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German Gourmet, Excellent German Market in Bailey's Crossroads with Delicious Prepared Sausage Sandwiches and Other German Cuisine - Great German Beer Selection


porcupine

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So, yesterday the mister and I were out running errands, and were heading west on Lee Highway after stops at Arrowine and Artisan Confections, feeling a bit peckish and wondering what to do for lunch, when a banner caught my eye:

Hot Brats to Go

So what could we do but make a quick u-turn and stop in?

I got mine plain, without sauerkraut or mustard, on a hard roll. Wonderful. Crispy skin, juicy meat, nutmeg-scented. Fantastic. Picked up some beers I hadn't seen before, since I was there.

The place was hopping, too. Nice deli counter with all sorts of meats, and pastries, and other baked goods, and good German beer selection, and wine, and boxed and canned goods.

Why does no one mention this place? Or did the sucky Invision search engine fail me again?

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This place is a treasure which, in truth, is one of many that are rarely discussed on any message board. They also carry "real" German bread and rolls which are otherwise unavailable in the D. C. area. I've gone to it for years, supplimenting that which I've brought back on airplanes from Germany. It is well worth seeking out for those reading this thread. We are, indeed, fortunate to have a source like this. Thanks for mentioning it, Porcupine.

PS You need to try Roberto's pizza!

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yeah, everyone should at least go by once ;)

being from germany, it was a pleasure to shop there a few weeks ago .... lots of familiar brands and products. they are opening up a second location - i think planned was end of summer, but this was still in the making and not rock-solid.

check out their website - also for the address here: http://www.german-gourmet.com/

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I've gone in there on and off ever since I moved to the area eleven years ago. I thought it was interesting when the proprieter told me that he preferred Randolph's pastries to the ones he sells in his store. He was the one I found out about Randolph's from, in fact. I have bought wursts to cook at home, but haven't eaten one there. How did you manage not to go to Elevation Burger, which is just down the way a bit?

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How did you manage not to go to Elevation Burger, which is just down the way a bit?

As you're heading west on Lee Highway from Route 7, German Gourmet is about 1/4-mile past Elevation Burger (Elevation Burger will be on your right; German Gourmet will be on your left). I've driven past it about 100 times, and each time I slap myself for never having been in to try the bratwursts.

Cheers,

Rocks.

PS don't forget Lebanese Butcher is right in that area, too.

PPS if you keep going, there's an unknown churrascaria on your right which I believe is called Victor's II. This, of course, begs the question: Where is Victor's I?

PPPS porcupine, if you were feeling peckish, why didn't you get some chicken at Crisp and Juicy?

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How did you manage not to go to Elevation Burger, which is just down the way a bit?

Easy: I don't like hamburgers.

and DonRocks wrote:

"PPPS porcupine, if you were feeling peckish, why didn't you get some chicken at Crisp and Juicy?"

Vetoed by Mr. P. :P But if we'd done that, we wouldn't've gone to German Gourmet. ;)

and Pool Boy wrote:

"Where exactly is it again?"

What Rocks wrote. 7185 Lee Hwy. http://pages.areaguides.com/german-gourmet/

PS - can anybody explain how to make 'add reply' and 'quote' from two different messages in the same reply?

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PS - can anybody explain how to make 'add reply' and 'quote' from two different messages in the same reply?

1. For each post you wish to quote, click on the "+ Quote" button on the bottom-right of that post.

2. Click on "Add Reply" down at the bottom of the page.

All quoted posts will appear in your reply box. You may need to cut out unwanted text from the quoted posts for brevity, but more importantly, you must pay heed to the very real possibility of triple spacing in this situation.

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Do they have currywurst?

oh, i think they do ;) and they have fantastic 'leberkaese' ....mmmh we got a lot of sausage and other meat products there - too bad our freezer is limited in size!

German Gourmet ... Lebanese Butcher ... I'm just waiting for the Swedish Chef.

come to think of it - wouldn't that be an awesome marketing idea for a swedish chef to open a restaurant in the US?

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Do they have currywurst?

Just to be clear, currywurst is simply bratwurst cut up into bite-size pieces, sprinkled with curry powder, and served with ketchup and fries. Generally, you get it at an Imbiss (somewhat like our hot-dog stands, preferably in Berlin) not at a shop.

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Every 4th of July we have an annual camping trip, and we always bring brats for one night from the German Gourmet. This year we were running really low on time, so we just grabbed them from whole foods. There was hell to pay. All future brats must come from the German Gourmet!

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Just to be clear, currywurst is simply bratwurst cut up into bite-size pieces, sprinkled with curry powder, and served with ketchup and fries. Generally, you get it at an Imbiss (somewhat like our hot-dog stands, preferably in Berlin) not at a shop.

That may be how they actually serve it in Germany, but I've had a version here in the states that was delicious, and not how you've described it. My experience was that it was like an amazing bratwurst that was cooked in curry (or curry powder) or however, and it tasted and smelled of curry, and was served whole on a bun, like a brat, with saurkraut on top. DELICIOUS. Got it at this great little German bar in NYC. It's that version I hope they sell at German Gourmet, but if they have your version, I'll happily try that too.

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That may be how they actually serve it in Germany, but I've had a version here in the states that was delicious, and not how you've described it. My experience was that it was like an amazing bratwurst that was cooked in curry (or curry powder) or however, and it tasted and smelled of curry, and was served whole on a bun, like a brat, with saurkraut on top. DELICIOUS. Got it at this great little German bar in NYC. It's that version I hope they sell at German Gourmet, but if they have your version, I'll happily try that too.

I think your version sounds better!

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I stopped by the German Gourmet last week to get a fix of brats, sausages, stuffed bacon roll (try this!) and to see what is new. I found that they have opened a second larger location, with parking, and more German merchandise. On November 3rd they will close their old location for the day and have a grand opening complete with samples, giveaways, and surprises!

I urgebeveryone to give this place a try! Grab a copy of their sausage guide and order away!

Old location

7185 Lee Highway

Falls Church, VA 22046

Phone: 703-534-1908 Fax: 703-237-6302

Website: http://german-gourmet.com

German Gourmet has opened a second location at

5838 Columbia Pike,

Falls Church, VA 22041;

Phone/FAX: 703.379.8080

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it is still too small at the new location, and yes there is still no parking. if you went this afternoon at 3 pm you know what we mean :blink:

but great brats, and the usual stuff. plus "brotchen" rolls hot out of the oven by chance. what's not to like if one is out that way.

r clair

alex, va 22308

[i urgebeveryone to give this place a try! Grab a copy of their sausage guide and order away!

Old location

7185 Lee Highway

Falls Church, VA 22046

Phone: 703-534-1908 Fax: 703-237-6302

Website: http://german-gourmet.com

German Gourmet has opened a second location at

5838 Columbia Pike,

Falls Church, VA 22041;

Phone/FAX: 703.379.8080

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sorry, forgot to mention we got the Hausmacher brats. to paraphrase Homer ... "Ummm ... Brats!" we'll be back saturday for the Bauren. by the way, if one is coming "up" 244 (left to right from the freeway) they are on the left side.

to bad they don't do fries :blink:

robert clair

alex, va 22308

it is still too small at the new location, and yes there is still no parking. if you went this afternoon at 3 pm you know what we mean :P

but great brats, and the usual stuff. plus "brotchen" rolls hot out of the oven by chance. what's not to like if one is out that way.

r clair

alex, va 22308

[i urgebeveryone to give this place a try! Grab a copy of their sausage guide and order away!

Old location

7185 Lee Highway

Falls Church, VA 22046

Phone: 703-534-1908 Fax: 703-237-6302

Website: http://german-gourmet.com

German Gourmet has opened a second location at

5838 Columbia Pike,

Falls Church, VA 22041;

Phone/FAX: 703.379.8080

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We were at the new location around 3:00 on Saturday as well, and got the Hausmacher and Bauern wurst with sauerkraut. Also tried the carrot salad and german potato salad. The wurst and kraut was delicious. The rolls they use are good -- neither too hard and crispy nor too soft and mushy. The potato salad at Heidelburg Pastry Shoppe is better in my opinion -- the potatoes in the German Gourmet's potato salad were too soft and I didn't detect enough bacon flavor. The German Gourmet offers more variety than Heidelburg as far as the types of wurst you can get for your sandwich. The selection of cold cuts was phenomenal. We plan to try the smoked pork loin, the stuffed veal breast, the bacon roll, the tongue and the double smoked bacon in time. They have a selection of pates and terrines including venison and rabbit, and in addition, in the freezer they have all kinds of game sausages. They also have breads and pastries. This is a great addition for the food loving community.

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Just had a Bratwurst Sandwich ($5.95) at the original German Gourmet. It's just the right size for lunch, and only takes about five minutes to make. Yes, it's purchased bratwurst and this is certainly not Peter Smith, but it's a decent sandwich, especially with sauerkraut and mustard.

More importantly, German Gourmet is one of the few places I've found that carries my beloved Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest ($12 a six-pack).

Cheers,

Rocks.

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Just had a Bratwurst Sandwich ($5.95) at the original German Gourmet. It's just the right size for lunch, and only takes about five minutes to make. Yes, it's purchased bratwurst and this is certainly not Peter Smith, but it's a decent sandwich, especially with sauerkraut and mustard.

More importantly, German Gourmet is one of the few places I've found that carries my beloved Hacker-Pschorr Oktoberfest ($12 a six-pack).

Cheers,

Rocks.

Rocks - I've found Hacker=Pschorr O'fest at Whole Foods and Norms Beer and Wine in Vienna. Both sell for under $12. IIRC, Norms is around $9 per six. They also have Hoff-Brau which is pretty good this year, too.

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I finally tried the Bailey's Crossroads location (easily accessible via a contiguous parking lots from Trader Joe's) and have to agree with everyone that this place is great. I got a Hausmacher brat with sauerkraut and mustard on a Portugese roll. The roll was fantastic and definitely added to the whole experience. Also, for those who are wondering, they do serve currywurst. The freezer section had a variety of sausages including rabbit, duck, elk, venison, and buffalo. I'll have to stop back some other time when I'm not starving and only singlemindedly interested in lunch.

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We went here today in search of German food goodies.

Nice shop, very clean and well organized with a pretty knowledgable staff, too. Good breads, lots of chocolates, baking supplies, wine, beer, mustards, meats and cheeses.

We loaded up with various mustards, some beer, brats, knackwurst, weisswurst, zungenwurst, nussschinken, long wieners (to make currywurst), and some of my beloved but über-schtinky Tilsit. Forgot to try the hot brat to go (next time!), but it'll be fun to make their brats at home.

By comparison, I think Old Worlde deli up in Randallstown outside of Baltimore has a better selection of meats and cheeses (believe it or not!) but perhaps a slightly less knowledgeable staff up there. But this place is arguably more convenient (I'm in Laurel) and there are loads of other food places around that area to poke my head in while down that way (like the Lebanese butcher!).

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Every 4th of July we have an annual camping trip, and we always bring brats for one night from the German Gourmet. This year we were running really low on time, so we just grabbed them from whole foods. There was hell to pay. All future brats must come from the German Gourmet!

How convenient! I was just rereading this thread to make sure I should really trek out to German Gourmet again. It looks like I answered my own question. German Gourmet it will be.

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Had often passed by this place on Columbia Pike without stopping but dropped in for lunch today and was surprised to find not only a full German deli with all kinds of sausages, hams and coldcuts, but also a store with German wines, beer, coffee, cheese, cookies, candies (Haribo gummis), jams, etc. They serve 8 different kinds of bratwurst sandwiches, including a currywurst and thueringer, several types of hot and cold sandwiches (including liverwurst), and a variety of sides/salads. I had the Deutscher sub - assorted German coldcuts served on a baguette with remoulade (with added onions and lettuce) for $6.25, a beet salad with onion, parsley and whole mustard seeds (as a side for 50 cents), and a pickle spear (included with sandwich). All fresh and delicious. I also tried some of the cucumber salad (sliced cucumbers in a sour cream and dill sauce), sold by the pound. Other salads: potato, red cabbage,spaetzle& cheese, herring, green bean, Tyrolean cabbage. While waiting for my sandwich, I picked up some coffee, cookies and Dutch-made stroopwaffels (caramel syrup filled waffle cookies). I can't wait to go back and stock up on some of the meat, cheese and beer/wine, as well as eat my way through their menu. I've never had currywurst so will try that next time, and there's a pork loin sandwich with 2 kinds of bacon that I'll try after that...The entrance is on the west side of the building, as is the parking lot. Just past the Bailey's Crossroads shopping plaza with the Best Buy, Full Kee, etc., and before the Pollo Campero. This is a gem of a place that has been around for 3 years. Glad I finally checked it out.

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I went to the German Gourmet on Baily's Crossroads today for the first time. They had over 15 types of sausages for $7.95 per pound and an impressive array cold cuts, cheeses, and salads. I wanted to try a little bit of everything and was already making a mental list of things I am going to try on second and third trip.

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The best 'Fest draft selection in the area this year undoubtedly has to be at Biergarten Haus. I have not had the chance to get over there in the past 3 weeks but hope to before it is supposed to end on Monday 10/4

FWIW I had a remarkably good brat yesterday: the "beer bratwurst" from German Gourmet in Baileys Cross Road, brushed with vegetable oil and grilled over charcoal on a Weber. Served on a "Portugeuse bun" (also from German Gourmet) which was also toasted on the grill. Mittlesharf German mustard. I'd actually suggest that this was as good as bratwurst that I've bought at the Viktualmarkt in Munich.

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Finally stopped into the German Gourmet today for the first time. I had a great experience, and bought some Schinkenspeck for a friend to wrap around some figs she had gathered at her family farm in Madison County, VA, some Leberkase because I haven't had it since my last visit to my hometown in NYS years ago, and a teawurst for the same reason. I had a nice chat with another customer about the food we encountered growing up in NYS, she in Buffalo, and I in the Hudson Valley. I'll be back. Soon. For the currywurst and everything else. :(

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I've been meaning to post this for awhile now, but keep forgetting. For at least several weeks, the Lee Highway German Gourmet has been closed. There's a sign up now thanking everyone for 45 (!) years on Lee Highway, and that they can now be found on Columbia Pike.

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I've been meaning to post this for awhile now, but keep forgetting. For at least several weeks, the Lee Highway German Gourmet has been closed. There's a sign up now thanking everyone for 45 (!) years on Lee Highway, and that they can now be found on Columbia Pike.

Makes perfect sense, that location had horrible parking, and was a very tight space. Here's to them lasting at least 45 years on Columbia Pike.

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I have visited the Columbia Pike location many times. Extremely friendly service, great selection of german products (great beer of course and, at holidays, grab a bottle of Gluhwein!!) and of course a gorgeous display case of every "wurst" you can imagine. Long lines on saturday morning but the sausage samples make the time pass quickly!

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Their selection is amazing!  I like to just wander around, amazed at all the different things.  If it's from Germany, they have it.  Including stuff you probably don't want, like fermented cod liver in a can.  I bought a can just to try it but couldn't eat it, it was way too intense.  I was thinking to myself, "if it went bad, how would you know?"

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On 3/10/2011 at 10:01 AM, wlohmann said:

I have visited the Columbia Pike location many times. Extremely friendly service, great selection of german products (great beer of course and, at holidays, grab a bottle of Gluhwein!!) and of course a gorgeous display case of every "wurst" you can imagine. Long lines on saturday morning but the sausage samples make the time pass quickly!

German Gourmet is an absolutely fantastic German enclave - the best German market in the area (that I'm aware of), and terrific prepared foods. Yesterday, it was Bratwurst with sauerkraut and mustard, and they were fantastic - butterflied, so the juices co-mingled with their excellent roll.

Of course, when I walked out, my bill for the Bratwursts was over $70, because I was unleashed in their aisles of beer, wine, etc. - they have one of the very best selections of German beers of anyone in the DC area, and unlike many small, ethnic markets, their beer is all fresh - every bottle well before the expiry date.

I don't know why I didn't have German Gourmet in Italic, but it's every bit as good as The Swiss Bakery or The Italian Store.

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Their Zungenwurst is quite good, as are their Nussschinken and Westphalian (ham) sliced so think it is almost transparent. I love their imported versions of Ritter Sport chocolates, because they are made im Deutschland, and to my tastebuds are better than the English written labelled ones, but that could be the chocolate talking. They also sell Underberg, a necessity for when you eat too much. I alway drop $200 to $300 here when I load up on German supplies. So good. And I need to get back - I'm almost out of Tilsit!

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