“There are no strangers here; just friends who haven’t met!”

With Oktoberfest approaching, I couldn’t think of a better review to write about than my favorite bar, The Dakota Inn Rathskeller in Detroit.

The northeast Detroit fixture transports you to another time, if not another place. Built by Karl Kurz in 1933 in an old Chinese laundry, the Rathskeller has been lovingly cared for by three generations of Kurzes -- it's currently run by grandson Karl Kurz -- but remains largely unchanged from its early days.

Hat hooks still gleam above many of the chairs and benches, and an old wooden radio still sits on the shelf near the bar. German murals and trophy animal heads decorate the walls. Amber light fixtures hang from vaulted ceilings.

CROWD: This is one place where you can be seated at a table with a group of 21 year olds and a group of 80 year olds and not feel out of place. The fun is absolutely infectious and everyone there feels part of something special.

DRESS: Expect to sit next to someone in Lederhosen, but don’t feel compelled to wear them yourselves. Typically, jeans and a casual shirt are worn.

MUSIC: Richard Gerhardt and the boys from The Vagabonds will once again grace the stages of the 2004 Detroit Oktoberfest. They play all the favorite Oktoberfest hits and play polka versions of some American classics. By 11PM, they play the “Schnitzelbank” song, which is a sing-a-long of an old German nursery rhyme (they tell me a Schnizelbank is a “sausage board”).
Expect to do the traditional German toast (Zigge Zakke Zigge Zakke Hoia Hoia Hoia!) followed by a shot of Jägermeiser.
On non-Oktoberfest nights, they have a 70-year old piano in which they have sing-a-longs every weekend.

FOOD AND DRINK: Sauerbraten, schnitzel, sausage, potato pancakes, sauerkraut...if you want to know how the Germans eat, this is the place to find out. The food (I am a bit biased) is amazing and gives me a great reminder of my grandmother’s cooking as a child. Now I forgot about the most important part, BEER. The Rathskeller is home to all the great German beers; Spaten, Hofbräuhaus Munich, Warsteiner, etc. Don’t even THINK about ordering a Bud Light here.

COVER: $3 cover during Oktoberfest (for the bands), normally there is no cover.

PARKING: There is a guarded lot on premise, however it fills up quickly and you might have to park across the street on John R.

HOURS: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily. Closed Sunday and Monday.