Mickey and Minnie's Inn

Mickey and Minnie’s Inn is a cozy little restaurant that sits on the White horse Pike in Galloway New Jersey. This restaurant was originally a bar that opened back in the 1930s until it was sold to George Garbutt in 1938. The Garbutt family is still running the day to day operations even today. In the 90’s the bar changed into a lunch and dinner restaurant. They also had a complete menu and scenery makeover. Now they serve anything from American, Italian and even German food. I was fortunate enough to have learned of this place from my brother who found it while going to school in South Jersey. When my brother, Rob, told me about Mickey and Minnie’s he raved about how great their German food was, so I had to try it. 

        As we pulled up to Mickey and Minnie’s it looked like every other building on the road and could have easily been missed if you weren't paying attention. The outside is plain with some plants in the front. It looks like a normal house which makes sense because the owners live upstairs. The bartender, who is also the owner, greets every customer with a friendly hello. The low lit dining area is on the left, a pool table can be found on the right, and the bar is right in front of you as you walk in. He told us that we could sit where ever we wanted and that he would be right with us. The dining room’s brick flooring and wood panel walls present a small but comfy eating area.

            The owner came over as soon as we sat down and gave us the menus. I went straight for the German menu to see what they had. The menu displays seven different kinds of Schnitzel, a Sauerbraten entrée and two Wurst entrées. All of these entrées range from $17 to $22. On the regular menu the dinners were about the same price. They also have a wide selection of beers and wine, so much so that it has its own menu. I ordered the German Wurst Sampler which is Bratwurst, Knockwurst, and Bochwurst, served with apple sauerkraut, hot potato salad and spicy mustard. Rob ordered the Sauerbraten: marinated top round of beef simmered in red wine vinegar & beef stock. With just my brother and I ordering from the specials menu and my brother having a beer the bill came out to be a little under $50.

            Each entrée comes with soup or salad. I got the beef and vegetable soup and my brother got a salad. The salad is a basic lettuce and tomato salad with dressing that comes in a side container. The soup was excellent. Two big pieces of meat sit in the middle of the broth with an assortment of vegetables floating on the side. At first I was disappointed with the large pieces of beef because I prefer to taste the meat throughout the soup. But I soon realized that the taste was there even when the beef wasn’t. Then came our entrées and there was a lot to eat. Each plate is loaded with food literally stacked on top of each other. This is the way German food should be prepared. Everything on the plate needs to be eaten with everything because it enriches the taste. In my meal Bratwurst is basically the German version of Italian sausage, Knockwurst is a thicker American hot dog, and Bochwurst is a combination of veal and pork. Each of these were juicy and when sauerkraut was added it gave it a slight sour tang that only added to the flavor. The hot potato salad is sliced potatoes with salt and potato skins, simple but delicious. I only got to sample the Sauerbraten but one taste was all I needed. The meat is chewy and juicy. In just one bite I could taste the red wine vinegar and stock oozing from meat. If you don’t like vinegar in your food you will want to stay away from anything on the menu that has vinegar in it because the taste is very prominent in the meat. Unfortunately after finishing our food we were too full to even try to eat dessert.

            The overall service and the atmosphere of the inn is very welcoming and has a home-like feel to it. The owner who was our waiter, is a very nice and funny man who likes to talk to his customers. These conversations are always short and sweet. Because of him talking to us we ended up talking with the table next to us. The whole experience was refreshing and calming. In most restaurants you won’t even look at the table next to you but here it’s like eating with one big family.

            Overall, I loved going to Mickey and Minnie’s Inn. Everything about it was top notch. The food was excellent, the service was friendly and personal, and the atmosphere was relaxed as if eating a meal at home. One thing I should mention is that the German menu does not become available until after 3pm because there is a special chief who comes in to cook the food. I would give Mickey and Minnie’s Inn a five out of five. So if you are looking for a nice meal out give them a try.