To me, Germany has some of the best soups ever. DH loves Leberknudelsuppe, which is a big liver dumpling in broth. I, other the other hand, do not care for liver, but love Fritattensuppe which is thin pancake strips in broth. Both of us love the Kartoffelsuppe or potato soup. Gulaschsuppe is like Goulash but with a thiner sauce.

And BREAD!! Oh, we absolutely love all the different types of bread and rolls.

Give me a big bowl of soup and some bread and I'm good to go.

I like a good braised pork knuckles when I can find it. Meat just falls off the bone, just like the more common (in the US) braised veal or lamb shank (aka oso bucco at your local Italian restaurant). It'll be listed as a Schweinshaxe on any German menu.

Another vote for the Gulaschsuppe....I loved it and also the potatoes with dinner, but don't remember how that was written on the menu. You have to try the delicious Apfel Strudel or almost any of their cakes(kuchen)are very good. Every hotel we stayed in put out an ample breakfast buffet so you can feel satisfied to start out the day.

Wiener and Weißwurst from Vinzenzmurr http://www.vinzenzmurr.de/
Yes, you will starve, if you don't eat

Sauerbraten - marinated beef served with Spätzle and red cabbage

Rahmschnitzel - veal escalopes in cream sauce

Favorite restaurant (nowhere near Füssen) is http://www.gilden-brauhaus.de in a northern suburb of Köln or www.Boennsch.de in Bonn.

But if you don't care for pork or sausage, you might want to skip Germany entirely

This weeks fast food menu
http://www.vinzenzmurr.de/mittagstisch_imbiss.html

On Monday, I'll have
"Rinderroulade mit Blaukraut und Püree" 5.95€ incl. taxes.

See picture
http://www.vinzenzmurr.de/mittagstisch/mittag-2er-neu.jpg

My favorite pastry, Mandelhörnchen, is readily available in Rothenburg.

I like Forelle Muellerin Art. Trout fried or broiled often with almond slivers and usually served with boiled potatoes in butter.

Turkey Schnitzels (Puten) seem to be readily available these days. It is often served with a creme or mushroom sauce. My wife likes these.

Regards, Gary

When in Munich you should eat at least once in a real beer garden. It's VERY casual, and a real beer garden has two sections: self-service (no table-cloths), and a section with service (tables have cloths).
Forget all that pork, because some of the best fares are vegetarian or have little to do with sausages:

#1 Brathendl mit Kartoffelsalat (half of a roast chicken w/ cold or luke warm potato salat); the crust is usually to die for
#2 Obatzda: a cheese-based specialty. vegetarian but not one bit low in calories.
#3 Leberkäs (mit süßem Senf / with sweet mustard); well, here we do have some pork in it.. but whatever goes in there should remain a secret anyway
#4 Brezn (no worries, not your tiny dry pretzel, but a mutant giant version with soft dough that can serve as one meal if eaten alone)
#5 Steckerlfisch ( fish on a stick).. usually some fatty mackerel or similar
#6 the morning after an evening with too much beer should start with a Weißwurstfrühstück (weisswurst breakfast), which is a pair of white sausages (no pork, it's veal) and half a white/wheat beer (half means half a liter).

And you can also BYO food at a real Munich beer garden if you sit in the self-service section. Just never ever BYO drinks. Those have to be bought there.

Anything you eat can be poured down with beer (no worries, you will find many kinds of softdrinks in beer gardens as well), BUT there is only one brewery that does it right: Augustiner. You will see their trademark at the right pubs, their brewery beer hall, or their own beer garden (which is in walking distance of Munich's central station).
Löwenbräu or similar beer-like liquids are more like Budweiser or Heineken: streamlined industry products for numbed taste buds.

Get a good food translator and read the general notes before you get to Germany. I use and recommend The Hungry Traveler Germany.

What's up with these prices (scroll down)? http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0836227255/ref=dp_olp_3

You won't starve----there's lots of good food in Germany besides pork dishes.

Gary mentioned Forelle---trout. That is on many menus., and you may see other fish as well. And there is almost always chicken, either roasted (Brathuhn) or a boneless, skinless breast, either grilled or breaded and sauteed (Schnitzel, but not Weiner Schnitzel, as that would be veal).

If you like ice cream, seek out Spaghetti Eis in Munich. It's basically a strawberry sundae, but the "sauce" is lightly sweetened pureed strawberries, very fresh and flavorful. And the presentation is fun.

We found a great casual place near Peterskirche--I think it was towards the Victualmarkt from there but very close. They had lots of salads, pizza, pasta, etc. I don't remember the name but it had bright, modern decor, extensive beer and wine list, and very friendly service.

Inflation must have hit badly today with prices up from 1ct to 167.79
Wonder what happens if somone accidentally clicks "1-Click ordering".

I'll echo bettyk and mention soup! We had a tomato soup and a potato soup that were absolutely wonderful. A big bowl of soup and a big hunk of bread = perfect!

Don't be fooled, tomato soup takes hours to produce, what you were eating was a result of "state of the art" industrial food processing technolgy. Nevertheless, as long as it tastes good, why would anybody complain!!

Kebaps make great, filling lunches and seem to be almost everywhere now. You can't go wrong with Currywurst either for a mid-day meal.

I'll eat any kind of Schnitzel for dinner because I know I'll be served more than I can eat, and I'm a huge eater. Try Maultaschen sometime. It's kind of like a Raviloi/Pierogi/Potsticker. The Germans are great at finding wild mushrooms and they are incredible inside a Maultaschen.

Well, it is still asparagus season and strawberry season, so you will see a lot of those items on the menu - "spargel" & "erdbeeren". One of my favorites are menu items with "Pfifferling" or chanterelles in them. These are simply my favorite mushroom. Rucola salads are big right now, and one of my faves is rucola with sauteed oyster mushrooms and parmesan. Love schnitzels especially with a greeen peppercorn sauce. If you were coming to Frankfurt, I would recommend the "Gruene sosse" or green sauce, but alas, you are not. I eat this every chance I can get.

Logos, I make homemade tomato soup all the time, and it does not take hours and is very simple to make. Always tastes great and once you start making it, you will never buy the canned stuff again.

Mainhattengirl, cook, peel, reduce and flotte lotte. I hope you don't add nasty things like flour.

I agree that the trout is wonderful and is probably one of the least "heavy" things you can order in many places. A good place to get chicken is the Weinerwald restaurant chain. (I think there is one in Munich). They have it in every possible form. My favorite is something like Hausfrauenart--meaning in the style of the haus frau. It's a dish of potatoes fried with bacon and chicken chunks. Used to have a fried egg on top, but it hasn't been served that way in my last couple of visits. It's really tasty.

Another vote for the soups, especially frittatensuppe. I don't think I've seen kasespaetzle listed--basically the German variety of macaroni and cheese, and prepared a variety of ways.

Frittatensuppe isn't German. In Germany it will be called Flädlesuppe (Swabian) or Pfannkuchensuppe (high german).
Käsespätzle (high german) are Kasspatzn (Bavaria, Tyrol)

Käsespätzle would be Swabian too.

My husband's favorite is jagerschnitzel (breaded pork cutlets with mushroom/wine sauce. This is obvious if you read my recent trip report.

But I have to say there is such a variety on menus you will be fine. Fresh salads, all kinds of seafood, beef, chicken...it's all there. And bettyk is sooo right about the bread. Definitely try the spargel (asparagus)too. I had it with schinken (ham) and cheese melted on top - yum.

There are also lots of pizzerias with a huge variety of pizzas. One of my favorite toppings is artichoke hearts.

Desserts? Oh dear...that is also a whole meal in itself.

Enjoy and don't worry - you will walk off the calories!

"If you like ice cream, seek out Spaghetti Eis in Munich."

While I am looking for a bakery that serves a Mandelhörnchen, my wife is searching out an Italian Ice Cream (Eis) shop that serves a Spaghetti Eis. Unfortunately, this dish appears to have become so popular that it is sometimes made with undesirable short cuts (strawberry syrup) that are not nearly so good.

I wonder how it is that we put on weight in Germany in spite of all the walking that we do.

Regards, Gary

Glad that somebody finally included spaetzle, truly a gift from the gods. Add "wild" and you have a delightful repast. "Wild" can be any kind of game meat but is usually wild boar or venison, often in a jaeger type sauce with preelbeeren (like cranberries). Can be quite pricey but should be memorable, especially if in a hunting lodge-type gasthof off the beaten path.
Enjoy.

I didn't care for Wildschwein. It was pretty gamey.

And I mentioned Spätzle Saturday night. Were you out of town?

For the budget traveller, there are still the IKEA restaurants.. giant serving of Köttbullar with creamy sauce, potatoes, and Preiselbeeren ... yummy

I don't recommend schneeballen. You will see them in shop windows all over Rothenburg....actually the town is famous for them. They consist of a large fried dough ball rolled in traditionally, powdered sugar, but there are other varieties....really messy to eat! The one I tried had a little soft chocolate in the center. Some people do like them, however, and you might want to sample one....then you can say, "done that in Rothenburg". The displays of them does make a good photo.

"I'm not a big sausage/pork fan"......GASP!

Shame on you...shame, shame, shame. My first instinct is to tell you to get on over to France or Italy as fast as you can so you don't take up a hotel room, but my momma taught me patience and compassion.

Now go rinse your mouth out with some Rauchbier, right now, and then we'll talk.

Seriously, though - if this is your first trip to the glorious land of Schweinehaxen, et al. I think you just might be about to change your mind a little. My wife felt the same way when we first went - "I don't know if I am going to like eating just pork, dumplings, sauerkraut and only drinking beer." She now weeps over a good Jaegerschnitzel, considers sauerkraut a high art form, and can rapturously describe the subtle undertones of a half dozen different Weissbiers. And do NOT even mention spaetzle in her presence unless you are carrying a plate of it.

Brunello, schmoonello. (Okay it's pretty good from something so non-beery)

I got lucky with this second one, that I did.

If you are driving from Fussen to the castles, you will pass by Pension Schwansee in Schwangau. They have a popular patio (and indoor as well) restaurant with great views of the mountains. The food is very good, mostly typical Bavarian dishes and the prices are excellent. Give it a try. It is also a nice place to stay if you would rather not be in Fussen.

I am not a big meat eater in the states and also stay away from high fat food and sweets so I was surprised that I enjoyed much of the food in Germany and Austria last two trips - though I was careful ordering.

I ate a good bit of lentils prepared in a stew, and also quite a bit of venison. I even had a few Weisswursts much to my husband's amazement. Lachs (salmon) is also quite good. And the quality of eggs and chicken better than what we get here in the USA IMO.

My husband loved everything he tried from all types of stews and soups to pork every which way.

The freshly made sandwiches available everywhere are a real treat as well, with great quality breads and cheeses.

We are already planning our food stops for our upcoming trip in November

LOL....good comments, Aramis! What you suggest is very true. I wasn't a big fan of brats, but the Germans do them SO well. And I hated sauerkraut, but in Germany, well what can I say.

Now, honestly Brunello is pretty special. The bouquet alone is heaven to me.

I greatly appreciate all of the replies. Most of them I don't understand, but I appreciate them anyway.

I had something that translated to "Elephant Ear." Basically a Wienerschnitzel that was a pork chop with bone with the meat pounded as thin as possible, breaded, pan fried and served with lemon. I could have eaten 2. Great, great stuff!! Of course best when served with spaetzel and a big stein of great beer. Prosit!

Re spaghetti Eis: "Unfortunately, this dish appears to have become so popular that it is sometimes made with undesirable short cuts (strawberry syrup) that are not nearly so good".

So true. We experienced that when ordering it from a street vendor. Now we only get it at a real Eiscafe, or elsewhere that we are satisfied they make it the "real" way, with fresh strawberry puree.

Aramis, you are hilarious. I'm glad you finally met the right one!

Ahhh, Schweinehaxen. I would never order it alone, but if someone is willing to share, it's a treat.

And if you like cheese, try Obazda, a soft cheese spread spiced with paprika and other spices. It is eaten with Bretzeln, and usually accompanied by a beer. I've never tried it, but it's reputed to be very good.

You guys make me really hungry.

I grew up in Southern Germany, and all those dishes are like "soul-food" to me.

German food may seem a bit heavy for American palates, but it sure tastes good.

I was so excited, I forgot to make a few recommendations.

Sample the fruit pies and flans, they are out of this world. Zwetschgen Kuchen (plum pie), fresh strawberry flan, Traubles Kuchen (a pie made with red currents in meringue) might sound strange, but it is yummy. All served with a generous portion of freshly whipped Schlagsahne (whipped cream, but nothing like what we squeeze out of a can over here.)

And don't forget to try a Laugen Pretzel, big, soft and slathered with sweet butter. And Belegde Broetchen, crusty rolls stuffed with anything that might tempt you.

Enjoy. Calories don't count while you are on vacation.

For all non-fans of pork out there: have you ever tried a couple of good, tender pork filet medaillons? Not the fatty parts that usually go into sausage. I have an impression that the best part of the pig is routinely ignored by the english-speaking world.

Yes, altamiro---those lean cutlets are the best. (I actually do not eat sausage at all, and Schweinehaxen only on rare occasions). A nice lean pork cutlet cooked "nach Wiener Art" is still very light and delicious. If done properly it is crispy and not fatty at all. Or the medallions sauteed in a nice sauce---I can't remember the name of the dish---with mushrooms, maybe Pfefferlinge?

Brot…. That is the food I miss most from Germany… but definitely not the only thing.

There have been tons of good suggestions in this thread, but I will add a few more.

Schnitzel Hawaii – Its schnitzel with a slice of ham, pineapple, cheese and some sauce on top… mmmm

Curry Wurst – I do not remember it being listed by anyone, and it is my favorite item to get at an Imbiss (sp?). It is a sausage drenched in curry-ketchup

Nordsee – Not actually a food, but a restaurant chain that serves seafood. My wife and I love this place and actually thought about buying stock… then they delayed their IPO… not sure if they ever did go public. My wife loves the mackerel rolls.

I think the pork in Germany is better than the pork in the US. Maybe it's what they feed the pigs, or maybe it's because I'm not having to cook it, but it just tastes better.

Somebody mentioned deserts and one of my ALL TIME favorites is Palatschinken. They are thin crepes filled with ice cream or chocolate or apricot jam, covered in chocolate sauce and whipped cream!! Yum, yum, yum!!! We look for these everywhere we go in Germany and Austria.

Oh yes, so yummy!! And another fabulous dessert, black forest cake.....

Since we are going to the Black Forest in September, I will be on the look out for some BF cake!

Cake is not a dessert. You eat it around 3-4pm and have some coffee with it. It's a seperate meal of the day, so to speak. Like 5 o'clock tea.
In the Black Forest, every godforsaken joint will shower you with their cakes

Cowboy, I like the way you think!

I have to second the votes for Jaegerschnitzel and Spaetzle (preferably together - the sauce from the Jaegerschnitzel is great on the Spaetzle. And Currywurst. And Spaghetti Eis... I worked in a very small "gasthaus" in Germany one summer, where EVERYTHING was made from scratch - the Spaetzle, the stock to make the sauces etc.. You don't need the fancy places for good quality traditional food. Oh, and I LOVE Gulaschsuppe...

bettyk - Palatschinken is the featured dessert at the Pension Schwansee that I mentioned above. They were wonderful.

ooh...I just thought of another thing. Does anyone else like creme schnitten? yummmm

Well, there are good and tasty Cremeschnitten, good Spätzle, cake and Schnitzels and then there is the rest...

Like those from the cheapo bakery chain at Pasing station and at Fürstenrieder Str., those are good, but there's also the stuff that is 100% sugar.
Hardly anybody makes Spätzle at home. I'd buy those 2€ "Knöpfle" from the supermarket, just like the restaurant does.

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/28/Sp%C3%A4tzle-02.jpg

Well, basingstoke2, if we are anywhere near there, we will definitely have to make a Palatschinken stop!

I have to echo swisschocolate's hubby:
Jagerschnitzel und Spaetzle!
Mmmmmm.
The breads are wonderful; my favorite looks like it has birdseed sprinkled on top.
A coffee and cake at a Konditorei is always yummy.
I would try a sausage in Germany; they are of better quality cuts of meat than in the US; less fatty and more tender, in my experience. And Spargeltoast. (asparagus)Ok, I am hungry now.
Have fun!

What I miss most outside Germany is the bread in all its varieties. Make sure you visit at least one bakery when you are here.

Black Forest Cherry Cake: If you come to the area south of Freiburg, visit Münster valley in the afternoon, visit the monastery of St Trudpert, then stop at Café zum Kreuz next to the church - the best I ever had...
Indeed, these cakes are not meant as dessert. They are had with coffee or tea in the afternoon as a separate meal, or if you plan a big dinner they can also be a lunch substitute.

By the way, if you abbreviate Bratwürste to "brats" you don't say "sausages" as you think you do, you call them "grilleds". Yes I see the pun in it but it does not make much sense to German ears...

And I still wonder how the Brezel got that p as first letter in the English-speaking world...

What about ... Rote Grütze, Zwiebelkuchen and Federweisser, Germknödel mit Mohn, Mohnkuchen, Baumkuchen und und und

For a satisfying snack, I like to pick up a bag of Zwiebel-Ringe (onion ring snacks) and a bottle or two of Gaffel Kölsch to wash it down.

http://www.worldofsweets.de/out/1/html/0/dyn_images/1/301125_p1.jpg

Yep, can't go wrong with the soups. No usually a soup fan but in Germany it's a great meal at a great price.

Hands down my favorite food in Germany are the fried potatoes ... brat kartolfn (I think is how you spell it) ... they are fried with "speck" (bacon) and I have never been able to replicate the flavors. We are going to Germany next year and I am already dreaming of the fried potatoes. Yum!

>The breads are wonderful
300 different sorts of bread and not one tastes good any more

>able to replicate the flavors
Simple, it's burned butter. Years ago they claimed it would cause cancer and that you shouldn't roast them in that way. But since it's always been done that way, who cares.

Zanderfilets with fresh green asparagus.

We hardly ever eat pork dishes in Germany--so many other interesting things on the menu.

I actually prefer the worst platter on the menu. I can't recall a bad meal, anytime, anywhere in Germany.

I've had some Wurst platters - but how do you order "the worst?"

"Eine Sche*ß-Wurst bitte".

I know this is sick, so don't tell me it is.

Bounty candy bars

I thought bounty disappeared along with "3 musketeers" in the 1970s??? 3 musketeers, sword size... Time flies.
Havn't seen bounty for quite some time, but since the website exists, the product must exist as well.

There is only one thing that I'd ever had in Germany that I didn't care for, and that was only because it was too much. We were driving in the country outside of Dresden and stop at this little place they had fresh mushrooms. So I ordered some. They were great, at first but a whole plate full was a bit much.
I love Schweinshaxe, you just can't get anything like that around here. I wake up loving the food beginning with Früstück.