Local Food Finds

Your weekly dose of some cool food and dining finds around town!

Oktoberfest Specials and Events, Local Bavarian Brat Shop, and Free Pizza

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• Oktoberfest is here! We may not be in Munich, but our city offers many ways to celebrate this festive occasion.
  • Kickoff Oktoberfest at Garten with Pherm Brewery on Saturday, September 21 at 11:00 am. This all-day party will feature German food and drink specials, like two-pound pretzels, Pherm beers, and “Hop-Tails.”  Plus, enjoy fun activities and contests, like Garten’s 1st Annual Stein Holding Competition, which will take place at 12:30 pm. If you want to test your strength, competition entry tickets are $20, complete with a take-home stein, a shot at a cash prize, and your name engraved on the coveted Garten Stag. Garten will continue celebrating Oktoberfest through Sunday, October 6.
  • Mark your calendars for another day full of “Fs” – food, fun, and festivities! Sunday, September 22 is the Annual West Annapolis Oktoberfest from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm. There will be live music from local musicians; delicious food from a variety of restaurants and food trucks; cold beers in the beer garden from our very own Chessie’s Wharf; and small business vendors to shop at for early holiday gifts. The event is free and family friendly, with something for everyone!

• InGrano Restaurant and Events is offering an exclusive VIP Experience at the West Annapolis Oktoberfest. The experience includes the AYCE (All-You-Can-Eat) Black Forest Buffet, a delightful spread featuring all your German favorites, from savory sausages and truffled JägerSchnitzel to delectable pretzels and caviar reiberdatschi. In addition to this culinary feast, it also includes refreshing beer and wine. Tickets are $75 and allows you the freedom to come and go as you please. 

• Wear your lederhosen and dirndls to celebrate Oktoberfest at Hysteria Taphouse on Saturday, September 28 from noon to 11:00 pm. Food will be provided by Smith Family Craft Foods, along with beer specials, music, and games!
• All weekend long from Friday, September 27 through Sunday, September 29, Oktoberfest will be in full swing at Chesepiooc Real Ale Brewery. Enjoy tasty German Beers tapping close to 20 German styles throughout the weekend and food trucks each day!
• Raise the woof with the Annapolis Town Center and Peake Social for their Second Annual Barktoberfest on Saturday, October 5 from 11:00 am to 7:00  pm. There will be plenty of steins and canines as we celebrate German-style beer, bavarian food, and pawesome four-legged friends. Returning is the crowd favorite dog fashion/costume show,  imported and locally crafted brews, and yard games. A portion of the proceeds will go directly to the SPCA for Anne Arundel County. Expect additional traditional Oktoberfest fun with stein-holding contests and plenty of fall photo opportunities. General admission will be held at the Annapolis Town Center at the Boathouse Pavilion in the East Village. Don’t miss out! Dogs that are friendly and on a leash are welcome, but should be comfortable with crowds and other dogs nearby. If you’d like to enter your doggo into the fashion/costume contest, fill out the online form. Tickets for the event are free and required, so grab them today!
  • VIP tables and seats are available for purchase, which includes food and drink vouchers for one Oktoberfest beer (2 full liters), one sausage per person, and two pretzels for the table. Additional drinks and food may be ordered a la carte. Seatings will be at 11:00 am, 1:00 pm, 3:00 pm, and 5:00 pm. Reservations are for 1 hour and 45 minute slots  to allow a 15 minute buffer to prepare the table for the next customers.
• Also, on Saturday, October 5 from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm is SoCo’s First Annual Oktoberfest at the SoCo Farmers’ Market at Deale’s Library! Taste some local brews and check out all the amazing vendors. There will be live music, food trucks, Fire Department vehicles, and more!
• Local favorite Old Stein Inn also rolled out a new Oktoberfest menu and an Oktoberfest Beer Tasting Pack, which includes 12 different German beer specialties in one box, to bring the festivities home with you. Check out their weekly live music and events calendar online.

• In line with the Bavarian theme, Schroll’s Brat Shop is located in Edgewater’s Mayo Center off Central Avenue. It’s a charming family-owned shop featuring all the best Bavarian sauerkraut, bratwursts, kielbasa, sausages, condiments (including curry ketchup), and buns! They are best known for their Schroll’s Bavarian Süß-Sauerkraut (Sweet-Sauerkraut), which was brought to America from Bavaria in the 1840s. What was once only shared with family during the holidays, became a selling staple at farmer’s markets for many years. During the COVID pandemic,  Schroll’s switched to selling sauerkraut  online and in June, they opened their very own brick-and-mortar shop! They offer tastings of their condiments and helpful material, like 28 ways to use Schroll’s and how to cook your sausage or brat.
  • P.S. In the next couple of weeks, they will be offering value packs for $11.95, which will feature a pack of brats/sausage, sauerkraut, and mustard.

• Hip Hop Hooray! Rocco’s Pizzeria is celebrating 50 years of business serving its customers! The Gargano family first opened their doors on September 19, 1974 at 125 Hillsmere Drive, and now, they are reaching an incredible milestone. To celebrate and thank everyone for their support, Rocco’s will be offering free pizza all week long at their current, newly remodeled location at 954 Bay Ridge Road. Swing by and wish them a happy 50 years to receive a free slice of cheese pizza! No purchase necessary.