Terrence and Christiane Howell opened Deutsche Ecke (“German corner”) about two months ago near Fort Eustis. Christiane Howell moved to the area 33 years ago from Mannheim, Germany. She has wanted to own a restaurant and shared recipes and cooking techniques with husband, Terrence.
They are proud to serve authentic German food. Jägerschnitzel — a breaded pork loin topped with mushroom gravy — is their most popular dish. Potato dumplings, seasoned potatoes shaped into spheres, are also a customer favorite. The menu includes seven entrees, six appetizers and four soups such as potato and flädle (pancake strips, beef broth and vegetables). Everything is house-made except for the bread from Lidl , which is headquartered in Germany, and the sausages from a German store in Richmond.
I noticed on my visit that everything at the dinner-only spot is reasonably priced.
Food is made-to-order, so prepare to wait. Sit in one of two dining rooms and admire the blue and white, Oktoberfest placemats on the tables, the German and American flags hanging from the ceiling and the artwork featuring German cities and countryside. The establishment doesn’t have an alcohol license yet but Christiane said to expect German beer and wine.