Suppenküche

"Sometimes when you go to a Mexican restaurant, or a French restaurant, or a Spanish restaurant, you try to throw out the accent you got your semester wherever and sound like you know what you’re talking about as you order. So unless you took German, good luck pronouncing anything correctly at Suppenküche, where everything on the menu is very authentically German. Unless you’re ordering the wiener schnitzel, in which case, free pass. Suppenküche is a serious establishment, and has been holding down a discreet corner of Hayes Valley for over 20 years. We'd argue it's the best German food in town, and definitely less "how fast can you chug a beer" than Leopold's. You enter through a thick blanket hanging over the door, into a space with simple floors and wooden tables that feels like it would be completely appropriate to be wearing ski boots and clunking around with a tray of pretzels and chili. But no snowsuits to be found here. Instead it's a chill mix of groups, dates, locals, and the friendly staff who serve up hearty, interesting, and overall excellent German plates. The nook behind the bar is a little darker and more chill, and can be a good moderately romantic spot for a date. Besides the awesome food, we are all about the Suppenküche beer selection. It has a very, very long list of German beers, and if you thought you were headed into more of a Leopold's situation, don't fret, you can still get a boot to drown your sorrows in. Food Rundown Bread & Butter It just shows up so there’s not German name for it on the menu, but the brown, dense bread is killer and the creamy, whipped herb butter that comes with is fantastic. Pace yourself. Reibekuchen mit hausgemachtem Apfelmus (Potato Pancakes) Potato pancakes, yo. These are a bird's nest of shredded potatoes, with a tangy, not sweet, applesauce. Soft on the inside, crispy on the outside, these are spectacular. Do not skip. Jägerschnitzel in Champignonsoße mit Spätzle und grünem Salat (Pork Tenderloin) Tasty pork loin in a rich mushroom sauce. The spätzle is confusingly addictive too, buttery while simultaneously light enough to just keep eating it until it’s gone. Wiener Schnitzel vom Schwein mit Bratkartoffeln und Grünem Salat (Breaded Pork Loin) Whatever this is sautéed in is delicious, and the breading is appropriately thick. Not crazy exciting, but probably the safest bet if you are a novice German ski chalet menu consumer. Gebratene Rehmedaillions in Rotwein-Pflaumensoße mit Rotkohl und Spätzle (Venison Medallions) Here is something we do not like. Perhaps because the red cabbage is deeply, deeply marinated in the red wine plum sauce that comes with the venison. Inedible. Also, the venison is pretty tough. Gegrillte Nürnberger Bratwurst mit Sauerkraut und Kartoffelbrei (Pork Sausage) Translation: comes with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes. The pork sausage is perfectly cooked and nicely seasoned. And Jesus the sauerkraut is good. We’ve contemplating asking for more. Not weird at all." - Taylor Abrams

"Suppenkuche, a longtime Hayes Valley staple, has collaborated with Fort Point to create Tunzenbier, a Bavarian-style lager. A three-course beer release dinner is being held at Suppenkuche on Thursday, November 9, including two half-liters of Tunzenbier and a limited edition beer stein." - Dianne de Guzman

"When it's foggy, cold, and you haven't seen the sun all day, go to Suppenküche to feel something. It's run by the same people as Biergarten and Radhaus, but feels cozier than those bright, wide-open spots. And it's a great place to come with a group when you want to go in on multiple rounds of giant Belgian beers and split some potato pancakes or schnitzel." - Julia Chen 1

"The Hayes Valley German restaurant has takeout and delivery, and is even filling growlers of beer to go." - Eve Batey

"Beneath a long black entrance canopy on San Francisco’s South Van Ness Avenue stands a large wooden door, with a sign that reads, “You Are Now Leaving the American Sector.” It’s the first indication that you’re in for something special. Walzwerk might be the only restaurant in the United States serving up cuisine of the former East Germany, and, at 20 years and counting, this cozy and compact space remains a portal in time to a place that no longer exists. Christiane Schmidt, who grew up in the former East German state of Thuringia, owns and runs Walzwerk. The eatery is nothing at all like the typical Bavarian-style beer halls so prevalent throughout the States. Instead, it’s an homage to life in the German Democratic Republic (East Germany’s official title) before the fall of the Berlin Wall. Framed illustrations of Soviet leader Vladimir Lenin and Communist Manifesto coauthors Karl Marx and Friedrich Engels hang on the wall, and there are small plastic models of Trabants, the iconic GDR vehicle that’s been dubbed “one of the worst cars ever made,” displayed beneath the restaurant’s tiny, glass-top bar. In the restroom are a series of 45 rpms released by GDR record label Amiga, featuring songs—such as ABBA’s “I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do, I Do” and “Western Girl” by East Germany’s own Scirocco—that successfully passed censorship. There’s even a portrait of Erich Honecker, the former GDR leader who oversaw the construction of the Berlin Wall, hanging prominently above the restaurant’s front door. Much of Walzwerk’s cuisine is equally nostalgic, including traditional East German meals such as Thuringian bratwurst with sauerkraut and herring in sour cream—based on Schmidt’s own family recipes—and soljanka, a meat-heavy Russian soup that became popular in countries throughout the Eastern Bloc during Soviet rule. The menu also features some concessions to more popular German dishes, such as pork schnitzel, as well as to California palates, such as a stuffed chicken breast served with seasonal vegetables and mashed potatoes. Walzwerk attracts a mix of families, neighborhood residents, and Germanophiles who like to gather for language meet-ups, or simply to immerse themselves in the restaurant’s unpretentious and mismatched surroundings. Update as of July 2020: Walzwerk has permanently closed its doors after 21 years in business. Know Before You Go Walzwerk is open evenings only, Tuesday through Sunday. The staff is small—Schmidt herself works the floor three to four nights a week—so if it's a busy night, waiting is part of the experience. Reservations aren't typically needed, but if you'd like to plan ahead, they must be made by phone. Remember, there was no internet in East Germany." - laurakiniry, Britta Shoot