• There are restaurants that specialize in German cuisine throughout the state of Illinois.Kartoffelsuppe image by Yvonne Bogdanski from Fotolia.com
  
  According to All Recipes.com, German cuisine places an emphasis on meat and potatoes that is different from traditional American-style food. Instead, German food often emphasizes both sweet and sour flavors by utilizing vinegars, sugars and fruits. Potatoes are common in German dishes, as are roasted meats and sausage. For those traveling through central Illinois, there are some restaurants specializing in German-style food that reflect the tastes of the large German populations that emigrated there.
  
  

Peoria Hofbrau Restaurant

• Founded in 1984, the Peoria Hofbrau Restaurant offers several German delicacies to please diners with a taste for German cuisine. Lunch items include rotating soups such as goulash and potato and bacon, German sausage platters and deli sandwiches served with side orders of homemade German-style potato salad or homemade cooked red cabbage. The dinner menu offers wine herring, sauerbraten, schnitzels, wurst platters, roast duckling, smoked ham shank platters and other German specialties. A full bar offers a large selection of German beers in addition to wines and other spirits. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday.
  
  Peoria Hofbrau
  
  2210 NE Jefferson Ave.
  
  Peoria, IL 61603
  
  309-686-9739
  
  peoriahofbrau.com
  
  

Peotone Bierstube Restaurant

• Located in Peotone, Illinois, the Peotone Bierstube restaurant boasts an authentic German biergarten and a bar decorated with authentic German war memorabilia, photographs and other items. According to its website, the restaurant is famous for its giant Schnitzels offered in twelve different flavor combinations. Other menu items include beef stroganoff, sauteed calf's liver, pork chops with cabbage and sausage platters. A vegetarian and a kids' menu are also available. The restaurant offers live music Friday, Saturday and Sunday nights that feature Bavarian musicians. The Peotone Bierstube is open for lunch Tuesday through Saturday and for dinner Tuesday through Sunday. A late-night lounge offers drinks Tuesday through Saturday as well.
  
  Peotone Bierstube
  
  306 N. Harlem Rd.
  
  Peotone, IL 60468
  
  708-258-0800
  
  peotonebierstube.com
  
  

Der Kaffee Kuchen

• Der Kaffee Kuchen is a combination restaurant, deli and bakery offering catering services and carryout foods in addition to meals served table side. The restaurant offers a wide array of European entrees, special German dishes, sandwiches and salads. Specialties-of-the-house include beef goulash, sauerbraten, rinderroulade and smoked pork loin. A full bar offers drinks including German wines and beers to accompany dishes. Several specialty coffee drinks and after-dinner drinks are also offered alongside apple strudels and other sweet European baked goods. The restaurant is open Monday through Saturday for both lunch and dinner. Der Kaffee Kuchen also offers a special German buffet with samplings of many dishes on holidays throughout the year such as Mother's Day, Father's Day and Easter.
  
  Der Kaffee Kuchen
  
  9814 Arrowhead Mall
  
  Peoria, IL 85345
  
  623-933-0650
  
  derkaffeekuchen.com