Small Business Spotlight: Black Forest Inn

Article by Becky Fillinger, photos provided

Erica Christ with a loaf of their famous pretzel bread.

An Eat Street original and community stalwart, Black Forest Inn is a restaurant to put on regular rotation.  We talked to Erica Christ, manager, about the family restaurant’s history on Eat Street, support for our community during the ICE invasion, the availability of Klecko’s legendary pretzel bread and menu standouts.  I can’t wait for Sparglefest – keep reading.

Q:  Black Forest Inn has been part of Eat Street for decades - how would you describe the restaurant’s role in shaping this neighborhood?

A:  Gosh, where do I begin? First of all, the neighborhood has shaped the restaurant as much or more than the restaurant has shaped the neighborhood. The art school (MCAD), the museum (Mia), and Children’s Theatre Company are only a few blocks away and we can’t overstate the impact that art and artists have had on the restaurant - everything from the giant Richard Avedon photograph with bullet holes in it, which is a genuine tourist attraction, to always having a few artists and art students on the staff.

Joanne Christ, my mom and co-owner, was one of a small group of business owners that conceived of and worked on the Eat Street branding and the streetscape project, starting in the mid 1990’s. She worked with fellow business and property owners, the city, the three neighborhood organizations included in Eat Street, and an advertising agency to bring attention to the rich assortment of independent and ethnic businesses along Nicollet Avenue from 29th Street to Grant Street. Their efforts changed how the region saw our neighborhood and continue to be a great marketing angle for us all today.

Joanne Christ with Klecko

Q:  What has allowed the restaurant to endure while so many others have come and gone?

A:  Well, we’re stubborn. If you ask Erich Christ, my dad and co-owner, he would say we just keep doing this out of “a lack of imagination.” Ha ha! Really, we have a very peculiar and special niche. We have a surprisingly broad appeal, across generations and cultures.

When we first opened, a lot of people around here had German heritage and had grown up with food similar to ours. Now, we have customers who don’t know anything about German food and are curious about it – or they have learned that they like German food and they sought us out. Also, and perhaps more importantly, we have very deep roots in the city. So many people have memories of eating here as a kid, or going on dates here, or seeing someone famous here, or just feeling comfortable here when they needed a place to relax. It’s amazing how many people have a Black Forest story!

Of course, we have a great outdoor dining area and a great beer list, and menu filled with handmade specialty dishes that you can’t find anywhere else.

Q:  How did the ICE activity on Nicollet Avenue affect your day-to-day operations?

A:  It was both horrible and amazing. Horrible, of course, because there was so much senseless violence and constant intimidation. We couldn’t know who among us might be detained, or why. It cast a pall over both the staff and our customers and business suffered greatly. The horror peaked with the murder of Alex Pretti across the street from the restaurant.

It was immediately clear that the location was going to be important to a lot of people. The memorial grew exponentially overnight. It was also clear that all of the businesses surrounding the memorial were going to have to make space for it and for the people visiting it. 

January 26, 2026 Facebook post: "The doors are open, the fireplaces are on and the coffee is made. We are looking forward to seeing everyone who walks through the door."For the several weeks we operated during the day as a warming house and continued to be open for food and beverage service in the evenings. We wanted to create a warm space for anyone who needed a place to wait for their ride, check in with friends, or just get their bearings after visiting the memorial. It was a lot of grief to absorb, but it came with so much gratitude, love and support from the community. We were grateful to have a role in keeping people safe from the cold while they visited the memorial.  

What wasn’t clear was what was going to happen to our business. There were already many reports about how much restaurants were suffering due to both the ICE activity, the severe cold, and the economy in general. The murder of Alex Pretti put the spotlight on Eat Street in particular and we got a lot of press in the aftermath.

We were amazed by the donations and messages and reservations that rolled in over the next four weeks. We heard so many stories from people about why we mean so much to them. It was a very shiny silver lining to some very dark clouds.

Q:  Can you talk more about how the Black Forest Inn became a warming and gathering space after the Pretti murder – what motivated that decision?

A:  We are in the hospitality business but most of the time the emphasis is on business. Once in a while we get the opportunity to be purely hospitable. Gina, my sister, was quick to identify two things that were happening. One, it was bitterly cold those days right after the murder of Alex Pretti. So, providing warmth was the starting place, which was quickly followed by providing hot beverages, and then hot soup. Two, there were hundreds of people visiting all day, every day for weeks after the murder. That’s a lot of people who are cold and emotionally drained. We offered soup during the day for the first couple of weeks and kept our doors open for anyone who needed it.

The community gathering happened naturally out of that. We saw and talked to so many interesting people during that time. If it weren’t for the cold, we wouldn’t have seen nearly as many people.

Brat dinner

Q:  Let’s continue to get customers back into seats at the Black Forest Inn. What are your most popular or signature dishes - and why do you think they resonate?

A:  First and foremost: our bratwurst. My dad has been making the bratwurst in house, by hand, for sixty years. It’s the best bratwurst in town and you can have it served in a variety of ways – everything from the Wurst Salad (greens, onions, pickles, bratwurst in a mustardy vinaigrette) to a Black Forest Hausplatte (a giant sampler plate with bratwurst, Polish sausage, smoked pork chop, potato salad, red cabbage, sauerkraut, and a pretzel). You won’t find many things other than our bratwurst that are both excellent quality and quite affordable.

The Rouladen is a uniquely German dish. It’s a “Saturday Night” meal. We serve it all weekend. A long thin piece of top round beef is rolled around a small slice of carrot and pickle with parsley and mustard.  It is roasted and braised in red wine and served with a dark gravy and spätzle noodles. It is a meal that people come long distances to eat.

Q:  Is there a dish you feel deserves more attention than it gets?

A:  People should try the Hasenpfeffer! It is locally sourced and we serve it on the bone with gravy, spaetzle and red cabbage. It is very German and very good!

Q:  If a first-time guest (is that possible?) visits, what’s the one plate they shouldn’t miss?

A:  Well, we already mentioned the bratwurst and that is a must try! Luckily there are several different ways to try it, either a single brat sliced up as an appetizer, or as a dinner with potato salad and sauerkraut.

The Sauerbraten is quintessentially German. It is marinated beef and has a bit of vinegar flavor to the gravy. It is delicious and one of most popular items.

And many of our regular customers would say do not leave without a slice of Apple Strudel. It is served warm with fresh whipped cream. We make all of our own desserts and breads.

Pretzel bread

Q:  Talk to us about your fabulous pretzel bread.

A:  Pretzel bread is white bread with a fine, tight crumb. It has a very dark chewy exterior made by dipping the loaves in caustic soda before they are baked. It is a specialty recipe (and process) that few people do anymore. For our 50th anniversary, over ten years ago, Klecko from St. Agnes Bread Co. came to the restaurant and made pretzel bread for our anniversary weekend specials. We’ve been dreaming about that bread ever since then. Klecko (and St. Agnes) were rightly famous for their pretzel bread (among other products). Since St. Agnes folded six years ago, there has been no pretzel bread for us or anyone else. Now that Klecko is married to me, we negotiated some guest appearances in our bakery and we have loaves of pretzel bread once again! We sell the whole loaves out of the restaurant, and we have slices of pretzel bread available as a bread option with the dinners served in the restaurant.

Sparglefest is coming up at the end of May!

Asparagus Pierogi

Q:  Are there new dishes or seasonal menu changes you’re excited about?

A:  Sparglefest is coming up at the end of May, and we are always excited about that! The Germans are crazy about asparagus (spargel is the German word for asparagus) and they celebrate its arrival every spring. Our celebration is a ten-day festival starting May 22 this year. We have a new asparagus menu every year, with 8-10 asparagus appetizers, meals, drinks and even a dessert! We always have asparagus soup and the very traditional Ham and Asparagus – but every year we try a new dish. We made a meatless asparagus “stroganoff” in 2023, the asparagus pierogi of past menus still fondly remembered, deep fried asparagus is always popular, and the Spargetini, an asparagus martini, is something that people look forward to every year.

We are still brainstorming 2026. You’ll have to join us and see what we came up with this year! If the weather is nice enough to sit outside while you eat your asparagus meal, it is doubly wonderful.

Q:  How do we stay current with your news?

A:  Please sign up for our newsletter on our website and follow us on Facebook!

The Black Forest Inn is located at 1 East 26th Street. Their enchanting patio awaits you!