I was visiting Washington for the weekend and made a reservation for brunch with a group of friends from college. When we arrived, we were the only people in the restaurant, but we still had to wait over 45 minutes for our food. When it came out, it was mediocre. 4 people got omelettes, which left much to be desired, the cheese dominated the meal and the eggs were challenging to find. The eggs benedict was cold and the hollandaise sauce was bland. The Nrnberger Platter was great! read more

Went with a group of 6 for a birthday dinner last night. Loved the patio and coziness of the restaurant, but it was too chilly to take advantage of the outdoor space. Overall, the evening was enjoyable, and I think the standout was our waiter. I didn't catch his name, but he was so friendly, not annoying at all, and his German was impeccable! I am definitely no connoisseur of German food, but I wasn't really impressed by anything I tried. Our dining group loved the food, while I thought it was just ok. Escargo: yummy Heringstip: different, and I'm not typically a fan of mixing sweet with savory (apples in the dish), but this was pretty good Rindsroulade: The entire dish was dry, and the meat portion was very tough. The dish did come served over gravy, which helped, but it was still too dry for my liking. The flavors were ok, but it was a little on the bland side. We ordered 4 different desserts (cheesecake, poppyseed cake, chocolate mousse, and a German layer cake?) and shared them. They were all very decent, but my favorite was the poppyseed cake. Nothing was too rich or decadent, which I really appreciate. read more

I went here for dinner last Friday and I had a really nice evening. The ambiance is sweet and cozy with very attentive service. The appetizers and entrees were great, but in particular the DESSERT was amazing. I love beer too, particularly hefeweizen, which I definitely had and was also good. For dessert, there were several cake and pie options and I chose a caramel almond dish which was really unique and delcious. I would recommend this place particularly for a date or a nice time with freinds catching up when you don't want to be eating in a loud environment. I definitely plan on eating here again. :) read more

I took one of my co-workers for lunch to Cafe Berlin. After reviewing their web page and viewing the menu I thought this would be a good place to introduce him to Bavarian food. I was very disappointed. I ordered the mt favorite Bavarian dish and the standard I use to compare German restaurants, Wiener Schnitzel. What a fiasco. The Wiener Schnitzel was overcooked to the point the crust was burned in some parts, and extremely grease. It was served over a a bed of unseasoned soggy vegetables. Only in Cafe Berlin they serve the Wiener Schnitzel with homefries. Like the rest of the dish they left a lot to be desire. They would be better serving potato pancakes or pom fries. The service was ok, although they never brought us bread and butter. The Diet Cokes were flat and the Tea we order to replace the Diet Cokes was worst. The outside patio is nice, the inside reminds me of a 1940's bordello. When I look at the cost of the meal with the overall value (service, ambiance, meal) I it was over-priced. I would have done better buying lunch at one of the Trucks parked near Union Station. I do not recommend this restaurant for a date. There are too many other great places in DC. read more

This place is just average. The service was pretty good, no complaints about that, but the food overall was not as good as other German restaurants in DC. Me and my love split the pretzel app which was disappointing because the cheese spread was very bland and literally tasted like nothing at all. The beer selection was minimal, which is what left the least of impressions. Only 3 beers on tap? Excuse me. Did not expect that at all, especially since it's almost required that you make a reservation because the place is so small. Beer you see in the picture is great. The jagerschnitzel was tasty, which is why there is not a picture because we ate it without even thinking about anything else. Def a must try! If you want something fancy then come here. If you want a greater selection of beer and better food, go to the Biergarten Haus only a few minutes away. read more

Cafe Berlin - Pretzels bites and cheese. - German Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Outstanding food period! Service is fantastic and truly knowledgeable of the food, the atmosphere is relaxed for enjoying to with friends but if you want a date place it's great also! read more

We loved it. The food is awesome. The staff is friendly and helpful. We love it some much, we are discussing whether we should come back tomorrow. ... We did come back the next day. For the great variety of sausages and the raspberry tart. Given the high quality of the food, the fact that it is obviously made from scratch, the location (Capitol Hill), it is very reasonably priced. We will definitely come back again read more

Cafe Berlin - Wurstfeast half order $20. Superb - German Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Trekked to Cafe from the burbs via Metro red line. Super easy walk from there to restaurant. Restaurant week menu available as well as the regular menu. Waiter was great explaining all. Very accommodating personalizing apps for us. We went for weiner snitchel and sauer braten. Very, very, good. Took a desert home as too full to eat there. Sadly no apple strudel available. Can't wait to go again in warmer weather to dine at the outdoor tables. read more

Cafe Berlin - Veal - German Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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Absolutely wonderful! Went to Cafe Berlin on Easter Sunday for dinner. A fixed price menu ($39) for starter, entree and dessert. What a wonderful place for dinner!! Staff was incredibly friendly, fast, efficient! What more could you ask for?!? Here in DC on vacation, and it was great to 'get away' from the traditional tourists traps and eat somewhere that is a local spot. Would highly recommend to anyone in the NE Capitol Hill area. We will definitely be back our next visit to this wonderful city. Heck...we may even pop in for second meal before we leave from this trip. read more

This place is magical.. First of all, the food and beer is fantastic.. Get the jaegershnitzel it is fantastic..what really made me fall in love with this place is we brought our sweet rescue dog who we've only had about a month and the owner (?) came out, saw her, and roasted a bone for her! He made sure it was totally safe first and we all had the most amazing brunch.. I 100% recommend read more

Cafe Berlin - German Near Me - Washington, DC, District of Columbia

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I came here because I used to live in Vienna and was craving schnitzel desperately. The ambiance is perfect- very cozy. The waitress was the perfect in between of attentive but not annoyingly so. I ordered the Jägerschnitzel, which was fantastic.... I'd highly recommend it, even though it was a bit pricey. I got the amber Oktoberfest beer, which was excellent. My only major disappointment, hence the 3 instead of 4 stars, was the apfelstrudel: the pastry itself was good, but the apple filling was woefully underseasoned and bland. The accompanying vanilla sauce also suffered from blandness, but was better than the filling. Overall, I'll come back again the next time I have a schnitzel craving and try another dessert. read more

I have been to Cafe Berlin several times for both lunch and dinner and each time the food has been fantastic. They have a great selection of authentic German beer, and while it is a little expensive, it is totally worth it (make sure to ask for the 1L stein). The best part about the Cafe Berlin experience is the flavored butters they serve with the bread. While they rotate regularly and are all delicious, the best is their sun dried tomato. Yum. read more

I love this place! Walking distance from the union station metro. If you like German food, this is the place to be. This is my new favorite place to eat in DC. read more

Great food, all the dishes we tried were really good. The employees were friendly and helpful.

This place is fantastic. The cozy little bar, the excellently executed menu, and the attentive staff are fantastic. The beer is fantastic. We didn't make it into the courtyard since it was raining, but I bet on nice nights that's fantastic too. This place has all the classic German favorites for the most comfortable, relaxing dinner ever. Ask for Swiss cheese on your meat plate, if you like, and end everything with a nice Underberg, if you drink. Fantastic. read more

Fantastic spot. Excellent service not rushed. Amazing German food. Great bar with wide selection of on tap and wines. Bartender makes several special drinks. Make a rez for weekend if possible. Looking forward to warmer weather to enjoy the porch. Easy 15 min walk from so cap metro stop thru lovely restored dc. Stunning view of the capitol along the walk over. read more

simply delicious food , friendly staff,, quaint,, bring your kindle, (you will wait for your meal - it's not a fast paced place -more of a - -i'm off for the -day place!) watch the traffic sail by,, great rich decadent deserts, beers, wines, relaxing! read more

Probably 3.5 stars as food was of decent quality and flavors pretty authentic but some things were a bit salty. Service was fast and friendly and place had a nice vibe. Deserts are heavy but tasty and likable. read more

This place is pretty cool. Definitely go to check it out for the experience of a classic and real german restaurant in a great neighborhood/convenient location. The service was pretty low, but if time is not a concern then go get some good beer and eat outside. The pretzel appetizer was a disappointment, seemed like a microwaved pretzel but other than that everything was good. read more

You can find the German taste of sausage and schnitzel there. The price is low for the quality food they provide. The only negative point is their old small location which make you bored but if you order to go you will enjoy the food. read more

SUMMARY We look for three things in a restaurant: food, service, and ambiance. This restaurant is weak on the first two, fine on the latter. This restaurant was disappointing with the food and the service. The menus were plastic and cheap looking. FOOD/WINE The asparagus was tough, and the hollandaise sauce tasteless. We shared the gemischte salatplatte, and this was okay. My wife reports the veal schnitzel was average. Our son and I had the sauerbraten with tough meat and an inedible, enormous, gelatinous potato dumpling. The wine list was short and cheap. We drank a German red; it was ok. SERVICE The waiter was friendly but terribly disorganized and/or overworked. He said that they were short staffed and if so, I do not know why the woman serving as host and apparently the owner, had time to sit and chat with some customers while others had to wait. AMBIANCE We were seated outdoors so can only speak of the patio dinning experience. It was a warm night and the patio is a pleasant space. A candle per table would have been an improvement as it was rather dark. read more

To describe the menu as authentic german cuisine is slightly misleading , because if you're calling your Restaurant a german Restaurant somebody might think that you're serving GERMAN food . Right here you have quite a lot unusual german dishes on the menu , the beloved Wiener Schnitzel or Goulash for example (and here we have a lot of examples) is a AUSTRIAN dish . And best of all , running a Restaurant next to Capitol Hill means to have quite a big number of customers in demand for QUALITY FOOD and serving mediocre , humble and outdated dishes is just so poor and yesterday . The menu reads like it doesn't changed that much since opening in 1985 . And as said before , nobody in Germany recognize a Turkey Roulade as german cuisine ....... I really have no idea why all of the so called german Restaurants in the U.S.A are serving the same obsolete BLANDIFICATION dishes and selling to customers food you don't get served this way in Germany . These days people should know better . Imagine this , today even german cuisine is a contemporary and quality focused cuisine . I know that's hard to believe in the United States , but that's the way it is in 2010 . read more

This place has gone downhill. Food was awful. Place was dirty. Used to be good years ago.

First of all I am born and raised in Germany plus this review comes from all 6 people in my group who ate there last night, German Beer Police would have closed them down due to the Foam/Beer ratio, second the food was extremely overpriced for what you got and it did not even come close to authentic European taste also Germans DO NOT put Sardines on Schnitzel or if they did they would tell people. Food was also undercooked, the assorted Wurstplatter had not only German Wurst but they substituted some links with what looked and tasted like Bob Evans Sausage links. The Rotkohl (Red Cabbage) tasted like it was taking out of Jar and heated up in the Microwave, no flavor. Cucumber salat was very good but most likely came from a Jar. Bretzels was half overcooked/burned other half was undercooked, Currywurst was a Joke and undercooked. I would not recommend Café Berlin to any of my Friends and Relatives. We all brushed it off as a lessen learned. There are many German Restaurants in the DMV area. read more

A cozy Christmas environment for lunch with colleagues today. Since this restaurant is in a townhouse, the rooms are intimate and inviting. The food and beer selection is basically good. German food is a little heavy for my liking but, if you like potato pancakes, wiener schnitzel, and boar (yes - boar), you will enjoy this place. A summer note: they have an outdoor seating area along Mass Ave which is pleasant when the weather complies. read more

Save your money. I'm German and I wanted to tell the chef " So ein scheiss Fressen!" Except he wouldn't have understood me! There's is nothing traditional about this place. At least not on the night I went. The waitress was friendly but clueless. Outdoor seating was nice, beer options are ok (hard to screw that up) The Jäger Schnitzel came with a corn starch thickened sauce (rather than a reduction) along with canned mushrooms. Watery and tasteless! The Knödel tasted like it was made out of a ready to go box mix with pre made stuffing, bland and unacceptable. Overall extremely disappointing. My gf was equally disappointed with her choices. This place should join forces with the other awful, non traditional (but staff claim it is) German place down the road: Bierhaus Garden. Together they may just be the worst impostor food I've ever had, anywhere! read more

This place is unsanitary. I witnessed the redhead waitress lick dessert off of someone's plate while delivering it to their table. Food decent. read more

So far this is one of my favorite places to eat in the DC area. Located just east of the train station, it is definitely worth a trip. The Good: DELICIOUS FOOD: German food isn't as common/popular as it should be because it is flat out the best food on the planet. I have been here twice and both times I was blown away by how good my food was. My first visit I had the Gröstle, a scramble with chicken, gravy, dumplings, onions, bacon, and eggs. Words cannot describe how delicious this dish was. My second visit I had a Schnitzel Sandwich, like the Gröstle it was absolutely incredible. FRIENDLY STAFF: Both visits yielded absolutely excellent service from the wait staff. Both waitresses were incredibly friendly and aimed to make our experience the best. REASONABLE PRICES: German food is often more expensive than most (for some reason), however Cafe Berlin is fairly reasonably priced especially for how delicious the food is. Sandwiches are under $10 and entrees run fro $11-16. COOL LOCATION: Basically the restaurant is in the basement of a little house. It has a nice patio that is perfect when the sun is out. In short, GO EAT HERE! You will not regret it! read more

There are times we go to a restaurant and the food is good. There are other times we have good service that make us feel we were appreciated and served well. There are times we go somewhere and the ambiance is just right. Getting all of it right is what this restaurant does best. Plenty of parking is the street also. I definitely recommend leaving room for desserts also. read more

It's taken me a long time to bring myself to write this review, because I've never had a worse restaurant experience in my life and it was seriously traumatizing. I've been to the restaurant three times and should have given up after the first time but the food was really good! The owner/manager/hostess was horribly rude each time. We felt unwelcome and were treated like criminals. She acted like she was doing us a favor just speaking to us. Each time they made a big deal about whether we had a reservation. The first time we did--the service was okay but the food was great so we went back. The second time we did not have a reservation and were turned down in such a horrible way by the hostess that I never wanted to go back. Unfortunately, my best friend did. Same story the third time. My friend and I had a reservation but were treated very rudely by this "hostess". The waiter didn't bring the wine menu like we asked and it took over an hour to get our appetizer. When we got it, the waiter whined about how busy they were. I got my entree but my friend did not. When she finally did, an hour later, they had ignored her dietary restrictions and the waiter tried to blame it on her not giving good enough directions. Then he got it wrong a second time. At that point we asked for the check. He had charged us for everything and I told him we're not paying. He gave us a nasty attitude and walked away. I asked to speak to the manager, who turned out to be our friend the hostess, and she evidently owns the place. To make a horrible, long story short, we had a screaming match with her in front of all the customers and she kicked us out very loudly and very publicly. I should mention that my friend and I are both grown women, successful and educated, not that it matters. Customers may not be treated in this way. This was the absolute worst experience. The food may be good but it's not worth it. read more

I'm not German and I've never been to Germany, but my girlfriend is and has and when I take her here I get bonus points - that must mean it's good, right? They have a great beer selection with all the hits. And if you like to drink, leave the car keys at home because you can order by the liter! The atmosphere's great(especially outside) - you almost feel like you're eating a home cooked meal somewhere in the old country. They even remember our dating anniversary and send us a coupon for $14.00 off every year - nice touch! Highly recommend! read more

I've lived in the neighborhood a little over 3 years and have been to Cafe Berlin several times. My favorite part about it is the decor and atmosphere. The beer selection is also something I always look forward to. The servers know the beers well and the menu also gives very detailed descriptions. The food has always been good but recently I've noticed marked improvements in the quality and taste of the food. I asked my server last night if something had changed over the years and he told me that the newest chef makes a strong effort to stick with very fresh and high quality ingredients. Well it's a good thing bc it has paid off. Everything I ate last night was EXCELLENT as was my two friends' meals. I've always eaten here bc I live around the corner but now I'm really going to make it a point to eat here more often - and bring friends when they visit read more

Pure bliss on a plate: JAGERSCHNITZEL. The pork loin is thin, crispy, and perfectly fried. It arrives on heaps of spatzel, and covered in a heavenly sauce featuring mushrooms, bacon, and some kind of black magic. This dish could feed two people, but I never want to share. I eat the whole thing myself and then spend the rest of the day in a blissful food coma. Ever since the new owners took over a year or two ago, the food went from 'good' to 'OH YES.' I've been in DC for about 8 years, and this is now one of my favorite restaurants. BONUSES: * Homemade desserts are lovely (lots of tarts & cake slices) * Beer is great, plentiful, and can be served in a wide variety of sizes (including in a giant glass boot) * Even the spinach salad is delicious. And I don't get excited about salads. * Servers are friendly and often speak German * Plenty of indoor & outdoor seating read more

Awesome place. Great staff. Walked in without a reservation and was seated immediately. Our waiter, Chris, was superb. Explained everything in detail from the drink, food, and dessert menus. Was very patient with my group (first time we had been to a German restaurant), and even gave me a quick German lesson. Highly recommend. read more

Huge disappointment. Know that I am not a picky eater and rarely leave bad reviews, but last night's meal was just bad. Service took forever; we waited 45 minutes for our food as did the table next to us. The hostess ended up running plates. Started with the warm brie. It was good, but nothing amazing. It turned out to be the best thing we ate, however. The bread was bad, dry and tasteless - that turned out to be the theme for the night. My beef dish was horrible. The meat was very dry and overall tasteless. It was covered with a sauce that tasted like BBQ - not sure if that's how it is supposed to taste? I told my waitress and she offered to send it back or bring me something else. I declined given the extensive wait. I wasn't charged. My brother's pork dish was better than my beef in that it was edible. I thought his was pretty overcooked as well. Maybe that's how they do it in Germany? The outdoor seating was very nice. I liked the beers and my mother's sausage was pretty good too. Still, I won't ever go back. read more

After my experience last night and this morning, I felt compelled to open a Yelp account so that I can warn people about the service provided here. Last night, I went out to dinner with 3 other friends to celebrate. We had a reservation for 7 P.M. but when we got there our table was not ready, which was fine. We ended up waiting for about half an hour, all the meanwhile a woman with short hair ( who we found out this morning is the owner) kept us updated and apologized for the fact that the customers weren't leaving. She continued to blame the wait on the customers instead of the fact that they overbooked. For some reason she thought it was appropriate to make fun of the customers that were apparently at the table that we were going to. She said they looked miserable so I don't know why they are still here, and then said maybe we should all go over and give them the evil eye so that they would leave. I should have realized then, that although she was trying to be funny by saying totally inappropriate jokes about her customers that she in fact had a nasty attitude that soon came out. Once we got seated, our waiter, blonde young guy, provided us with good service. Unfortunately, after we had left, we got a voicemail from the owner saying that we had forgotten two ID's on the table and that we can come back and get it before 11 P.M. As soon as we got the message, my friend and I took an uber and got to the restaurant by 10 P.M. Apparently the owner went off property for an unspecified amount of time and she had placed the ID's in a place where the staff couldn't find it. Our waiter was there and he tried looking-he was the only sincere person and I feel sorry he works for such a miserable person- but there was another waiter who was so shockingly rude. When my friend asked how the ID's were not there when we just received the voicemail less than twenty minutes prior, he responded in the most sarcastic manner "Sorry that we can't find the ID's that YOU (emphasis on you) all left behind, but we can't find it and she's not around." He continued by ignoring us and turning his back, when we asked that she be called he said that he already tried and that was it. After about ten minutes of being in this hostile environment, we decided to leave realizing that they did not know where it was because the owner did not communicate with them. So we drove back this morning, which is a 45 minute drive for us, and received more icy cold nasty service. I tried opening the front door, but for some reason whether the door was too heavy for me or I didn't turn the knob far enough, the door didn't open so I knocked on the window (also seeing that nobody was inside besides a waitress at the bar, and for the fact they just opened I thought maybe their doors were still locked). My friend then tried opening it and it worked. The VERY FIRST REMARK we were "greeted" with by the waitress at the bar was "Your supposed to turn the knob like you would turn the knob at home." Unbelievable...even when we approached the bar, she had her back turned to us and refused to acknowledge our existence. Then, the owner came in. Since she was so "friendly" last night, I was actually happy to see her thinking she would set things right.......wrong!!!! She didn't smile, passed us and went to the waitress. I had to start the conservation. I asked if she was the one who left the VM and she said yes, and to give her a few minutes before she could get it-as cold as she possibly could- she then handed them over, without any words! At this point, this is very comical, I've never been so mistreated in my life. Before we headed out, I told her what happened last night. Instead of apologizing for her staff 's behavior ( and quite frankly her bad communication which made a mess) she defended her staff by saying he was exasperated. I told her I thought she should know and she just said "Thanks." No smile, no sorry, no warmth-pure hate for customers who just spent over $250 at her restaurant. I heard this is relatively a new takeover in management which is sad, seeing how we used to go almost every year. They just lost loyal customers and i suggest to anyone thinking of going, to go elsewhere before you become a victim of her abuse or the butt of her jokes. read more

While the food at Cafe Berlin is not great, the patio and beer are. Cafe Berlin is one of my favorite outside, relaxation, beer-drinking spots. Almost like being in Germany itself. In terms of the food, the wurst plate is consistently good, and at lunch-time the brat is tasty. But mostly I go to Cafe Berlin for the beer. read more

This place was near where I stayed when I visited DC. I was very impressed by the beer selection, the menu, the service... everything! I was with a group of four. We all had something different and everyone loved what they got. We were too full for desserts but they sure looked great! I'll rave about the pork medallions in mushroom gravy, served in a small cast-iron skillet. It was so tender each bite melted in my mouth. There was little talking after the first bites, but lots of yummy sounds. I will definitely find this place again. read more

Can't say enough about this charming German restaurants. The new owners are fantastic and things have improved dramatically over past trips. The German beers are great an the food - from the interesting little flatbreads to the schnitzel an homemade pastries. Will definitely be going back and telling all of my friends!! read more

It's a great place for German food. I like Cafe Mozart maybe a little better, but this place is close to work and getting a boot of beer is always fun. I keep trying different menu items and haven't had any that I really couldn't stomach. The staff is always friendly and they give you bread and butter (and beer!) to keep you busy while you wait for your meals. I love going there with friends and they usually have a pretty good restaurant.com deal going. read more