First visit and I thought the food was very good. Service was good.
(4)
Mrs. C.
We enjoyed the staff and the location. Outdoor seating can't be beat! Loved my Cajun shrimp wrap but food was pretty mediocre. Worth going if you're in a crunch but nothing fancy or unique about it. Still yummy and a fun place to go. Also very family and puppy friendly!
(3)
Jenn T.
Went there on a Tuesday. Service was extremely slow. We were there a total of 2 hours with 2 kids. Server had to keep bringing crackers for the kids who were starving. We have eaten here before and sat outside on the patio to watch the tubers on the river and enjoyed it. Also our child has a peanut allergy and the small bags of chips they serve with the meal are made with peanut oil. We almost had a close call because I was tending to my crabby starving 1 year old when the food came and my daughter had opened the bag before I read the ingredients.
(2)
Bill G.
Great setting and view of the river. More American than German. Nothing to recommend except the view.
(1)
Jennifer V.
It was the winter season when my friend and I visited Helen and the Troll was one of the only restaurants open. The outdoor seating would be awesome during the warm summer, they had plenty of it right by the river. Obviously, we sat inside because of the cold. I ordered a sandwich and fries. The food was pretty awful and incredibly overpriced, but service was great. Wouldn't recommend.
(2)
Teri S.
Ok, let me preface this by saying the last time I went here about 3-4 yrs ago, It was GREAT! We were there on Sat(3/16) and It was not so great! I ordered the expensive Rueben and german potato salad, 13.00 for this and worth about 5, Corned beef had so much fat on it that I couldnt eat it w/o picking it apart and potato salad was nothing to write home about. Drinks are real expensive for what you get, a daiquiri was $10.00. Also, there is one toilet for women, this is ridiculous as I had to wait in line every time to use it. The only good thing about this place is THE VIEW!! Be prepared to have a big tab for not so good food and drinks that are very weak.
(2)
Jeremy H.
We stopped by this place as a last dinner with friends before leaving Helen. Most of the food was pretty typical American fare. They have a portion of their menu dedicated to German foods, but it was basically just bratwurst and knockwursts served on a bun or plate, or a reuben. The beer was good, we opted for the "souvenir" size mugs simply because it was the same price/volume as getting two drinks but with the cup thrown in. That said, there are more beer selections at other places in Helen. The staff was more than friendly and had lots of recommendations, though I still found the menu lacking originality. The theme is trolls, as you could guess, but it might as well have been Trees or Toys or Tiaras, as that's about as far as the theme goes. The outside seating next to the river is extensive, though we sat inside because of rain. The food was a little pricey for the privilege, and the theme was lacking. Stop by if you want to eat next to the river, but there are better experiences and better food elsewhere.
(3)
Meg C.
I saw lots of bad reviews of this place ahead of time on both Yelp and other food/travel sites so I was a little wary to go here, but no worries. This place was PACKED!! It is right across the river from the Cafe International but they had both indoor/outdoor seating. Our server was just adorable and very attentive. We enjoyed our meal. I got a wrap, my friends got another sandwich, a burger, wings and they also shared a nacho app from what I recall. Try and snag a table by the river.
(4)
BS B.
oy vey. shouldve put more weight into the reviews I read and avoided this place. Ive learned that any place that has a menu that long is buying their food frozen and reheating it. Yes.. indeed that is the Troll. Ordered a buffalo chicken wrap -- came out within 5 mins of ordering and came out cold. 10 mins later when my daughters were done with their hotdogs and fries (which seemed edible) -- my new wrap came out. Sadly? I think it tasted better cold. Now I got a wrap with dried out chicken. ugh. I will never stop by there again. should have taken the warning I got from the guy in the parking lots.
(1)
Caitlin P.
The food was very mediocre and was really pricy. I would recommend coming here for drinks, and not food. I can't believe I payed $12 for a lousy wrap.
(2)
Tara Y.
Ate here this week for a late lunch and overall it was good. I had the wurst platter and it was good although I did not care for the bratwurst (tasted kinda weird), but the knockwurst was good and the red cabbage and sauerkraut were delicious and the bread was so soft. My husband had the muffaletta and enjoyed it. Didn't finish it. We got the "tall" beer which turned out to be 32oz which was way more then we wanted. I wish he had told us how many ounces it had been to begin with. It was also $12 which blew my mind. We got to keep the plastic cup it came in and told we could come back for a cheaper reffill....which is very cool...except we want to try a different place in Helen for every meal.Normally we would be all over the refilling cup. My hubby has allergies and wanted to eat inside but the outside patio looked so relaxing! I love that part of the place. We will eat there again.
(4)
Anthony S.
Nice menu selection of American and German fare plus a great view of the river and tubers. The food was really good and the kids were happy. They let us sit in the corner with our dog on the other side of the fence and even brought him water. Service was good, but prices were high.
(3)
Adam I.
A good place for drinks, and that's it. My chicken tenders were clearly frozen and from the grocery store, as were the fries. And all that for $17. That being said, the outdoor atmosphere is nice, and the drinks are cheap; definitely a must stop-by during the Oktoberfest season.
(2)
Bill E.
Yes A-OK. At least for lunch. The Buffalo chicken salad was above average with large portion of grilled chicken breast that had been tossed in sauce. Blue cheese crumbles, mixed summer greens (not iceberg lettuce) made for a tasty lunch. The price was $12 but it was very large and satisfying.
(3)
Benjamin C.
This place is horrible. It's beyond dirty and the food we ordered came out burnt to a crisp. We sent it back, chugged our beers and happily hit the road.
(1)
Steven C.
Great service, really good wings, and really great view of the river! I recommend u sit outside if you can!
(5)
Sean K.
Make no mistake, this is a place best visited for its bar. The bartender was attentive, friendly, and offered us samples of anything we inquired about. After you eat in town, come here for a delicious pancake shot, and wash it down with one of their great drafts.
(4)
Mike D.
Was ok. Best part of the meal was the fries, if that tells you anything. Be sure to sit by the water so can people watch as everyone floats by.
(3)
Gregory H.
Good service. Food was questionable at best. Shrimp po boy had six tiny frozen shrimp on a hot dog bun $12. Kids tenders $8. Would not return.
(2)
Leslie H.
Gorgeous, romantic atmosphere right on the stream under red umbrellas. Our waiter Boone was charming and efficient. Our food was on the table lightening fast. The souvenir cups will become our new beach cups. Definitely check this place out.
(5)
Brandon B.
Absolutely no complaints about this place. I ordered a burger, my wife ordered a wrap, and our friend also ordered a wrap. The food arrived quickly, was prepared as we requested, and tasted great. The prices are fine when you consider you're eating in the center of a tourist town.
(5)
Nicki B.
Fun atmosphere, pleasant staff, and tasty, if basic, food. We had 8 people in our party. Everyone ordered something different and we were all satisfied with our selections.
(3)
Virginia G.
So we decided to try a drink and food sample at every restaurant on the strip we could get into and started here. It was a very cute place and we sat outside by the river. The service was prompt as was the food. Hubby got the wurst platter with bratwurst knockwurst and whatever other wurst they make (he's a meat eater) I just had some soup as it was quite chilly for us Floridians. The food was good and the place was fine until I had to go inside to use the restroom. Eek! Did my food come from that kitchen?? The place was worn down, run down, dirty, filthy carpets and looked like a college drinking bar. We ourselves did not have a bad experience there, but knowing what I know now of the place, I wouldn't go back for food, maybe drink, never food.
(2)
Joseph G.
Great location and good service. Had the black bean chili and cheddar bacon fries...fries were mostly cheese and real bacon bits...overall it was decent.
(4)
Bethany C.
If you want cold chicken that tastes a like its from a can then go to this place. We paid over a 100 dollars for a family of five. I ordered the chicken and beacon wrap for 12 dollars and then got fries for 2 dollars extra. The fries were the best thing in the plate. The wrap had cold canned chicken, even though the waitress said it wasn't. Also on the wrap was hard to find bacon, cheese from a bag, ice berg lettuce all served on a cold plain flour tortilla. The lemonade was so sweet my children mentioned it to me! I hope this saves other families precious time and money.
(1)
Sasha S.
Any place associated to the words "food poisoning" tends to get a low review in my book. Watch out for the crab dip.
(1)
Ed D.
Really enjoyed the Wurst platters. Great location and our server was wonderful.
(4)
Brandi Q.
Bad, Bad, Bad. The food was ok. The only reason I gave it A star at all is because out waitress was so nice. I ordered a margarita and agreed to the $2 up charge to keep the souvenir glass. When it arrived the "glass" was plastic so I said I didn't want it. The manager said he couldn't refund the money because they can't was the plastic glass and resell it. I think that is bad management to not refund my money when we had drinks from the bar, appetizers an entrees. In fact the manager didn't even come out and talk to us. A table by us had a problem as well and the manager just kept making the waitress middle man the situation. The food is just not worth the bad management.
(1)
Paul D C.
The menu was not bad, but all we had was an appetizer. The crab dip was pretty good. It came with chips and wheat crackers. The beer selection was kinda weak for being a TAVERN in a German town. Standard slightly high end stuff, plus out of nowhere they have Chimay Blue. The wine selection was not bad though. Of course, it's not hard to have a good wine selection when you are one mile from a winery. Almost everything in Helen has a larger than average wine menu. We did sit 3 ft from the river! That was nice. Helen has more to offer though.
(3)
Bryan W.
My wife and I decided to dine here on our first night in Helen. We decided to settle for a seat inside because the patio was very crowded, and we hoped it would be a bit cooler. It was, but without the view of the river, we didn't enjoy ourselves as much...plus, we were seated right by an open door, which kind of defeats the purpose of being inside. The food was OK, for bar food...but if you're expecting restaurant quality, you should probably try somewhere else. My meatball sandwich was OK, and had some really LARGE meatballs, and my wife enjoyed the onion rings that came with her Southwestern Wrap. The number of flies in the indoor section was pretty astounding. (see above, we were right by an open door) We actually had a couple near us get up and leave because of them. We just shooed them off, but it did get a little annoying. If either my wife or I drank beer, this would probably be an OK place to have one, but since neither of us do....meh.
(2)
Emma J.
The only positive thing about this place was the bartender who was very nice and chatty. Food was freezing and uncooked, sent it back and it came back again with the mushrooms, onions and peppers still uncooked. How do you screw up a philly cheese steak? The price for the quality of the food was insane it cost $16. If you are going to go here, just drink and enjoy the river view. Don't waste your money on the food.
(1)
Zack M.
The food was pretty good. This place has the best view outside of the river anywhere in Helen. The inside area is like a dump so try to sit outside.
(4)
Joe C.
The best thing about this place is that it's located right on the river. The second best thing is that you can get a bloody-mary (full bar) right on the river. Other than that, not much else to say about it. Our waitress was nice, but a few of the other staff were just rude. Food was mediocre. Overall, decent if you want to be outside, but other than that I'd try someplace else.
(2)
Greg M.
Great riverside seating, the rest is forgettable except... The onion rings are damn near perfection.
(2)
Christopher C.
When me and my family first visited Helen, GA; we fell in love with the food and the restaurant. We would go there three to four times in the four days we would be vacationing. However, over the last couple of years, the food has considerably declined. I went back to Helen for the fourth of July and decided to give The Troll one more chance. We got seated fairly fast and the service was friendly. But then came the food. My sister-in-law got the shrimp po boy and there was hardly any shrimp on it. My wife got the sausage platter and it tasted as if it had been microwaved right out of the freezer. My parents split the wiener schnitzel platter and I got one for myself. Instead of the nice, meaty, and a good sized portion; there were two VERY SMALL patties that had hardly any meat on them. They were tough, chewy and, again, tasted like they were microwaved right out of the freezer. The platter cost $17 but should only cost about $8. I love German food and this place has the worst German food I have ever tasted. I am sad to see this place go so far downhill. If anyone wants good food, my favorite places in Helen are: The Tavern (pizza), and Old Heidelberg (German).
(1)
Tom N.
C'mon 16 dollars for chicken fingers! Really? I got the hot dog with chili on it and some fries and it was pretty good, however probably worth about 4 dollars not the 7.50 or whatever it was. The water smelled funky tasted funky, was funky! I bet nobody has ever gone to this place twice. There is a reason that Wendys was packed out those people must have been to the Troll Tavern before. Troll Tavern thumbs down!
(2)
Jody B.
I've been to the troll several times, and I've never been disappointed. However, I do get the same thing everytime I go: chilli cheese fries and onion rings. It's kinda hard to mess up those two. The onion ringers are some of the best I've ever had. I've tried their reubens and the grilled chicken sandwich, and they were good. Based on the experiences I've had, I'm surprised that it got so many negative reviews.
(4)
Tammy K.
2 Stars for the River View and watcing of tubers. The food is over priced. Wait time for food was bad and served cool. The Server was not friendly but was went out of his way for a couple sitted behind our table. I'm sure he got the message in the tip we left. I was very disappointed. I visit Helen often on and off season. Next time I will visit the other eatings places located on the river.
(2)
Jimmy R.
I had a very good grilled Reuben here and you can't beat the location in Hlen
(3)
The W.
Good food while tubers float by in the river... What else can I say?
(4)
Amanda W.
The only good thing about The Troll Tavern is that it has outdoor sitting next to a river. Drinking a pitcher of beer and watching rednecks float down the river on neon colored intertubes proved to be fairly enjoyable. Especially when one of them gets stuck or flips over. Even though Helen is this cheesy German themed town, the Troll's selection of German beer is crap. I didn't try any of the food. They have your typical bar food and some German food. I don't know if I would trust the quality of the German food from a place that also serves quesadillas.
(2)
Octalena T.
My family and I went here and we enjoyed it. The food was decent and the view was nice.
(4)
Karim H.
Wow, this is the slowest service we've ever had, one girl for all the restaurant and completely overwhelmed. Food was nothing special, we had the ribeye steak and blackened chicken. Steak was so dry we had to dip it in ranch. Ironically the only thing that I thought is the cole slow . If you are in the area do yourself a favor and don't eat here.
(1)
Michael C.
Had an awesome experience. The waitress was extremely attentive and the seating was phenomenal by the river. The chili dog, chicken tenders and open faced prime rib sandwich were great! The experience was one I expect from any restaurant will most certainly be returning. Was quite entertaining watching people struggle down the river on tubes.
(5)
S W.
I had brats and beer, which are pretty hard for a restaurant to screw up. The setting, right on the river, was greasy which made this a solid three star. Helen, GA has crappy food in general, so this place did well against its competition.
(3)
Robert A.
Terrible experience - we' ll never go back
(1)
Rusty T.
This place used to be a 5. The last time I was there, the ribs were tough and the food was sub-par. They stopped selling full racks of rib for dinner. RIDICULOUS. Unfortunately the reviews are continuing to put this place down. I just wish they'd go back to the deals they used to have and the quality that I remember. Until then, we"ll be eating elsewhere.
(3)
Mellie P.
Given the other reviews about the food, I guess it was a good idea to stick with the same order every time. The Troll was a favorite spot, we always sat riverside and ordered the artichoke dip and the prime rib. Tasty enough! The service was always fine, though when I requested a four-top table once I did not appreciate the condescending response that couples get two-tops and tables for four or more get the bigger tables. Yeah, I know that, I was a waitress. As a waitress I also gave the customer what they requested, as long as they were willing to wait for it. But I can't blame the ignorant actions of one stupid waitress on the whole restaurant. Always entertaining hanging out for a few beers inside to listen to the singing country boy. Good times, good times.
(4)
Leena D.
Not any vegetarian options. The location is great! Food is OK.
(2)
Chris R.
Just ate there 2 hours ago, and truly think they should be arrested for serving such filth. I've seen better food at a gas station in hell.
(1)
Amanda H.
Got the prime rib, a baked potato, and a garden salad. I also had a bottled Erginger Hefe-Weizen beer with an orange slice. Nothing about this food got me excited besides the beer. A bit on the pricey side for what they offered. All of the German options were typical pork sausages. It is by the river which can be nice, but do factor in that flies will be swarming if you eat outside. Oh, and they only have a one stall bathroom so I waited about 10 min in line to use it.
(2)
Kat B.
I give The Troll a 3 star because I do plan to visit again down the road. I've never had a problem with the food here myself and being that I'm am pretty much a local, I've visited a lot. Yes, the waitstaff can be a bit lost in the way they conduct business. I actually had one waitress that actually had the nerve to ask about the tip my husband planned to leave. He pretty much had the change to pay the bill and did so leaving the extra buck left on the tip tray. We weren't even finished drinking our brews, nor putting out the additional money for a tip, when the waitress asked if her service was bad enough for only a dollar tip! Dang woman! We were still at the table, hubby in the bathroom, and not even ready to leave when she approached me with this question. This has never happened to me before. In any case she did only get that $1.00 and 10 cent tip at that point; we always tip 20% - 30% if the service is wonderful as we believe more is deserved. That poor woman would have been coming back to thank us, at least I hope, had she not jumped the gun with her question/comment type of thing which I can't even place a name for. I have to say that I've never left such a lousy tip, then I've never had such a lousy question/comment and the timing of it presented to me in the way it was. The river seating is really nice and can be very entertaining in itself too. The bathroom, well I'll leave that to your imagination because I'd rather take a little dip in that river when needed if you know what I mean.
(3)
Suzy N.
We went in the winter and sat inside. It was old and tired looking and the wings weren't good. It was kind of depressing sitting in there, perhaps if we were there in the summer, sitting out on the patio watching the rednecks get stuck in the rocks on the Hooch, we would have enjoyed it more.
(2)
Ted D.
Do not recommend. One of our party returned their 'pre-eaten' meal. Manager refused to not bill the item, was belligerent and called the local police!! Unbelievable lack of customer service.
(1)
Laura R.
This isn't really restaurant quality food. But it does have a full bar unlike the International Cafe across the street. The service seems hit or miss. If nothing else, it is a great location on the river.
(2)
Jennifer N.
Most of the fun at the Troll Tavern involves sitting by the river, sipping imported German beer and laughing at the tubers. Since I was there in December I had only the ambiance inside the restaurant and that's not much to speak of: fake newspaper print tablecloths, grumpy wait staff and a giant mirror to make it look bigger inside. The burger was half-pound of ground beef on a Kaiser bun with lettuce, tomato, & onion. It had a lot more flavor than I imagined it would but that isn't saying much. I did like the really fresh onion but I was still hungry after nibbling on this hors d'oeuvre. Stick to the beer when you are here unless nothing else is open which is how I ended up there.
(2)
Nicole V.
Simply put the staff sucked, the food mediocre at best, and who the hell would pay 16.99 for a Chicken finger meal? I ordered the cheese steak (SHOCKER!) since it clearly stated on the menu that it came topped w/ mushrooms and WHITE American Cheese (my fave). The bun was dry, the meat was bland, and the cheese not melted enough. The fries were the only good thing about my meal. I gave the Troll a second star only because my girlfriend said her Ruben was pretty good "not the best but not the worst" was how she described it. I liked that i was able to sit outside by the river on a beautiful chill day in November but ultimately I wouldn't eat here again. A friend who was there that day text to let us know they were at the Troll earlier and they thought it sucked too! Wish I got that text a little bit sooner.
(2)
Dustin W.
I got the fish and chips easy order. It was just bland on top of the server asking every 2 seconds if we were ok. I really could've done without this meal. Great view though.
Nasty. Pretty location but nasty. Too bad! A decent stop for a few beers but otherwise, don't waste your money. It really is too bad. It seems that its a universal truism- places that draw a crowd because of their location really don't even try but it sure would be nice if they did.
(1)
Jamie C.
The beer was cold and that's the best thing about our meal. The German potato salad was from a can, so was the cabbage. I could have gone to Euro foods and got the same thing. Our server was good, but I felt sorry for her. The hostess sat her with 5 tables in a row. Who does that?
(2)
Brian A.
My sister and her husband re-newed their vows last summer, and we decided to not go extravagant so we decided on Troll Tavern for dinner with the whole family. Okay, the food was just okay, but I didnt expect any different. Burgers and fries, cant really go wrong much there. Here's what bothered me: The place was filthy! Every 5 seconds a fly would land on my food, and im not talking about one fly, oh no, it was infested with flies, i felt like i was sitting in a huge pile of cow manueur. The server took forever, i had to wait 15 mins to get my long island ice tea and we had to wait an hour to get the food that was already half eaten by those damn flies. I do like that it sits right on the river, unfortunately we were barracaded in the hull of the restaurant, so if you go there try to sit outside, its much nicer. I think I know why its called "Troll Tavern", it's where trolls go to take a shit inside.
(2)
Douglas O.
The location trumps the food hands down. I settled for indoors, which was like a Troll Tavern, and enjoyed the queso and chips. The menu was not overly appealing, the beer they had for fall was mediocre. Our waitress returned often, seeing if we wanted to know more. Very cheesy themed bar.
(3)
Andy P.
Food was okay but more than a little xpensive for what you get. The crab and artichoke dip was right out of a plastic tub from the grocery store - no doubt about it. The appetizer buffalo chicken strips were good - but cost $12 for about 5 strips. Service was acceptable but not great. Parking was sort of a pain. I doubt we'll be back. Helen was just a sad little place - not at all what I expected - and the Troll was sadder than some other places.
(2)
Andy F.
Good beer offerings. Great location where you can watch people bust their butts while tubing by the rocks... I know I did when I tubed past here. The menu was a bit disappointing... the basics of German fare with greasy American fare. However, they did a good job cooking what they offered.... nothing special, but you got what you expected.
(3)
Lindsey H.
Every year, my friends and I get together for some Helen, Ga Oktoberfest and eat at the Troll every time. It can be inconsistent, but it is on the river and you can watch people float by on their tubes, its gets pretty entertaining at times, especially with all the bumble F rednecks everywhere. Also, the drinks are pretty good, and the brats are yummy, what else would one eat in Helen? Their steak fries are always good, but the last time I went they had some weird nasty store bought crappy fries, but I found out that they just ran out of the regular stuff and would get the oldies back soon.
(2)
John A.
Overpriced tourist trap. The seats on the river looked nice but it was misting when we went. We say inside at the bar. The Bartender was cool - but the prices were unnecessarily higher than other places just as touristy. The food looked average (we didn't eat). Also - lots of dude-bro's during Octoberfest. Seems to be a spot for UGA students during fall break. There are better options in the village.
(2)
Megan R.
Went here with my boyfriend. It was pretty good. We both had hamburgers and I had a frozen Margarita. He ordered two beers and somehow It was $60. It was a beautiful view but the prices need to be lowered.
(3)
Wesley S.
First, I'll list the great perk of this bar and grill. It's riverside location in Helen, GA is very scenic and beautiful. You can enjoy indoor/outdoor dining, while watching floaters tube the river for fun. If you're looking for a standard beer or drink, with a nice view, I suggest giving the Troll Tavern a shot. Now when it comes to the food items, the menu quality is VERY much below average. I tried a few different appetizers, as well as the "traditional German fare"... Not tasty at all!! It the food was average, I'd offer a two star rating. But, I'm pushing to offer 1.5 stars.
(1)
Nicole K.
We stopped here for lunch before leaving town. We were seated by the river so we could enjoy the tubers and river. I had a Philly burger no bun with the biggest loaded potato I've ever had and cold slaw. The services was friendly and fast. We didn't have to wait overly long for our food or ask more then once for extra plates or napkins. The menu was over priced and nothing special but it was nice being in the shade.
(5)
Laurie R.
We enjoyed the food, but the service had issues during our visit for lunch. We only saw our waitress when she took our order and brought our drinks. Our coffee was brought to us in styrofoam cups with lids, which we thought was odd. We stopped another waiter to ask for water and coffee refills, but he never came back. Someone else brought us the bill.
(3)
Doug G.
I was wondering around the square area on a Tuesday night while trying to find a good beer and a brat...along comes The Troll Tavern just in time. Tucked under the bridge, located directly on the hooch with an amazing outdoor seating area coupled with extensive indoor seating combined with a pool/dart area. I was alone and wanted to belly up to a bar, so I ended up inside. Their menu has a even mix of offerings, but I was interested in the German fare. I quickly honed in on the Bratwurst platter and placed my order quickly. Once the important part was done, I gave the bartender full reign of my drink order and he did well. He served me a locally brewed beer that was great on its own and even better with the brat, kraut and potatoes. I was there for a while and it started to near closing time, a time that most bartenders would start to be short with and skooch their patrons out the door...however this bartender was more talkative, entertaining and welcoming as the night went on. Its a rarity that you really feel welcome in a bar setting, but this guy made it happen. I had to go with 5 stars here, as there was nothing that detracted from my night outside of the time it took to find the place. I will be back in the area in September and you best believe that Troll Tavern is on the schedule.
(5)
Erin C.
This is a cool place to get some drinks and/or food while enjoying a great view of the Chattahoochee. We started off with beer and cocktails and ended up deciding to eat here. The drinks and service were great, and the food ended up being pretty good, too. What we ordered: Pretzel Appetizer ($4) Bratwurst Platter ($13) Knockwurst Platter ($13) Buffalo Tenders Appetizer ($10) You can get one pretzel for $4 or two for $7. Comes with honey mustard or cheese, we just got both. Tastes fine, just like what you would expect a pretzel to taste like. We ordered the Bratwurst Platter & Knockwurst Platter off their "German Fare" menu. All the German Fare entrees come with German potato salad, red cabbage, sauerkraut, and rye bread. This was my first time trying German food. I thought the Bratwurst was pretty good, and I loved the red cabbage. I didn't care for the Knockwurst, it just tasted like hot dog. We ate here with our German friend who said all Knockwurst tastes like that. He also mentioned that their German potato salad was probably the most bland he's ever had. I thought it was okay. The portion sizes are generous. My girlfriend and I shared the pretzel and Bratwurst platter, and we both left full.
(4)
George W.
Absolutely terrific food, portions were amazing. House salad was enough for three. Slightly warm on patio so we went inside. Cooler but had to be pestered by some flies due to doors being open. For the price worth every nickel. Will return
(5)
Tony F.
Avoid this place. Great view of the river -beer is cold -so if that all you want then go otherwise don't eat the FOOD. We had the Bratwurst platter-all canned side and lack any flavor at all-brats were soggy and mussy! The ruben was the sane -loads of bread and meat was gross. Stay away if your hungry--there are so many other places to spend your time and money!
(2)
Roz S.
Service was good, fast and friendly even on a busy night during sowo event. The patio was packed but we didn't have a wait. Seated not by the river but still able to see it and view of the bridge. Food on the other hand is another story. My husband got the weinerschnitzel he said it tasted like the chicken patty from McDonald's. It was not an actual cutlet of veal but processed meat with plain seasoning. It looked like they got a frozen patty and just defrosted it. I got the wurst platter, it was okay the sauerkraut was bland and had no taste to it. Prices was very high, definite tourist trap. We're probably a bit bias since we've actually been to Germany and have eaten German food multiple times. To compare it with this place it's nothing like German food. More like a bland dried out American version would be an accurate description.
(1)
Michael F.
The food was greasy, cold, and unappealing. The river view is nice, and the facilities do have a tavern-like quality, but that's only good if you want a beer or two while watching the tubers. Otherwise, go find better food elsewhere.
(2)
Sandeep G.
The food is good but nothing extraordinary. The service is good. The best thing about this place is the location.
(3)
John AndLaura C.
Nice little joint under the bridge in Helen, a great place to sit on the patio and watch the tubers go by.
(4)
Tiffany M.
Not sure why everyone is so negative. Drinks were good. Had the sweet tea vodka and citrus drink. Yum! My husband had the bratwurst. It was very yummy. Came out piping hot and the sauerkraut was authentic. I had a club. Massive sandwich and the wheat berry toast was a nice touch. Very generous portions. Definitely sit outside by the creek.
(4)
A Barby B.
Not what we expected . The food was not the best in flavor. Very expensive for the quality of food we were served. Waitress was nice and friendly. However the sausages lacked flavor and the potatoes were not tasty. The fish and chips were cold and too many fries...not enough fish. We were not satisfied with dinner here.
(1)
Sue D.
Unhealthy overpriced, greasy food with no flavor, but what do you expect from a troll. Upside, you can sit by the river. Service was okay and restaurant seemed clean.
(1)
Brianna G.
Do not get the Philly cheese steak, when it came out the whole bottom bun was soggy. It had very little meat that was unfavorable. We had to ask the waiter for a new bun, but lost our appetite. When a waiter sees that you have a full plate of food and have to ask for a new bun they should at least ask if there was a problem which are's did not. I would not recommend eating here.
(1)
Tuong Vi P.
My review is going to be quite critical, as I brought along a Bavarian for the meal. The reason we landed at this place was because after driving in from Chamblee that morning, we were (1) starving, (2) liked how the breeze by the Chattahoochee River felt, and probably most fatally (3) could not use the Yelp app. If you can learn anything from my experience, take away that you need to jot down some notes about where you want to go before entering mountainous terrain. Since Helen is modeled after an Alpine village, we wanted to check out the city's German fare. I had been to Helen twice before and the other place I tried on one of the trips didn't have very good grub (note that I am aware that most of the places here do not serve up the most delicious and authentic German food). The only saving grace of the whole meal was the Paulaner Oktoberfest beer. Ed, my childhood friend who has been back in Germany for at least 12 years now, was ecstatic when he saw it on the menu and promptly ordered a 32-oz. serving. I stuck with my usual water and ordered a bratwurst on a bun with potato salad. Have I ever told you about my love for German potato salad? It must be my absolute favorite, as far as this type of salad goes, and the main reason has to be because the spuds are dressed in a vinegar-based sauce, rather than a mayonnaise-based one. Ed ordered the wienerschnitzel. What we got to really enjoy was the beautiful weather that afternoon, eating riverside. This part makes it worth it to come grab a beer and just enjoy the good life. When the food arrived, however, our idyllic time was slightly spoiled. I took a bite into my bratwurst then immediately let Ed try. For me, it wasn't bad, but I certainly wanted his opinion. "Too fatty. Way too fatty. No real German would eat that." I finished my sandwich because I was quite hungry but was relieved to know that I can get leaner sausages when I (plan to) visit him in Deutschland in a couple of years. The sad part of this all, you may imagine, was the potato salad. What a monstrous disappointment. So bland, there was nothing to speak of when biting into it. Honestly, there was a slight vinegar taste and the potatoes weren't overcooked but that's as much as I can tell you. Ed did not love his wienerschnitzel, mostly because the meat was GROUND! Aaaaahhhh! Nice service and decent ambiance by the river, if that's what you're looking for. I tipped over a humongous glass of water and the girl taking care of us was so good-natured about it that she herself earned the 2 stars. But food has to take the other half of the responsibility and in this case, it did not hold up its end of the bargain.
(2)
Brindley F.
We grabbed dinner here on a Monday in January. Clearly not the busy season for Helen, we were the only two customers in the restaurant. My Philly Cheese Burger was actually pretty good but my friend's Rueben Burger wasn't as lucky. Our server was average, not outgoing or sociable but she did a fine job or getting our orders and food to us quickly. The inside is a little tacky in my opinion. The plastic lined tables need updating as they've got a bit sticky. I get that Helen is a themed town... But it mostly had a vibe of myrtle beach in the mountains. I bet this place is much nicer in the Fall and summer months.
(3)
Scott B.
Decided to try given the location near the river. I had the chicken bacon ranch wrap. Not bad. Typical bar food. Staff was very nice and courteous. Come for the drinks and location. Food is just ok.
(3)
Joanna C.
The food is frozen based, not fresh. I ordered a hot buffalo chicken tenders and they just handed me chicken tenders with a small side of hot sauce. The chicken wrap had the ranch on the side and wasn't evenly proportioned. We arrived at 11:15 on a sunday ordered beer and was told alcohol isn't served until 12:30. Understood, however 12:30 came around and the drinks took an addition 15 minutes because they had to change the keg. You had an hour to change the keg and you wait until alcohol time to delay our drink order. On top of that they advertise a souvenir cup with an order of 32oz beer, which is PLASTIC. We were immediately seated, our server was friendly and attentive and the reason why they received the 2 Stars. Other then that, we will never being eating here again.
(2)
Dan D.
Service was good. Food is not good at all. Really not good people. There are so many places to eat in Helen. The view is nice but did I mention the food isn't good yet?
(2)
John W.
My wife and I recently visited Helen. We decided to walk through the city and, by lunch, we ended up at The Troll Tavern. We asked to be seated inside even though most of the patrons seemed to be enjoying being outside. We had a server with us within seconds. She was quite friendly and attentive to our needs. The food arrived quickly and was terrific. We started with the giant pretzel. My wife went for the bratwurst platter while I had the fish and chips. Had no problem with the food at all. Quite tasty. Overall, I had no complaints and we enjoyed out visit to The Troll Tavern. If we come back to Helen, we will definitely eat here again.
(5)
Shannon M.
I'm using the three stars here as Yelp describes--this restaurant was fine. I've eaten here twice on two different occasions. The first time, I got takeout; today I dined in at lunch with a party of three. The wait staff were busy. One explained that we had come in on a day that they had only three servers (or three servers had called in? Understaffed is the point). Still, we had to prompt the waiter twice for drinks. My grandmother had the mushroom and swiss burger. She ordered the burger well but found it burnt. Obviously the distinction between well and burnt is a subtle one, but that was her experience. My mother ordered the buffalo chicken salad and an appetizer of cheese fries. The fries: not fabulous but decent. Slightly overdone basic fries with a little seasoning and melted Monterey Jack cheese. Mom adored her salad. I had the buffalo wrap, which (like the burgers) comes with a bag of chips. I enjoyed it. The heat was about the right amount; the pre-packaged ranch dressing was a solid complement to the spice. Despite feeling hungry when I entered and thinking there wasn't much to the wrap, it was deceptively hearty. I didn't quite finish and didn't even open the chip bag. Is it overpriced? Well, yes, of course; it's in Helen. The waitstaff seemed fine and I do believe they'd have been solid on any other day. Since the food was a bit hit-and-miss, especially considering the prices (more than $30 for the meal), three stars seems fair.
(3)
Radoslav N.
The WORST!!! place I have ever had the misfortune of dining at! Horrible food - I guess no one told them that a Schnitzel is made of a whole piece of veal and not of a disgusting ground "meet" that resembles whatever's in Mc Donalds' Mc Nuggets, only WORSE! ($20 nugget meet...) Awful staff - we got offered to switch our schnitzel sides for simple french fries and were charged $2 extra per plate in the end - without being warned about it and without receiving the regular side of the dish (not extra fries, but just fries instead of sauerkrout and potato salad) Before opening a "German style" restaurant it is not a bad idea to actually take your time and travel to Germany - your cooking sucks!
(1)
Melissa B.
Saturday April 5th, T Tony and I was walking around the Alpine Bavarian (faux Germany) village of Helen, Ga..enjoying the buzz of the tourist and their kids everywhere. I wish there was some Oompa music playing..tons of bars/restaurants and gift shops...lol !!! To me it is Gatlinburg but with a Germany Theme...lol!! We went down the stairs to the waters edge near the bridge basin to the TROLL TAVERN bar and grill below the bridge area near the waters edge..People were wading in the cold water fishing and jumping on the rocks..too cold for my blood. Apparently, this is a high Tubing area in the summer.. There was no tables available outside so went inside the dark damp restaurant to the bar area...I ordered a soda..what is wrong with these people, even this soda is too watery to drink at $3 a glass...rip off!!! Tony ordered a draft pint of Murphy's Irish Stout...very very dark and bitter. I didn't like it at all. I couldn't drink that even if I had too.. We finished our drinks and left...$11 for two drinks????? with taxes...what???? No more Trolls Tavern for me...I will let the Tourist have it...
(3)
Virginia C.
This place is very good! Food taste great, good size portion and people is kind and attentive. Definitely a good choice for our first night in Helen!
(3)
Jessica B.
Gave a one star because I cannot give zero. Flies EVERYWHERE when I spoke with the manager his response was the flies were here before me. Flies landing on us, the food, everywhere.
(1)
Billy B.
Horrible service, we sat for an hour with no food and no refills. We asked for our bill after an hour of no-one coming to our table and a waitress brought the bill and threw it on the table and walked away. No sorry, no its on the way or nothing. Not someplace I will ever have to go back to while in Helen.
(1)
Tom G.
This place was good. Nothing spectacular but we had a solid experience. Good service. There are plenty the of things to choose from on the menu.
(3)
Clint V.
Not the best place to go but not the worst either. We had coffee which was probably filtered through the troll's sock. But then who goes to a bar and orders coffee right? To eat, the German fare is good; nice brat- and knackwurst. I had the Philly steak sandwich which wasn't bad. Best part about the place is the service (waitresses are great) and the ambiance, sitting river side with the cool, fresh country air in your lungs. It's worth a bash, but I wouldn't rush back.
(3)
Chad S.
While visiting Helen, GA mainly for the Helen tubing earlier in the day decided too walk around Main St get feel for Helen. The friends went with never been here so decided too give the place shot for lunch besides the fact have great view of the all the tubers coming down the river. The only thing really worth noting is the location and getting the view of everyone enjoying themselves on beautiful day in Helen. Everything about the food was sub par too even the service and although sitting on the patio was great not enough. I ordered the combo wurst platter for lunch. Helen name comes from country of Germany. All along Main St you can feel that german influence from the architecture and some of the restaurants along downtown. So decided when in Germany go with the sausage. It was two kinds of sausage. It was ok but not much flavor and did not have that german feel of a good old Bratwurst. The worst part was the potatoes as one of the sides. It literally was had no flavor. Just felt like peeled, sliced, and blanched potatoes. It had no real sauce if you consider onions and whatever dried herbs they added for seasonings. The Sauerkraut was also bland. The two sliced of bread came with the dish really made no sense. Overall not great lunch in really nice city. Sure would check out other restaurants before would come here. The service only thing must note is started off great. Once we got our food our waiter was no where too be found. We had too wait longer until reached point that we just asked another waiter for our bill. When we left never saw him. I understand if in shift change but would be polite too tell your guest that fact.
(2)
Nicole C.
I ordered the cheesesteak sandwich and it was painfully salty. I couldn't finish it. The onion rings were under seasoned but the breading was thin and crispy however, the onions were too thin. The view of the river is wonderful. The service was fast and decent. Someone in our party ordered the chicken fingers which were okay as was the BLT.
(3)
Mark H.
Food was not prepared well and way over seasoned and undercooked, but the wait staff and scenic view were great. Would not dine here again...
(2)
Richard T.
Stopped in and had a few cold beers, the beer was good the prices not so much! 4 beers and a sweet tea $40.00. the location is cool and the people on tubes are entertaining, but they pack so many people into such a tight space it makes for close quarters.
(3)
TravelWorkPlayK B.
When I go to Helen, I lower my expectations. However, this place was solid! I got the jalapeño burger and my date got the chicken wrap. Both very very good! We also got the beer mug special, which is probably not nearly worth the price but ensured us a great time! Our server was AWESOME. I think his name was Eric. Super friendly, super attentive, even took a bottle of beer back because I didn't know about the beer mug special. We sat in the dining room overlooking the river. There were flies, but...again...lowered expectations. We'd go back in a pinch, but we're not going to hurry back. -e
(3)
nicole r.
The service was OK, I'm pretty sure it was a manager. Our server was too busy so he had to takeover, that was his excuse. The food is average at best. There are flies everywhere if you sit outside, yet, right across the river at Cafe International there were no flies. Overpriced, bland food. Dine elsewhere.
(2)
Mark L.
The main reason I see to visit this restaurant is the location. It sits right in the heart of Helen alongside the Chattahoochee River. It's pleasant to sit at their outdoor tables and watch the flowing river with vacationers tubing down the river. I have eaten here a few times over the years, and just today decided to visit Helen and stopped at the Troll Tavern for lunch. Apart from the location, the restaurant itself is just so-so. I ordered the Bratwurst platter. The two Bratwurst were OK, but the potato salad that came with it was totally bland. I had no complaints about the sauerkraut or red cabbage, but it's hard to mess those up. They have about 12 beers on tap, but not a really outstanding selection. For a restaurant in this German-themed town, their German drafts were minimalistic. The service was good, but could have been improved. I really needed a second drink around the time I got my meal, but by the time the waiter came around to ask if I wanted another drink, I had already finished my meal. I may visit this restaurant again, but next time I visit Helen I think I'll give another restaurant a try.
(3)
Jackie K.
The food was average nothing special. We ordered drinks and appetizer. We decided to share a sandwich and was charged extra 2.00 for empty plate.
(1)
Tara G.
The location is nice, but that's it! Food is awful and overpriced. Chips and salsa are just cheap jarred salsa and cold bagged chips and cost a fortune. Sandwiches, even burgers, come with potato chips instead of fries, and fries cost $2 extra. What the hell? Their burgers are THE worst burgers I've ever eaten in my life. They don't even taste like beef. They must be half soy, or half goat, or maybe half troll? Nasty! I've had better burgers out of hospital vending machines reheated in the microwave -- NO JOKE! Absolutely horrendous. We won't be back. Ever. EVER!
(1)
Chip D.
Great spot by the river to grab a lunch. I had the shrimp po boy and the wife had the turkey Ruben. Both where really good.
(4)
Stephanie W.
Great, picturesque place! We ate inside to watch the football game, the crowd was animated and it was very fun. I got the sausage combo platter, which was ok but didn't come out very hot so wasn't as tasty as it could've been. The menu was very bar food. I think there was only 1 waiter at the time in our big area and he was really workin' the room- always available. The collectible beer mug was a nice keepsake. I wish we could've visited at night and sat outside... and maybe tried a different dish!
(3)
Lisa C.
Overpriced but decent food, our service was so slow we couldn't get anything extra. Had to ask gentleman at the host station to get our tab.
(2)
Janette C.
This place was pretty good for a tourist town actually. The entire town sells these large plastic mugs that you get a deal on when you refill your beer. Pretty sweet and we were staying close enough to walk to all the attractions (which I highly recommend). My fiance and I both tried some of the German style food and enjoyed what we had. It was Americanized a little but I think that is to be expected. We left full and satisfied. We went back a second time as well with our mugs for a refill :) Right outside the door is a bridge.....the troll bridge :) Didn't notice it the first time we walked down the steps but I saw it the second time and it was charming to me!
(4)
Megan P.
Came here on Memorial weekend, after a hot day out on the river tubes ! We were a table of 5. When we were seated, the waitress sat us at a table of 4, and added a chair. There was an empty room with obviously larger empty tables around. Not a big deal, we chose to move to a larger table on our own. We were shocked to see the menu prices so high, for average looking food. We ordered some drinks and appetizers. Expensive for what you are ordering, and less than average food. Our server Blake was great, and very attentive throughout our stay. I will not come back to eat here, but not a bad view for the river if you sit outside.
(2)
Samantha K.
Cool place to eat by all means, but the food is not all that- especially for the price. I didn't eat half of my plate because it was cold and it was just not appetizing. Disappointed because it was a packed restaurant.
(2)
MJ G.
I went to the Troll Tavern with my husband and baby to enjoy a lunch by the river. We were seated on the deck and got our drink order. Then I believe we were forgotten as no one offered us a refill or even took our food order. We had to get up and leave.
(1)
Kirk L.
I've eaten here twice - the food is 1 star, but the atmosphere/on river location and service bump it up to 2 stars. Our server this time recommended the Muffaletta over a burger. I sure hope it's not the better choice because it was not very good at all (and I had low expectations going in based on my first visit). I got onion rings with it, and they were nice and crispy, but bizarrely bland. The little lady got a reuben, which was fine, although it was pressed with a ton of butter, which masked the lack of "interior" flavor. In short, if they served this food in any major city, they'd be out of business very quickly because there are just too many better options.
(2)
Cem V.
service is great, atmosphere is awesome but the food is terrible. I have never felt heart burns before in my life. the food is so greasy, fatty you name it. I would not suggest anybody to eat but go for the beers
(1)
Heather J.
Ok! The food was delicious! Server was very nice! Great casual atmosphere! The only drawback would be that the sever had so many tables, that he was having to run around like crazy! You could tell he was doing the very best that he could! Felt sorry for him.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Street, Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Touristy Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Brian S.
First visit and I thought the food was very good. Service was good.
(4)Mrs. C.
We enjoyed the staff and the location. Outdoor seating can't be beat! Loved my Cajun shrimp wrap but food was pretty mediocre. Worth going if you're in a crunch but nothing fancy or unique about it. Still yummy and a fun place to go. Also very family and puppy friendly!
(3)Jenn T.
Went there on a Tuesday. Service was extremely slow. We were there a total of 2 hours with 2 kids. Server had to keep bringing crackers for the kids who were starving. We have eaten here before and sat outside on the patio to watch the tubers on the river and enjoyed it. Also our child has a peanut allergy and the small bags of chips they serve with the meal are made with peanut oil. We almost had a close call because I was tending to my crabby starving 1 year old when the food came and my daughter had opened the bag before I read the ingredients.
(2)Bill G.
Great setting and view of the river. More American than German. Nothing to recommend except the view.
(1)Jennifer V.
It was the winter season when my friend and I visited Helen and the Troll was one of the only restaurants open. The outdoor seating would be awesome during the warm summer, they had plenty of it right by the river. Obviously, we sat inside because of the cold. I ordered a sandwich and fries. The food was pretty awful and incredibly overpriced, but service was great. Wouldn't recommend.
(2)Teri S.
Ok, let me preface this by saying the last time I went here about 3-4 yrs ago, It was GREAT! We were there on Sat(3/16) and It was not so great! I ordered the expensive Rueben and german potato salad, 13.00 for this and worth about 5, Corned beef had so much fat on it that I couldnt eat it w/o picking it apart and potato salad was nothing to write home about. Drinks are real expensive for what you get, a daiquiri was $10.00. Also, there is one toilet for women, this is ridiculous as I had to wait in line every time to use it. The only good thing about this place is THE VIEW!! Be prepared to have a big tab for not so good food and drinks that are very weak.
(2)Jeremy H.
We stopped by this place as a last dinner with friends before leaving Helen. Most of the food was pretty typical American fare. They have a portion of their menu dedicated to German foods, but it was basically just bratwurst and knockwursts served on a bun or plate, or a reuben. The beer was good, we opted for the "souvenir" size mugs simply because it was the same price/volume as getting two drinks but with the cup thrown in. That said, there are more beer selections at other places in Helen. The staff was more than friendly and had lots of recommendations, though I still found the menu lacking originality. The theme is trolls, as you could guess, but it might as well have been Trees or Toys or Tiaras, as that's about as far as the theme goes. The outside seating next to the river is extensive, though we sat inside because of rain. The food was a little pricey for the privilege, and the theme was lacking. Stop by if you want to eat next to the river, but there are better experiences and better food elsewhere.
(3)Meg C.
I saw lots of bad reviews of this place ahead of time on both Yelp and other food/travel sites so I was a little wary to go here, but no worries. This place was PACKED!! It is right across the river from the Cafe International but they had both indoor/outdoor seating. Our server was just adorable and very attentive. We enjoyed our meal. I got a wrap, my friends got another sandwich, a burger, wings and they also shared a nacho app from what I recall. Try and snag a table by the river.
(4)BS B.
oy vey. shouldve put more weight into the reviews I read and avoided this place. Ive learned that any place that has a menu that long is buying their food frozen and reheating it. Yes.. indeed that is the Troll. Ordered a buffalo chicken wrap -- came out within 5 mins of ordering and came out cold. 10 mins later when my daughters were done with their hotdogs and fries (which seemed edible) -- my new wrap came out. Sadly? I think it tasted better cold. Now I got a wrap with dried out chicken. ugh. I will never stop by there again. should have taken the warning I got from the guy in the parking lots.
(1)Caitlin P.
The food was very mediocre and was really pricy. I would recommend coming here for drinks, and not food. I can't believe I payed $12 for a lousy wrap.
(2)Tara Y.
Ate here this week for a late lunch and overall it was good. I had the wurst platter and it was good although I did not care for the bratwurst (tasted kinda weird), but the knockwurst was good and the red cabbage and sauerkraut were delicious and the bread was so soft. My husband had the muffaletta and enjoyed it. Didn't finish it. We got the "tall" beer which turned out to be 32oz which was way more then we wanted. I wish he had told us how many ounces it had been to begin with. It was also $12 which blew my mind. We got to keep the plastic cup it came in and told we could come back for a cheaper reffill....which is very cool...except we want to try a different place in Helen for every meal.Normally we would be all over the refilling cup. My hubby has allergies and wanted to eat inside but the outside patio looked so relaxing! I love that part of the place. We will eat there again.
(4)Anthony S.
Nice menu selection of American and German fare plus a great view of the river and tubers. The food was really good and the kids were happy. They let us sit in the corner with our dog on the other side of the fence and even brought him water. Service was good, but prices were high.
(3)Adam I.
A good place for drinks, and that's it. My chicken tenders were clearly frozen and from the grocery store, as were the fries. And all that for $17. That being said, the outdoor atmosphere is nice, and the drinks are cheap; definitely a must stop-by during the Oktoberfest season.
(2)Bill E.
Yes A-OK. At least for lunch. The Buffalo chicken salad was above average with large portion of grilled chicken breast that had been tossed in sauce. Blue cheese crumbles, mixed summer greens (not iceberg lettuce) made for a tasty lunch. The price was $12 but it was very large and satisfying.
(3)Benjamin C.
This place is horrible. It's beyond dirty and the food we ordered came out burnt to a crisp. We sent it back, chugged our beers and happily hit the road.
(1)Steven C.
Great service, really good wings, and really great view of the river! I recommend u sit outside if you can!
(5)Sean K.
Make no mistake, this is a place best visited for its bar. The bartender was attentive, friendly, and offered us samples of anything we inquired about. After you eat in town, come here for a delicious pancake shot, and wash it down with one of their great drafts.
(4)Mike D.
Was ok. Best part of the meal was the fries, if that tells you anything. Be sure to sit by the water so can people watch as everyone floats by.
(3)Gregory H.
Good service. Food was questionable at best. Shrimp po boy had six tiny frozen shrimp on a hot dog bun $12. Kids tenders $8. Would not return.
(2)Leslie H.
Gorgeous, romantic atmosphere right on the stream under red umbrellas. Our waiter Boone was charming and efficient. Our food was on the table lightening fast. The souvenir cups will become our new beach cups. Definitely check this place out.
(5)Brandon B.
Absolutely no complaints about this place. I ordered a burger, my wife ordered a wrap, and our friend also ordered a wrap. The food arrived quickly, was prepared as we requested, and tasted great. The prices are fine when you consider you're eating in the center of a tourist town.
(5)Nicki B.
Fun atmosphere, pleasant staff, and tasty, if basic, food. We had 8 people in our party. Everyone ordered something different and we were all satisfied with our selections.
(3)Virginia G.
So we decided to try a drink and food sample at every restaurant on the strip we could get into and started here. It was a very cute place and we sat outside by the river. The service was prompt as was the food. Hubby got the wurst platter with bratwurst knockwurst and whatever other wurst they make (he's a meat eater) I just had some soup as it was quite chilly for us Floridians. The food was good and the place was fine until I had to go inside to use the restroom. Eek! Did my food come from that kitchen?? The place was worn down, run down, dirty, filthy carpets and looked like a college drinking bar. We ourselves did not have a bad experience there, but knowing what I know now of the place, I wouldn't go back for food, maybe drink, never food.
(2)Joseph G.
Great location and good service. Had the black bean chili and cheddar bacon fries...fries were mostly cheese and real bacon bits...overall it was decent.
(4)Bethany C.
If you want cold chicken that tastes a like its from a can then go to this place. We paid over a 100 dollars for a family of five. I ordered the chicken and beacon wrap for 12 dollars and then got fries for 2 dollars extra. The fries were the best thing in the plate. The wrap had cold canned chicken, even though the waitress said it wasn't. Also on the wrap was hard to find bacon, cheese from a bag, ice berg lettuce all served on a cold plain flour tortilla. The lemonade was so sweet my children mentioned it to me! I hope this saves other families precious time and money.
(1)Sasha S.
Any place associated to the words "food poisoning" tends to get a low review in my book. Watch out for the crab dip.
(1)Ed D.
Really enjoyed the Wurst platters. Great location and our server was wonderful.
(4)Brandi Q.
Bad, Bad, Bad. The food was ok. The only reason I gave it A star at all is because out waitress was so nice. I ordered a margarita and agreed to the $2 up charge to keep the souvenir glass. When it arrived the "glass" was plastic so I said I didn't want it. The manager said he couldn't refund the money because they can't was the plastic glass and resell it. I think that is bad management to not refund my money when we had drinks from the bar, appetizers an entrees. In fact the manager didn't even come out and talk to us. A table by us had a problem as well and the manager just kept making the waitress middle man the situation. The food is just not worth the bad management.
(1)Paul D C.
The menu was not bad, but all we had was an appetizer. The crab dip was pretty good. It came with chips and wheat crackers. The beer selection was kinda weak for being a TAVERN in a German town. Standard slightly high end stuff, plus out of nowhere they have Chimay Blue. The wine selection was not bad though. Of course, it's not hard to have a good wine selection when you are one mile from a winery. Almost everything in Helen has a larger than average wine menu. We did sit 3 ft from the river! That was nice. Helen has more to offer though.
(3)Bryan W.
My wife and I decided to dine here on our first night in Helen. We decided to settle for a seat inside because the patio was very crowded, and we hoped it would be a bit cooler. It was, but without the view of the river, we didn't enjoy ourselves as much...plus, we were seated right by an open door, which kind of defeats the purpose of being inside. The food was OK, for bar food...but if you're expecting restaurant quality, you should probably try somewhere else. My meatball sandwich was OK, and had some really LARGE meatballs, and my wife enjoyed the onion rings that came with her Southwestern Wrap. The number of flies in the indoor section was pretty astounding. (see above, we were right by an open door) We actually had a couple near us get up and leave because of them. We just shooed them off, but it did get a little annoying. If either my wife or I drank beer, this would probably be an OK place to have one, but since neither of us do....meh.
(2)Emma J.
The only positive thing about this place was the bartender who was very nice and chatty. Food was freezing and uncooked, sent it back and it came back again with the mushrooms, onions and peppers still uncooked. How do you screw up a philly cheese steak? The price for the quality of the food was insane it cost $16. If you are going to go here, just drink and enjoy the river view. Don't waste your money on the food.
(1)Zack M.
The food was pretty good. This place has the best view outside of the river anywhere in Helen. The inside area is like a dump so try to sit outside.
(4)Joe C.
The best thing about this place is that it's located right on the river. The second best thing is that you can get a bloody-mary (full bar) right on the river. Other than that, not much else to say about it. Our waitress was nice, but a few of the other staff were just rude. Food was mediocre. Overall, decent if you want to be outside, but other than that I'd try someplace else.
(2)Greg M.
Great riverside seating, the rest is forgettable except... The onion rings are damn near perfection.
(2)Christopher C.
When me and my family first visited Helen, GA; we fell in love with the food and the restaurant. We would go there three to four times in the four days we would be vacationing. However, over the last couple of years, the food has considerably declined. I went back to Helen for the fourth of July and decided to give The Troll one more chance. We got seated fairly fast and the service was friendly. But then came the food. My sister-in-law got the shrimp po boy and there was hardly any shrimp on it. My wife got the sausage platter and it tasted as if it had been microwaved right out of the freezer. My parents split the wiener schnitzel platter and I got one for myself. Instead of the nice, meaty, and a good sized portion; there were two VERY SMALL patties that had hardly any meat on them. They were tough, chewy and, again, tasted like they were microwaved right out of the freezer. The platter cost $17 but should only cost about $8. I love German food and this place has the worst German food I have ever tasted. I am sad to see this place go so far downhill. If anyone wants good food, my favorite places in Helen are: The Tavern (pizza), and Old Heidelberg (German).
(1)Tom N.
C'mon 16 dollars for chicken fingers! Really? I got the hot dog with chili on it and some fries and it was pretty good, however probably worth about 4 dollars not the 7.50 or whatever it was. The water smelled funky tasted funky, was funky! I bet nobody has ever gone to this place twice. There is a reason that Wendys was packed out those people must have been to the Troll Tavern before. Troll Tavern thumbs down!
(2)Jody B.
I've been to the troll several times, and I've never been disappointed. However, I do get the same thing everytime I go: chilli cheese fries and onion rings. It's kinda hard to mess up those two. The onion ringers are some of the best I've ever had. I've tried their reubens and the grilled chicken sandwich, and they were good. Based on the experiences I've had, I'm surprised that it got so many negative reviews.
(4)Tammy K.
2 Stars for the River View and watcing of tubers. The food is over priced. Wait time for food was bad and served cool. The Server was not friendly but was went out of his way for a couple sitted behind our table. I'm sure he got the message in the tip we left. I was very disappointed. I visit Helen often on and off season. Next time I will visit the other eatings places located on the river.
(2)Jimmy R.
I had a very good grilled Reuben here and you can't beat the location in Hlen
(3)The W.
Good food while tubers float by in the river... What else can I say?
(4)Amanda W.
The only good thing about The Troll Tavern is that it has outdoor sitting next to a river. Drinking a pitcher of beer and watching rednecks float down the river on neon colored intertubes proved to be fairly enjoyable. Especially when one of them gets stuck or flips over. Even though Helen is this cheesy German themed town, the Troll's selection of German beer is crap. I didn't try any of the food. They have your typical bar food and some German food. I don't know if I would trust the quality of the German food from a place that also serves quesadillas.
(2)Octalena T.
My family and I went here and we enjoyed it. The food was decent and the view was nice.
(4)Karim H.
Wow, this is the slowest service we've ever had, one girl for all the restaurant and completely overwhelmed. Food was nothing special, we had the ribeye steak and blackened chicken. Steak was so dry we had to dip it in ranch. Ironically the only thing that I thought is the cole slow . If you are in the area do yourself a favor and don't eat here.
(1)Michael C.
Had an awesome experience. The waitress was extremely attentive and the seating was phenomenal by the river. The chili dog, chicken tenders and open faced prime rib sandwich were great! The experience was one I expect from any restaurant will most certainly be returning. Was quite entertaining watching people struggle down the river on tubes.
(5)S W.
I had brats and beer, which are pretty hard for a restaurant to screw up. The setting, right on the river, was greasy which made this a solid three star. Helen, GA has crappy food in general, so this place did well against its competition.
(3)Robert A.
Terrible experience - we' ll never go back
(1)Rusty T.
This place used to be a 5. The last time I was there, the ribs were tough and the food was sub-par. They stopped selling full racks of rib for dinner. RIDICULOUS. Unfortunately the reviews are continuing to put this place down. I just wish they'd go back to the deals they used to have and the quality that I remember. Until then, we"ll be eating elsewhere.
(3)Mellie P.
Given the other reviews about the food, I guess it was a good idea to stick with the same order every time. The Troll was a favorite spot, we always sat riverside and ordered the artichoke dip and the prime rib. Tasty enough! The service was always fine, though when I requested a four-top table once I did not appreciate the condescending response that couples get two-tops and tables for four or more get the bigger tables. Yeah, I know that, I was a waitress. As a waitress I also gave the customer what they requested, as long as they were willing to wait for it. But I can't blame the ignorant actions of one stupid waitress on the whole restaurant. Always entertaining hanging out for a few beers inside to listen to the singing country boy. Good times, good times.
(4)Leena D.
Not any vegetarian options. The location is great! Food is OK.
(2)Chris R.
Just ate there 2 hours ago, and truly think they should be arrested for serving such filth. I've seen better food at a gas station in hell.
(1)Amanda H.
Got the prime rib, a baked potato, and a garden salad. I also had a bottled Erginger Hefe-Weizen beer with an orange slice. Nothing about this food got me excited besides the beer. A bit on the pricey side for what they offered. All of the German options were typical pork sausages. It is by the river which can be nice, but do factor in that flies will be swarming if you eat outside. Oh, and they only have a one stall bathroom so I waited about 10 min in line to use it.
(2)Kat B.
I give The Troll a 3 star because I do plan to visit again down the road. I've never had a problem with the food here myself and being that I'm am pretty much a local, I've visited a lot. Yes, the waitstaff can be a bit lost in the way they conduct business. I actually had one waitress that actually had the nerve to ask about the tip my husband planned to leave. He pretty much had the change to pay the bill and did so leaving the extra buck left on the tip tray. We weren't even finished drinking our brews, nor putting out the additional money for a tip, when the waitress asked if her service was bad enough for only a dollar tip! Dang woman! We were still at the table, hubby in the bathroom, and not even ready to leave when she approached me with this question. This has never happened to me before. In any case she did only get that $1.00 and 10 cent tip at that point; we always tip 20% - 30% if the service is wonderful as we believe more is deserved. That poor woman would have been coming back to thank us, at least I hope, had she not jumped the gun with her question/comment type of thing which I can't even place a name for. I have to say that I've never left such a lousy tip, then I've never had such a lousy question/comment and the timing of it presented to me in the way it was. The river seating is really nice and can be very entertaining in itself too. The bathroom, well I'll leave that to your imagination because I'd rather take a little dip in that river when needed if you know what I mean.
(3)Suzy N.
We went in the winter and sat inside. It was old and tired looking and the wings weren't good. It was kind of depressing sitting in there, perhaps if we were there in the summer, sitting out on the patio watching the rednecks get stuck in the rocks on the Hooch, we would have enjoyed it more.
(2)Ted D.
Do not recommend. One of our party returned their 'pre-eaten' meal. Manager refused to not bill the item, was belligerent and called the local police!! Unbelievable lack of customer service.
(1)Laura R.
This isn't really restaurant quality food. But it does have a full bar unlike the International Cafe across the street. The service seems hit or miss. If nothing else, it is a great location on the river.
(2)Jennifer N.
Most of the fun at the Troll Tavern involves sitting by the river, sipping imported German beer and laughing at the tubers. Since I was there in December I had only the ambiance inside the restaurant and that's not much to speak of: fake newspaper print tablecloths, grumpy wait staff and a giant mirror to make it look bigger inside. The burger was half-pound of ground beef on a Kaiser bun with lettuce, tomato, & onion. It had a lot more flavor than I imagined it would but that isn't saying much. I did like the really fresh onion but I was still hungry after nibbling on this hors d'oeuvre. Stick to the beer when you are here unless nothing else is open which is how I ended up there.
(2)Nicole V.
Simply put the staff sucked, the food mediocre at best, and who the hell would pay 16.99 for a Chicken finger meal? I ordered the cheese steak (SHOCKER!) since it clearly stated on the menu that it came topped w/ mushrooms and WHITE American Cheese (my fave). The bun was dry, the meat was bland, and the cheese not melted enough. The fries were the only good thing about my meal. I gave the Troll a second star only because my girlfriend said her Ruben was pretty good "not the best but not the worst" was how she described it. I liked that i was able to sit outside by the river on a beautiful chill day in November but ultimately I wouldn't eat here again. A friend who was there that day text to let us know they were at the Troll earlier and they thought it sucked too! Wish I got that text a little bit sooner.
(2)Dustin W.
I got the fish and chips easy order. It was just bland on top of the server asking every 2 seconds if we were ok. I really could've done without this meal. Great view though.
(2)Shelby R.
I had been a customer of Troll Tavern for six years; however, with this last visit I doubt we will return. My husband and I had lunch a few days ago at Troll Tavern. We ordered an appetizer of "nachos," and it looked like something out of a school cafeteria: cold, out-of-the-bag corn chips, cold and dry shredded cheese thrown on top with some lettuce, tomatoes, and a tablespoon (or less) of both chili and "queso" topped with two squeeze pouches of sour cream and a plastic cup of salsa. Not appetizing AT ALL. My husband enjoyed his entrée (it's hard to mess up a wrap,) and I ordered what I always ordered: The Wurst Platter. Unfortunately, both wursts were cold and not nearly as good as they used to be, and the "German Potato Salad" side tasted like someone dumped a can of sliced potatoes on a plate and added parsley (forgetting some very important seasonings and ingredients.) Our table was covered in red cabbage from the previous persons, and when I ordered water along with a beverage, the water tasted as if they had scooped it out of the Chattahoochee after a day of tubers going down it. We'll be going elsewhere from now on.
(2)Gretchen S.
Nasty. Pretty location but nasty. Too bad! A decent stop for a few beers but otherwise, don't waste your money. It really is too bad. It seems that its a universal truism- places that draw a crowd because of their location really don't even try but it sure would be nice if they did.
(1)Jamie C.
The beer was cold and that's the best thing about our meal. The German potato salad was from a can, so was the cabbage. I could have gone to Euro foods and got the same thing. Our server was good, but I felt sorry for her. The hostess sat her with 5 tables in a row. Who does that?
(2)Brian A.
My sister and her husband re-newed their vows last summer, and we decided to not go extravagant so we decided on Troll Tavern for dinner with the whole family. Okay, the food was just okay, but I didnt expect any different. Burgers and fries, cant really go wrong much there. Here's what bothered me: The place was filthy! Every 5 seconds a fly would land on my food, and im not talking about one fly, oh no, it was infested with flies, i felt like i was sitting in a huge pile of cow manueur. The server took forever, i had to wait 15 mins to get my long island ice tea and we had to wait an hour to get the food that was already half eaten by those damn flies. I do like that it sits right on the river, unfortunately we were barracaded in the hull of the restaurant, so if you go there try to sit outside, its much nicer. I think I know why its called "Troll Tavern", it's where trolls go to take a shit inside.
(2)Douglas O.
The location trumps the food hands down. I settled for indoors, which was like a Troll Tavern, and enjoyed the queso and chips. The menu was not overly appealing, the beer they had for fall was mediocre. Our waitress returned often, seeing if we wanted to know more. Very cheesy themed bar.
(3)Andy P.
Food was okay but more than a little xpensive for what you get. The crab and artichoke dip was right out of a plastic tub from the grocery store - no doubt about it. The appetizer buffalo chicken strips were good - but cost $12 for about 5 strips. Service was acceptable but not great. Parking was sort of a pain. I doubt we'll be back. Helen was just a sad little place - not at all what I expected - and the Troll was sadder than some other places.
(2)Andy F.
Good beer offerings. Great location where you can watch people bust their butts while tubing by the rocks... I know I did when I tubed past here. The menu was a bit disappointing... the basics of German fare with greasy American fare. However, they did a good job cooking what they offered.... nothing special, but you got what you expected.
(3)Lindsey H.
Every year, my friends and I get together for some Helen, Ga Oktoberfest and eat at the Troll every time. It can be inconsistent, but it is on the river and you can watch people float by on their tubes, its gets pretty entertaining at times, especially with all the bumble F rednecks everywhere. Also, the drinks are pretty good, and the brats are yummy, what else would one eat in Helen? Their steak fries are always good, but the last time I went they had some weird nasty store bought crappy fries, but I found out that they just ran out of the regular stuff and would get the oldies back soon.
(2)John A.
Overpriced tourist trap. The seats on the river looked nice but it was misting when we went. We say inside at the bar. The Bartender was cool - but the prices were unnecessarily higher than other places just as touristy. The food looked average (we didn't eat). Also - lots of dude-bro's during Octoberfest. Seems to be a spot for UGA students during fall break. There are better options in the village.
(2)Megan R.
Went here with my boyfriend. It was pretty good. We both had hamburgers and I had a frozen Margarita. He ordered two beers and somehow It was $60. It was a beautiful view but the prices need to be lowered.
(3)Wesley S.
First, I'll list the great perk of this bar and grill. It's riverside location in Helen, GA is very scenic and beautiful. You can enjoy indoor/outdoor dining, while watching floaters tube the river for fun. If you're looking for a standard beer or drink, with a nice view, I suggest giving the Troll Tavern a shot. Now when it comes to the food items, the menu quality is VERY much below average. I tried a few different appetizers, as well as the "traditional German fare"... Not tasty at all!! It the food was average, I'd offer a two star rating. But, I'm pushing to offer 1.5 stars.
(1)Nicole K.
We stopped here for lunch before leaving town. We were seated by the river so we could enjoy the tubers and river. I had a Philly burger no bun with the biggest loaded potato I've ever had and cold slaw. The services was friendly and fast. We didn't have to wait overly long for our food or ask more then once for extra plates or napkins. The menu was over priced and nothing special but it was nice being in the shade.
(5)Laurie R.
We enjoyed the food, but the service had issues during our visit for lunch. We only saw our waitress when she took our order and brought our drinks. Our coffee was brought to us in styrofoam cups with lids, which we thought was odd. We stopped another waiter to ask for water and coffee refills, but he never came back. Someone else brought us the bill.
(3)Doug G.
I was wondering around the square area on a Tuesday night while trying to find a good beer and a brat...along comes The Troll Tavern just in time. Tucked under the bridge, located directly on the hooch with an amazing outdoor seating area coupled with extensive indoor seating combined with a pool/dart area. I was alone and wanted to belly up to a bar, so I ended up inside. Their menu has a even mix of offerings, but I was interested in the German fare. I quickly honed in on the Bratwurst platter and placed my order quickly. Once the important part was done, I gave the bartender full reign of my drink order and he did well. He served me a locally brewed beer that was great on its own and even better with the brat, kraut and potatoes. I was there for a while and it started to near closing time, a time that most bartenders would start to be short with and skooch their patrons out the door...however this bartender was more talkative, entertaining and welcoming as the night went on. Its a rarity that you really feel welcome in a bar setting, but this guy made it happen. I had to go with 5 stars here, as there was nothing that detracted from my night outside of the time it took to find the place. I will be back in the area in September and you best believe that Troll Tavern is on the schedule.
(5)Erin C.
This is a cool place to get some drinks and/or food while enjoying a great view of the Chattahoochee. We started off with beer and cocktails and ended up deciding to eat here. The drinks and service were great, and the food ended up being pretty good, too. What we ordered: Pretzel Appetizer ($4) Bratwurst Platter ($13) Knockwurst Platter ($13) Buffalo Tenders Appetizer ($10) You can get one pretzel for $4 or two for $7. Comes with honey mustard or cheese, we just got both. Tastes fine, just like what you would expect a pretzel to taste like. We ordered the Bratwurst Platter & Knockwurst Platter off their "German Fare" menu. All the German Fare entrees come with German potato salad, red cabbage, sauerkraut, and rye bread. This was my first time trying German food. I thought the Bratwurst was pretty good, and I loved the red cabbage. I didn't care for the Knockwurst, it just tasted like hot dog. We ate here with our German friend who said all Knockwurst tastes like that. He also mentioned that their German potato salad was probably the most bland he's ever had. I thought it was okay. The portion sizes are generous. My girlfriend and I shared the pretzel and Bratwurst platter, and we both left full.
(4)George W.
Absolutely terrific food, portions were amazing. House salad was enough for three. Slightly warm on patio so we went inside. Cooler but had to be pestered by some flies due to doors being open. For the price worth every nickel. Will return
(5)Tony F.
Avoid this place. Great view of the river -beer is cold -so if that all you want then go otherwise don't eat the FOOD. We had the Bratwurst platter-all canned side and lack any flavor at all-brats were soggy and mussy! The ruben was the sane -loads of bread and meat was gross. Stay away if your hungry--there are so many other places to spend your time and money!
(2)Roz S.
Service was good, fast and friendly even on a busy night during sowo event. The patio was packed but we didn't have a wait. Seated not by the river but still able to see it and view of the bridge. Food on the other hand is another story. My husband got the weinerschnitzel he said it tasted like the chicken patty from McDonald's. It was not an actual cutlet of veal but processed meat with plain seasoning. It looked like they got a frozen patty and just defrosted it. I got the wurst platter, it was okay the sauerkraut was bland and had no taste to it. Prices was very high, definite tourist trap. We're probably a bit bias since we've actually been to Germany and have eaten German food multiple times. To compare it with this place it's nothing like German food. More like a bland dried out American version would be an accurate description.
(1)Michael F.
The food was greasy, cold, and unappealing. The river view is nice, and the facilities do have a tavern-like quality, but that's only good if you want a beer or two while watching the tubers. Otherwise, go find better food elsewhere.
(2)Sandeep G.
The food is good but nothing extraordinary. The service is good. The best thing about this place is the location.
(3)John AndLaura C.
Nice little joint under the bridge in Helen, a great place to sit on the patio and watch the tubers go by.
(4)Tiffany M.
Not sure why everyone is so negative. Drinks were good. Had the sweet tea vodka and citrus drink. Yum! My husband had the bratwurst. It was very yummy. Came out piping hot and the sauerkraut was authentic. I had a club. Massive sandwich and the wheat berry toast was a nice touch. Very generous portions. Definitely sit outside by the creek.
(4)A Barby B.
Not what we expected . The food was not the best in flavor. Very expensive for the quality of food we were served. Waitress was nice and friendly. However the sausages lacked flavor and the potatoes were not tasty. The fish and chips were cold and too many fries...not enough fish. We were not satisfied with dinner here.
(1)Sue D.
Unhealthy overpriced, greasy food with no flavor, but what do you expect from a troll. Upside, you can sit by the river. Service was okay and restaurant seemed clean.
(1)Brianna G.
Do not get the Philly cheese steak, when it came out the whole bottom bun was soggy. It had very little meat that was unfavorable. We had to ask the waiter for a new bun, but lost our appetite. When a waiter sees that you have a full plate of food and have to ask for a new bun they should at least ask if there was a problem which are's did not. I would not recommend eating here.
(1)Tuong Vi P.
My review is going to be quite critical, as I brought along a Bavarian for the meal. The reason we landed at this place was because after driving in from Chamblee that morning, we were (1) starving, (2) liked how the breeze by the Chattahoochee River felt, and probably most fatally (3) could not use the Yelp app. If you can learn anything from my experience, take away that you need to jot down some notes about where you want to go before entering mountainous terrain. Since Helen is modeled after an Alpine village, we wanted to check out the city's German fare. I had been to Helen twice before and the other place I tried on one of the trips didn't have very good grub (note that I am aware that most of the places here do not serve up the most delicious and authentic German food). The only saving grace of the whole meal was the Paulaner Oktoberfest beer. Ed, my childhood friend who has been back in Germany for at least 12 years now, was ecstatic when he saw it on the menu and promptly ordered a 32-oz. serving. I stuck with my usual water and ordered a bratwurst on a bun with potato salad. Have I ever told you about my love for German potato salad? It must be my absolute favorite, as far as this type of salad goes, and the main reason has to be because the spuds are dressed in a vinegar-based sauce, rather than a mayonnaise-based one. Ed ordered the wienerschnitzel. What we got to really enjoy was the beautiful weather that afternoon, eating riverside. This part makes it worth it to come grab a beer and just enjoy the good life. When the food arrived, however, our idyllic time was slightly spoiled. I took a bite into my bratwurst then immediately let Ed try. For me, it wasn't bad, but I certainly wanted his opinion. "Too fatty. Way too fatty. No real German would eat that." I finished my sandwich because I was quite hungry but was relieved to know that I can get leaner sausages when I (plan to) visit him in Deutschland in a couple of years. The sad part of this all, you may imagine, was the potato salad. What a monstrous disappointment. So bland, there was nothing to speak of when biting into it. Honestly, there was a slight vinegar taste and the potatoes weren't overcooked but that's as much as I can tell you. Ed did not love his wienerschnitzel, mostly because the meat was GROUND! Aaaaahhhh! Nice service and decent ambiance by the river, if that's what you're looking for. I tipped over a humongous glass of water and the girl taking care of us was so good-natured about it that she herself earned the 2 stars. But food has to take the other half of the responsibility and in this case, it did not hold up its end of the bargain.
(2)Brindley F.
We grabbed dinner here on a Monday in January. Clearly not the busy season for Helen, we were the only two customers in the restaurant. My Philly Cheese Burger was actually pretty good but my friend's Rueben Burger wasn't as lucky. Our server was average, not outgoing or sociable but she did a fine job or getting our orders and food to us quickly. The inside is a little tacky in my opinion. The plastic lined tables need updating as they've got a bit sticky. I get that Helen is a themed town... But it mostly had a vibe of myrtle beach in the mountains. I bet this place is much nicer in the Fall and summer months.
(3)Scott B.
Decided to try given the location near the river. I had the chicken bacon ranch wrap. Not bad. Typical bar food. Staff was very nice and courteous. Come for the drinks and location. Food is just ok.
(3)Joanna C.
The food is frozen based, not fresh. I ordered a hot buffalo chicken tenders and they just handed me chicken tenders with a small side of hot sauce. The chicken wrap had the ranch on the side and wasn't evenly proportioned. We arrived at 11:15 on a sunday ordered beer and was told alcohol isn't served until 12:30. Understood, however 12:30 came around and the drinks took an addition 15 minutes because they had to change the keg. You had an hour to change the keg and you wait until alcohol time to delay our drink order. On top of that they advertise a souvenir cup with an order of 32oz beer, which is PLASTIC. We were immediately seated, our server was friendly and attentive and the reason why they received the 2 Stars. Other then that, we will never being eating here again.
(2)Dan D.
Service was good. Food is not good at all. Really not good people. There are so many places to eat in Helen. The view is nice but did I mention the food isn't good yet?
(2)John W.
My wife and I recently visited Helen. We decided to walk through the city and, by lunch, we ended up at The Troll Tavern. We asked to be seated inside even though most of the patrons seemed to be enjoying being outside. We had a server with us within seconds. She was quite friendly and attentive to our needs. The food arrived quickly and was terrific. We started with the giant pretzel. My wife went for the bratwurst platter while I had the fish and chips. Had no problem with the food at all. Quite tasty. Overall, I had no complaints and we enjoyed out visit to The Troll Tavern. If we come back to Helen, we will definitely eat here again.
(5)Shannon M.
I'm using the three stars here as Yelp describes--this restaurant was fine. I've eaten here twice on two different occasions. The first time, I got takeout; today I dined in at lunch with a party of three. The wait staff were busy. One explained that we had come in on a day that they had only three servers (or three servers had called in? Understaffed is the point). Still, we had to prompt the waiter twice for drinks. My grandmother had the mushroom and swiss burger. She ordered the burger well but found it burnt. Obviously the distinction between well and burnt is a subtle one, but that was her experience. My mother ordered the buffalo chicken salad and an appetizer of cheese fries. The fries: not fabulous but decent. Slightly overdone basic fries with a little seasoning and melted Monterey Jack cheese. Mom adored her salad. I had the buffalo wrap, which (like the burgers) comes with a bag of chips. I enjoyed it. The heat was about the right amount; the pre-packaged ranch dressing was a solid complement to the spice. Despite feeling hungry when I entered and thinking there wasn't much to the wrap, it was deceptively hearty. I didn't quite finish and didn't even open the chip bag. Is it overpriced? Well, yes, of course; it's in Helen. The waitstaff seemed fine and I do believe they'd have been solid on any other day. Since the food was a bit hit-and-miss, especially considering the prices (more than $30 for the meal), three stars seems fair.
(3)Radoslav N.
The WORST!!! place I have ever had the misfortune of dining at! Horrible food - I guess no one told them that a Schnitzel is made of a whole piece of veal and not of a disgusting ground "meet" that resembles whatever's in Mc Donalds' Mc Nuggets, only WORSE! ($20 nugget meet...) Awful staff - we got offered to switch our schnitzel sides for simple french fries and were charged $2 extra per plate in the end - without being warned about it and without receiving the regular side of the dish (not extra fries, but just fries instead of sauerkrout and potato salad) Before opening a "German style" restaurant it is not a bad idea to actually take your time and travel to Germany - your cooking sucks!
(1)Melissa B.
Saturday April 5th, T Tony and I was walking around the Alpine Bavarian (faux Germany) village of Helen, Ga..enjoying the buzz of the tourist and their kids everywhere. I wish there was some Oompa music playing..tons of bars/restaurants and gift shops...lol !!! To me it is Gatlinburg but with a Germany Theme...lol!! We went down the stairs to the waters edge near the bridge basin to the TROLL TAVERN bar and grill below the bridge area near the waters edge..People were wading in the cold water fishing and jumping on the rocks..too cold for my blood. Apparently, this is a high Tubing area in the summer.. There was no tables available outside so went inside the dark damp restaurant to the bar area...I ordered a soda..what is wrong with these people, even this soda is too watery to drink at $3 a glass...rip off!!! Tony ordered a draft pint of Murphy's Irish Stout...very very dark and bitter. I didn't like it at all. I couldn't drink that even if I had too.. We finished our drinks and left...$11 for two drinks????? with taxes...what???? No more Trolls Tavern for me...I will let the Tourist have it...
(3)Virginia C.
This place is very good! Food taste great, good size portion and people is kind and attentive. Definitely a good choice for our first night in Helen!
(3)Jessica B.
Gave a one star because I cannot give zero. Flies EVERYWHERE when I spoke with the manager his response was the flies were here before me. Flies landing on us, the food, everywhere.
(1)Billy B.
Horrible service, we sat for an hour with no food and no refills. We asked for our bill after an hour of no-one coming to our table and a waitress brought the bill and threw it on the table and walked away. No sorry, no its on the way or nothing. Not someplace I will ever have to go back to while in Helen.
(1)Tom G.
This place was good. Nothing spectacular but we had a solid experience. Good service. There are plenty the of things to choose from on the menu.
(3)Clint V.
Not the best place to go but not the worst either. We had coffee which was probably filtered through the troll's sock. But then who goes to a bar and orders coffee right? To eat, the German fare is good; nice brat- and knackwurst. I had the Philly steak sandwich which wasn't bad. Best part about the place is the service (waitresses are great) and the ambiance, sitting river side with the cool, fresh country air in your lungs. It's worth a bash, but I wouldn't rush back.
(3)Chad S.
While visiting Helen, GA mainly for the Helen tubing earlier in the day decided too walk around Main St get feel for Helen. The friends went with never been here so decided too give the place shot for lunch besides the fact have great view of the all the tubers coming down the river. The only thing really worth noting is the location and getting the view of everyone enjoying themselves on beautiful day in Helen. Everything about the food was sub par too even the service and although sitting on the patio was great not enough. I ordered the combo wurst platter for lunch. Helen name comes from country of Germany. All along Main St you can feel that german influence from the architecture and some of the restaurants along downtown. So decided when in Germany go with the sausage. It was two kinds of sausage. It was ok but not much flavor and did not have that german feel of a good old Bratwurst. The worst part was the potatoes as one of the sides. It literally was had no flavor. Just felt like peeled, sliced, and blanched potatoes. It had no real sauce if you consider onions and whatever dried herbs they added for seasonings. The Sauerkraut was also bland. The two sliced of bread came with the dish really made no sense. Overall not great lunch in really nice city. Sure would check out other restaurants before would come here. The service only thing must note is started off great. Once we got our food our waiter was no where too be found. We had too wait longer until reached point that we just asked another waiter for our bill. When we left never saw him. I understand if in shift change but would be polite too tell your guest that fact.
(2)Nicole C.
I ordered the cheesesteak sandwich and it was painfully salty. I couldn't finish it. The onion rings were under seasoned but the breading was thin and crispy however, the onions were too thin. The view of the river is wonderful. The service was fast and decent. Someone in our party ordered the chicken fingers which were okay as was the BLT.
(3)Mark H.
Food was not prepared well and way over seasoned and undercooked, but the wait staff and scenic view were great. Would not dine here again...
(2)Richard T.
Stopped in and had a few cold beers, the beer was good the prices not so much! 4 beers and a sweet tea $40.00. the location is cool and the people on tubes are entertaining, but they pack so many people into such a tight space it makes for close quarters.
(3)TravelWorkPlayK B.
When I go to Helen, I lower my expectations. However, this place was solid! I got the jalapeño burger and my date got the chicken wrap. Both very very good! We also got the beer mug special, which is probably not nearly worth the price but ensured us a great time! Our server was AWESOME. I think his name was Eric. Super friendly, super attentive, even took a bottle of beer back because I didn't know about the beer mug special. We sat in the dining room overlooking the river. There were flies, but...again...lowered expectations. We'd go back in a pinch, but we're not going to hurry back. -e
(3)nicole r.
The service was OK, I'm pretty sure it was a manager. Our server was too busy so he had to takeover, that was his excuse. The food is average at best. There are flies everywhere if you sit outside, yet, right across the river at Cafe International there were no flies. Overpriced, bland food. Dine elsewhere.
(2)Mark L.
The main reason I see to visit this restaurant is the location. It sits right in the heart of Helen alongside the Chattahoochee River. It's pleasant to sit at their outdoor tables and watch the flowing river with vacationers tubing down the river. I have eaten here a few times over the years, and just today decided to visit Helen and stopped at the Troll Tavern for lunch. Apart from the location, the restaurant itself is just so-so. I ordered the Bratwurst platter. The two Bratwurst were OK, but the potato salad that came with it was totally bland. I had no complaints about the sauerkraut or red cabbage, but it's hard to mess those up. They have about 12 beers on tap, but not a really outstanding selection. For a restaurant in this German-themed town, their German drafts were minimalistic. The service was good, but could have been improved. I really needed a second drink around the time I got my meal, but by the time the waiter came around to ask if I wanted another drink, I had already finished my meal. I may visit this restaurant again, but next time I visit Helen I think I'll give another restaurant a try.
(3)Jackie K.
The food was average nothing special. We ordered drinks and appetizer. We decided to share a sandwich and was charged extra 2.00 for empty plate.
(1)Tara G.
The location is nice, but that's it! Food is awful and overpriced. Chips and salsa are just cheap jarred salsa and cold bagged chips and cost a fortune. Sandwiches, even burgers, come with potato chips instead of fries, and fries cost $2 extra. What the hell? Their burgers are THE worst burgers I've ever eaten in my life. They don't even taste like beef. They must be half soy, or half goat, or maybe half troll? Nasty! I've had better burgers out of hospital vending machines reheated in the microwave -- NO JOKE! Absolutely horrendous. We won't be back. Ever. EVER!
(1)Chip D.
Great spot by the river to grab a lunch. I had the shrimp po boy and the wife had the turkey Ruben. Both where really good.
(4)Stephanie W.
Great, picturesque place! We ate inside to watch the football game, the crowd was animated and it was very fun. I got the sausage combo platter, which was ok but didn't come out very hot so wasn't as tasty as it could've been. The menu was very bar food. I think there was only 1 waiter at the time in our big area and he was really workin' the room- always available. The collectible beer mug was a nice keepsake. I wish we could've visited at night and sat outside... and maybe tried a different dish!
(3)Lisa C.
Overpriced but decent food, our service was so slow we couldn't get anything extra. Had to ask gentleman at the host station to get our tab.
(2)Janette C.
This place was pretty good for a tourist town actually. The entire town sells these large plastic mugs that you get a deal on when you refill your beer. Pretty sweet and we were staying close enough to walk to all the attractions (which I highly recommend). My fiance and I both tried some of the German style food and enjoyed what we had. It was Americanized a little but I think that is to be expected. We left full and satisfied. We went back a second time as well with our mugs for a refill :) Right outside the door is a bridge.....the troll bridge :) Didn't notice it the first time we walked down the steps but I saw it the second time and it was charming to me!
(4)Megan P.
Came here on Memorial weekend, after a hot day out on the river tubes ! We were a table of 5. When we were seated, the waitress sat us at a table of 4, and added a chair. There was an empty room with obviously larger empty tables around. Not a big deal, we chose to move to a larger table on our own. We were shocked to see the menu prices so high, for average looking food. We ordered some drinks and appetizers. Expensive for what you are ordering, and less than average food. Our server Blake was great, and very attentive throughout our stay. I will not come back to eat here, but not a bad view for the river if you sit outside.
(2)Samantha K.
Cool place to eat by all means, but the food is not all that- especially for the price. I didn't eat half of my plate because it was cold and it was just not appetizing. Disappointed because it was a packed restaurant.
(2)MJ G.
I went to the Troll Tavern with my husband and baby to enjoy a lunch by the river. We were seated on the deck and got our drink order. Then I believe we were forgotten as no one offered us a refill or even took our food order. We had to get up and leave.
(1)Kirk L.
I've eaten here twice - the food is 1 star, but the atmosphere/on river location and service bump it up to 2 stars. Our server this time recommended the Muffaletta over a burger. I sure hope it's not the better choice because it was not very good at all (and I had low expectations going in based on my first visit). I got onion rings with it, and they were nice and crispy, but bizarrely bland. The little lady got a reuben, which was fine, although it was pressed with a ton of butter, which masked the lack of "interior" flavor. In short, if they served this food in any major city, they'd be out of business very quickly because there are just too many better options.
(2)Cem V.
service is great, atmosphere is awesome but the food is terrible. I have never felt heart burns before in my life. the food is so greasy, fatty you name it. I would not suggest anybody to eat but go for the beers
(1)Heather J.
Ok! The food was delicious! Server was very nice! Great casual atmosphere! The only drawback would be that the sever had so many tables, that he was having to run around like crazy! You could tell he was doing the very best that he could! Felt sorry for him.
(4)