Ketch'up (Berlin, Germany)

Gradestrasse 35, 12347 Berlin

Ketch’up 35 is an institution in Berlin, which claims to have “the best curry since 1961.” Quite a claim in the city of currywurst! So, on my way out of Berlin, I take a detour to go there, a small wooden stand with a large outside area. It mainly has sausages, boulettes (meat balls), and fries. What makes them special is their own homemade curry sauce.

I get a Currywurst, a Boulette, and a Soda (€8.80). The curry sauce is very thick and sweet, tasting much more like tomato ketchup than curry. No kick. The sausage is crispy on the outside, for the rest average. The boulette has a nice consistency.

 

VERDICT: 82/100

Original but not really (my type of) Currywurst.

TERAS Döner Kebab (Berlin, Germany)

Wilhelmstraße 45, 10117 Berlin, Germany

TERAS Döner Kebab is a busy kebab place in the Potzdamer Platz area, close to the Mall of Berlin, which serves classic kebab fare as well as real grilled burgers. It looks a bit flashy, like a tourist trap but don’t be discouraged by it.

 

I get a traditional Döner Kebab (€5.50), which comes in a large crispy piece of Turkish bread with a decent amount of shaved meat, with some small pieces of fries in it, and a wealth of vegetables (tomato, lettuce, onion, cabbage) and sauces (garlic and “spicy”) — you can choose which you want or not, I chose all. The combination is one of the better kebabs I have had, in Berlin or outside of Berlin.

VERDICT: 92/100

Excellent Döner kebab at a good price.

Currywurst House (Berlin, Germany)

Food Court of Mall of Berlin

 

Currywurst House is a small stand in the food court of the Mall of Berlin, which serves, you guessed it, Currywurst! It really does little else, except for bratwurst, fries, and chicken nuggets. I get a Currywurst (€3,60) and a Hot Dog Berlin (€4,90). The Currywurst is fine. The sausage itself is pretty tasty, but not really the kind of sausage I associate with a Currywurst. The sauce has a nice flavor but it doesn’t have a kick. The Hot Dog Berlin is a true pig out sandwich! Big sausage on a fresh roll with mayo, mustard, curry sauce, roasted onions, and cabbage. I really enjoyed that

 

VERDICT: 86/100

If you go here, get the Hot Dog Berlin. It’s a calory bomb but with a lot of flavor.

Papy Burger (Brussels, Belgium)

Rue des Eperonniers 41, 1000 Bruxelles, Belgium

Papy Burger (full name: Belgian Frites – Papy Burger) is a big frituur in the touristic heart of Brussels, which looks like a tourist trap. that specializes in burgers, but more snackbar burgers than “gourmet”. They have all the usual snacks and sauces too.

 

I get a regular Fries (€3.50) with Mayo (€1) and a Mexicano (€3.30) with Samourai (€1). The fries are crispy on the outside and soft inside but a bit too chewy. The Mexicano is standard. The sauces are both a bit underwhelming.

VERDICT: 85/100

A pretty decent frituur given its location. But there are better ones, even in the center of Brussels.

Classic City Eats (Watkinsville, GA)

1290 Greensboro Hwy, Watkinsville, GA 30677

 

Classic City Eats is "bar and grill" that was opened in 2014 and more recently moved to a brand new building just outside downtown Watkinsville. Inside it is a kind of mix between a sports bar and a BBQ, large and fairly bare, with just a lot of tvs on the wall. The menu is a mix of classic snackbar and bbq.

 

I have the Hot Dawg with BBQ Beans & Onions with BBQ Chips ($9.99): the hot dawg is big, but the bun is (much) bigger than the dog. The bbq beans are a nice touch but you still need some mustard. I add Two Chicken Tenders ($3.99 each) with Honey Mustard Sauce: the tenders are huge, lightly breaded, and well fried. The sauce is subtle. The slices of bread useless. My son has a Side of Fries (3.99): very thick crinkle cut fries with light seasoning. A bit undercooked and undersalted.

VERDICT: 84/100

Very decent grub but very expensive, particularly for its location.