed that the server never checked or refilled our water glasses and when he brought me the check to sign, he included with the bill, a comment card– already filled out, with all perfect ratings! I guess he did not understand that it was not meant to be a self-​evaluation!

We haven’t tried the Fort since they closed and re-​opened. It was awesome. The service was incredible. Everything was great.

My wife and I celebrated Fathers Day here yesterday with a wonderful dinner. As always we sat in the original bar room decorated with an amazing collection of steins, dark wood and beautifully stenciled walls, timeless, understated and yet elegant. The booths have been refinished and now are more comfortable. We enjoyed everything we ordered and our server, Robert, was a pro. We started with Manhattan cocktails served straight up and ice cold followed by tossed salads with table-​made Roquefort dressing — a must-​have when dining here. Soft fresh slices of rye bread and butter are served, a great intro. to the entrees.
The menu is vast and features German specialties, lots of fish and seafood, steaks and just about anything one can think of. Difficult to choose here. My wife opted for sautéed soft shell crabs and her sides were cucumber salad and spinach. I chose the very traditional veal schnitzel a la Holstein with lemon slices and anchovies. It was tender, flavorful and enormous — I could not finish it. My sides were red cabbage and buttered egg noodles. Glasses of dry Riesling accompanied our dinners and my wife had the famous Chauvinette cocktail for dessert.
Though we live a 45 minute drive away, for us it is more than worth the trip and we cannot wait to return.

For an authentic German restaurant, this place does a great job. Located downtown, just a few blocks from a hotel I was staying at, I decided to give it a try. I got the Jäger Schnitzel and was quite happy. With a side of spätzle and sauerkraut, the whole dish was great. The beer selection puts it over the top for me. There are certainly a few locals that call this bar home, but I like to see that in a place. Enjoy your meal or drink (s) here like I did!

My mom’s favorite place. She recommended the fried cheese, which was good. We also ordered a giant pretzel, which was warm and salty. There was a variety of sauces. The recent renovations look really nice and we had a friendly server. Good meatloaf, too!

Moving to Springfield and this is the first place I ventured. Really interesting interior, great selection of beer and a friendly, knowledgeable staff. The tossed salad with salmon and Roquefort dressing was lovely and the pork belly was satisfying but needed a little spice or sauce to make it really enticing. Thoroughly enjoyed The Student Prince!

What a surprise. Happened to be near Springfield and needed dinner. Found this place on Unilocal and it had a diversity of food which is what we were looking for. The fried Camembert appetizer was a delicious surprise. My husband ordered a German meal with veal, gravy and mushrooms with a side of spetzle — tender and tasty. My son ordered duck a la orange — seriously. It was unbelievable! A must have. I had a wonderful arugula salad and ate off of their plates. We have to figure out how to come back here!
And I should mention the service was impeccable and the live music was entertaining without being loud.

I was here about a month ago. This place has a great authentic German feel. I did not have a traditional German dish but my meal was fantastic. We started with the GIANT pretzel as a recommendation from the waitress. It was ridiculously HUGE, and tasty. Aside from the pretzel I was trying to watch what I ate so I had the Garden salad with their Famous Roquefort Dressing and Mustard glazed salmon on the side. Everything was great. The dressing is as good as the waitress said, a must try for sure. The salmon was cooked perfectly and salad was average, a good filler. My friend had the wiener schnitzel and he said it was great.

Today I needed food for eleven people for a dinner and Christopher took the ordered and packaged the order with each persons name and helped carry everything to the car. Super friendly and helpful and the food was amazing! Highly recommend. The Brussels sprouts were a big hit. All the entrees were delicious.

We don’t get here often, but just had a very pleasant meal. The Schnitzel and Geschnetzeltes were excellent. The ambiance makes this place special.

I’m sorry to say that the service was was very bad. Our waitress was missing in action. It was not at all busy but she was no where to be found. She was forgetful and slow. It took forever to get a glass of wine after it was ordered. The food was good as usual but I have to rate this trip as a two star experience.

This may be the only reason to ever go to Springfield, ok besides Six Flags and the Hall of Fame. HOLY MOLY amazing portions. Amazing atmosphere. You really felt like you were in at Omas home. The pretzel was a amazing. I ordered and feel in love with the pork shank. Crispy and moist as God intended!
My 6year old loved it as well. We never order from kids meals. She shared pieces of my pork and pieces of my husbands sausage. Her favorite was the Boar and Cranberry.

After years of driving through Springfield and assuming there were no good food options, I stopped here this past weekend after reading other Unilocal reviews. What a gem! The interior is old school wood paneling and stein-​lined walls while the food is current and delicious. The schnitzel sandwich was great, but the Post Rider (roast beef) sandwich was a game changer. I only wish I could have stayed for longer and tried some appetizers and enjoyed their fine German best selection. I am already scheming to spend more time in Springfield so I can return. Definitely worth a meal, should you find yourself in Springfield (and well-​worth a detour or special trip if you are not).

For the price, the jäger schnitzel was absolutely terrible. Unimpressed with the fried camembert appetizer.
The mustard was delicious. The gravy with the schnitzel was fantastic. Red cabbage was also good.

Its been quite a few years since I last dine here, well before the latest renovation which, I might add, is absolutely superb. The bar area has been enlarged with plenty of seating and it now boasts the addition of a cozy nook with high top tables.
The tap area is really beautifully done with beers that tend to favor Munich, although, there are a few from Northern Germany as well, some IPA’s and a couple of the more popular craft beers. Lets talk about beer, if you have never had fresh German beer from the brewery in wooden (preferable) or metal kegs gravity pour, well, you simply are missing out on a world of experiential difference. Let me tell you there is a big difference between what we have here vs what you will discover in Germany. That being said, I am grateful that we have good German beer available locally regardless.
I started with a Warsteiner Pilsner Verum, a Northern German beer from North-​Rhine Westphalia followed by Kassler Rippchen (smoked pork chops), Bratkartoffeln (fried potatoes) und Rothkohl (red cabbage). The potatoes were excellent bringing back memories of some of the experiences I’ve had in Germany. I would have preferred them a little hotter but the flavor trumped that minor oversight. The red cabbage, also, was very good with a nice balance of sweet and tart. Smoked Kassler Rippchen in Germany is like good fresh German beer, you just have to go to Germany to fully comprehend what I’m talking about. The chops I was served were good, tasty and juicy they had a slight smoky flavor and you could taste that they had been brined, what was missing for me was the coriander, juniper berries, marjoram, thyme etc. and the fresh garlic flavor. Still and all, it was a very good acceptable dish, just not as complex as you would find in Germany. For dessert the bartender suggested a Crème Suchard a chocolate mousse flavored with Crème de cacao and Kirshwasser (clear cherry fruit brandy) with tons of whipped cream, a very nice way to end a very good meal.

I’ve been a loyal customer for decades and was reluctant to post this review, but the last few visits were such a disappointment that I now feel compelled. The food was always first rate at the old Fort, but since the transition, I’ve noticed it slipping steadily downhill. I’ve filled out comment cards but lately it seems each visit is better than the next…
I visited during Christmas to see the carrolers and was rushed to the point that my entrée arrived as I was in the middle of my Roquefort salad. There was no apology from the server. Entrees were okay. We noticed a plate of Christmas cookies on the dessert menu and thought that would be nice. Instead, we received a plate of standard, grocery store cookies for $ 11 or $ 12 dollars. Thankfully, they took the cookies off of the bill. I returned the other night and I see the cookies are still on the dessert menu, almost 1 month after Christmas. They apparently lost their pastry chef because many of the dessert options are not made in-​house and its shows in taste and quality. The new owners have to be aware, because I see them there almost every time I come for dinner. Instead, they seem more interested in turning the place into a club, but have forgotten what made the restaurant great. Customer service is poor; the professional front door staff has been replaced by kids. I purchased several gift cards online during a holiday promotional sale only to find later that the discount wouldn’t apply to online sales. A manager reluctantly applied the discount for me, but not before I was treated rudely by the woman who initially answered my phone call.
It’s a shame to see where this place is headed — the renovations are superb but the quality of food and experience are lacking. I hope they can turn things around.

This was our first time back to the Student Prince since it reopened. As far as the atmosphere goes, it definitely has a more polished look. The Lady’s room in now new and clean. Our server was wonderful, very attentive and knowledgeable. We really took out time and sat for at least 3 hours socializing with our friends. I’m sorry to say that I was disappointed in the food we had. The bread for the table didn’t seem fresh-​mediocre. I was looking forward to the delicious rye bread they used to serve. We shared some appetizers-​Free Bird Chicken Livers, Fried Camembert Cheese and Bratwurst. All were just okay. The cheese would have tasted better if it was hot. All the meats were very good. I had the German Sampler. The Smoked Chop and the Bratwurst were delicious. But the Goulash that came with the sampler was not very tasty, kind of mushy and bland. Two people got the Harz Mountain Jäger Schnitzel– they liked it. The other entrée was the 7^th Bone Veal Chop. My friend said it was delicious. The sides were disappointing, too. The spatzle and garlic spinach were okay. I liked the red cabbage. But the applesauce was nothing special and the potato pancakes were horrible! I have to admit that we enjoyed some nice German beer. I wouldn’t write off the Student Prince yet. We will probably sit at the bar the next time we go and stick with the meats.

Some people I knew raved about this place. Impressive atmosphere, but I was sorely disappointed by the quality of the food. Honestly, the food just didn’t live up to the hype. It was like a couple steps above diner food. (Sorry!) People and waitresses were wonderful, but I am not sure I’d return for a meal. The fried camembert was pretty standard and too bready for my taste. I forgot what I ordered but the description was much nicer than the presentation: It looked like a TV dinner served on a nice platter. I will say the pub area is a better bet. And I’d be more inclined to accept the food as «bar food» in those circumstances.

Well, a great place for beer, I can tell you that much.
Was here a couple of years ago during a bachelor party, and well, they gave us free passes to the nearby strip club, lol. But getting our buzz on at this place was excellent, with a good variety of tasting beers and such. Nice looking menu too.
It’s definitely it’s own sort of «gentleman’s club,» as you generally won’t find many females here. It’s a spot for quiet contemplation and conversation.

Hadn’t been here in quite while — since right before the place almost closed for good.
Service was as good, if not better than the service I used to enjoy. Atmosphere is on the money — warm and German.
The Sauerbraten is a sure thing as well as the Hungarian Goulash.
If you want the Roquefort dressing — its worth the three dollars extra — but for some reason doesn’t have the same mystique/​excitement around it as it used to have.
I was there on a holiday (Labor Day) that is usually not too busy for any restaurant. It wasn’t here either — but the staff was still attentive and friendly. Unlike many restaurants that seem to ‘let their guard down’ and give less than attentive service — it was great here.
We used a gift card from our awesome friend Kevin — and highly recommend this as a gift for anyone else YOU might want to spoil.
We will be back. Maybe you’ll be there?

I was so surprised, the interior and the food were wunderbar! Being Austrian I Love German food but usually have low expectations of German restaurants.
The food and beer were great! I had the paprika schnitzel and my husband the pork chops, both moist, crispy and delicious. Service was fine and the IPA beer cold and crisp. Décor was tasteful and interesting. Lots of steins and stuff.
Can not wait to go back and try other items on the menu.

I have mixed feelings on this one, and am torn between two and three stars. I hadn’t been to the Fort in years, for the same reasons no one under 70 had been to the Fort in years– the interior was tired, the menu hadn’t been updated since the Carter administration, and the food wasn’t that good. But my in-​laws and our family friends wanted to check out the renovations and revamped menu, and we were curious as well.
The renovated bar area definitely flows better, but it looks as though a modern bar was dropped in the middle of a historic Bavarian-​style restaurant… which it was. It doesn’t seem like any effort was made to integrate the new into the existing, and the dueling aesthetics look bizarre. The bar is composed of a lot of black wood, for example, which clashes with the mahogany-​ish stained wood throughout the rest of the restaurant. On the plus side, however, they made some sense of the former chaos in the dining room, by simplifying the wall décor a bit and adding some fresh paint.
We ordered a few starters– smoked trout, brussels sprouts, and fried camembert. They were all average, with the trout being the best of the bunch.
I ordered salmon with pastrami seasoning. I’ve made a similar dish at home, and wanted to see how they prepared it. «Not well» was the answer. The salmon was cooked fine, but there was no pastrami seasoning flavor at all. The fish was served on top of a lentil mash that was interesting, but extremely salty. The dish was supposed to come with a cucumber yogurt, which wasn’t present. On the whole, my meal wasn’t terrible, but it wasn’t really as advertised. (A side note on the salmon: the dish is listed as «salmon three ways» but described as «pastrami seasoned, broiled, or mustard glazed.» As in, pick one. «Three ways» is a term of art, guys!)
My husband ordered the German sampler, and liked it a lot. I tried some of his red cabbage, and it was awesome. My sister-​in-​law, on the other hand, ordered a mushroom risotto that was very heavy and the wrong consistency. On the whole, it seems as though the food is still pretty hit or miss.
Our waitress, while nice enough, was not entirely on top of her game. She did a fine job taking our drink and meal orders, but didn’t really check in once our entrees arrived. At one point, every single person at the table had an empty glass in front of them, and when our waitress finally came over to take a few dishes away, she didn’t ask anyone if they’d like another drink.
After our meal, my husband and I went over to the bar for an after dinner drink. The service was fine, and the bartenders were friendly, but the townie barflies were loud and eye-​roll inducing. This was well and good, and certainly not the restaurant’s fault, until the bartenders got into a conversation with one of them (a Springfield cop, who was telling anyone who would listen that he was a Springfield cop) about Caitlyn Jenner. Among other derisive comments, they were in agreement that she was «ridiculous,» shouldn’t have received an ESPY award for «that,» and that they would continue to «call him Bruce.» It was offensive and unprofessional.
We were willing to give the «new» Fort the benefit of the doubt, but I don’t think we’ll be back.