First bite: Bruno’s, a German-Polish restaurant in Lakewood

Plates of schnitzel, cucumber salad and potato dumplings look the same.

So does the German-Polish menu.

The staff members, too.

But the interior of Bruno’s European Restaurant looks much more the part of a German restaurant — more than it has in the five years since it opened in a tiny building in Lakewood.

And speaking of Lakewood, the city is now the German dining epicenter for the South Sound, but more on that in a moment.

Enter Bruno’s and find tall white walls that climb to a v-shaped ceiling framed with dark wood beams. Exposed brick walls and a cozy brick fireplace bookend the L-shaped dining room. A cushy bench offers the waiting area the restaurant has never had but desperately needed.

Photos of German landscapes dot the walls. Beer steins march across a long shelf above a dine-in bar. With emerald green carpet, floral tapestry and cute, billowy curtains, it also feels like a German grandma’s dining room.

It’s comfortable and inviting, much like its food.

Most importantly, there’s room for more than 100 diners, which is a tremendous shift for a restaurant that opened five years ago with room for barely more than a dozen.

Owners Bruno and Krystyna Tomaszewska have always struggled to keep up with the demand. In 2011, Bruno’s moved to a 46-seat space in Parkland and later expanded to seat 66. Its former home was a hodgepodge restaurant, awkwardly split into funky-shaped dining areas. The new location offers something the other couldn’t — good flow and better table spacing.

Compared to its first Lakewood location, with just a few tables, the new Bruno’s is practically cavernous.

I popped in for a first-bite visit last week. It’s this paper’s policy to avoid criticism of food and service during a restaurant’s first month of business, which is why I’m focusing here on menu descriptions and atmosphere.

Entrees: Did you say you want gravy? And fried pork cutlets? Well, absolutely they’ve got that. There’s still three kinds of schnitzel ($15.95-$16.95), beef rouladen ($17.95), cabbage rolls ($12.50), schweinebraten ($15.95), smoked pork chops ($16.95) and baked ($19.95) or smoked pork ham shank ($17.95).

Sides: Entrees come with a choice of German potato salad, spaetzle, potato dumplings or pureed potatoes, as well as a choice of red cabbage salad, cucumber salad or sauerkraut.

Menu navigation: A few of the items listed under the entree menu don’t come with sides, but that’s not explained on the menu. Ask your server which ones skip the sides.

International specials: This is where bargain hunters will want to look. You’ll still find frikadelle ($8.50), currywurst ($6.95), meatloaf ($7.50) and bratwurst ($7.50). The plates are smaller, but so is the price tag.

Best deals: Find more deals during weekday lunches. For $8.50-$9.50, choose from a half order of schnitzel, frikadelle, kielbasa, a cabbage roll, meatloaf or beef rouladen. Served with soup and a roll.

Between bread: A Reuben ($9.50) on rye, a schnitzel on a Kaiser roll ($7.95), a meatloaf sandwich ($7.95) and pork with red cabbage ($7.50) are all listed.

Soups: Goulash, hangover soup and a soup of the day listed on the menu ($3.50-$6.50).

Breakfast: The breakfast menu just debuted, but I’ll have more details soon. Before opening, Krystyna described a menu of meat-and-cheese plates, sweet dishes, fried dumplings and kielbasa.

German epicenter: With Bruno’s move to Lakewood, there’s a fine concentration of German dining in Lakewood. Nearby are two German-themed eateries.

Hess Bakery and Deli (6108 Mount Tacoma Drive SW; 253-584-1451; hessbakery.com) is known for its house-baked pretzels and breads, extensive European bottled beer selection, German groceries and a tremendous deli of German cold cuts, salads and made-to-order sandwiches.

Across the hall, but separately owned, find the German Pastry Shop (6108 Mount Tacoma Drive SW; 253- 588-5777; germanpastryandcoffeeshop.com), which makes great cold cut sandwiches, but also features a splendid bakery case filled with cakes (sold whole or by the slice), and an assortment of pastries and cookies.

More is coming: In 2016, two more German-themed businesses are expected to open in Tacoma. Both are outposts of King County restaurants. The Berliner Pub in Renton will open a second location at 2401 Pacific Ave. In the Stadium neighborhood, Seattle restaurant Rhein Haus is opening a 13,000-square-foot Bavarian-themed beer hall. Rhein Haus will feature beer, sausage and pretzel rolls made on site.

This story was originally published December 3, 2015 at 9:00 PM with the headline "First bite: Bruno’s, a German-Polish restaurant in Lakewood."