Gerhard and Laura Braun, owners of Black Forest Adler, strive to supply German food reminiscent of those found in Germany. Coming from South Bavaria, Gerhard Braun, owner and chef of Black Forest Adler, has a passion for delivering genuine German food.
The establishment, located at 2447 Niagara Falls Blvd. in Amherst, recently celebrated its third anniversary and aims to bring customers the finest German cuisine.
Braun, who owns the restaurant with his wife, Laura, came to the United States permanently in 2010, after spending 56 years in Germany.
In developing the idea for the restaurant, Braun visited other German restaurants in the area but knew his style of cooking was different, based on growing up in Germany.
“If people expect his food to be like what they get in other German restaurants, that was not going to be the case,” said Laura Braun. “He was worried about how his food would be received, but it’s been nothing but positive.”
In taking his time perfecting the meals, Braun makes all of the dishes personally, ensuring his authentic German style.
According to the owners, some of the most popular dishes are the schnitzels, sauerbraten and maultaschen.
In the first three years of the restaurant, Laura Braun said the support from customers has been encouraging.
“We have had so many people from Germany — I never realized how many people from Germany live in this area — who come in and say, ‘I haven’t had this for 20 years or since the last time I’ve been home,’” she said.
“We had one woman who hadn’t been home to Germany in so many years, and she actually started crying when she was served her dinner, and I think she came in every night that week and ordered something new on the menu.”
Braun said the reputation of the restaurant has grown over the three years by customers spreading the word.
“We’ve been relaying on word of mouth because we think that’s the best advertising, when your friend brings you here.” she said. “We’ve had so many people bring their whole family in or they bring their neighbor, and then the next week a neighbor brings another couple in.”
“It’s a chain reaction,” he added. “It’s consistency, every day the same quality, the same amount of food, always the same taste. That’s what the people love, and that’s what brings them back into the restaurant.”
The restaurant is open from 4 to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Sunday.
For more information on the restaurant and a full menu, visit www.blackforestadler.com.