A New German Cellar Bar Opens Outside of Baltimore With Curry Ketchup Weiners

Outside of Baltimore, the tiny, historic town of Elkridge, Maryland, just got a dining upgrade with the recent opening of an old world German basement bar that has a menu designed by a chef at one of the most respected restaurants in the state.

The Rathskeller (5782 Main Street, Elkridge) is half of a two-part business that recently opened in a former 18th-century quilt shop. The Rathskeller is in the basement, naturally, and the other floor is a coffee shop called Screamin’ Agnes.

Owner John O’Connor, a structural engineer with German roots, brought in Brian Cieslak, chef de cuisine at ferment-forward Preserve in Annapolis, to consult on a menu featuring spiced chicken schnitzel and goose liver mousse. While veggies are the focus at Preserve, the Rathskeller brings more meat to the table. Highlights include a lamb doner kebab, a cold cut sandwich with head cheese and tongue bologna, and a “Hamburg” sandwich built with Roseda dry-aged beef and German cheese on a sourdough bun.

“We didn’t want to do the whole beer stein and lederhosen thing,” Cieslak says. “We want to showcase the other side of Germany.”

David Seel [The Rathskeller]

Robert Vogel, an alum of the Elk Room in Baltimore — one of Esquire’s 50 top bars in 2018 — designed the drinks. Wines and beers go heavy on German labels, and Vogel is having fun incorporating European spirits like Goldschläger and Jägermeister into cocktails.

David Seel [The Rathskeller]

There’s just dinner to start, with lunch and brunch joining the mix later.

The building, which is about a mile from the Guinness Open Gate brewery, took over four years to renovate.

Salvaging much of the wood on-site was a primary goal, and banquettes fashioned by a local carpenter include repurposed material. A refurbished jail cell — reportedly used by a local judge as the town’s “drunk tank” on weekends — is part of a 30-seat patio. O’Connor sourced two historic doors from the old prison in Jessup, Maryland, to augment its old-timey feel.

David Seel [The Rathskeller]

David Seel [The Rathskeller]

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