This place is ancient. I know this because whenever I make it to DC I go here and have been doing so for 26 years. By DC standards, this place is somewhat cheap. Dinner for 2 (1 app, 2 entree, 1 drink each, 2 desserts) runs around $100-125. Worth every penny. The sauerbraten is my "goto" dish here. Never had one that was less than stellar. Dare you to not order the sacher torte. Your life will have no meaning if you don't. read more

Read the positive reviews, I can't improve in them. Old Europe is a one of a kind here in DC. I'm currently living in southern Germany and think that Old Europe is pretty traditional. So much so that I had to visit on my recent trip home to the States to get my birthday schnitzel. Here is my standard German restaurant caveat: German restaurants are not slow, they are deliberate. They allow you to enjoy your visit without rushing you out. Please don't get upset if you have to wait for something! All Old Europe needs is a Stuttgarter Hoffbräu and they'd be perfect. read more

Been here about 3-4 times now and haven't been disappointed. They were slow to seat us once when they were somewhat busy but so far service has been fine-fast, courteous, attentive and efficient. I love the traditional outfits that they wear. Coupled with an old-school German pub decor and a silver haired lady softly singing tunes like Eidelweiss at a worn out piano, the place really feels like a step back in time. The food so far is delicious. I'd give the place five stars but personally I'd find it hard to eat here every day because the entrees are rich and VERY filling, Make sure you go with an empty stomach! Herring appetizer with sour cream and some greens, mmm! Simple but so darn tasty that I was really reluctant to share with my boyfriend. From the entrees, I've had (in order of preference): The jägerschnitzel, zwiebelsteak (Sautéed sirloin steak smothered in roasted onions and gravy) and the Hungarian style beef stew. All are delicious, (although the beef stew is a tad overseasoned to me) but the jägerschnitzel is hands down my favourite. The mushroom sauce that goes with the tender, breaded veal steak is absolutely YUM. The breading on the steak is not too thick and still a little crispy even with the sauce over it. Just thinking about it makes me want to go out and order one of those right now! If you're looking for a new place to eat give it a shot! read more

If I had to choose my favorite thing about Old Europe, I would choose its homeyness. Almost all of the German restaurants i've been to have been casual beer gardens. Now, this isn't to say that beer gardens are bad, they're great places to hang out with friends, but sometimes it's better to take a step back and eat at a cozy, traditional restaurant. The best time to visit Old Europe is when they have their lunch special menu. The prices in this menu are very cheap compared to their otherwise pricey standard menu. In a normal restaurant, one can't ask for a change in sides and sauces when ordering the lunch specials, but Old Europe is very flexible when it comes to this. Additionally, the staff is very friendly and will often strike up a conversation. The overall waiting time is slightly long, but the complementary bread and butter will make the time pass very quickly. I think that what makes Old Europe great is its exceptionally wide variety of traditional German dishes. Lastly, I recommend trying the Gypsy-style pork schnitzel from the lunch special menu (it's pretty darn good). read more

Old Europe - Chocolate mousse cake (In the process of being eaten) - German Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The decor at old Europe is really authentic, I loved the chairs and the wall hangings. The beer list is outstanding, they even have Uerige, a rare beer from Düsseldorf. The menu is German rather than Austrian or Bavarian, but they do serve Wiener Schnitzel. I was a bit disappointed with the pickled red cabbage which was soggy and lacked "bite". But the great drink selection -- they have numerous varieties of German brandy for after dinner drinks and the pleasant service made for a very nice meal. read more

Overall, an AWESOME place for dating, family and friends gathering. Here you can get delicious family style authentic German food and friendly service. We arrived on an early Sunday evening. The restaurant decorated with a lot of paintings and full of traditional Europe atmosphere. The waitresses dressed in traditional German style dresses which look every adorable! They are also friendly! For appetizer, we had cured salmon. Not our first time to have cured salmon, but we like their flavor and seasoning. With a little minty salad on the side which is very appetizing! For entrees, we can't really make up our minds and our waitress recommend us the Hungarian beef stew! So we had it and also the sausage combo. They are SO great!!! Tips: order the sausage combo for sharing! It's too much for one person to finish!! Since we are already in a German restaurant, there is no way that we will ever skip beer menu! But when you really have no idea what you were reading, again, we decided to let our waitress to pick for us! And she totally WOWed us!!!! She really thought about our preferences and not only gave us great taste beer but also came from a sequence of light to strong. Not the sequence on the menu but the flavor! Again! LOVE their beer, great taste and go well with the foods!! Especially when they came in a thoughtful way!!! My husband and I really had a wonderful fun night here!! We hadn't laughed these hard and went this crazy in a restaurant for a long time!! Thank you Old Europe!! We will definitely come back again!!! read more

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A perfectly run establishment! The decor the staff all help to make a real lasting impression All of the standard German dishes done very well. A real gem of Glover Park read more

I've lived near this place for about 3 years and have always wanted to go but never got around to it until the other day. Verdict: worth the wait. The interior is really cool, with lots of paintings and German coats-of-arms all over. The servers wear dirndl. The menu is pretty expansive, with lots to choose from, and you can order beer in 0.5L or the big boy 1.0L mugs. The food was good (and in huge portions), and save room for apple struedel at the end of the meal. read more

Seems very European style. The food is not bad. Service could be better. The waitress who served us seemed not very familiar with the menu. Another disappointment was that my friends and I came for the pork shank, but were told they didn't have it. read more

I have been coming to Old Europe for many years and for the most part have enjoyed eating the good food there until several months ago. Unfortunately the last few times I dined there, I noticed the quality of food and service have suffered tremendously. in our dinning experience last week, we waited for our food for an hour. When it arrived my chicken was heavily breaded and deeply fried so that it looked almost burnt, and as the result the chicken was overly dry and tasteless. Even the food presentation was poor and messy. I will not come back again for sure. read more

I was VERY impressed with this restaurant. I looked up German restaurants because of my German classes in college and my professor talked about all the delicious food that Germany had to offer. There were 2 restaurants in the DC area that served authentic German food and this one looked more appealing and seemed to be a cheaper price for what you get. It's a little hole in the wall restaurant downtown by Tenleytown. That was another appealing thing. Chain restaurants usually don't have the authenticity that a family owned restaurant has. The decor was amazing! Lots of culture and I would love a cuckoo clock just like the one they have hanging on the wall! The dirndl that the waitresses wore was very cool. It seemed like a pretty formal place, but I didn't feel out of place wearing my t-shirt and jeans. I researched the menu online before going. A lot of the food wasn't something I would eat, so I ordered the chicken schnitzel, which came with the house salad and home fried potatoes. I'm not a big salad eater, but it was decent. Wasn't sure what all was in the salad because it is not like a traditional American salad. I ordered the breaded schnitzel. When it came out, I was impressed with the portion size. The potatoes has parsley and bacon bits on it and were absolutely amazing! The chicken was very tender and I was able to cut it with a fork. The breading had a great taste. I ended the meal with a slice of cheesecake that was amazing. I took home a meal to my husband. He loved the meal and said it was very delicious, even though it was a little cold. He also had the fruit strudel that was obviously made in house. The wait staff was very nice and were great explaining the different foods because the names of the dishes were in German. Our two waitresses both had a strong accent, with one saying that she was from Bulgaria. I am still working on my German language skills and were patient with me as I tried to speak as much German to them as I could. A gentleman, who I assume is the owner, came around to each table a couple of times and asked how our meal was. Over all, I was very impressed with this restaurant. My family and I will be in the DC area every year and I plan on going to Old Europe at least once every time. Thank you for a great experience! read more

This is some of the best German food I've ever had inside the states. I love how small and intimate the place is (you'll want to make a reservation). They have a standard menu as well as a seasonal one. I was there in November and it was freezing cold outside so it made my night when I discovered Gluehwein on the menu. The seasonal menu for November also had a lot of wild meats on it like game birds and venison. I wish I could have ordered one of everything. The service is wonderful, everyone is friendly and none of that attitude seems forced. We had a reservation and were a few minutes late, but they still has a table waiting for us. My boyfriend proposed to me after we ate dinner here so it was indeed a pretty awesome evening. read more

I came here when I had a long day at the Chinese Embassy down the road. My coworker and I got beer to relax and destress and it was very welcoming. The decor really transports you to a different country, and the food is authentic and delicious. I recommend the Jagerschnitzle and of course, their german beer read more

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

You can see that the owner really cares about this place - beautifully decorated with love and the food is good.

First of all, I took a date to Old Europe for a nice quiet dinner (during the Oktoberfest celebrations at the restaurant nonetheless).... Well, you probably could figure out that the restaurant was not quiet-- it was actually not too bad, we both enjoy people watching, the owner came out and apoligized and offered us a free appetizer (the liver pate, very nice). I ordered a bottle of wine, yes-- wine and not beer.... they do offer a nice selection of German wines including a JJ Prum Auslese that was spectacular with the Schweinshäxe-- the style was late harvest, although the sugar was low. The saussage platter included both Bratwurst and Knockwurst, both of which were good... I am a fan! read more

I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt because my wife really enjoyed her meal. I've never eaten German food before so I really didn't know what to order. But I've definitely learned what NOT to order: Schnitzel "Old Europe" $25.00 An original house recipe created by the Lichtenstein family served with your choice of two sides. Talk about look like someone vomited over a pile of human shit!! Smh...And it tasted just like it looked.. Smh.. Never again will I order that. But hey, my beer was good! Maybe I should add another star for the beer. Oooh and the dessert was good too. I'll definitely go back to eat here again. Just gotta study their menu a little more prior to going back. read more

Not knowing too much about German food, I can't speak to Old Europe's authenticity. However, if you like meat and beer, you'll likely enjoy your time here. The weiner schnitzel, sausage combo, and pork shank (Schweinshaxe Bayerische Art) were super hearty and filling. You can also get liters of beer, which you can drink out of a boot-shaped glass. As if beer boots aren't Instagram worthy enough, the male servers are in lederhosen while the female servers are in dirndl! If you have a birthday to celebrate (preferably someone else's birthday), totally consider doing it here. Your server will ring a bell to get the ENTIRE RESTAURANT'S attention, and have EVERYONE sing happy birthday. It's amazing, cringeworthy, and hilarious all at the same time. So much fun and closest thing to being at Oktoberfest in DC! read more

I'm torn on this particular review. We went to Old Europe in Georgetown after a trip to the west coast and I was starving. The owner met us at the front door and when I inquired if I could park in the lot next to the restaurant (liquor store parking) he stated that he would look out for us and the liquor store would check with him if they were going to tow the car...extremely nice of the owner. The place looked like an authentic German restaurant, it has a great feel. The bread and butter was fantastic and my hopes were high. Because this was our first time to Old Europe I played it safe and ordered Jagerschnitzle, but was unfortunately disappointed. The sauce was lacking in flavor as well as the schnitzel, but the portions were generous. This was our first and only visit, so we will try again and see if it gets any better. Other downsides: the service as slow and the bill was pretty high about $80 dollars for two schnitzels and two glühwein. We will try it again, but as I stated we left disappointed. read more

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

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Went here for a late lunch + in hopes of getting some Oktoberfest beer. We loved the chicken schnitzel and the beer selections. We will gladly come back for both! They are taking COVID seriously, with temp check upon entry, hand sanitizer, and mask usage. We don't love eating inside these days and find some places are handling COVID better than others. But we felt 100% safe here. Cheers! read more

My favorite restaurant in DC. Been here numerous times over several years, and I've never had a bad meal. Everything is delicious. No, there aren't English descriptions of what a "weisswurst" is, but that's part of the fun and the authenticity. Service can be brusque at times, depending on which waitress you get. When this happens, I pretend I'm in Germany and my strict German grandmother is scolding me-part of the fun! Runner-up is Cafe Mozart for sure. If you know your schnitzel from your sauerbraten, this is THE place to eat! read more

Went here for a belated birthday dinner for my 2nd generation German-American husband, who grew up eating his grandmother's homemade German fare. He loved the traditional Sauerbraten (braised steak) with spaetzle and sweet red cabbage. Just as good as his grandma's with the perfect mix of sweet and sour. Being less adventurous, I enjoyed the chicken schnitzel, hunter style: sautéed chicken, covered with a mushroom and bacon cream sauce. The side salad had a tasty parsley vinaigrette. Hubby was also pleased with the tastiness if the gluwhein (traditional burgundy mulled wine). We chose a chocolate mousse with a raspberry sauce for dessert and were not disappointed. read more

My third trip to old Europe over 30 years. Last visit was more than 20 years ago, when I thought it was some of the best German food I had tasted, including restaurants in Germany. I would characterize the food as simple German fare. Good selection of beer. Wine selection was poor. I don't know if my palate had changed or if the restaurant has gotten tired. The meal was just ok and stayed with me so long that I thought I had developed gastroparesis. Great environment, but it's time to say thanks for the memories. read more

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

The food was delicious. The wait staff were incredibly service-oriented. The wait was horrible. Don't get me wrong. We gave them the benefit of the doubt. They were just busy, overwhelmed, bad night. But 40 minutes waiting for a simple entree?! REALLY?! I'll probably go there again, mostly because the food was yummy and there really isn't any restaurant like it in DC. But 40 minutes?! REALLY?! I mean, REALLY?! read more

Best German food in DC. Love that you can get liter beers here. I've been here several times. Not sure what more you would need to know but Yelp wants me to write more in order for these to be a review. Let me check if this is long enough to post yet. read more

Good traditional German food. We ate here last night. The sauerbraten was the best I ever had. So tender i could cut it with a fork.

Old Europe was once a favorite, but then service went downhill. I forgave that because the food was great. Sadly, the food quality followed the same path with my visit today. And laughably, their "German" beer special on the menu was Mexican Corona. Sad. read more

We absolutely love this restaurant because it reminds us of our time living in Germany. The Schnitzel with the mushroom gravy, spatzle and bacon is great. We also had the chef lunch special, German meatballs in cream gravy including coffee and desert for $12. A great value. Our boys really liked the house special warm Apple Punch and great Apple strudel. So if you enjoy a historic European restaurant theme and great German food for a fair price, put Old Europe on your list. read more

From the outside, the restaurant doesn't really stand out, but upon closer inspection, it's always pretty busy. The crowd tends to skew older (50+), but there are some younger (25+) people too here and there. The decor has a German feel with the beer pints and waitress in typical German dirndls. The menu offers typical German fare such as spaetzle, bratwurst, schnitzel, etc. My party of three ordered dishes to share: Steak Tar-tar (so-so, so better try another appetizer), Jägerschnitzel vom Kalb (loved it), Old Europe Sausage Combo (great way to sample different sausages), and Kassler Scheibchen (pork loin dish- great as well). The portions are pretty big, so we didn't finish everything. read more

Had the sirloin steak- delicious! Nice atmosphere, friendly servers, very authentic European setting. I would highly recommend! read more

Old Europe - A section of the restaurant. - German Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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The pork shank was awesome--just like I had in Munchen, and the bier just perfect in huge steins! read more

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If we lived in DC, there is no doubt we would become regulars here. Perfect, authentic, more than delicious - scrumptious - Bavarian classics! Sauerbraten, schnitzel, red cabbage, dumplings, spaetzle! We had 3 different meals and each one had something different - all absolute top notch! Meat so flavorful and tender you honestly don't need teeth! Beautiful selection of German beers on tap. Staff is the real deal. We were only in town a short time but every time dinner came up this place came to mind. If you like German, go! read more

This has always been one of our favorite restaurants but this visit was a bit disappointing. The curry wurst appetizer was delicious - moist and tasty, just like it should be. That in itself is worth 5 stars. I wish I could say the same about the sauerbraten. But it was overcooked and dry. Generally tasteless, unlike we have gotten on previous visits. I'm not sure what happened here, but it definitely was not up to their usual standards. One star here would be generous. But they still have an excellent selection of beers, both German and domestic. I could spend an entire evening there just sampling their beers. I hope they can open their rathskeller soon. I love it there (although I don't get there as much as I would like). Finally, the service was top notch. There weren't many people in the restaurant but the one server (plus someone delivering from the kitchen) was able to keep track of everyone while also serving as bartender and answering the telephone. Another 5 stars for service. read more

I went here the other night and enjoyed it. Not sure why they close so early, restaurant was over half full at closing. Staff was knowledgable about beer and friendly. I had wienerschnitzel and portion was huge, very tasty. read more

Old Europe - wienerschnitzel. tasty! - German Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia