Old Europe

German decor and menu. Started with hot spiced wine and coffee cocktails. Potato soup was tasty, but the potato cakes were the star. Crunchy on the outside and creamy inside. Entree's were solid - Jager schnitzel with an extra side of mushroom sauce and Chef's Special- meatballs, dessert & coffee. Spaetzle side was really filling - couldn't eat it all. Variety of dessert options - we did apple streudel and hazelnut cake. Good but not great. They make reservations on the half and full hours. We arrived early for a 6:30p and were seated early. By 7p, the place was full. It has a lot german decor and feels cozy. I saw beer boot glasses behind the bar and think this would be a good place for an oktoberfest experience.

Fit to its name, Old Europe feels almost out of place in modern DC. The place is old-fashioned (in a good way), with lovely German decor reminiscent of a hunting lodge. And the food is just perfect for winter! I tried the Glühwein, Hungarian Goulash and the Bavarian platter, to check a bit of everything - and everything was great. Had to take some of it to go. Service was great, even as the place started to get busy. Parking can be a bit awkward, but that's DC for ya. Lovely place.

So good! The food was excellent, the staff was excellent, the atmosphere was excellent. A great selection of food and drink.. all authentic German/European. We'll definitely be back! Recommend making a reservation, as it can fill up quickly.

Everything here was fine, but nothing remarkable. I have had better versions of all of these dishes elsewhere and so there was nothing I would return for unfortunately. I think the schnitzel and spaetzle at Green Pig Bistro is much better, for example. Service was good, friendly and helpful. No complaints. Decor and ambience was a bit lacking, stale.

The Hungarian style goulash was delicious. Schnitzel tasted freshly fried. Dessert selection was excellent. Glühwein just tasted very very very sweet. Would definitely go back

Stumbled upon this AMAZING restaurant! Staff is very friendly and accommodating. Cucumber salad, fresh and tasty, Bavarian pretzel-authentic!, trout very well received, brie was wonderful. Split cake for dessert, light and flavorful. All the food was fresh and yummy!

Old Authentic German🇩🇪 Restaurant!! Delicious food!! 😋 Had a chance to stop by on my trip to DC & was probably one of the best meals I had in the 3-4 days I was in town. Highly recommend making reservations!! A must if you enjoy this type of food!!

We went to Old Europe when we were seeking a German restaurant specifically because they seemed friendly to kids, and in fact they were. All the dishes were delicious, and the service was prompt and friendly. Clearly very loyal to their staff. No problem accommodating a group of 10 on a Friday night. A member of our party who lived in Germany said the dishes were authentic. Another member of our party had an allergy to one of the unlisted parts of a dish, and they were able to replace the dish without the allergen free of charge. No automatically applied service charge

I recently ordered catering for an Oktoberfest themed party for about 50 people. The spread had pretzels, brats, desserts and substantially more of the menu that the owner helped us to curate over a few weeks. On the day of the party he arrived on time to help set up and the food helped to make the party a major success. Many of the options were gluten free and vegetarian friendly. We plan to make some small adjustments based on crowd preferences and will order again from Old Europe.

Food was okay decent. Service left much to be desired and it ended up terrible. I ordered goulash and ordered the bowl size which I pointed to on the menu to the waiter. After slow service which I guess was the case because I was alone, and there waiter kept going to the other tables passing me. When I asked the waiter that I was ready to oder he kept telling me that he'd be back. Finally food came and it was decent. When I wanted to pay they kept making me wait. I had to stand up and go to the cashier area. I should have looked at Bill but I just gave my CC because I wanted to leave. I wasn't paying attention to what they said until I paid and saw the price on my phone notification. I asked my it was so expensive. They told me that's the price. I showed them on the menu that it was $13 less. They said that they though I order the goloush spzchel (?). I said I pointed to it. All he could say was I'm sorry. Not sure if I was set up but the manager was there and she did not looked pleased. So I didn't want the guy to get in trouble.

Let me start with what was good. The restaurant itself is great. Old world and eclectic with a touch of class. I love cloth tablecloths and napkins and the collection of beer steins was great. Our wait staff greeted us promptly and we provided a drink order. I had a glass of the Riesling which was cold crisp and tasted great. Loved the bread and individual butter as well. She answered menu questions as well I ordered the Schwarzwalder Schnitzel, husband had the veal Schnitzel and other member of the party had the Brie appetizer. My chicken schnitzel was over cooked. The breading was burned in places and chicken was dry. The spaeztel had no flavor at all. The lingonberry sauce was excellent and I asked for more which was provided. Brown gravy was so so. Husband had veal schnitzel which he said was good but not as good as he expected. Our other guest had the Brie appetizer which was really nice. The salad that it was on was really good with fruit and the dressing she really liked. We did have the chocolate mousse cake for dessert which was to die for So all in all it was OK but not outstanding. Not some place I would return to.

Such disappointment. I was wanting to dine here for a long time so I was excited to recently have the opportunity to do so. SAVE YOURSELF: find another venue!!! This place is absolutely terrible. Service was inattentive and food was surprisingly without flavor. The side salad was the only thing enjoyed- a delightful medley of fresh and pickled vegetables. The steak tartare arrived brown so obviously not freshly prepared, as described in the menu. Only the mustard saved the dish; however, my plate was removed before I could finish it, which may have been a blessing. The cordial cost $13 for a tablespoon of liquid. The veal was simply insipid. The meal cost $250 and nothing was enjoyed, aside from the side salad. I left dinner hungry and feeling cheated; this establishment is a true abomination. I searched for the kitchen and found simply a microwave so I wonder if there's anything made in-house, or, if this venue merely reheats pre-prepared SISCO preparations

Old Europe wasn't great, or even good. I'm confused by the restaurant's longevity and high rating. I had the chicken weiner schnitzel, apple red cabbage ("rotkohl" to regular German cuisine patrons), and warm German potato salad. The schnitzel was fine I suppose. The rotkohl was so sour/tart I couldn't eat it; there wasn't a hint of sweetness. The potato "salad" was a boiled potato diced in vinegar with nothing else. After years of eating German food in different American cities and made by my German family, I can confidently say this restaurant was the most unappetizing German cuisine I've had. My husband enjoyed his meal a little better than I enjoyed mine. He gave it a 3/5, but conceded he wouldn't be back if he lived in the area. I also wouldn't return to Old Europe or recommend it. You can find much better food elsewhere.

Great food and service! The decor and interior has the European charm. We had the Old fashioned Sauerbraten and Königsberger Klopse which was very tasty. For dessert we had Apfelstrudel which the vanilla sauce was amazing!

Sat down and waited over 20 minutes for service. When the waitress took the orders of the party that had just sat down, I left.

Astonishing flavor of Europe! Love German food and when I say it brought back the flavors and memories I miss while being stationed in Germany. Kathleene and Alex brought astounding flavors and authentic pieces of home to every bite. Perfect cute calm environment once you enter seeing the old decor and the fresh bread for sale at the entrance. Service is by far welcoming literally feel like family. Yes it took a couple of mins but Kathleene was moving and gave that sweet grandma love. Loved the sort meant of bread baked fresh and the side salad was literally an explosion of deliciousness. The perfect blend of vinaigrette, sweet, and lentils provided a nutty twist to it. I came for the steak, onions, and brown gravy. This didn't disappoint cooked to perfection the caramelized onions melted in your mouth with every bite. Brown gravy had the perfect warmth and consistency. Next was the fruit glazed and thinly crispy schnitzel savory and sweet very bite made you think you're eating a fresh out the oven pie. Mixed with the light crisp chicken cutlet truly a must have. The curry wurst brought back the memories and bold flavors I missed. It's was cook so well you could slice it with a spoon juicy the curry-ketchup-just sparked robust flavor of tomato and curry blend that was mouth watering. Loved the great idea of A BRAT 2 GO for $5. I thank Alex & Kthleene for an excellent experience of old Europe.

Service is so nice!! Such a cool restaurant with excellent quality food! Unlike other restaurants they don't just throw out your meals in 5 minutes. The salad is a must with the scrumptious lentils and sprout's.My son really enjoyed the duck with cabbage and potatoes,my chicken Jager schnitzel with spatzel was amazing especially the mushrooms, potato pancakes perfection,and the chicken schnitzel with potatoes ow my!! Definitely will be back soon.The details on the atmosphere in the restaurant is amazing.

It was not noisy service which already deserves five stars. Food was veeeeeeery close to German one, so I really appreciate that, it felt like in Germany, which I miss. Go back to important stuff: beer had a decent selection during November 2023, appreciate that. Food felt like back to Berlin, in a good way; really appreciate the beer choice and food options for traveler like me

For all you German lovers out there -- food and beer --- this is the best ! We had a great lunch here today. Food was super tasty and authentic ! The spätzle was handmade. My sauerbraten was outstanding with red cabbage and the goulash supreme ! All the best of the best ! Great ambiance - felt transformed in time and place ! Service was ok. She was overworked

I came here for my friend's birthday. She loves European style and the interior design is definitely great. Food is a little blend here , not my favorite. I think they might be understaffed? It's four of us, at the end we asked for a separate check. The server mentioned there will be a charge of 20% on top to separate our checksince we didn't mention it at the beginning when we put in the meal ?? (honestly I don't see how does this relevant? And specially no one mentioned it either? ) We had a one person paid. We were going to Venmo her back then I realize, she got our order wrong as well Anyways, with all the inconvenience, I don't think I will go back. Sorry

Good German food but beer is very overpriced and food portions are small. Atmosphere feels like an old German restaurant and is on par for what you will find in every small German town.

I was extremely excited to try this place being that I just came back from Germany. I ordered the schnitzel with NO PORK as I am allergic, red cabbage, roasted potatoes, bread & butter and a cup of soup which came up to $45 including tip. When I received my order I immediately took a picture. I could not believe I was charged $5 for 4 pieces of potato that didn't even fit in a quarter of the box when put standing up, it was not even equivalent to an entire potato. The potato was incredibly salty as well. I received my schnitzel with pork as you can see despite my request. Additionally I was charged 2.50 for 3 stale pieces of bread, equivalent to 1.5 slices of loaf bread that you get at the grocery store... . I called to confirm that the serving size that I received for the potatoes was correct before I made any assumptions. Mind you, I was charged $5 for an amount that wouldn't even fit in the entirety of my palm, I also mentioned the pork which tainted the mushrooms on top that I had to throw out. When I brought this to the attention of the lady over the phone she kind of scoffed and offered no explanation but did offer to fix it. The offer was to take off the potatoes or remake the dish, (the restaurant closed at 8 pm, I called at 7:56 immediately upon receiving my order). Being that I had somewhere to be and I didn't want the staff to be in the kitchen after closing I requested a partial refund which I thought was appropriate and modest. To this she replied "yeah that's what the potato refund is for since you don't think it was enough". ?????? is that how you talk to customers???? she had a couple of other 'tudy remarks that I thought were unnecessary especially since at no point was I rude or demanding too much. She then asked "is $10 enough" annoyingly. I will admit, it was petty to request the tip taken off as well but I truly was in shock at how she handled the entire situation

Excellent food, excellent service, lovely charm altogether. The food is delicious and plentiful and the staff are so friendly. Support this local establishment!

Visited this restaurant recently and I was pleasantly surprised at the variety offered on their gluten free menu. All the food was delicious and fresh (really great complimentary salad). There are also non alcoholic beer selection which was lovely for you not drinking this year like myself lol I had the pan-seared chicken along with potatoes and seasonal veggies. Random tip: definitely try their mustard!!

Smells of mold and bizarre... service was incredibly slow waited for 15 minutes before we saw our waiter. We tried to the pretzel and some beers to start, the pretzels had the consistency and temperature of a microwaved one from the super market. We started to smell something weird and repugnant so we decided to pay the check-- which we had to chase our waiter down to get their attention. If the service was familial and warm, maybe we would have stayed but it was cold and distant. Much better options in this area & Georgetown.

Great service and hospitality at the restaurant. We went on a weekday when restaurants are normally slower unless it's a holiday or in this restaurant's case Octoberfest and the host/server was fantastic. The food is great and sample the beers if you can, great selection. If you want a taste of German cuisine in the city it's the place to be.

Weak 4/5. I assumed, incorrectly, that Old Europe would have a bar for me to sit at while I awaited my friends but it does not (sure, it has a bar - just no seating around it). I was seated early at my table instead. The staff were pleasant however the hours here are so limited that we were kind of pushed out when we finished our meal. That said, the food itself is good but nothing to brag about. They have a wide variety of German dishes but it's simply not the best German I've had in the US. If I was in the area, I'd consider going again but I don't see myself ever going out of my way again for Old Europe.

I was looking for a new restaurant to try for my birthday; with a bit of research, I found Old Europe and I am so glad I did! Old Europe is doing dine- in, and upon entering they checked our temperature and had out hand sanitizer. The tables were socially distanced. The restaurant is decorated with awesome paintings, ships hanging from the ceiling, beer steins... the atmosphere was so cool. Our waitress was Annaleigh and she was the best. She answered our many questions about drinks, food, made suggestions, and all with a smile. We ordered cold meatballs with cranberry sauce (sounds strange- i assure you it wasn't, I'll be getting this again) for an app. For drinks we had the Hugo (my boyfriend got two of those- he highly recommends) and I got an iced tea with honey liquor that was wonderful. My second drink was a half beer half lemonade- exactly what I remember drinking in a beer garden in Munich. For dinner we got the sausage sampler platter that came with sauerkraut and German potato salad (the sausages were good but the sides were superior) and pork schnitzel with dark beer gravy and spatzle (we'd get this all again for sure, we had no complaints- that beer gravy!!!). By this point I was so stuffed and so happy. The food was top notch. When I saw the cake options decided I could find room. We got the Black Forest cake- light, moist and full of cherries- it was by far the best Black Forest cake I've ever had. We cannot wait to go back! Thank you for an amazing experience, Old Europe!

First time visit at Old Europe and was hoping to find a great German restaurant in DC. Having spent much time in Germany my expectations might be high. For appetizer I tried the Curry Wurst (which resembled the traditional street food) and Potato Pancakes which a bit on the heavy side. For the main course I had veal jaegerschnitzel with spaetzle and red cabbage. The veal was a bit dry while the spaetzle left something to desire - it had a hint of cinnamon to it and was very dark. The red cabbage was overcooked and tasted more of apple than cabbage (I know German red cabbage is supposed to have apple but there is such a thing as too much). For dessert I tried the German Chocolate cake which was very dry. Overall the food was not bad but didn't meet my expectations. It was not special enough for me to come back. Ambiance resembles a German inn. Service was ok. Price was about $60 per person plus tip.

Felt like I went back in time with the decor inside but enjoyed all the German dishes readily available in the menu. I really enjoyed the sausages, sauerkraut, fried onions, and avocado apple red cabbage.

We had our 'last supper' here, days before closures went into effect (I had to call the restaurant to confirm our earlier reservation would be honored). The meal will be memorable thus for the good food and the eerie circumstances in which we dined. Hähnchenbrust Schwarzwälder Art - moist chicken with nice creamy mushroom sauce - the sour cherries were a unique touch (as for spätzle, it was okay). Husband enjoyed his chicken schnitzel and we both appreciated the server for refilling the bread basket. The highlight was dessert - I will long remember the Black Forest cake for its richness and nice cherry sauce. I'd come back just for that. I'm not a fan of coconut, or I would have tried a bite of the german chocolate cake, but I imagine it was very good too. Nice wine selection as well as different schnapps.

Wunderbar! One does not need to speak, or understand the German language when deciding to dine here or not. One only needs to understand the beauty of hearty German meals. Yelp lead me to this fine establishment, which also lead to a wonderful dining experience. We lucked out and found a parking spot right in front of the place. It continued uphill after that. The ambiance was warm, inviting and so unique. Once seated, I could not decide if I should explore the art work and displays lining the walls, or delve into this magnificent menu placed before me. I stayed focused on the drink and dinner menu, and I mean focused. Way too many specialty dishes to try. Word of advice, you will not regret whatever you choose to order. Service was friendly and professional. Atmosphere was so pleasing and welcoming. Sadly, no leftovers during this visit! A return visit is a given.

Old Europe was absolutely great. I mean, it's hard to find good German food, and when my boss told me that I should try this place I got really excited. So excited that we came back here again when I was in town. I do think though that this place is a bit far out compared to everything that's closer. As of writing this review, I've been here twice and each time was great. Walking in you get the vibe along with all of the decor of a german pub/restaurant. The place is really well decorated and it gives you a taste of what it's like to be in Germany. I mean, I've never been but I will eventually! But, if you're like me, it sort of checks off the usual things you would think that's German. Anyways, when you sit down they serve you bread and butter. And also something I grew to absolutely love: schmalz. Schmalz is absolutely f******* amazing. It's just basically fat mixed with herbs, if you're like me who is in love with fat... you'll understand why it was one of my highlights when I came here. The flavor from it just wanted me to crave for more. This is what I ordered: the first time I got the pork shank and the second time I settled for the schnitzel. Both were absolutely amazing. The pork shank was very tender and just sort of fell off the bone. It reminded me of like an osso bucco if you have ever had that. The schnitzel was absolutely great, I mean that's what the German dish to get. The last good schnitzel I got was in San Francisco, and German food is hard to come by so I definitely savored every single bite. It was crispy on the outside and inside it was juicy and packed with flavor. I also got the beer gravy covering over it along with the mushroom. If you're not sure on what to order, this is a sure winner. Overall, service was great. They even had my favorite beer, Aventinus! If you never had this beer, I highly recommend it. This place is great and would love to go back whenever I'm in town.

I love this place! Many years ago they had a piano player providing the ambiance I was looking for!

German food is a favorite of mine and I LOVED Old Europe. Im visiting from Puerto Rico, and so lucky to be down the street from Old Europe. They were so warm and friendly we felt like VIPs. We had the Zweibelsteak and Jager schnitzel spaetzel and german chocolate cake. Everything was great, seasoned perfectly. Can't recommend this place more enthusiastically!

Old Europe 4/6/22 Bring your appetite or a few friends because the portions are enormous!! And very tasty! You definitely get your money's worth, to be sure! But the food is very slow to come out of the kitchen. I only had 3 courses, and I was there for over 2 hours. Also, the presentation is stuck in the 80s... sprigs of parsley and celery greens, a dessert platter brought to your table, a piped whipped cream swirl with a mint leaf... You get the idea. But don't let that keep you away from the FLAVORS! Complimentary bread basket of poppy seed roll, pumpernickel, and sour dough with butter: always a welcome start to a meal, for me. For the appetizer, I got the Wurstteller: a sausage sampler of bratwurst (essentially a big hot dog with better seasoning), Bauernwurst (smoked pork and beef meat, seasoned with onion, garlic, marjoram and mustard seeds), knackwurst (mainly pork, veal, and flavored with garlic), and prisina (I couldn't find this online, nor could any of my chef or German friends tell me, but it had just a little spice heat to it) with sautéed onions (not sauerkraut as advertised...) and grey poupon and brown mustard on the side. This is a dish to share for the table, or be it's own entree. Dear lord, I got the meat sweats. Those who know, KNOW. And that was only 1/3 of the way into it! Leftovers for days! For the entree, I got the dinner special, Schwarzwälder Schnitzel: breaded chicken schnitzel capped with Black Forest ham, gratinated cheese and lingonberries, served with hand made spätzle and mushroom cream sauce on the side. I could've done without the lingonberry jam dollop on top, and scraped it off. Their "inside out" version of a Cordon Bleu, it's essentially a hybrid of chicken cordon blue and chicken jagerschnitzel. This. Dish: All. The. Flavors. I. NEEDED. Tonight. Chicken cordon bleu is still to this day one of my MOST favorite dishes of all time and I have always loved jägerschnitzel of any kind! So to put them together?? Are you KIDDING ME?? I'd come back just for this!! But it's unfortunately a special and will likely be going away. Then dessert came: an 80s-esque platter of dessert displays that I think had almost a dozen options! These included Apple strudel and Bavarian cream, but I opted for the German chocolate mousse cake. O. M. G. Heaven! Decadence to the Nth degree. It's EXACTLY what you think it tastes like! German chocolate, which is usually darker, made into a mousse. With shavings on top and (I think) an Oreo crust...? But again with the lingonberry jam... I won't hold that against it, though, because truth be told, it kinda needed a little more moisture. Probably a dessert held in a cooler that gets dried out from the refrigeration, but that's pretty typical unfortunately. So that was the meal. And now for the rest. Kitschy decor, but cute. Coats of arms from countries across Europe to Russia interspersed with elaborately decorative beer steins on the top of the walls. On one side are paintings of landscapes, presumably from the Bavarian mountains. On the other side portraits of people. Hanging from the ceiling are models of what look like Spanish galleon ships. On the ceiling are lit coats of arms of major German cites. Music is what you'd expect: polkas, yodeling, accordions, brass and heavy tuba oom-pah-pahs. There are 70 seats in the dining room, but tonight set up for a large party. I almost got turned away for not having a reservation, and a couple who came after me did get turned away. Make a reservation, especially on the weekends! But you have to call: they are not on Open Table or Resy. Service was VERY friendly, but not the best from a front of house manager perspective. Only 3 tables in the restaurant when I sat down: a deuce, a 4-top, and me. The server wasn't familiar with the regular menu and had to ask what the sausages were on the sampler I ordered. Twice I had to ask for water in my tiny glass. They rarely cleared anything away. I had to box my own leftovers. My server was also not familiar with their wines, when I asked for something Sauvignon Blanc-style, failing to remember my German wines (bad me, I admit and accept that criticism). Leaning on the empty chair at the table while taking the order. Overall, a pleasant experience. The food is amazing, the value is incredible, the staff is very friendly when attentive, and the kitschiness is cute if stuck in the 80s. I'd definitely recommend this restaurant as was recommended to me. It's a cute little nugget of DC restaurants that should be better known.

Authentic German cuisine, hospitable and courteous service Delicious food and great portion sizes

Huge juicy sausages. Giant beers. Crisp wines. Friendly staff. Fantastic decor. That is the simplest way to put how incredible this restaurant is. Celebrating over 70 years in business, Old Europe is a staple in the DMV for traditional German food. There is a live pianist performing on the weekends, really adding to the ambiance! Everything about my dinner at Old Europe delighted me and it was an evening I won't forget.

We were lucky enough to receive the Oktoberfest menu and as such I finally had a chance to try obatzda, a German beer cheese that's served with, as you could guess, beer and pretzels! Even though it had eluded me in Germany and Switzerland it was worth the wait and I was thrilled to find it at Old Europe. The menu here is difficult to navigate but only because you can see yourself ordering everything on the menu. Two of us ordered schnitzel, one Vienna style and the other Jaeger. I'm not a big fan of gravy but I must say the Jaeger sauce and pan fried onions were delectable in small doses. The sausage platter is served with authentic German mustard (dark with seeds) and each of us had a different version of sauerkraut. It would have been too much food, but next time we visit I'm planning on ordering the goulash, a couple next to us got it and it looked as good as it is described. Other than being one of the only authentic central European restaurants in the area, Old Europe has an extensive and interesting beer menu with plenty of options that aren't readily available in the US. I had the Augustiner Bräu Edelstoff which was like a heavier and better tasting Budweiser and the Aventinus Doppelbock which was a bit lighter and had a cool design on the bottle as it was from the Black Forest.

My husband and I discovered this gem two years ago in December. He was looking for his new Christmas tradition: mulled wine. We came in to a bustling restaurant that didn't look like much from the outside. Once inside it was warm, cozy, and inviting; so different than the feel of the street in which it is located. There was a pianist playing holiday tunes and it felt like we had just walked into a festive European scene. I'm not a huge fan of German food (because I'm never sure what I'm asking for) but the food here was tasty. We had a lovely meal complete with mulled wine and swore to come back next year. Covid hit and Old Europe, like many other establishments was definitely affected. We made it back to Old Europe unsure of what we would find since Covid. Instead of the bustling scene we experienced the year prior, we had our wonderfully tasty meal complete with my new favorite holiday drink (hot glug cider) in a mostly empty restaurant. We did however luck out with the piano player :) and hoped this place would still be in business the next year. The reason I'm writing this review now is because It's time for our visit to Old Europe and I'm happy to see online that it's still in business. There isn't a special drink menu listed on their website but I'm hoping that I can rustle up some hot glug cider this time around. I'm happy to support this local business and I'm hoping to see it get back to its former self in the coming years.

Well the name is accurate. Old. Old decor. Old menu. And very old food. This place was good back in the day, but has gone downhill faster then an Olympic bobsleder. The bread. OMG. They would be better serving wonder bread. C'mon old Europe. You can do way better if you put a little $ into investing in the decor, making decent bread and buying high quality food. No idea how this place will survive. It's empty all the time with good reason. I want to spend $ at your establishment and many people would if you would only....

Food was OKAY. We more than likely won't go back. Overall I find that the trend in the D.C area for food/yelp ratings on different National foods are often VERY inflated. With all the rich and educated people here you'd think people would know/recognize food better here but that has NOT been the case. LOL!! This ended up being another experience where for some reason the ratings land 4-4.5 stars when it's really 3-3.5 stars. I will admit I am generally a food snob. For reference, I've traveled the world, grew up around impeccable cooks in my life of all backgrounds and Nationalities. I think when it comes to good food and cocktails, I know it when I see/taste it. This place wasn't Bad, but it wasn't great. When you first walk in, you'll be impressed by the cozy nostalgic "old world Europe" vibe with all the antique paintings and coat of arms hanging throughout the place. When we sat down we were served what I suspect was their version of homemade farmers bread but it was stale and dry; not good (even my 7 yr old didn't care for it). They had great German beer choices, both draft and bottled and served pretty cold. We ordered the jägerschnitzel with the spatzel and in my case, the vinegar-based warm German potato salad. It's was good but frankly over breaded and overcooked (borderline burnt in some cases). If you go, get the veal versus the pork. Spatzel wasn't that good, but the German potato salad was "eh" (a little too sweet for a traditionally vinegar- based salad that's suppose to be savory and have bacon/bacon fat and green onion in it). Service was okay, our waitress wasn't very friendly but she was fine, did her job. Finally I did not care for how they poured their draft beers, in some cases I had 2-3" head of foam, that's a non starter in German establishments, even around the US. Especially when you pay ~$13/beer.

Old Europe seems to have gone downhill. Pre-pandemic, the place was the model of consistency: great service and food. Over the past year, that seems to have changed. I had a bad takeout experience several months ago (order was 30+ minutes late and included the wrong items) but had chalked that up to an off night. I visited last night and was disappointed again. Service was the biggest issue. It took about 90 minutes for our meals to arrive. Even once they did, the fourth person in our party didn't get theirs. When we asked about it, the server was evasive but then said she'd check. She didn't come back until several minutes later when she had the missing meal, which she laid down without comment. The issues would have been easier to accept if the staff offered any kind of explanation or apology for the wait or missing meal. Pretending that nothing was wrong didn't help. Food quality. The food was okay, but far from the standard the place had previously set. The Jagerschnitzel's sauce wasn't the same. Instead of chopped bacon bits cooked inside it, it was just one piece of bacon laid across the top. The consistency and flavor of the spatzle were just off too. Nobody's meal seemed to be as good as they remembered from earlier visits. For years, this was one of my favorite restaurants in DC. Not sure I'll be back, though. Sad to write this one.

This restaurant reminds me of the kitschy German restaurants maintained by generations of German immigrants in the central historic part of Milwaukee Wisconsin. The architecture of a dark interior filled with 19th century style paintings in heavy frames as if you were in a Bavarian stube designed to stay warm in a cold winter is your first clue. Then the waitresses wearing Drindls and the dude in the lederhosen seal the deal. Also you will note the inexplicable model galleons from the 16th century hanging off the ceiling (not sure how that is Bavarian...). Coats of Arms from European royal houses are lined up just beneath the ceiling. The service is quite friendly. The prices for the standard old-German fare are not modest but not extravagant. Expect to pay between $25-$30 for a main dish. Forget about modern German cooking influenced by Italian and Turkish styles, this is a full-on nostalgia "Heimat" kitchen, with sauerbraten, goulasch-suppe, veal schnitzel, port schnitzel, and wurst platter. Forget about ordering a Berliner savvy curry wurst, (it's that traditional here). Think more southern German/Austrian and you'll find your mark here. My taste test always falls on the potato salad and sauerkraut, which are absolutely to die for here. I endorse the hearty taste and the wonderful side touches of authentic mustard and really heavenly, heavy bread. Our table ordered quite a few items and we were all pleased. If you are ordering the wurst platter, make sure you get the bauern wurst gebraten (pan-fried). It's deelish. A lovely selection of wines/beers including Zweigelt and GrunVeltliner (Austrian) as well as the more common Riesling, Gewurztraminer and so forth. Birthday celebrations are a big deal here with the proprietor getting the entire dining hall communally involved in singing for the birthday boy/girl. You will enjoy the fact that this establishment has been serving German fare since 1948 continuously at this spot.

Food was great but avoid the complicated parking here if you can! I loved that Old Europe had a separate section "For the Vegetable Lover" because it's usually very difficult to find vegetarian German options. I ordered the Bunter Gemüseteller, which was a vegetable cornucopia of sauerkraut, red cabbage, mushrooms, home fried potatoes, Spätzle, and grilled tomato. My favorite part of this dish was the red cabbage; I just couldn't get enough of it! The decor in this restaurant was also so charming.

Best German food in the area! Lovely atmosphere with a family-owned vibe and excellent service. The food is authentic and exceptional. Boots of tasty beer are an excellent touch! Wouldn't think of getting German food anywhere else.

Cute themed restaurant with good service. Too bad the food was less then mediocre and quite overpriced for what we got.

The food was good, the service was friendly but not very attentive. The atmosphere is like in a rural German restaurant many decades ago, pretty traditional, but not exactly exciting.

We had lunch here this Saturday. It has completely changed from the time before COVID. At 12:30, the only other dining party are two men next to our table. We soon found out why. We ordered nothing fancy, schnitzel, sausage and trout etc. The main course took almost an hour to arrive. Veal turned out to be chicken. The crust was soft and moist, indicating the schnitzel was Re-heated. Another casualty of COVID, I guess.

My first time trying German cuisine. Absolutely loved the food , beer and the whole experience. Great music and waiter was very friendly and patiently explained the best things to try. I had the breaded pork schnitzel with mashed potatoes and 4 different varieties of sausages. I don't remember the beer. I had a great experience and I have been there couple of times again.

My family is German, this was authentic. Excellent food and the staff was very friendly. The place is well decorated in German style. Excellent!

We stumbled into this gem on our bike ride and man are we happy. Very authentic. Adam was a wonderful waiter!

I wish I could say something about the food but it never came to our table. Yes, they have a staff shortage and we understood that. But after waiting 75 minutes for our main course (including a reminder that we were wondering what was happening) -- and even though other people who came after us had received theirs -- we left. No only came to us to say "it's going to be a few more minutes" or anything else. We surmise that the kitchen staff forgot our order, but we don't know this for a fact. Nonetheless, what happened -- short staff or not -- was inexcusable.

Absolutely incredible. When I go, I have always had the cutest, older waitress. She only gives the best reccomendations! The Schnitzel is good. But the best is the sausage sampler! I love the mustards and the sauerkraut they use!!! Parking is insane but definitely worth the trip!!!

Nice to have a authentic German (Bavarian) dinning option on my visit to DC The Hunter's Schnitzel was as if I was in Kiefersfelden Germany....nice!! Beer selection a pleasant surprise!! They keep the place "the same" , no pretend , simply the real thing ....65 years later ... still great The staff was kind enough to take me as a walk in on a busy night, don't be in a rush as a few of the folks opened the place 65 yrs ago, they are great ....just on thier own time

A local legend. Great food and great atmosphere. Went here first time nearly 60 years ago. Its still great. Try the Schnitzel Old Europe or the Sauerbraten. Great German wine list as well.

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.