Holzkranich: Le Grand Weißwurst Frühstück

After the snow comes the slush—which reminds me of going to the drive-in for slushies with my best pals in high school, except that slushies in the American Southwest are a sweet reprieve from the scorching desert heat while slush in Germany is just a melty, wet, bone-soaking coldness. Silver-linings abound thoug if you know where to look. In other words, in Bayern, if you ride the train long enough, you’re bound to hear the conductor’s call for white sausages, and that’s where this story starts.

Holzkranich in Schwabing is best known for a Brotzeit-bar concept, but recently the cozy living-room-look space has expanded its offerings to Sunday brunch—Weißwurst style. Dubbed, “Le Grand Weißwurst Frühstück” this traditional breakfast of white pork and parsley sausages paired with sweet mustard, a soft pretzel, and wheat beer is known as a culinary hit-or-miss for most brunchers. I, however, am of the opinion that few things are more effective at curing the effects of a hard Saturday night than a proper portion of meat and carbs with a cool beer to wash it down. [Except maybe Chilaquiles and a Michelada, but you can’t find gold like that in Munich.]

At Holzkranich, the sacrificial Weißwürste come swimming inside of a traditional, personal-sized, lion-bookended bowl with plenty of fresh parsley and lemon floating about. A pretzel, a Weißbier, and süßes Senf complete the holy trinity, and honestly, you don’t need much else. Plus-points are, of course, offered solely on the merit of the mustard ratio. No sin is greater than that of not enough mustard, but the portion at Holzkranich is just enough to satisfy even my heavy-handed treatment. While there, I was able to fearlessly dip every bite of both Wurst and Brezn in mustard between happy gulps of beer. Weißwurst regulars will know that this isn’t always the case, and nothing is more painful than having to ask for more mustard when in the middle of your meal.

All in all, I would call Le Grand Weißwurst Frühstück at Holzkranich a must for all white sausage fans, but even vegetarians and the odd Weißwurst-haters can find a satisfactory bite at this weekly event. Why you would order bread and spread at a white sausage breakfast is truly beyond me, but I support all culinary predilections outside of the cannibalistic. To each his own. Of Joy That Kills is here, not to judge, but to recommend.

Mismatched vintage elements and a golden wall give this two-story location a rustic elegance and cozy, alpine feel. The youthful staff is friendly, and the clientele, for brunch, at least, is fairly mixed. In the future, I’m looking forward to giving Holzkranich another visit, but this time for drinks or maybe even fondue (if I can ever recall to pre-order it). Whenever and however this future plays out, be sure I’ll let you in on my personal experience.

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Looking for a different Weekend-Wurst locale? Check out my post about Die Goldene Bar, which also offers this traditional breakfast on weekends. 

Do you have a favorite Weißwurst spot? If so, let me know. I’m always looking for the next place to check out, and the Weißwurst Diaries x OJTK certainly won’t write themselves.

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Holzkranich Bar & Brotzeitküche
Georgenstraße 105
80798 München
Mon. – Sat. from 18:00 
Sun. 9:30 – 14:00

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