Toytown Germany

One of the greatest things about life in Bavaria is the combination of a Weißbier, a potato dumpling, and a Schweinshaxe! It took me a while to realise this though. On first arriving in Munich I'd see the locals out and about tucking into these huge hunks of fatty meat on the bone. I'd think uggghhh! How can anyone eat THAT??? Then a friend forced me to try and since then there has been no looking back. I've found that the restaurant which consistently serves up the best Schweinshaxe is Dürnbräu. For alternative locations you should check out Haxentest.de. They rate the top 3 spots as Straubinger (city center), Grosswirt (Neuhausen) and the Lindwurmstüberl (Isarvorstadt). ...

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What is Schweinshaxe?

Schweinshaxe is a speciality of Bavaria. In English the word means "Knuckle of Pork", or in French "Pieds de porc". This cut of meat comes from the pig's leg, between the knee and the ankle. Cuts from the hind legs tend to be meatier than those from the front legs but both taste the same. Traditionally the meat is highly salted before being roasted.

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Generally a restaurant menu will offer "Halbehaxe", i.e. a half knuckle. This is plenty for most appetites. Some restaurants, such as the one at Andechs for example, only sell the full knuckle. You'd be well advised to share one of these between two!

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In summer, starve yourself for a day. Get yourself up to Andechs and eat a full one. By far the best in Bavaria.

Another 2 great places to try this are
Schranne and Wildshutz in Garmisch-Partenkirchen. The former is the better Schweinshaxe but the latter is the better restaurant for real Bavrian food overall

On a nice Summer Evening, go to Sachsenkam near Bad Tölz. You'll find the convent Reutberg. By far one of the nicest location to eat a full Schweinshaxe and watch the sun go down over the Alps. If you dont like a full Schweinshaxe try a "Krustenbraten", its a haft Schweinshaxe with a very crunchy crust.

Can't recommend the haxn in the Augustiner Keller. The meat is nice and tender, but way too salty... :(
But maybe that's their cunning plan trying to get us to buy more beer. Hmmm...

My boyfriend and I have tried the Hax'n at Kloster Andechs which were really the best we have ever eaten and HUGE!! We couldn't eat it all LOL Great value for money and a litre beer costs just over 5 Euros!