Almost every big family dinner I attended growing up in North Dakota included two delicious, doughy favorites: kuchen and knoephla. Kuchen is a sweet cake made of custard and fruit, and knoephla is a rustic noodle made from flour and water that is usually served with meat and sauerkraut. All mothers could make them, and children almost universally loved them.
After moving to Arizona as a young adult, I learned that kuchen and knoephla weren’t exactly the household staples I assumed they were as a youngster. In fact, I found that almost no one outside the region of North Dakota (also South Dakota)—settled by an ethnic group known as the “Germans of Russia”—had even heard of the two dishes.
When I recently returned to North Dakota for a visit, I was pleased to see that German cuisine has continued to thrive. From the capital city of Bismarck to the state’s largest city, Fargo, and many small towns in between, restaurants and grocery stores offer the staples of my youth.
When To Visit North Dakota
The best time to take a North Dakota road trip is from May to September, when average high temperatures are usually in the 70s to 80s Fahrenheit. Read also : North Korea says the United States is seeking an apology for an Asian NATO with South Korea and Japan. Depending on the year, late fall and early spring can be cold and snowy, and winters can be brutally cold, with average highs below freezing from December to February.
A 5-6 day summer road trip would allow you to enjoy a number of the state’s attractions and stop for German food along the way. This route roughly follows Interstate 94 east-west, with a detour to several small towns to the south.
Here are 7 delicious and decadent stops along North Dakota’s German Food Trail.
Knoephla and Sauerkraut Platter at Kroll’s Diner
1. Kroll’s Diner
Knoephla Soup, Knoephla, And Sauerkraut
Kroll’s, a regional restaurant chain, is said to offer traditional American food and German favorites. I also found that it offers a wide selection of traditional North Dakota tastes.
First up is the restaurant’s knoephla soup filled with soft dumpling-like knoephla in a rich cream base. On the same subject : SparkNC will pave the way for high-tech employment. Kroll’s also serves the traditional knoephla and sauerkraut dish, with knoephla served alongside kielbasa sausage, sauerkraut, red skin potatoes and onions.
Best Things To Do In Bismarck
Bismarck is a picturesque town along the Missouri River with a host of notable attractions including the Lewis & Clark Riverboat and Fort Abraham Lincoln State Park. On the same subject : $70M overhaul highlights high-tech logistics. It is also home to the distinctive Art Deco North Dakota State Capitol, where public tours are available.
Bismarck offers a wide variety of local and chain hotel accommodations, as well as many home rentals on Vrbo. A 3-4 day stay would allow you to explore the area, sample the local cuisine, and take a day trip to the spectacular Theodore Roosevelt National Park, located about 2 hours west.
2. Frieds Family Diner
Fleischkuechle
Frieds Family Diner, located across the Missouri River from Bismarck in the town of Mandan, is a popular American restaurant serving authentic German food. Among their sandwich selections is homemade fleischkuechle.
Loosely translated, fleischkuechle (or fleischkuelkle) is a small meat pie. Frieds describes his version as a lightly breaded pork and beef patty that is fried and served with caramelized onions.
Best Things To Do In Mandan
The Mandan area was one of the main stops on the Lewis & Clark Expedition of 1804, and the fascinating On-A-Slant Village is located in the Lewis & Clark National Historic Trail. Between the two, Bismarck and Mandan could be explored in a 3-4 day stay.
The largest buffalo sculpture in the world
3. The Depot Café
Fleischkeuchla With Mashed Potatoes And Gravy
For another version of fleischkeuchla, head to the town of Jamestown off Interstate 94 and check out The Depot Café, located in a downtown strip mall not far from the railroad.
The Depot Café serves its fleischkeuchla (with a slight spelling variation) as a main course and comes with mashed potatoes and gravy, a vegetable and a dinner roll. The German favorite is described as a spiced beef patty wrapped in a delicate, deep-fried dough.
Best Things To Do In Jamestown
Jamestown is known as the home of the world’s largest buffalo sculpture, as well as the fun and informative Frontier Village located nearby. It is also home to the Jamestown Reservoir, a beautiful area that offers opportunities for boating, fishing, picnicking and hiking.
A 1-2 day stay would allow you to explore the Jamestown area and sample some of the regional foods.
Of course, the Tastee-Freez is also popular for its ice cream cones, sundaes, slush and frozen treats.
4. Tastee-Freez
Knoephla Soup And Broasted Chicken
One of the funny things about knoephla soup is that it often appears in the least likely places. On my recent trip to the small town of Gackle in south-central North Dakota, I was surprised to see knoephla soup on the menu at the popular drive-in Tastee-Freez (aka The Freez).
The soup was delicious, but the real star of the Tastee-Freez is the roast chicken, a type of fried chicken that is cooked in a pressure cooker. It may take 30-40 minutes to receive your order, but the crispy and juicy chicken is worth the wait. Of course, the Tastee-Freez is also popular for its ice cream cones, sundaes, slush and frozen treats.
Pro Tip: The Gackle Tastee-Freez is usually only open in the summer months.
Best Things To Do In Gackle
Gackle has been called “the duck hunting capital of the world” and hunters from all over the region travel to the town during hunting seasons. For those on a German food road trip, a stop of a few hours would allow you to have lunch and enjoy the small town atmosphere.
5. Ashley Supervalu
Kuchen And Fry Sausage
Calling kuchen a fruit cake isn’t exactly accurate. Instead of a traditional flaky pie crust, kuchen features a sweet, fluffy yeast dough as the crust. The crust is filled with a creamy custard and a variety of fruits such as peaches, rhubarb or plums.
One of the many places in North Dakota to try kuchen is at the Supervalu grocery store in the small town of Ashley, not far from the South Dakota border. While the peach and plum varieties are local favourites, the shop also offers a range of other flavours, including apple and apricot.
Ashley Supervalu is also known for its homemade “fried sausage,” another regional favorite. The sausage, a garlicky and spicy creation of pork or beef, is preserved in a casing, rounded into a loop and smoked. A famous version of homemade sausage is also available in the nearby town of Wishek at the Stan supermarket.
Best Things To Do In Ashley
Campers and anglers gravitate to Ashley and its Lake Hoskins Park and Campground to fish the region’s lakes, as well as small-towners. For those on a German food trip, a stop of a few hours would allow time for shopping and exploring.
6. Valley Meats
Summer Sausage
When it comes to all things meat, Valley Meats in Valley City on Interstate 94 has long been a regional draw. Along with a wide range of beef and pork products, it specializes in several varieties of summer sausage: a tough, dry pork or a salami-like sausage.
Valley Meats is also known for its fresh homemade beef jerky, sold by the pound, as well as its variety of specialty cheeses and curds.
Best Things To Do In Valley City
Valley City is a beautiful city in the heart of the Sheyenne River Valley, and the Sheyenne River Scenic Byway is a beautiful way to explore it. In addition, downtown Valley City is home to vintage buildings and shops. An afternoon stop would allow you to explore, shop and drive the scenic drive.
Pretzels and cheese beer at the Wurst Bier Hall
7. Wurst Bier Hall
Pretzels With Beer Cheese
For a combination of traditional German beer standards and Russian German favorites, Wurst Bier Hall in downtown Fargo is the place to go in eastern North Dakota.
Along with local creations like knoephla soup and kuchen, Wurst also serves popular brewery options like hot pretzels served with beer and cheese sauce and spaetzle with a variety of toppings, including a rich mushroom sauce accompanied by a accompanied by sauerkraut.
Best Things To Do In Fargo
Wurst Bier Hall is located in fun downtown Fargo and is just one block from the colorful “Greetings from Fargo” mural. Downtown Fargo is worth exploring for its historic Fargo Theater, old buildings, and many restaurants and shops.
Other things to do in town include the Plains Art Museum; the Clay County Historical and Cultural Society of the Hjemkomst Center, in Fargo’s sister city, Moorhead, Minnesota; and the Fargo Air Museum.
There are many options for hotel accommodation in Fargo, as well as rental options on Vrbo.
Cuisine Backstory
According to the websites of the Russian German Heritage Society and North Dakota State University’s History of Russian Germans, a wave of Germans immigrated to the Volga region of Russia from the late 1700s to the late from the 1800s
In the 1870s, many of these Germans, who valued their German identity and culture, decided to leave Russia and began immigrating to North America. They settled on the Great Plains, from the Canadian province of Saskatchewan to the US state of Texas, and many have preserved their cuisine and culture through the generations.
Pro tip: Along with these options, you’re likely to find German specialties in small-town, family-run coffee shops throughout North Dakota. Other dishes to consider include kase knoephla, a cheese pocket (also known as cheese buttons) similar to a pierogi and stuffed with a mixture of cottage cheese and onions. Also consider strudel, a savory rolled dough served with cream chicken sauce.
