On our recent trip to Frankenmuth, we pretty much ate our way through the weekend.  Our first taste of Bavaria took place at downtown’s Zehnder’s, famous for its all-inclusive chicken dinners.  Honestly, we were torn between Zehnder’s and its sister restaurant at the Bavarian Inn, but the neon sign outside of Zehnder’s won us over in the end.

Zehnder’s serves lunch and dinner and is open from 11:00 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. daily.  Patrons can choose which of several dining rooms they prefer to be seated in.  Most of the ones we peeked in looked substantially similar, with white table cloths, a mellow color scheme, and seasonal floral arrangements.  I cannot ever imagine needing reservations at this massive restaurant, ever, as the assorted dining rooms can fit a total of 1,500 guests! 

Here’s a shot the restaurant’s charming exterior, with aforementioned sign.  The other photo shows our dining room of choice.  I can’t remember what it was called (they all had names), but I know it was to the left after we entered.  We were seated in the center of the room, directly behind the pictured table. 

Zehnder’s offers both a traditional menu and a more famous family style option.  We breezed right past the schnitzels and fish dishes to order the All-You-Can-Eat chicken dinner for $18.95 per person, adding mixed Bavarian sausages for $2.00 more.  Don’t worry, we did have more traditional German food a couple of days later at the Bavarian Inn which offers an almost identical menu.  I have to say I liked the chicken dinner better, and Zehnder’s also won out for atmosphere and service.

Our meal kicked off with this rather unusual selection of appetizers.  As you can see, we received a light noodle soup, crunch garlic toast, and fresh bread in two different varieties.  To accent the breads we were given various spreads, the best of which was the slightly spicy cheese served with the garlic toast.  The coleslaw-looking stuff to the middle left never got touched.

After spending some quality time with our breads and spreads, we dug in to the main course.  This included fried chicken, dressing, mashed potatoes with gravy, buttered noodles, and green beans.  Most of this menu is standard, with the vegetable option I believe changing seasonally.  The buttered noodles (homemade) came coated in cracker crumbs and were the best I’ve ever had.  Other standouts included the juicy fried chicken and the fluffy mashed potatoes.  There was really nothing I didn’t like, with the possible exception of the dressing.  This is an all-you-can eat meal, but there was so much food I think we only had seconds of the noodles and possibly the potatoes.

Finally, our meals ended with two small dishes of homemade ice cream.  I was expecting hand-packed but soft serve was a nice surprise.  The hubby ordered plain vanilla (boring!) and I, as you can see, opted for chocolate and vanilla swirl.  This small dessert was a perfectly sweet ending to a perfectly delicious and enjoyable meal!

Really, Frankenmuth is one big dose of Christmas spirit.  It’s also the subject of many Travel Channel specials and highway billboards, which combined led us to drive four hours each way to enjoy this “World’s Largest Christmas Store.” 

Don’t let the title mislead you – there’s a whole lot to do here besides just shop.  We watched a film called “The Wally Bronner Story,” admired the holiday decoration displays, had a quiet moment in the Silent Night Memorial Chapel, and enjoyed frosted Christmas cookies and hot chocolate – in October! 

Of course, the shopping itself can’t be beat.  Bronner’s offers ornaments, nutcrackers, Christmas dishes, holiday greeting cards, collectibles, stockings, advent calendars, snacks, trees, wreaths, and more.  I personally got a jump start on my holiday shopping by picking out ornaments for everyone in my family.  Many items can be personalized on the spot – and for free – by a Bronner’s artist.

Bronner’s is open year round.  From January through May, hours are Monday through Thursday and Saturday, 9:00 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.; Friday, 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m., and Sunday, noon to 5:30 p.m.  The rest of the year, the facility remains open until 9:00 p.m. every day except Sunday.  Bronner’s is closed (perhaps ironically?) on Christmas day as well as on New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas.  The exterior light displays are left on until 11:00 p.m., however, so those arriving in town late can still enjoy part of the show.

You can read my full write-up from our visit here.  Some of my favorite photos from my trip are below.

OUTSIDE:

INSIDE:

To get a true idea of the size and scope of Bronner’s, you should check out the store map! 

Also, if you can’t make the trek to Michigan, many Bronner’s products are available online.  We bought a couple more ornaments after we returned home and were happy with the service we received.  I do think going to the store makes for a more special experience.