Carle’s Bratwurst

Good stuff. A little Bavarian twist on a hot lunch counter. If I wasn’t working, I’d have washed it down with one of the excellent craft or import beers they have in the cooler. If you eat in, you’ll have to listen to the locals trade stories about ulcers and gall stones that they probably got from eating too many of these wonderful brats.

We were a little surprised when we arrived at Carle’s today! We were expecting it to be just a quaint little restaurant but it turned out to be a tiny grocery store as well. It was super cute and the food was delicious. Definitely try a bratwurst with sauerkraut while you are there!

The food was sub-​par at best. The mashed potatoes were from a mix (not real potatoes) and the chicken was soggy. The stuffing had no real flavor and we found several hairs throughout. The way the food was served was awkward, having to pass through several pairs of hands before your own. The brats were good, yet they were nothing special. We ordered desert, an apple dumpling and some «white cake.» The server pulled the dumpling from out of the bottom of the cooler, rather than from the tray displayed while my colleagues had their backs turned. The apple was old and the crust was far from crusty (mushy, more like it). The cake was generic: just sugary and bland. The staff was impersonal and rude; and we got a lot of looks from other customers who were obviously local regulars and we were not. My advice? Find a Subway or someplace else. I’ve had nicer staff and better food at a McDonalds.
Note: as of this review, the most recent review was a year ago. Not sure what happened since, but it has gone downhill fast.

So now I have been here two days in a row — the first time to try the brats that they have for lunch — excellent idea and then to take some fresh sausages and brats home — also an excellent idea.
The brat was served fresh and hot, split, with choice of toppings, on a rye roll. I went for sauerkraut and spicy brown mustard. This for less than $ 3.00. Charlie Sheen use to say ‘winning’. Yep. Perfectly seasoned brat. I got some hot Italian sausage to take home and cook. This has to be the best I have had in years. Yearly I go to the Ohio State Fair looking for that perfect Italian sausage taste, and yearly I find myself disappointed. The sausage they call at this place far exceeds any I have had. Perfect mix of spices and heat. Not too hot to make it inedible, but enough to let you know your ordered the ‘hot’. The store also sells the rye buns they offer, a variety of mustards, deli meats, etc. The staff — very cordial and accommodating.
Just stop in and have a look at their daily specials, excellent products, and you’ll be back. I’d go today for a 3^rd day in a row, but I don’t want the start any rumors, lol. Seriously, this place has ‘good eats’. Go indulge. You’ll be happy you did.

This place has a little bit of everything! They have some of the best bratwurst around — period. In addition to the brats, they offer a full serve deli, fresh cuts of meat (I recommend a rack of ribs) and some of the best fresh lunches around. If you haven’t stopped in, I suggest you give it a try — you will be glad you did.

When a person hears «Carle’s Bratwurst» all they think about are the brat links and potato salad. Carle’s offers much, much more than that! They have a full meat and cheese case. There are the various salads, sandwiches and desserts that they have in the salad/​sandwich/​dessert case (I don’t know how else to categorize this food except my brother calls it «old people food.» LOL (but hey, I must be old because I get stuff out of there like the delicious chicken salad.)) The final case is the hot food item case that has a rotating line-​up of ready-​made hot food items. Carle’s added on a seating area a number of years ago so they didn’t have the type of selection they do now. How many of us remember the old Carle’s building (raises hand)?? It was soooo tiny compared to the store they have now! I enjoy the bratwurst casserole, stuffed chicken breasts, mashed potatoes, the various paninis they offer, and I really love the peach cobbler (oh and the strawberry cobbler). You never know exactly what they’ll be serve except they put a list of specials in the newspaper once a week. The typical special is entrée and two sides for about 5-​ish dollars. The prices are reasonable, the food is good, and it’s worth the trip because many times you leave with something more than you thought (like the Sahlen’s deli ham). They don’t offer many vegetarian items since they are mostly a meat-​oriented business. I rarely feel ill after eating there (to any IBS readers-​this can be an issue – they don’t do much deep-​frying, if at all, and they don’t have oily food items.) Always check their frozen section, too, because they always have interesting items in the freezers!
I would give this 5 stars, but sometimes when you are in a pickle and go there around 5pm, which is an hour before closing, the food in the hot bar looks like it’s has been sitting there since lunch time.

The best bratwurst I’ve ever had! Stopped in for a quick lunch and had a fantastic Reuben sandwich. Definitely the place to eat when your in town!