Adolf Wagner @ Frankfurt, Germany

Tripadvisor pointed us to Adolf Wagner for authentic German fare. God bless the kind German who pointed us in the right direction! I adore Germans for their kind hospitality shown throughout the trip, the only people who would really ensure you reach your destination! With teeth chattering temperatures of 5 degrees or even lower, dining at Adolf Wagner was a challenge. They offer the option of dining in or outside (in the courtyard or right at the pavement). Heaters were only provided in the courtyard and even with those, it was one helluva battle against the cold.

Crowd control was an area that Adolf Wagner does not bother itself with. Fastest butts win, literally. Spy a table, move as fast as you can to snare it. Waiters are so busy offloading dishes onto tables that they wave off any table enquiries. If I could handle German, I probably would not have an issue with getting one. Note that they only take reservations for at least a table of 6!

Tables do not get cleared as promptly as desired so we ended up with a table of  half eaten food for a good 20 minutes before we were attended to, gruffly.

"You like this?" The burly waiter asked. We nodded in unison, assuming he referred to the table arrangement. Apparently he meant if we liked what the previous diners had. The whole walawala ended with a surly faced waiter stomping off with plates of salad.

Anyhow adventure and communication barriers aside, we managed to place our orders for their signatures and survived the cold for this review!

Apfelwein (1,6€)

No option of any other beverage but a German favourite, apple wine that was mandatory. I reckon the cold must have gotten to us as we could have mixed the concentrated apfelwein with the bottle of sparkling water given. Apfelwein is acquired, tasted like a distilled version of beer with a slight bitter aftertaste. How potent the alcohol level was?  Not enough to knock us out but kept us just a weebit warm and tipsy.

Salad with Grilled Chicken Breast (8,90€)

For starters, the portion was enough to feed two comfortably. Fresh salad greens with a thick tender chicken breast. No other condiments needed, the chicken tasted good.

Pork Knuckle with Home Fried Potatoes and Salad (11€, price according to weight)

Ok, no more Pork Knuckles locally. This is how the authentic tastes; the tender meat is not the least bit salty, the skin is crispy, crunchy and cackles...roasted home fried potatoes are super delish! Their rendition of saukeraut was too acidic for the palette. I adore how the meat is firm, unlike those that taste as if they have been braised with meat that falls off so easily.

Frankfurt Green Sauce with Boiled Eggs and Home Fried Potatoes (7,90€)  

Another local favourite, green sauce is made of herbs causing the slight rawness in the sauce. Personally found this ordinary, very homemade and well...just worth trying out!

Frankfurters with Sauerkraut and Mashed Potatoes (7,20)

Frankfurters are supposed to be a German Specialty but these were on the bland side..suppose our Pan Pacific sausages could rival this anytime. Adored the buttery mashed potatoes here, the decadent "meltworthy" moments!

Warm Apple Strudel with Vanilla Icecream (3,90€)

Nothing is more German than apple strudel, just like Pork Knuckles. German apple strudels are variedly different from Holland ones or the pie crusted kind I am used to. Their approach leans toward a flaky pastry with slices of apples. Not too big on their apple strudels, however. Lacks the crisp that the Aussie Strudels have.


Dinner at Adolf Wagner was most certainly an adventure of its own, authentically German though wildly popular with tourists as well. It could be the branding (since 1931!) that made them uppitty but true enough, I enjoyed this meal best in Frankfurt.

www.apfelwein-wagner.com/ 



Adolf Wagner
Schweizer Straße 71 (Take a train to Schweizerplatz stop, a 5 minute walk to the restaurant)