Recently, some friends and I had the opportunity to try Horsch Radish, the farm-to-table, German-type restaurant in Gibson City. German-type because the restaurant won’t actually transport you to Germany; there was no wormhole or portal to the country, but by tasting the food, we could get a feel for Germany. Upon walking in, the place was clean and charming with a German-esque style to the walls and décor. There were bier steins around the various dining rooms and a large bar located separately from most of the main area.
After greeting and seating us, the server brought a carafe of water to our table in addition to homemade bread and compound butter. They advised that everything was homemade and some of the specials, such as the vegetable of the day, were dependent on what was in season and received from the local farm suppliers. Always on the menu they said were various homemade sausages and hand-cut pork and chicken.
They have a drink menu with multiple German brews on tap and a nice listing of wines by the glass. No one was feeling like an alcoholic beverage on this evening, so we did not partake.
As we were perusing the menu to select our entrees, we munched on the complimentary homemade bread and butter. It was a house made white bread; the slices looked and felt heavy, but the bread was light and delicious on its own. A swipe of the compound butter, which included a nice distribution of herbs, complemented the bread. I don’t normally butter my bread, but this butter was outstanding!
For my entrée, I selected chicken hunter with two sides ($20). This was a large portion of grilled chicken topped with a mushroom demi-glace and a smattering of Asiago cheese. The chicken was good flavored on its own. The dish did need a bit more sauce, and as a mushroom lover, I wanted more mushrooms. My two sides were mashed potatoes and the vegetable of the day, which was cauliflower. I am a vegetable lover, and these sides did not disappoint. The mashed potatoes were smashed potatoes with some texture from the skins and chunks in them. They were creamy and delicious. The cauliflower was cooked perfectly and well-seasoned. I ate the whole portion!
My husband ordered the Bismark schnitzel with two sides ($20). He chose potato cakes and spaetzle as his carbs….er, sides. A nice helping of three pieces of pork covered in Havarti cheese and apples arrived with the two sides. I’m not sure what the cheese added to the dish, but the apples added an interesting texture and flavor to the pounded, panko-breaded, fried pork. The pork may have benefitted from being a bit thinner, but it had good flavor and was tender. On to the sides: They were so good! The spaetzle had a nice garlicky flavor with a hint of butter. It was chewy, crunchy, and just what spaetzle should be. The potato pancakes were equally delicious. Salty and crunchy, with nice textures from the chunks in the mashed potatoes. So tasty!
Our friends ordered the smorgasbord ($40) and were gracious to give me multiple bites of all the items included. The very large plate consisted of two types of sausages (yard and Bavarian), three types of homemade mustard, pan-seared pork cutlet with gravy, red cabbage, sauerkraut, spaetzle, and pretzel bites with cheese sauce. The pork cutlets in gravy were pan seared and not fried. The pork was cooked very well, and we really enjoyed it. It was also good dipped in the accompanying mustard. Both the sausages were very good with a nice snap to them. The yard sausage was slightly spicy, but not overly spicy. The Bavarian sausage had a nice peppery garlic flavor to it that was enhanced by the mustard. Speaking of mustard, the plate came with three types of homemade mustard: dijon, Bavarian, and stone-ground. The dijon was very tangy with a good, zippy taste; the Bavarian was slightly sweet with a good mustard flavor, and the stone-ground was not too grainy in texture with a very nice flavor — it was the favorite amongst the table.
On this plate, the sides also really shined. The red cabbage added an additional pop of color to the plate. It was cooked well with a nice crunch. The flavor was sweet and tangy; it was good, but not my favorite. The sauerkraut, wow. I normally do not enjoy sauerkraut except in a good reuben, but this one was on point. It was crunchy and tangy with no overpowering vinegar taste. It was not a very wet sauerkraut, which I thoroughly enjoyed and thought was so delectable.
I did not try the pretzel bites with cheese sauce as they were claimed by my friend’s child, who devoured those pretzels!
Additionally, we had a child with us and ordered the children’s chicken strips with one side ($7). Wow, these chicken strips were great! Handmade, breaded with panko and fried, they were moist and delicious. They didn’t even need a dipping sauce. The fries were hand cut and yummy. They could have used a hint of salt, but they were a good side.
At the end of the meal, the server brought a tray of some of the dessert offerings, an actual tray! After showing the table the items on the tray, they advised there were several items that didn’t fit on the tray, as it wasn’t large enough. The restaurant has approximately seven desserts at a time, all homemade. Were we all full? Yes. Could we pass these up? No! We were not disappointed.
Normally, I’m not a sweets type of person, but the chocolate bread pudding ($8) called out to me.
It came warmed with a dollop of homemade whipped cream. This was scrumptious! I couldn’t stop eating it, and I was sharing with my husband. Created from a homemade chocolate bread, it was not an eggy dish. The top had a nice crunch from being in the oven and underneath was a delicious gooeyness. It was more chocolatey than sugary sweet, which was perfect for our palates.
Our friends selected the apple strudel ($8), and it was the real deal. Delicious, light, flakey pastry encased the cinnamon apple filling. There was a nice textural crunch on the pastry top from coarse sugar. The apples were cooked nicely with a good cinnamon flavor throughout. I almost wished we had ordered two, it was so good!
Overall, I would definitely return to Horsch Radish or order from their catering if they are at an event. All of the food was delicious, and everything being homemade really sets the restaurant apart. The menu might look small, but it was mighty. While German food is generally all about the meat, the stars of this show were really the sides and desserts. The meats were good, but the sides were all so delicious.
On potential future visits, I would like to try some of the different sandwiches that they have available and perhaps the Sunday brunch.
Horsch Radish
209 N Sangamon Avenue
Gibson City
W-Sa 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.
Su noon to 8 p.m.