Sausages Around the World

The Nurembergers of Germany’s Franconia region may lay claim to having invented the bratwurst, but a love of grilled sausage has long since spread throughout much of the Western world. Over time, many nations have developed unique and delicious twists that rival even the age-old recipes of Germany.

NUREMBERG
Bratwurst Herzle inexpensive
Brunnengasse 11; www.bratwurstherzle.de
This old-fashioned and down-to-earth little place, tucked away in a central old town alley, has served the perfect Nuremberg mini-sausages and sauerkraut since 1529. It’s always so busy that most diners have to share a table.
Nassauer Keller inexpensive
Karolinenstrasse 2; +49 911 225 967
Worth visiting for the atmospheric medieval cellar dining experience alone, this restaurant is based in one of the only surviving medieval tower houses. It specializes in Franconian cuisine, such as Schweineschäufele (roast pork shoulder) and serves several types of sausages, including “original Nuremberg sausages.”
Bratwurst-Häusle moderate
Rathausplatz 1, 90403; +49 911 227 695
This tiny historic restaurant in the shadows of St. Sebald church is so well known and touristy that it’s often too packed for its own good. Yet it remains a great place to pick up bratwurst to go along with jars of cured or smoked sausages.
Bratwurstglöcklein expensive
Waffenhof 5; +49 911 227 625
This is the oldest bratwurst restaurant in Nuremberg, dating back to 1313, and its half-dozen set menus strive to create an interesting Franconian meal. They include dishes such as dumpling soup, pork knuckle, Nuremberg sausages that have been simmered with onions and vinegar before grilling, wine sauerkraut, homemade potato salad with a creamy horseradish sauce, and O´batzder, a rich local cheese dip made with Camembert and served with pretzels.
ERFURT, GERMANY
The German state of Thüringia also claims to have invented bratwurst. The city is certainly sausage-mad: every adult here consumes an average of two 6–7 inch (15–20 cm) bratwursts every day, and Thüringian sausage has become the German standard.
Faustfood inexpensive
Waagegasse 1; www.faustfood.de
A minimalist grilled meat and sausage eatery with modern interiors; you can sit at chunky wooden tables or perch at the busy counter to enjoy a quick barbecued Thüringer Rostbratwurst .
Wirtshaus Christoffel inexpensive
Michaelisstrasse 41; +49 361 2626 943
This medieval-themed restaurant has been serving its specialty sausage with bread and broth continuously since 1477.
Zum Wenigemarkt moderate
Wenigemarkt 13; www.wenigemarkt-13.de
Popular for alfresco eating in summer, this cozy restaurant excels at traditional Thüringian cuisine. It serves an especially crispy Rostbratwurst with fried potatoes and sauerkraut laced with bacon flakes.
BERLIN, GERMANY
A city that is always on the go is reliant on a good supply of snacks, and in Berlin this means sausages, especially “currywurst” – chopped sausage smothered in tomato sauce mixed with curry powder.
Curry 195 inexpensive
Kurfürstendamm 195, Berlin; +49 030 881 8942
A neon-lit sausage eatery known as much for its excellent, juicy currywurst sausages as its popularity with German celebrities – which explains the Champagne on the menu.
Konnopke’s Imbiss inexpensive
Schönhauser Allee 44a; www.konnopke-imbiss.de
Berlin’s most famous sausage kiosk sits beneath noisy elevated train tracks. It has survived the Nazis, World War II, and the privations of East Germany to continue to dole out some of the city’s best currywurst: marvelously juicy, served with crispy fries and sprinkled with paprika.
Fleischerei moderate
Torstrasse 116–118; www.fleischerei-berlin.com
A place to actually sit and eat currywurst is a rarity in Berlin, which would give this central restaurant with its simple and functional decor an edge even if its wurst weren’t so good.
THE LAKE DISTRICT, UK
Cumbria’s contribution to sausage culture is peppery and made of chopped meat, rather than minced, giving it a real chunkiness. Its notable characteristic is its huge length, forming a great wheel on the plate.
Mason’s Arms moderate
Cartmel Fell, Grange-over-Sands, Cumbria; www.masonsarmsstrawberrybank.co.uk
High-quality local food and a great selection of local ales make this fellside inn stand out. Its Cumberland sausage embarks on a successful European adventure on a toasted ciabatta, with caramelized onions, damson chutney, and thin fries.
The Yanwath Gate Inn moderate
Yanwath, Cumbria; www.yanwathgate.com
A quintessential northern English country pub, this old inn dates back to 1683. Its chunky and peppery Cumberland sausage comes with black pudding, mashed potatoes, broccoli, carrots, and gravy.
SOUTH AFRICA
The South African boerewors, or “farmer’s sausage,” is a spicy national signature dish. It’s made largely from beef seasoned with coriander and is always barbecued on a braai. Wandie’s Place inexpensive
618 Makhalemele St., Dube, Soweto, Johannesburg; www.wandies.co.za
An unpretentious eatery with long tables, colorful tablecloths, bustle, and sociable chatter that started life as a shebeen, or illicit bar. It now specializes in a Soweto-style festive buffet including dishes such as mutton curry, beef potjie (a stew), pap (a porridge), umqushu (corn and bean stew), ting (soft porridge), and of course boerewors, served both fresh from the barbecue and dried as wors.
Karoo Cattle and Land moderate
Irene Village Mall, Irene, Pretoria; www.karoocattleandland.com
A great South African steakhouse that claims its boerewors would be the pride of any karoo tannie (local elderly aunt), which seems at odds with the cosmopolitan black leather, chrome, and glass decor.
But the mix is so successful that the restaurant has opened half a dozen branches.
Karibu expensive
Shop 156, The Wharf Centre, V&A Waterfront, Cape Town; www.kariburestaurant.co.za
Views of Table Mountain and the tranquil blue Atlantic prepare the palate perfectly for the restaurant’s vibrant South African flavors. The chefs here are experts in barbecuing boerewors over open coals, then serving them with local breads such as Kaapse broodjie, or with putu and chakalaka (porridge and relish).
WISCONSIN, USA
Wisconsin’s many German immigrants have developed old recipes to create their own signature “brats,” by parboiling them in beer before grilling, part-filling them with cheddar, or lacing them with chili pepper, Cajun style.
Charcoal Inn South inexpensive
1313 South 8th Street, Sheboygan; (920) 458-6988 South Sheboygan’s annual bratwurst festival is the big Wisconsin draw for sausage lovers, but when it’s not on, the Charcoal Inn is the place to head to.
The must-order meal here is a double brat with the works: two sausages in a bun with pickles, mustard, and raw onions, with butter oozing out on every side. As in Germany, the key to its great taste is the flavor of heavy spices unlocked by a smoky charcoal fire and superb traditional bread rolls with thin, crispy crusts and soft centers.
Milwaukee Brat House moderate
1013 3rd St., Milwaukee; www.milwaukeebrathouse.com
Though it only opened in 2008, this sausage specialist already has a cult following. Its late-19thcentury brick town-house home, with stained glass, long dark-wood bar, and historic photos of Milwaukee, is the perfect backdrop for great brats from Fred Usinger’s excellent butcher shop opposite the bar.
Water Street Brewery moderate 1101 N Water St., Milwaukee; www.waterstreetbrewery.com
Milwaukee has the only baseball stadium in the US where bratwurst outsell hot dogs; many of its pubs and bars feature it too. This microbrewery, with its brick warehouse interiors, adds its own signature by simmering its bratwurst in beer and mixed spices prior to grilling.