Berlin is a city in constant motion, and the food scene reflects that. There are sausage vendors on Alexanderplatz, Späti s (convenience store) on every corner, and the opportunity to eat well at any time of the day.
Read about the best street foods in Berlin and the best places to eat them. Eat around town from sausage to döner to falafel.
bratwurst
When you think of German sausages, you are probably thinking of a sausage . It can be fried in beer and served alongside rotkohl and potatoes, but it’s best known as quintessential street food. Eat this German takeout from a grillwalker . These vendors wear their bright orange grills at hip height, tossing in € 1.50 of bratwurst on a roll ( brötchen ) with your choice of mustard and / or ketchup. Don’t be alarmed that the sausage dangles at both ends, this is how it’s supposed to be.
Look for vendors on Alexanderplatz or wherever groups of hungry people gather.
Doner Kebab
Döner Kebab is simply better in Berlin. Often treated like a sloppy drunken meal at night, a good doner can be so much more. Developed to satisfy German tastes by Turkish immigrants, this is a symbolic dish of multicultural Berlin.
You will probably notice the vertical splinters of meat before ordering one. Giant cones of lamb, chicken, or beef mix are prominently placed in imbiss windows before being roasted to order and shaved into savory strips. The meat is placed in a request with salad and sauce.
I think the best döners usually depend on the location. A suspicious number of people’s favorite stalls line up around your home, so feel free to explore convenient locations. My personal favorite, Imren Grill 2, stands out for its unique blend of spices and freshly assembled meat skewers. Use our guide to find the best doner in Berlin.
Along with döner , try other Turkish favorites like köfte , börek, and lahmacun (often referred to as Turkish pizza).
Burgers
This international favorite has found a home in Berlin. Once a poor imitation of American-style burgers, there are now tasty burgers all over town. Experiment with classics like bacon and cheese, or go wild with peanut butter, or stick with the city’s hipster vegetarian vibe with its many meat alternatives.
For an early popular American burger joint, go to The Bird or try a Berlin classic in Kreuzberg, Burgermeister, found in an old urinal under the U-Bahn.
Half chicken
Half a chicken may not look like street food, but places like Hühnerhaus 36 in Kreuzberg have made a grilled chicken stop no longer than 10 minutes. Popular with everyone from taxi drivers to families to hung Americans, the little chicken stall at the entrance to Görlitzer Park usually has a queue. The crisp, crunchy skin hides succulent white meat with a side of salad, French fries, or both, for a total of around 5 euros. It’s so popular that they opened a restaurant sitting across the street.
For a different type of chicken, fried has become increasingly popular with halal Riza chicken opening sites all over the city.
Falafel
It’s just mostly meat on this list.
Another favorite import from the East, fried chickpea balls can be found in sandwich form or on a plate ( cashier ) with a delicious variety of sauces, spread like hummus, halloumi, and roasted vegetables.
Along with the usual falafel, look for the Sudanese version with a signature peanut sauce.
Currywurst
One of my favorite German sayings is ” Alles hat ein ende, aber Wurst hat zwei ” (Everything has an ending, but a sausage has two). So what better way to start and end a post about German street food than with sausage?
Germany’s ubiquitous wurst (sausage) comes flavored with curry in Berlin. Currywurst can be found everywhere from biergartens to sporting events to high-end German restaurants. The dish consists of a sausage that has been fried with love and served with skin ( mit Darm ) or without ( ohne Darm ) according to your preference. It is then slathered with curry tomato sauce and finished with a layer of curry powder. This wurst is usually paired with fries ( frites ) or a roll to soak up the sauce.
While Germans generally avoid most things spicy, currywurst can make your tongue tingle. Be on the lookout for stands that specialize in high levels of spice and order at your own risk!
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