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German kitchens and river decks

Where to Eat in Downtown Helen, GA

Quick answer

Downtown Helen's restaurants cluster along North Main Street and Edelweiss Strasse. The Welcome Center's dining list includes German kitchens such as Bodensee, Old Bavaria Inn and Muller's, a tavern under the bridge, Southern barbecue, Mexican, Italian, Thai and a Bavarian bakery. Hours change with the seasons, so check each place before you go, and drink inside: open containers are banned on Helen's streets.

Last checked October 17, 2026

A white half-timbered building with a brown roof, white turrets and a covered porch, behind a yellow sign reading Mullers Famous Fried Cheese Cafe, under a blue sky with autumn trees.
Photo: Michael Rivera, CC BY 4.0

The list

This is every downtown restaurant on the Welcome Center’s dining directory when we checked it, with the street address each business gives. We leave out the hours on purpose: several of these places change them with the season, and a wrong hour is worse than none. Tap through to each restaurant’s own site, or call ahead in winter.

Sweets and coffee

German food, mostly on the north end

If you came to Helen for schnitzel, the German kitchens are Bodensee on Munich Strasse, Old Bavaria Inn on North Main and Muller’s on Chattahoochee Strasse, which the directory lists for German and Central European food. Hofbrauhaus on North Main pairs its restaurant with the G.I. Germany Pub.

Eating by the river

Troll Tavern sits under the bridge at 8590B North Main Street, right on the water. Across the river, Cowboys & Angels on Chattahoochee Street lists a pet-friendly deck, which matters in a town where most dining rooms do not take dogs.

Drinking in Helen

Helen bans open containers of alcohol on public streets and public property under City Ordinance 42-2, and there is no to-go cup district. Finish your drink where you bought it. During Oktoberfest the Festhalle serves beer and wine inside, and the Chamber says IDs are checked for every age.

We found no brewery on the Welcome Center’s lists, so we do not list one here. For wine, Habersham Winery’s tasting room is about half a mile south of town in Nacoochee Village.

Groceries

For picnic supplies downtown, Betty’s Country Store on Yonah Street sells groceries, produce, deli food and baked goods. The closest full-size supermarket we could confirm is Ingles on Helen Highway in Cleveland.

Quick answers

Can you drink on the street in Helen?

No. Helen bans open containers of alcohol on public streets and public property under City Ordinance 42-2, and there is no to-go cup district. Drink inside the bar, restaurant or Festhalle that served you.

Source: City of Helen records

Where are the public restrooms downtown?

The city map shows them at Helen Square beside the Arts & Heritage Center, at Fussen Platz on River Street, at the Welcome Center on Bruckenstrasse and by the river near Riverside Park.

Source: City of Helen records

Is the Welcome Center open on Sundays?

Yes. It is at 726 Bruckenstrasse and is open Monday to Saturday 9 AM to 5 PM and Sunday 10 AM to 4 PM.

Source: Helen Welcome Center (CVB)

Hours, prices and dates change. The official visitor center has the final word: Helen Welcome Center (Alpine Helen/White County CVB)

Living near the river

Spent a day in Helen and started looking at cabins?

Gold Peach Realty is the North Georgia brokerage behind this guide. Our agents work Helen, Sautee Nacoochee, Cleveland and the rest of White County, and they will show you what is actually for sale, from a cabin up a gravel road to a place you can walk to Main Street from.

Visit Gold Peach Realty Call Gold Peach Realty (770) 283-1223

What is it like to live in Helen?