Currywurst Arrives In Los Angeles!

When I went to Germany three and a half years ago with my friends jash and m_ruv, I returned with an undying love for currywurst, a local street food in Berlin that combines sausage and curried ketchup. Some vendors sell it with bratwurst, others with bockwurst, and quite frankly there are many heated arguments (according to Time-Out Berlin) about the proper way to prepare the dish. All I know is that every time I ordered it (which was quite often on our brief four day jaunt), I loved it.

Unfortunately, German restaurants are few and far between here in Los Angeles, and the ones that do exist have pretty meager currywurst offerings. That’s why I was so excited when my friend IndianJones emailed me (and our friend Phamtastic, who is actually German) this morning about the opening of Berlin Currywurst. Located in the heart of the Silver Lake neighborhood of Los Angeles, Berlin Currywurst looked to be what I’d been waiting for all these years: A CURRYWURST MECCA. It should be no surprise then that I trekked out there on its opening day today for a solo lunch amidst the hipsters and hippies at Sunset Junction.

Upon arriving in the small, industrial space, I noticed the extensive menu, which had my heart going pitter-pat with excitement. I could get currywurst in so many different ways: with bratwurst, bockwurst, rindswurst, and practically any kind of -wurst you could think of. Even vegetarians had options with tofu bratwurst and kielbasa.

Aside from the sausages, there were fries (a.k.a. FRITTEN) and other meal customizations including spice level and flavorings, which were all named after places in Berlin (ie. Mitte, Alexanderplatz). Yes, this menu had me very encouraged. Also encouraging: lots of German. The gentleman in front of me spoke German, the woman seated at a table nearby spoke German, and the guy who ultimately took my order spoke German (spoiler alert: turns out he was married to the woman seated nearby). The point is that this wasn’t just some trendy shop set up by hipsters on the East Side. These were real deal Germans. It was all so very exciting, in a Hessian kind of way.

Well, I put in an order for currywurst with bratwurst and requested a heat level of three, which carried two asterisks of danger (you have to be sixteen or older to order it). Since I was hungry, I did a double order (for only $3.00 more) and then snagged some fritten and a water too. My total wound up being $14 and change, which was a bit pricey for currywurst, but I let it slide.

A few minutes later, as clumps of hipsters with dirty hair sauntered into the shop, my currywurst arrived. Happy happy joy joy.

Let met tell you something: this was some damn good currywurst. Not only was the sauce tasty, but the sausage itself was totally delicious. Perfectly taut on the outside, juicy on the inside — it was great. Plus, the spice level was just right. Plenty of heat without burning out of control. The German farmer’s bread served as a lovely accompaniment to the point where the fries were almost unnecessary. I might not get the fries again, and not just because the dish already comes with bread.

The fries were cooked perfectly and had a lovely texture; however, they were so salty I couldn’t finish them. Trust me: I do not leave fries over. Sadly though, these were just too intense and made everything else taste super salty. My mouth is still parched as a result.

But hey, I can live without the fries. I only care about the sausage, and to that end, I was more than delighted. I will certainly be heading back to this funky little spot to try the other sausages out. Berlin Currywurst, WILLKOMEN!

Berlin Currywurst
3827 W Sunset Boulevard
Los Angeles CA, 90026
http://www.berlincurrywurst.com/