Review: Schmankerl Stube

We met some friends in Hagerstown for dinner last night. The restaurant was Schmankerl Stube, which exists at the corner of Potomac and Antietam. For those who may be wondering, in German “Schmankerl” means “delicacy” and “Stube” means “lounge.” The restaurant itself is very cozy; almost house-like. The staff were dressed in traditional Bavarian garb, and the menu held a very wide array of traditional German food.

John and Phil each had variations of Spaten beer. Leslie and I each had a glass of Riesling wine. And with that, it was time for apptetizers. Between the four of us, we split the Breaded Fried Tomatoes and the Shrimp. The shrimp were ok; but the cost was $8 for a plate of four of them. The tomatoes were excellent — very crispy and they came with a delicious white sauce. Phil and I each ordered a cup of the Tagessuppe (Soup of the Day), which was Cream of Mushroom with Asparagus and Tomato. It was wonderful; I’d really love to have the recipe. I doubt I would be able to recreate it from scratch without the recipe.

For the main course, John had Schmankerl Wurst Teller, I had M�nchener Sahnegeschnetzeltes, Phil had Herzhafter Sauerbraten and Leslie had Filet Medallions mit Kr�uterbutter. I’m not going to try to spend the time to describe it all; you’ll have to read the menu yourself. Just know that it was thoroughly wonderful. And then came the dessert tray. I don’t remember what John and Phil had (Leslie passed), but I had the Black Forest Cake (layers of chocolate cake and cream, stuffed with brandy-soaked cherries) with a glass of 25-year port. Yummy!

Schmankerl Stube is definitely not cheap (it averaged at $100 per couple including drinks) but if what you’re looking for is an authentic taste of Bavaria, it’s the place to go. Be sure to call ahead for reservations — you’re not likely to be able to get a walk-in seat! (And check the dress code too.)

Did you enjoy this post? Why not leave a comment below and continue the conversation, or subscribe to my feed and get articles like this delivered automatically each day to your feed reader.