Lovely old timey German inn decor, friendly service, solid apps and delicious dessert. Many beers served with specialized glasses. Only the entrees fell short. For apps we had the pork pate, and the cheese and charcuterie plate which came with a pretzel. These were pretty good. For enteees we had the braised beef with a sweet and sour raisin and cranberry sauce, red cabbage, and starchy dumplings (dry meat), and a vegetable stew with two types of andouille and other sausage (tasty but salty vegetables and good sausage). The apple streusel and almond cake were excellent and not overly sweet. read more

The atmosphere was wonderful. The server was very attentive. The food was good. The potato pancakes were over done. The goulash and sauerbraten were tasty. The desert selection was great. We chose the pumpkin cheesecake, and it was delicious! read more

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Food was okay decent. Service left much to be desired and it ended up terrible. I ordered goulash and ordered the bowl size which I pointed to on the menu to the waiter. After slow service which I guess was the case because I was alone, and there waiter kept going to the other tables passing me. When I asked the waiter that I was ready to oder he kept telling me that he'd be back. Finally food came and it was decent. When I wanted to pay they kept making me wait. I had to stand up and go to the cashier area. I should have looked at Bill but I just gave my CC because I wanted to leave. I wasn't paying attention to what they said until I paid and saw the price on my phone notification. I asked my it was so expensive. They told me that's the price. I showed them on the menu that it was $13 less. They said that they though I order the goloush spzchel (?). I said I pointed to it. All he could say was I'm sorry. Not sure if I was set up but the manager was there and she did not looked pleased. So I didn't want the guy to get in trouble. read more

If this place calls itself authentic German cuisine, then I'm the President of the United States. I will start with positive. Nice, authentic atmosphere -- which really raised my expectations. Sadly, the food didn't come close. Long wait, below average results. The goulash was basically red greasy water with three tiny pieces of potato and couple of bell peppers. Potato cakes were really tough, like a shoe sole. Opened at noon and somehow out of sour cream by 1 pm. Prices felt closer to a plane ticket to Munich than a lunch. Definitely not recommending. read more

Amazing place with a special ambiance. Food was great. Beer selection was great. Service was top notch. I'll definitely be returning.

It's so refreshing to have a traditional restaurant experience in a comfortable dining room with attentive service and yummy food! In an era of overpriced, trendy, and noisy eateries, where the staff seem to be indifferent and the vibe feels contrived, experiencing Old Europe feels special! Truth be told, I'm a fan of traditional German cuisine (and German beer), so I was excited to try out this historic restaurant. Not only were my expectations met, but they were exceeded! The portions were hearty and the flavors were authentic! I went away happy and satisfied, and looking forward to my return! This restaurant is truly a gem! read more

Great food. Wonderful decor and ambiance. Friendly service. They know the dishes quite well.

The food was under cooked and the plates weren't clean but desserts were good and when we got there some kids left pepper in our water cups

The food was by far the best German food we have had in many years. The owner treated us and discussed the history of the restaurant, as well as a detailed recipe of the beers on tap and each of our dishes. The ambiance was romantic and quirky at the same time, with beautiful model ships and artwork, lovely lighting and even some WWI artifacts. Thank you for the perfect ending to our visit to DC. Danke schoen! read more

Old Europe wasn't great, or even good. I'm confused by the restaurant's longevity and high rating. I had the chicken weiner schnitzel, apple red cabbage ("rotkohl" to regular German cuisine patrons), and warm German potato salad. The schnitzel was fine I suppose. The rotkohl was so sour/tart I couldn't eat it; there wasn't a hint of sweetness. The potato "salad" was a boiled potato diced in vinegar with nothing else. After years of eating German food in different American cities and made by my German family, I can confidently say this restaurant was the most unappetizing German cuisine I've had. My husband enjoyed his meal a little better than I enjoyed mine. He gave it a 3/5, but conceded he wouldn't be back if he lived in the area. I also wouldn't return to Old Europe or recommend it. You can find much better food elsewhere. read more

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Regrettably this restaurant has declined in quality over the 25!years I've been going there. They were out of veal so no Wiener schnitzel, my favorite. Also the red cabbage was over seasoned with clove. I mentioned that to the host and he agreed (so why serve it)? Wait staff was attentive and I enjoy the old world decor. However they should work on the food quality a bit read more

Service is so nice!! Such a cool restaurant with excellent quality food! Unlike other restaurants they don't just throw out your meals in 5 minutes. The salad is a must with the scrumptious lentils and sprout's.My son really enjoyed the duck with cabbage and potatoes,my chicken Jager schnitzel with spatzel was amazing especially the mushrooms, potato pancakes perfection,and the chicken schnitzel with potatoes ow my!! Definitely will be back soon.The details on the atmosphere in the restaurant is amazing. read more

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Let me start with what was good. The restaurant itself is great. Old world and eclectic with a touch of class. I love cloth tablecloths and napkins and the collection of beer steins was great. Our wait staff greeted us promptly and we provided a drink order. I had a glass of the Riesling which was cold crisp and tasted great. Loved the bread and individual butter as well. She answered menu questions as well I ordered the Schwarzwalder Schnitzel, husband had the veal Schnitzel and other member of the party had the Brie appetizer. My chicken schnitzel was over cooked. The breading was burned in places and chicken was dry. The spaeztel had no flavor at all. The lingonberry sauce was excellent and I asked for more which was provided. Brown gravy was so so. Husband had veal schnitzel which he said was good but not as good as he expected. Our other guest had the Brie appetizer which was really nice. The salad that it was on was really good with fruit and the dressing she really liked. We did have the chocolate mousse cake for dessert which was to die for So all in all it was OK but not outstanding. Not some place I would return to. read more

Phenomenal spot. Very unique. One of the only places in DC selling German and Central European foods. Really great ambiance. 10/10 recommend. read more

This is my favorite restaurant when I visit WDC annually. The service is always great. The food is authentic German.

I came here for my friend's birthday. She loves European style and the interior design is definitely great. Food is a little blend here , not my favorite. I think they might be understaffed? It's four of us, at the end we asked for a separate check. The server mentioned there will be a charge of 20% on top to separate our checksince we didn't mention it at the beginning when we put in the meal ?? (honestly I don't see how does this relevant? And specially no one mentioned it either? ) We had a one person paid. We were going to Venmo her back then I realize, she got our order wrong as well Anyways, with all the inconvenience, I don't think I will go back. Sorry read more

Old Europe - German Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Great food and service! The decor and interior has the European charm. We had the Old fashioned Sauerbraten and Königsberger Klopse which was very tasty. For dessert we had Apfelstrudel which the vanilla sauce was amazing! read more

I love this restaurant that has been in the same location for 75 years. And for good reason. Coming on a Friday, without a reservation, we had to wait a long time. But that was on me, I should have made a reservation, the restaurant is packed for the simple reason that the food is good and reasonably priced. While waiting, we were offered water, and the hostess came back on many occasions to check on us, and just to chat. Sitting down, we had a wonderful waitress, very friendly, we spoke with her, and, later, the friendly owner, too, who is right out there on the floor with his staff, something I like in a restaurant, he is keeping his eyes on what's going on, particularly on an evening when they were so busy and things could have (but did not), go wrong. Our water glasses were filled multiple times, but without overbearing service, another thing I appreciated. I had the veal schnitzel, and my friend, the ribeye steak. Both portions were large and well cooked, I would not say the schnitzel was quite as good or as low-priced as what I have had in Germany, but, well, I don't live in Germany. I'm not aware of any DC restaurant that does such a meal better. I also appreciate that this restaurant has none of the hidden service charges that some other restaurants have. A minor quibble is that the German beers are a little over-priced, but not so significantly that it impacts my 5-star rating of this great restaurant. Highly recommend! read more

Visited this restaurant recently and I was pleasantly surprised at the variety offered on their gluten free menu. All the food was delicious and fresh (really great complimentary salad). There are also non alcoholic beer selection which was lovely for you not drinking this year like myself lol I had the pan-seared chicken along with potatoes and seasonal veggies. Random tip: definitely try their mustard!! read more

Old Europe - Hühnchenbrust - German Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

Sat down and waited over 20 minutes for service. When the waitress took the orders of the party that had just sat down, I left. read more

I was looking for a new restaurant to try for my birthday; with a bit of research, I found Old Europe and I am so glad I did! Old Europe is doing dine- in, and upon entering they checked our temperature and had out hand sanitizer. The tables were socially distanced. The restaurant is decorated with awesome paintings, ships hanging from the ceiling, beer steins... the atmosphere was so cool. Our waitress was Annaleigh and she was the best. She answered our many questions about drinks, food, made suggestions, and all with a smile. We ordered cold meatballs with cranberry sauce (sounds strange- i assure you it wasn't, I'll be getting this again) for an app. For drinks we had the Hugo (my boyfriend got two of those- he highly recommends) and I got an iced tea with honey liquor that was wonderful. My second drink was a half beer half lemonade- exactly what I remember drinking in a beer garden in Munich. For dinner we got the sausage sampler platter that came with sauerkraut and German potato salad (the sausages were good but the sides were superior) and pork schnitzel with dark beer gravy and spatzle (we'd get this all again for sure, we had no complaints- that beer gravy!!!). By this point I was so stuffed and so happy. The food was top notch. When I saw the cake options decided I could find room. We got the Black Forest cake- light, moist and full of cherries- it was by far the best Black Forest cake I've ever had. We cannot wait to go back! Thank you for an amazing experience, Old Europe! read more

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I arrived here today, and there was no one available to greet and seat me. The restaurant was not full. When someone finally came, there was no warm welcome or anything like that, the first question was whether or not I had a reservation. I did not. This was a moot point though, given that it was not busy. When I was finally seated, it again took a while to be attended to with basics such as...a menu? I wanted to drink a Kölsch beer. The menu had this beer crossed out so I told the waiter my alternative beer wish should the Kölsch be truly unavailable. He returned with a Helles Lager and a Kölsch beer glass. This is truly unbelievable for a German restaurant. For the meal, I went with the sauerbraten. It was nothing to write home about. The accompanying Rotkraut was tasty, but the Knödel were dry and boring. These are definitely not prepared fresh. I am deeply disappointed in the whole experience. read more

For all you German lovers out there -- food and beer --- this is the best ! We had a great lunch here today. Food was super tasty and authentic ! The spätzle was handmade. My sauerbraten was outstanding with red cabbage and the goulash supreme ! All the best of the best ! Great ambiance - felt transformed in time and place ! Service was ok. She was overworked read more

Such a great meal experience. The staff is outstanding and the food is prepared to perfection. Thank you for the best evening

We had our 'last supper' here, days before closures went into effect (I had to call the restaurant to confirm our earlier reservation would be honored). The meal will be memorable thus for the good food and the eerie circumstances in which we dined. Hähnchenbrust Schwarzwälder Art - moist chicken with nice creamy mushroom sauce - the sour cherries were a unique touch (as for spätzle, it was okay). Husband enjoyed his chicken schnitzel and we both appreciated the server for refilling the bread basket. The highlight was dessert - I will long remember the Black Forest cake for its richness and nice cherry sauce. I'd come back just for that. I'm not a fan of coconut, or I would have tried a bite of the german chocolate cake, but I imagine it was very good too. Nice wine selection as well as different schnapps. read more

Old Europe - German chocolate cake background and delicious black forest cake in foreground - German Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

I recently ordered catering for an Oktoberfest themed party for about 50 people. The spread had pretzels, brats, desserts and substantially more of the menu that the owner helped us to curate over a few weeks. On the day of the party he arrived on time to help set up and the food helped to make the party a major success. Many of the options were gluten free and vegetarian friendly. We plan to make some small adjustments based on crowd preferences and will order again from Old Europe. read more

Wunderbar! One does not need to speak, or understand the German language when deciding to dine here or not. One only needs to understand the beauty of hearty German meals. Yelp lead me to this fine establishment, which also lead to a wonderful dining experience. We lucked out and found a parking spot right in front of the place. It continued uphill after that. The ambiance was warm, inviting and so unique. Once seated, I could not decide if I should explore the art work and displays lining the walls, or delve into this magnificent menu placed before me. I stayed focused on the drink and dinner menu, and I mean focused. Way too many specialty dishes to try. Word of advice, you will not regret whatever you choose to order. Service was friendly and professional. Atmosphere was so pleasing and welcoming. Sadly, no leftovers during this visit! A return visit is a given. read more

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Astonishing flavor of Europe! Love German food and when I say it brought back the flavors and memories I miss while being stationed in Germany. Kathleene and Alex brought astounding flavors and authentic pieces of home to every bite. Perfect cute calm environment once you enter seeing the old decor and the fresh bread for sale at the entrance. Service is by far welcoming literally feel like family. Yes it took a couple of mins but Kathleene was moving and gave that sweet grandma love. Loved the sort meant of bread baked fresh and the side salad was literally an explosion of deliciousness. The perfect blend of vinaigrette, sweet, and lentils provided a nutty twist to it. I came for the steak, onions, and brown gravy. This didn't disappoint cooked to perfection the caramelized onions melted in your mouth with every bite. Brown gravy had the perfect warmth and consistency. Next was the fruit glazed and thinly crispy schnitzel savory and sweet very bite made you think you're eating a fresh out the oven pie. Mixed with the light crisp chicken cutlet truly a must have. The curry wurst brought back the memories and bold flavors I missed. It's was cook so well you could slice it with a spoon juicy the curry-ketchup-just sparked robust flavor of tomato and curry blend that was mouth watering. Loved the great idea of A BRAT 2 GO for $5. I thank Alex & Kthleene for an excellent experience of old Europe. read more

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Old Europe was absolutely great. I mean, it's hard to find good German food, and when my boss told me that I should try this place I got really excited. So excited that we came back here again when I was in town. I do think though that this place is a bit far out compared to everything that's closer. As of writing this review, I've been here twice and each time was great. Walking in you get the vibe along with all of the decor of a german pub/restaurant. The place is really well decorated and it gives you a taste of what it's like to be in Germany. I mean, I've never been but I will eventually! But, if you're like me, it sort of checks off the usual things you would think that's German. Anyways, when you sit down they serve you bread and butter. And also something I grew to absolutely love: schmalz. Schmalz is absolutely f******* amazing. It's just basically fat mixed with herbs, if you're like me who is in love with fat... you'll understand why it was one of my highlights when I came here. The flavor from it just wanted me to crave for more. This is what I ordered: the first time I got the pork shank and the second time I settled for the schnitzel. Both were absolutely amazing. The pork shank was very tender and just sort of fell off the bone. It reminded me of like an osso bucco if you have ever had that. The schnitzel was absolutely great, I mean that's what the German dish to get. The last good schnitzel I got was in San Francisco, and German food is hard to come by so I definitely savored every single bite. It was crispy on the outside and inside it was juicy and packed with flavor. I also got the beer gravy covering over it along with the mushroom. If you're not sure on what to order, this is a sure winner. Overall, service was great. They even had my favorite beer, Aventinus! If you never had this beer, I highly recommend it. This place is great and would love to go back whenever I'm in town. read more

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Great service and hospitality at the restaurant. We went on a weekday when restaurants are normally slower unless it's a holiday or in this restaurant's case Octoberfest and the host/server was fantastic. The food is great and sample the beers if you can, great selection. If you want a taste of German cuisine in the city it's the place to be. read more

Old Europe - 1 liter dark bier, enjoyed this with a great bratwurst and brauenwurst combo meal! - German Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

One of my wife and I's favorite places in the DMV and probably our favorite German restaurant! Great food and great location! (S)

Good German food but beer is very overpriced and food portions are small. Atmosphere feels like an old German restaurant and is on par for what you will find in every small German town. read more

Weak 4/5. I assumed, incorrectly, that Old Europe would have a bar for me to sit at while I awaited my friends but it does not (sure, it has a bar - just no seating around it). I was seated early at my table instead. The staff were pleasant however the hours here are so limited that we were kind of pushed out when we finished our meal. That said, the food itself is good but nothing to brag about. They have a wide variety of German dishes but it's simply not the best German I've had in the US. If I was in the area, I'd consider going again but I don't see myself ever going out of my way again for Old Europe. read more

Such disappointment. I was wanting to dine here for a long time so I was excited to recently have the opportunity to do so. SAVE YOURSELF: find another venue!!! This place is absolutely terrible. Service was inattentive and food was surprisingly without flavor. The side salad was the only thing enjoyed- a delightful medley of fresh and pickled vegetables. The steak tartare arrived brown so obviously not freshly prepared, as described in the menu. Only the mustard saved the dish; however, my plate was removed before I could finish it, which may have been a blessing. The cordial cost $13 for a tablespoon of liquid. The veal was simply insipid. The meal cost $250 and nothing was enjoyed, aside from the side salad. I left dinner hungry and feeling cheated; this establishment is a true abomination. I searched for the kitchen and found simply a microwave so I wonder if there's anything made in-house, or, if this venue merely reheats pre-prepared SISCO preparations read more

Huge juicy sausages. Giant beers. Crisp wines. Friendly staff. Fantastic decor. That is the simplest way to put how incredible this restaurant is. Celebrating over 70 years in business, Old Europe is a staple in the DMV for traditional German food. There is a live pianist performing on the weekends, really adding to the ambiance! Everything about my dinner at Old Europe delighted me and it was an evening I won't forget. read more

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Smells of mold and bizarre... service was incredibly slow waited for 15 minutes before we saw our waiter. We tried to the pretzel and some beers to start, the pretzels had the consistency and temperature of a microwaved one from the super market. We started to smell something weird and repugnant so we decided to pay the check-- which we had to chase our waiter down to get their attention. If the service was familial and warm, maybe we would have stayed but it was cold and distant. Much better options in this area & Georgetown. read more

It was not noisy service which already deserves five stars. Food was veeeeeeery close to German one, so I really appreciate that, it felt like in Germany, which I miss. Go back to important stuff: beer had a decent selection during November 2023, appreciate that. Food felt like back to Berlin, in a good way; really appreciate the beer choice and food options for traveler like me read more

Felt like I went back in time with the decor inside but enjoyed all the German dishes readily available in the menu. I really enjoyed the sausages, sauerkraut, fried onions, and avocado apple red cabbage. read more

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Old Europe 4/6/22 Bring your appetite or a few friends because the portions are enormous!! And very tasty! You definitely get your money's worth, to be sure! But the food is very slow to come out of the kitchen. I only had 3 courses, and I was there for over 2 hours. Also, the presentation is stuck in the 80s... sprigs of parsley and celery greens, a dessert platter brought to your table, a piped whipped cream swirl with a mint leaf... You get the idea. But don't let that keep you away from the FLAVORS! Complimentary bread basket of poppy seed roll, pumpernickel, and sour dough with butter: always a welcome start to a meal, for me. For the appetizer, I got the Wurstteller: a sausage sampler of bratwurst (essentially a big hot dog with better seasoning), Bauernwurst (smoked pork and beef meat, seasoned with onion, garlic, marjoram and mustard seeds), knackwurst (mainly pork, veal, and flavored with garlic), and prisina (I couldn't find this online, nor could any of my chef or German friends tell me, but it had just a little spice heat to it) with sautéed onions (not sauerkraut as advertised...) and grey poupon and brown mustard on the side. This is a dish to share for the table, or be it's own entree. Dear lord, I got the meat sweats. Those who know, KNOW. And that was only 1/3 of the way into it! Leftovers for days! For the entree, I got the dinner special, Schwarzwälder Schnitzel: breaded chicken schnitzel capped with Black Forest ham, gratinated cheese and lingonberries, served with hand made spätzle and mushroom cream sauce on the side. I could've done without the lingonberry jam dollop on top, and scraped it off. Their "inside out" version of a Cordon Bleu, it's essentially a hybrid of chicken cordon blue and chicken jagerschnitzel. This. Dish: All. The. Flavors. I. NEEDED. Tonight. Chicken cordon bleu is still to this day one of my MOST favorite dishes of all time and I have always loved jägerschnitzel of any kind! So to put them together?? Are you KIDDING ME?? I'd come back just for this!! But it's unfortunately a special and will likely be going away. Then dessert came: an 80s-esque platter of dessert displays that I think had almost a dozen options! These included Apple strudel and Bavarian cream, but I opted for the German chocolate mousse cake. O. M. G. Heaven! Decadence to the Nth degree. It's EXACTLY what you think it tastes like! German chocolate, which is usually darker, made into a mousse. With shavings on top and (I think) an Oreo crust...? But again with the lingonberry jam... I won't hold that against it, though, because truth be told, it kinda needed a little more moisture. Probably a dessert held in a cooler that gets dried out from the refrigeration, but that's pretty typical unfortunately. So that was the meal. And now for the rest. Kitschy decor, but cute. Coats of arms from countries across Europe to Russia interspersed with elaborately decorative beer steins on the top of the walls. On one side are paintings of landscapes, presumably from the Bavarian mountains. On the other side portraits of people. Hanging from the ceiling are models of what look like Spanish galleon ships. On the ceiling are lit coats of arms of major German cites. Music is what you'd expect: polkas, yodeling, accordions, brass and heavy tuba oom-pah-pahs. There are 70 seats in the dining room, but tonight set up for a large party. I almost got turned away for not having a reservation, and a couple who came after me did get turned away. Make a reservation, especially on the weekends! But you have to call: they are not on Open Table or Resy. Service was VERY friendly, but not the best from a front of house manager perspective. Only 3 tables in the restaurant when I sat down: a deuce, a 4-top, and me. The server wasn't familiar with the regular menu and had to ask what the sausages were on the sampler I ordered. Twice I had to ask for water in my tiny glass. They rarely cleared anything away. I had to box my own leftovers. My server was also not familiar with their wines, when I asked for something Sauvignon Blanc-style, failing to remember my German wines (bad me, I admit and accept that criticism). Leaning on the empty chair at the table while taking the order. Overall, a pleasant experience. The food is amazing, the value is incredible, the staff is very friendly when attentive, and the kitschiness is cute if stuck in the 80s. I'd definitely recommend this restaurant as was recommended to me. It's a cute little nugget of DC restaurants that should be better known. read more

A DC classic. Old Europe is the type of restaurant that can suit special occasions or a random Wednesday night. It's consistently delicious, fun, unique, and the staff have all been there for years. I love Old Europe! read more

Old Europe - German Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia