This place was fun! The waitresses were dressed in traditional German clothing and the decor of the place was very quaint (in accordance with the theme of the place). We came here mainly for after-dinner drinks to warm up but the menu was so enticing that we ended up ordering some food as well. I think the drinks are on the holiday specials menu so I'm not sure if they normally have them... but they were amazing. Between my friend and I we had 3 beverages- gluhwein, apple cider, and an elderberry/wine warm drink. All were scrumptious. Their different types of breads/butter were also very good and filling (although they served some sort of pork fat dip in addition to butter...was remniscent of gravy but not in a good way). As for food, we ordered the cheese spaetzle, potato pancakes with applesauce, and the sausage combo with sauerkraut. All of the different sausages were very good and the portions were plentiful. I really enjoyed everything and would come back when in the mood for some good German grub. read more

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We stumbled upon Old Europe walking around looking at the Naval Observatory and the embassies on this side of DC. Old school European decor welcomes you to a delicious taste and experience of the old world. You feel as if you have been transported to a countryside lodge and restaurant in Germany. My wife is of German decent and we cook quite a few German meals at home and at family outings. That being said, I loved my meal and so did all of my party. I visited with my sister, and my teens. The more traditional the better in our family. We ordered Weiner schnitzel, old Europe sausage combo, Traditionelle Saurbreaten, and jagerschnitzel and shared bites around the table. We even ordered the Kartoffelpuffer(crispy potato pancakes with sour cream and apple sauce) and loved those all around the table as well. I had a few German beers since we weren't driving. Various dishes come with vegetables, regular or red sauerkraut, fried potatoes, german potato salad, or spatzle. I recommend making this a must visit if you don't have traditional German food available in your area like me. You will get great service and plenty of great food. The menu is huge. We also sampled a few different desserts. Chocolate cake, strudels, ice cream, after dinner coffee...everything was as expected and every desert plate was empty at the end. We took our leftovers back to the hotel and had them later the next day. read more

My Grandad is German so I have a lill German in me too. Tradition is that we always have a German meal the day after Thanksgiving. I have been "eyeing" this place for some time. We drove to DC to have a German family meal. Wow, it did not disappoint. I have been in Germany many times and this place could have been any typical eatery in Heidelberg, Frankfurt etc. It is really that good! The ambiance is brilliant and the food is carefully crafted to represent Old Europe. It is hearty 'stick to your ribs' kind of food. We got Jaeger schnitzel von Schwein (unbreaded), sausage sampler, gulaschsuppe (goulash soup), kids chicken schnitzel and kids sauce and roll. The Jager was to thick and very salty (lost a star here) but the rest was amazing. Our server was sweet and paid attention to us (especially the kids) which we appreciated. We really loved this place. It is something totally different than your normal restaurant. If you love German food or simply wanting a new experience you will not be disappointed. This is definitely on our list of one of our favorite restaurants in DC. read more

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The quality of the food here varies. For example, my friend ordered trout, but his fish was completely overcooked to the point that it was dry. In addition, his potatoes were cold. However, my dining experience was significantly better. I ordered the Kassler Scheibchen, which was smoked pork that was marinated in beer gravy. The beer gravy gave the pork slices character and flavor and was well accompanied by warm sauerkraut and potato dumplings. On top of that, they give you a bread basket, though the bread basket was somewhat cold. I also had mixed feelings about the service. Although our waiter took our order promptly, it took nearly 25 minutes for us to get our food. Despite the mediocre service and food, the interior design was pretty good. For starters, they use real tablecloths - not paper or plastic sheets! Perhaps the coolest feature of this restaurant is the German decor. They even have a real 50 year old cuckoo clock that was recently restored! But despite the awesome decor, I will point out that most restaurants in Germany do not look the way Old Europe does. read more

As someone whom has traveled extensively in both Germany & Austria several times, you can sum up Old Europe in a word - ausgezeichnet (excellent)!!!! Second time there - Sauerbraten is to die for, gulaschsuppe is top-notch and if there's anything better than Köstritzer Schwarzbier on tap, I dont know what it is. This establishment is an institution. wunschen Sie gute essen!!! read more

Good German food, although prices are high (USD 220 for 3 adults and 3 kids). We had reservations for 7 pm but they only sat us down at 7.30 pm, the same for three other parties. The food also took quite long for our kids of 8, 6 and 5. But still, the food was good, the atmosphere "gemütlich" and the people nice. We are coming back. read more

I forgot how great German food could be. The joy of inhaling spatzel noodles, sausage, and sauerkraut while a zainy polka soundtrack sets the mood is enough to make even the most preoccupied of diners forget their troubles as soon as that first bite hits the tongue. I ordered a lunch special with about 20 letters in the name which I could never even attempt to pronounce without embarrassing myself, but it turned out to be a delicious cup of rich, creamy potato soup complemented by crusty croutons and leaks. I enjoyed every last drop. I also tried a sinfully decadent side dish of cheesy spatzel, which was like nothing I have ever experienced before. I would not recommend coming here without trying the cheesy spatzel. It is simply insane. My bill was all of ten dollars before tax and tip, though most menu items were more expensive than mine. While this isn't a cheap restaurant by any means, the establishment could easily justify charging higher prices because of their food's pure excellence. The service here is friendly, but the food was a bit slow to arrive at my table. I found the dining room atmosphere to be homey and adorable--strewn with authentic German decorations all over the walls and ceiling. (Look in the back left corner for one unbelievable cuckoo clock!) Overall, I couldn't have enjoyed my meal more. My friends and I are already planning to come back. read more

Very disappointed in the schnitzel. Maybe biased because we just came from a trip to Germany but it was paper thin and mostly breading. They did offer another order of the same but it wasn't any better. read more

If you're thinking to yourself, "I'd like a an old style German restaurant that doesn't act, feel or look like Washington, DC" you've come to the right place. You'd be hard pressed not to enjoy the traditional fare here if Western/Central European cooking is your thing. The decor is purposefully old fashioned and the wait staff are in character with their kits. It's such a delight as the pianist rolls out a familiar catalog of torch songs and classical pieces. The food is fantastic. Again, this isn't experimental dining - this is the basics done right: sausage; kraut; schnitzels and spaetzle. The beer selection (more taps please!) is actually not as good as the food and atmosphere, but it's more than adequate. I had the jagrschnitzel which was exactly like what I've had in Austria and Germany. No one was disappointed with their wursts and the accouterments. Get out of the faux foodie scene and go old school here! read more

Love the environment. It felt like being in Europe.The menu had the food choices in German with English translations, which made it interesting. Food was good. We actually visited this restaurant for the piano player. Nice place for a night out. read more

Best very authentic Traditional german food Wursts of many kinds, an array of schnitzels. Very yummy. Very filling! Soups and stews, herring, lox. Come hungry ! Decor is somewhat hunting castle. Waitresses wear dirndles. Some evenings there is live music. A lively friendly heimish atmosphere PS potato pancakes ! Zehr gut! read more

Delicious food, welcoming atmosphere and attentive service. We were a table of seven people on a busy Saturday night. I believe everyone at the table enjoyed what they ordered. I had the Old Europe Wiener Schnitzel which was topped with shredded chicken, roasted tomatoes, and some sort of gravy; delicious! The table also ordered an assortment of sausage meats that were superb. The female servers were dressed in traditional German garb; live piano playing in the background. One hiccup in the service was when someone at the table received refrigerator-cold apple strudel ala mode. The restaurant did not do anything about it other than give a certificate for a free apple strudel on the next visit. How hard is it to heat-up another one? This is the only reason the restaurant gets 4 stars instead of 5. I will visit again! read more

I already love Old Europe, but I got takeout from them and was SO impressed. Even after we got home and let the food sit for almost half an hour it was still so warm and delicious when we dug in. They even threw in a couple of complimentary canned beers since we had mentioned that the dinner was in place of the wedding that my fiancé and I had to cancel in Munich due to covid. So thoughtful. Can't wait to return in person but would also definitely get takeout again! read more

Quite delicious! The Schnitzel was breaded and lightly fried so that the inside was juicy. I chose the Entenbraten as the main course, which was on the daily special list of Friday. It was delicate and easy to chew, with the special strong flavor of duck. The food and service there definitely worth recommendation, but the food offer was a little slow. read more

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I have driven here from Maryland once a year for a traditional German meal. Before making the reservation I was assured that my usual favorites would be there. However-no veal, no strudel, no sacher torte, no trout. The salmon was not good. And did I mention the roach crawling up my leg? I asked to speak to the owner who came and asked "What's up?". He did comp us the drinks and said they were out of stock of everything becaue they were closed last week. Huh? I guess we are not coming back next year. read more

Review for delivery -- due to Covid-19 restrictions: Heard about this restaurant from a friend before the plague started meandering through the nation but just haven't had an opportunity to step foot in the physical restaurant yet! For now, delivery will have to do and I am here to tell you that they did not disappoint. I commend everyone who works there for their dedication, hard work, and continued effort to make amazing meals. We got an order of potato pancakes, currywurst, wiener schnitzel, and jaeger schnitzel. All of the food was really good and still pretty warm, especially considering we are 30 minutes from the restaurant. The house was great and the seasoned potatoes that came with my wiener schnitzel were delicious. We will definitely order from here again, and once all this is over, will make sure to eat in the restaurant. read more

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Authentic, authentic, authentic. .. Really. Had a great experience at Old Europe from the food to the service. We both had the sampler platter, shared their split pea soup and warm German potato salad. The ambiance is special by way of regional portrait paintings and a huge variety of the regions country Coat of Armor seals. We also enjoyed the area near the restaurant. The drive through old town was well worth the extra few minutes it took to get there from the Parkway. Don't miss this opportunity if you know or want to experience genuine German and regional food. Oh, kraut was smooth and sweet. Yum read more

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Not a large restaurant and there is no bar at which to sit but the food, service, and beer selection is good. More of a nicer restaurant and, due to the lack of a bar, not much of a livey atmosphere to speak of, but definitely come here for the food. I'll be back. read more

Incredible food and people. Delivery is super easy and contactless. They even personalize the delivery bag. Whatever you get, just make sure it includes the sour cherries--out of this world. read more

A great stop in for a thanksgiving snack. We had the potato pancakes (which were the best I've ever had) and the sausage platter. The platter had 4 types of sausages, all of which were delicious. I think the Hungarian sausage was the best. We also tried their holiday beer and the Gewürztraminer wine. Service was solid, and the decor is very homey. Would definitely come back. read more

Haven't been back here since my daughter was 3. Gee I missed this place. Doing touristy things in the city today, decided German lunch was most interesting. Got there 40mins before lunch closing, ordered off the lunch menu. Two of us got the meatloaf plate - wife liked it, elder daughter, not so much. I got the herring w/sour cream salad for appetizer, Reuben sandwich for main. Ohhhhh yeaaaaah. Normally I dont go for cream style, but got out of my comfort zone. The sauce was great - not too sweet, sour, creamy: an almost perfect blend. The Reuben was top notch; pan finished bread, right amount of sauce, side salad to cleanse the palate. For a Saturday lunch, it wasnt horribly packed. The staff were super-attentive to all the tables, almost like family. If you have to go anywhere in DC to eat, this place should be on your top three. read more

Great price for amount of food. Waiter and atmoshphere was amazing. Bread was a bit boring. Bratwurst and schnitzel were really good. read more

Nice place. You get the feeling of being in a European setting. Real good choice of German draft beers. I wished my schnitzel was better. It is was overcooked & too thin for a schnitzel. I need to come back in the future for a hopefully better schnitzel. read more

Meh. Everything here was... Meh. I am a HUGE fan of German food and don't mind that it feels like I walked into my Grandpa's basement if it means a good meal. However, on this occasion Old Europe didn't deliver. The schnitzel was dry and seemed old. The redeeming part of the meal was the delicious sausage platter and spread that comes with the bread at the beginning of the meal. Somewhere to go if your grandparents are in town... lack of ambiance. Maybe its different on Wednesday nights with the band? I really wanted to like this place but it just didn't do it for me. read more

It's a cute restaurant. Nice setting and service. I like their bread and the meat sauce the most. Other than that food taste so-so to me. Not a fan of most of the dishes. Should work harder on the taste of the food. read more

Old Europe is the best German food in town. Have been going there since the late 90s. Don't be fooled by pop-up Oktoberfest-themed beer gardens with bad food. This is the real deal, and a nice dinner out any time. read more

If you are looking for a fun night out, keep this little gem in mind. Authentic German food and decor will make your mind wander off to Bavaria. That it has been around for many decades shows how well run this family restaurant is. The food is excellent. The staff will do all they can to make you feel at home. The selection of German beer is varied and changes with the seasons. Look For special nights with music and other themes. Perfect for families, where the kinder get crayons and German gummies bears. read more

Service is super super slow. We came twice and always on Saturday for lunch. Don't know if it's as slow as Saturday at other times. First time the food was nice. We ordered pork schnitzels, and the salad came with it tastes very good and special. So although the service was slow, we still like to come back for the food. However, the second time, the service speed was even worse, and the food was disappointing. Took more than 5 mins to seat (when there were so many seats available), and took couldn't even tell how long just to make the order. The meatball dish tastes good, but the Zwiebelsteak (I'm not sure about the name, a steak like dish) is awful... It's too too chewy to swallow, and both two pieces are way of too fatty. We had to return it to the kitchen. read more

First time in 16 years since I've been here, enjoyed sauerbraten and dumpling, definitely DC's best kept secrets!

A Washington DC *landmark.* It's been around FOREVER--I think my mother had her prom dinner here (back in the '60s). Fantastic food and ambience--you're surrounded by a bunch of German family herald shields. Food is strictly hearty meaty German fare--there are vegetarian options available (I'm a pescatarian) but you have to be pro-active. I have been there every few years for a while now, even though I don't live in DC anymore. But it's important for me to check in with the old classics of my old neighborhood. I *love* this place. Show some love to this place, I just found out we lost Pied de Cochon. Food is wonderful, music is wonderful, service is terrific. Go! read more

Great service, great food. My fiancé comes from an Austrian/German family and I brought him here for his birthday and he said it tasted like his grandmother's cooking! He had the restaurant's specialty dish, and I had the chicken schnitzel. Both were delicious. The staff dresses in traditional German attire too! It's definitely a pricier place to eat but the food is totally worth it. read more

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Old Europe is by far one of the best German restaurants I have ever eaten at the United States. I was visiting Washington DC and while off the beaten path it was well worth the drive. The food is obviously home made from the appetizers to the deserts. The restaurant itself is decorated with old world charm from paintings to the furniture. The staff was incredibly friendly. Everything was prepared and brought out in a timely way (not in a hurry but not slow either). We had schnitzel and then a chocolate cake for desert. I have never eaten fresher baked goods. I would recommend this place to anyone who is in DC and would like European/German food. It's about 10 minutes out of downtown near "Embassy Row". read more

It's a good uptown German Bar. It's good for the food. Limited draft beer selection. Actually I was really disappointed about there only being 4 beers on tap. No Schneider? What about the KING OF GERMAN BEERS Weihenstephaner Vitus??? The food was nice but DC German bars make an awful Baurenwurst. It's supposed to be large and tasty. Very German place in DC including Old Europe makes it tiny and greasy. It was like a Vienna Sausage. I prolly won't be going back though. Nothing sticks out for me here. If I'm visiting I'll be staying downtown and OE is too far out of my way to care. read more

I came here for Christmas dinner with friends. I'm inclined to like this place, since I had my college graduation dinner here 45 years ago, and it's been a homey, welcoming place for many many years. However, this is a restaurant, and it has to be about more than the decor and fond memories of the past. Old Europe is known for its schnitzels and its brats, and I should have had one of those for dinner. Instead, I chose the Saurbraten, which tasted like it was cooked a week before and then microwaved. Yes, we were at "Old" Europe, but this dish shouldn't have tasted and looked old, which it did, like last Sunday's pot roast recycled with a raisin sauce. The only one of our group who really enjoyed his dinner was the guy who ordered brats. Service was awkward. Our waitress didn't seem to care about serving us. Drinks arrived at the table after the food (even though we asked several times), the glasses of wine were a very skimpy pour (small glasses, half full). We had to ask a few times for bread. We felt rushed and ignored at the same time. read more

Be sure to make reservations! The place got packed at the beginning of the dinner time (guess everybody made reservations). We shared the chicken schnitzel hunter style with spaetz, sausage plate, and the pork hock. Everything turned out to be super yummy! We thought there would be 3 sausages but it turned out to be only two. The environment was quite neat and the staff were very friendly. Overall, it was a very enjoyable experience. read more

I love this restaurant- it is a gem. Food is very good and tastes like home. They are offering take out and free delivery during the quarantine- let's do our part to keep this wonderful restaurant in business during these difficult times. read more

We ate lunch here today. We had th baked brie appetizer/salad-WOW; it was marvelous. For the entree we had the sausage sampler and the duck. Both were excellent. The service was fantastic and the ambiance was really nice. As a native Washingtonian, I don't know how this was our first time here but it certainly won't be our last. read more

This is the ONLY phenomenal German restaurant outside of actually being in Germany! Every other "German" restaurant in the D.C. area sucks! I grew up in Germany and lived there for 10+ years and this place nails it on the darn head! If you want 100% authentic German food come here! I can't wait to come back again and again and admin! Alex (the cook) knows his stuff! read more

OK it's a bitch kitsch and checks off a lot of the stereotypes but...it is still good! Lots of fun on Wednesday evening with its Polka Night and there's live music (you might even be invited to join the Stammtisch and sing along...they provide the sheet music). The currywurst is better than I've had in Berlin and the Frauenart herring salad was mighty tasty. Real schmalz served with the complimentary bread basket. Two thumbs up and would return. read more

Great food and friendly service. Recommend sitting away from the piano if you want to be able to hear the others at your table. I would go again! read more