Schmankerl Stube

We always go for lunch because the specials are so much less expensive than dinner later (and dinner isn’t expensive for a nice restaurant). Although the menu isn’t exactly the same, we are able to get the sauerbrauten and spaetzle that we love at lunch. The soups are great and we always get our apple streudel to go so it can be savored.

Amazing restaurant! The owner was present and you could tell that he was very proud of this establishment! The food was phenomenal! It was an experience to say the least. I would definitely recommend going here!

Took my family here, and everyone was absolutely blown away by the flavors of their meals. The Sauerbraten, Veal Schnitzel, Schmanker Topf and Munchner Sahnagestezlestes were out of this world. Everyone said this was one of the the top five meals of their lives. Really happy we came!

Went for our 2 year anniversary lunch and it felt like being back in Baden-​Wurrtemburg. Food was great, very much like what I had over there. Definitely give it a try, prepare yourself for Bavarian music :). And they gave currywurst.

Very yummy! Fast friendly service. Tasty hearty German fare… Excellent beer… Tasty desserts. Hearty meats… Good gravy… Worth a drive! My son greatly enjoyed his wurst platter, esp the mild veal wurst, is it was unusual in texture and spicing from typical sausage. My three meat platter was overall with tender spätzle, flavorful kraut, and rich mushroom gravy. Docked a star though– meat was tasty but tough, and mushrooms in gravy were canned. Cream of asparagus soup was amazingly good; homemade rye bread delicious and nice touch to start!

This is hands down my favorite restaurant in the Hagerstown area, to the extent that it’s always my choice for special occasions such as my birthday. And I almost always order the same meal — bratwurst, spätzle, sauerkraut, and Black Forest Cake for dessert. On the few occasions I’ve ordered something different, I’ve generally liked it; but I always go back to my favorites. The food is absolutely delicious, and the service is great.

We stopped by today for lunch. Everything was above expectations. So excited they have the schweinshaxe for dinner. Will definitely be back for that. Well worth the hour drive.

German food isn’t the first thing which comes to mind when dining out so when a work event took us here I was excited. A minor metric conversion error on my part started me off with a liter of beer and off the evening went. I narrowed my dinner choice down to veal Snitzel and it was crispy on the outside and tender in the middle. Service was friendly and professional and I was pleased that for a group of 25 all the meals came out on rapid succession. I’m a fan!

German food is a treat for us. This is the second time we drove a little out of the way to stop here. LOVE
One had the brats, cooked well. One had Wiener schnitzel (veal) and loved every bite. I had Munchener Sahnegeschnetzeltes. The meats were amazingly tender. Sauce was perfect, not too heavy. Loved the spaetzle. I also had a cup of potato soup. It had some chopped vegetables that really added to the flavor. Husband had the Schmankerl Wurst Teller. He loved it, especially the dumpling. Two chose dessert cakes which were the perfect finish. The dark chocolate icing was perfect.

Really really good !!! What a find! I cannot wait to eat here again. The service was excellent

Let me first start off by saying that this place is Hagerstown fancy. I don’t mean that in a derogatory way. It’s just that it was pleasant to be asked to take off my hat, which is my fault for keeping it on. Kudos for them, and don’t be offended when they enforce their dress code.
When you walk in, it looks like what I would imagine a German ski lodge or country home would look like. There are steins hanging from the ceiling, and all the wait staff is dressed in traditional Bavarian dirndls (dresses). They have a decent beer list of German beers, which you had to have seen coming.
The best and radish salad was the best salad I’ve had in a long time. It had just enough dressing, and a nice balance of pickled beets, not too many nor too few radishes, and just all around fresh and tasty.
For my entrée, I got the Münchener Sahnegeschnetzeltes. I’m not sure how to pronounce it, but it was fantastic. It is beef and pork tips in a cream sauce, with some spatzle and green beans wrapped in bacon. I can’t help that my mouth is watering still thinking about it. It was that good. It was the perfect dinner after a day of skiing.
My wife got the Wiener Schnitzel, and that was good too. I would think that most of their entrees would be solid choices based on all the food that we had.
Their dessert tray is another spectacular thing worth mentioning. All 7 or so desserts are made in house, and all looked decadent. We got the apple strudel, and proceeded to annihilate it in just a few seconds.
All of the staff were very kind and knowledgeable, and seemingly all female.
Out back, it looks like they have a biergarten, but since it is winter, it was not open, that’s my best guess anyway. Parking for us was on the street, since it was a Sunday, it was free, plus there weren’t many people out and about in that area then, so there was plenty of parking.
I’m definitely a fan of Shmankerl Stube! I think you will be too!

My husband and I shared the platte for two and it was delicious and far more than we could both eat. But the desserts were my favorite part, all the options were made in house and ours was delicious. The waitress was sweet and tolerant of our large group and explained many dishes for those unaccustomed to the German style foods. In all a good experience, on the higher end for pricing in Hagerstown. A small selection of very good beers on tap.

Where to even start. 1^st the location in Hagerstown and the story behind how this place came to be is adorable. 2^nd the food was amazing… and that’s not just coming from a German girl. 3^rd hello beer selection.
Would highly recommend this place to ANYONE.

Do yourself a favor. Shoot up on a Wednesday night and get the pork shank. It’s worth the drive from D.C. or Baltimore.

I took my mama here for her 60^th birthday and it did not disappoint.
I’m not one to debate what is or isn’t good German food… I mean seriously, if you’re that type let it go man, let it go. I’d posit the theory that someone from California has a different theory on what is good «American» food than someone from Texas who is different than a New Yorker who is different than Wisconsin. Get the point, hoser? You’re three trips to Germany do not qualify you as an expert nor does living in Stuttgart for a year… things are regional.
Off the soapbox… my mom had Saurbraten, my son had meatloaf and I had the Jaegerschnitzel. We also had ghoulish and potato soup.
All the soups were excellent and I don’t think I could make a recommendation of one vs. the other, I’d so ok say whatever your palette prefers is what you should go with.
Of the entrees, the Saurbraten was the winner. Tender, hearty and robust taste. The meatloaf and schnitzel had good flavor, but were a touch overdone; the schnitzel was light on the gravy. The red cabbage was good and tangy, the home fries were expertly done and the spaetzle was also good.
good service, attentive but unobtrusive.

The finest place to eat in Hagerstown. It is possibly the finest place in Hagerstown, period.
The wurst sampler is a must. The ideal precursor to a great meal.
Escargot at the Bavarian spot? Oh my yes. (If snails left trails of butter behind as they moved, people might not be so put off by them!)
My most recent visit I ordered the «Ulmer Metzger Platte,» two Bratwurst with carrots, sauerkraut and spatzle. The presentation and preparation were unimpeachable. It was a meal I took my time with, savoring every bite.
My dinner companions and I split slices of Bavarian cream cake and Black Forest cake for dessert. Asked afterward which treat I preferred, I couldn’t choose one over the other. Again, just as with the entrée, this was high-​level. The care and skill on display… all I can do is tip my (invisible) hat.
As a bonus, the staff and the owner are genuine, wonderful people.

I have only been here once for dinner and absolutely loved it. If I lived closer I’d likely return on a weekly basis. Having grown up on Eastern European and German food I can happily say the food here is authentic. They also have a Sunday Brunch which I’d love to try in the future. It’s not your typical brunch (I don’t think they have any eggs — more of a limited selection of their best dishes). Check out their website for more details on the food and when it’s offered. I don’t believe it’s every Sunday.
OVERALL: If you haven’t been and love this type of food drop everything! Come here ASAP! Service was superb just like the food. While I grew up mostly on Polish and Czech food their variations are close enough for all of us to enjoy.
RESERVATIONS: While we didn’t make reservations (it was a Sunday) I’d recommend doing so at least on Friday and Saturday nights as they were still pretty busy for a Sunday evening.
FOOD: I had the Goulash soup and the Kassler Ripperl (smoked pork loin with sauerkraut and spatzle). Both were delicious. I can’t recall what the others dining with me had but they were all very happy with the food too.
SERVICE: While I might know this sort of food well I don’t know the beer all that well. Our waiter was incredibly helpful in translating the beer options and figuring out which beer I’d like. He was attentive and checked back on our table quite often as did several others. We sat outside where it got kind of loud because there was a private party. We didn’t mind all that much but inside seemed more quiet if that’s a concern to future diners.
DRESS CODE: I’m sure people are a bit perplexed by the fact that they have a dress code. In a way, I appreciate it as it reminds me of my family and growing with this sort of food. Plus it’s respectful. While I didn’t see anyone getting thrown out for their attire, I could still tell that it was enforced to some degree. Women were wearing dressy flip flops which seemed ok. But if you’re thinking oh whatever who cares I’d maybe think twice before violating the dress code. It would in all honesty be a total travesty to have to pass up their food for disregarding their dress policy.

The Wurst Sampler is the Best!
Haaaaa…I just had to do that!
We got there about 15 minutes before closing but e staff was welcoming and helpful. Seriously, the wurst sampler is amazing! Definitely worth trying.
Great desserts too. Try the strudel!

This was our first time and the food was delicious.
Food: We ordered the special for two as it had a little of everything. Our 8 yr old son ordered a brat on a potato roll from the kids menu and he really enjoyed the spätzle. Great beer and the desserts were amazing too!
Service: The service was great, our waitress was very informative. The owner greeted us at the door and followed up after dinner.
Atmosphere: The music and décor matched the venue setting. It felt like you were in a Bavarian Resturaunt until you looked out the window.
Cost: This place is a little spendy ($$$) to match the décor ($$). For 3 meals, 2 non alcoholic drinks, 2 beers, 2 desserts — we spent approximately $ 120.
Yes we will return!

We dropped in to the Schmankerl Stube in downtown Hagerstown for lunch on a Saturday. After scouting downtown restaurant options online, this one seems very promising. Indeed, it was!
Arriving inside, the hostess first asked if we had reservations. Reservations for lunch? This seemed a surprise. But, perhaps not, as it was a popular spot in the Arts & Entertainment historic district. Though lacking a reservation, we were soon seated.
The menu was most definitely Bavarian in flavor. I ordered a Goulash Soup as an appetizer and Schnitzel «Wiener Art» (pork schnitzel) with German potato salad as my main course. We split a slice of Apfel Strudel for dessert. Our waitress was very leas ant and attentive. (The waitresses are dressed in dirndl outfits, adding to the atmosphere.)
This was excellent! The best German fare I’ve had outside of Central Europe. Highly recommended.