Ralph’s German Restaurant & Café
German Traces in Winkler

A German restaurant with a North American ambience

In the parking lot at Ralph’s German Restaurant & Café, you can find cars with license plates not only from Manitoba, but also from the neighbouring province of Saskatchewan and the bordering US state North Dakota. Found in the small city of Winkler, this restaurant is well known far outside of the city limits. To enjoy good, plain, German cooking, guests come from the surrounding area and from further afield, such as the cities of Winnipeg, Steinbach, and Brandon.

This family business is located directly at the intersection of Main Street and Muirham, and its big sign means you can’t miss it while driving past. The spacious interior combines German comfort with the flair of a North American diner. All the same, you have to be prepared to be patient during rush hours or reserve a table in advance, as lunch and supper are both very popular here.

Ralph, the owner and operator of the restaurant, came to Manitoba with his wife Andrea and son Alexander in 2008. The family already had experience with living in a foreign country, as they had spent a couple of years on the Spanish Canary Island Lanzarote. They decided not to move back to Germany, and the family had already become interested in Canada during their various vacations to British Columbia. As a result, moving to Manitoba was an easy decision when Ralph learned about the possibility through a business connection. For the first few years, Ralph worked in agriculture while fine-tuning his dream of operating his own German restaurant and café. When the family was certain that Canada would be their permanent home instead of just temporary, Ralph started taking steps towards having his own business.

Ralph’s German Restaurant & Café | © Goethe-Institut Montreal Since its opening in October 2012, the business has been supported by all members of the family. Ralph takes care of the administrative and operative jobs, his wife Andrea is the boss in the kitchen, and their daughter Monique runs the everyday operations and manages the front of house. Their son Alexander was also involved in the business for many years, but has since become self-employed as well.

The concept behind Ralph’s German Restaurant & Café differs from the town’s other restaurants, as it serves absolutely no ready-made meals, but instead prepares everything specially - and you can taste the difference. Apart from a few typical North American specialties like burgers and fries, the menu is full of German home-cooking, which is made with love by Andrea. Their fresh meat dishes are likewise prepared by hand at the restaurant, which is certainly one of the reasons that the diverse varieties of German pork or chicken schnitzel (in mushroom-cream sauce, "Jägersauce" (mushroom-tomato), or pepper sauce) are so popular. "Bratwurst" and currywurst are also some favourite menu items, and they’re best when enjoyed in combination with a freshly tapped German beer. The menu is not just for those who enjoy savoury food, though - there’s plenty for customers with a sweet tooth as well. All the meals can be finished off with dessert, such as "Bienenstich" (a honey almond cake) or cheesecake from German recipes, or an assortment of international sweets.

Everyone is warmly welcomed at Ralph’s German Restaurant & Café. A variety of cultures are brought together with good food and drinks over live broadcasts of German "Bundesliga" games, the World Cup, and favourite Canadian sports.

Ralph’s German Restaurant and Café
551 Muirham Avenue
Winkler, MB R4W 4A6
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