At Ingrid's all orders are taken at the counter, and are either prepared to go or to eat in the restaurant. Most items are sold individually except for the specialty plates that come with side orders. Because you can order as little or as much as you want, it is rather difficult to determine the cost category of a typical meal here. I have based it on my experience of ordering a sandwich or main dish, one or two side orders, and a drink.

Meat and cheese is available to take home

There is a large choice of lunch meats, as can be seen in the display counter that sells meat for take-home. Ingrid's menu says that they also sell American products, but the authentic German ones are probably the main reason to come here.

Reuben sandwich

Grilled sandwiches are more expensive than the deli sandwiches, but based on my order of a Reuben I would say this is a very good choice. In fact, this may have been the best corned beef I have ever tried. The Sauerkraut was not my favorite item when I tried it as a side dish, but on top of the corned beef in the Reuben it was an excellent enhancement (and the Sauerkraut is home made). The Reuben also comes with Ingrid's "Special Sauce," and I will have to say that everything about this sandwich was special.

Wiener Schnitzel

The Wiener Schnitzel comes in a "Light Order" that makes it a good lunch choice (the light and regular orders are available for both lunch and dinner). This and the other "Specialty Plates" come with three side orders as well as bread, but I think the German Potato Salad is the best of the side dishes. I actually like all of the side dishes, but the potato salad is the one thing that Ingrid's seems to do better than any of the other German restaurants in town.

The schnitzel is made with pork, and some purists say the only authentic Wiener Schnitzel is made with veal. According to the information I have from people who have lived in Germany, though, pork schnitzels are common in the country, are more available and less expensive than veal, and it is a matter of taste concerning what type of meat to eat. Both I and my friends think the Wiener Schnitzel at Ingrid's is very good except that the meat is sometimes tough.

Bratwurst plate to go

The Bratwurst was not terribly impressive to me because of the fact that there is one bratwurst made in El Paso that has been my favorite for years, and all others fail to match up. I would say that this is a personal bias except that it has been confirmed by other people who have also eaten the one in El Paso (it was served at Tony's Deli, a restaurant that has now closed).

Chicken Jager Schnitzel at Ingrid's

Chicken Jäger Schnitzel was being served as a special when I ordered it, and is unfortunately not always available. Ingrid's served it as a sandwich, while other restaurants in the Metro offer it on a plate with mushroom sauce. There was something about the havarti, bacon, and "zesty mayonnaise" that made Ingrid's sandwich especially enjoyable, and it is probably the best food I have had at Ingrid's. The meat was tender and had a good flavor, and the havarti was much better than the average cheese.

Pastries are one of Ingrid's specialties

It is hard to go to Ingrid's and not end up picking up some pastries either as dessert or to take home. The choices rival just about any bakery in town, and the quality has always been considered among the top two or three by my family. I like the pastries because they are always made with fresh ingredients, and many follow the European custom of not being as sweet as seems to be the normal case in the U. S.

Ingrid's cakes are suitable for a birthday or special occasion

Ingrid's cakes are popular for birthday cakes, or you can buy individual slices. I have made it one of my missions to try the strawberry cake at every bakery that sells them, and the one here had a good, rich strawberry taste. I also think freshness is one of the most important features with Ingrid's cakes.

Cream horn

I have not personally visited Germany, but I have it on good authority that the Cream Horn sold at Ingrid's is a very good representation of the authentic German variety. It is less sweet than most desserts, but has a fresh cream that stands in contrast to many dairy products that seem artificial.

Ingrid's sells beer, but does not have the type of Biergarten found at some German restaurants where drinks are served in a bar separate from the main dining room (instead, Ingrid's has one large open dining area). I know some of the other German restaurants have a very interesting beer selection, but I also think many of them charge higher prices for the drinks than is the case at Ingrid's.

In fact, Ingrid's tries to keep everything affordable, and I think they have succeeded in making German food a part of many people's staple diet (as it should be). In fact, even when I was not eating meat I always found delicious food at German restaurants, and Ingrid's serves such items as salads, cheese sandwiches, and tuna (for a somewhat non-meat alternative).