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I’m a Nebraska gal, born and raised.
No, I did not grow up in a cornfield.
No, there were not cows in my backyard.
However, that doesn’t mean that I don’t know a thing or two about delicious beef. Well, ok, I really know nothing about the behind the scenes of it all, but I do know a delicious steak when I eat one!
Growing up in the Midwest, burgers and beef are a staple of our diet. So, you can imagine how moving to Germany, land of pork, was a bit of an adjustment for me. Don’t get me wrong. Germans know how to do pork, like Nebraskans know how to do beef. However, it didn’t take long to have me longing for a perfect, juicy steak (that wasn’t CRAZY expensive) or a big ol’ burger that wasn’t dried out or a thin patty!
For the first year or so living in Germany, we’d be told about a burger joint, get our hopes up and go try it out only to be disappointed. Not only was the beef usually subpar, it doesn’t help that Europeans over-cook, under season and then insist on using forks and knives (It’s a burger people….you grab it with two hands and shove it in your mouth-hole!)
Then, there was The Bird
Before jumping in, I will say I have absolutely ZERO affiliation with this restaurant. But if I can find something so perfectly awesome and delicious, you know I’m going to share it with you! In fact, when I think about The Bird, I kinda go all Marshall from HIMYM on you… (skip forward to 45 seconds in to really get an understanding of how I feel about The Bird’s Burgers)
When we were told of the Bird, my first thought was, “Yeah yeah, ok…another “Great Burger Place”…suuuuure” with a slight eye roll (something I am also particularly good at). However, we obliged and decided to give it a go.
Now, I could describe the burgers, so perfectly juicy and seasoned.
Or, I could tell you about the plump fries with the perfectly balanced seasoning salt. I could also mention the sarcastic comments that only someone confident in their food would make on their menu. Sure, I could tell you about all those things, but instead, I’ll just say this:
- Instead of choosing a 4 hour layover on the way home from a birthday trip to St. Petersburg, we chose the 12 hour option instead. Why? So that we could go through the hassle of leaving the airport, go all the way into the city and then gnaw on a burger.
- When choosing the routing to get to Iceland, instead of opting for a direct flight to Reykjavik, we chose the longer option of “having to stop” in Berlin….so that we could go smash a burger.
Are we Crazy? Possibly.
But is it THAT Delicious? YOU KNOW IT!
People always ask, “What are the top things to do in Berlin and where should we eat?”
I always recommend the same things: (again, absolutely NO affiliation with the following recommendations)
- Take the Sandeman’s New Europe Berlin Free Walking Tour (we’ve done it twice, each time learning something new….the history of Berlin is just fascinating!) While doing this, you’ll see most of the main sites, like the Brandenburg Gate, the Reichstadt, Museum Island, Holocaust Memorial and more, all while getting history and context to what you are seeing. You can then come back and spend more time on the places that particularly piqued your interest.
- Get the Rick Steves Berlin book and do his free walking tours as well
- Go to Check Point Charlie and the Berlin Wall
- Stroll the Unter Den Linden (also a part of the Rick Walks)
- Go to the DDR Museum; a fascinating glimpse into the daily life of communist East Germany
- If you have littles, visit the aquarium and/or zoo
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Planning a Trip To Berlin?
Don’t forget to research cheap things to do on TripAdvisor and book affordable Hotels at Booking.com
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But at the end of the day, before I suggest ANY of the previous activities, my mouth instantly salivates and I just simply say, “GO TO THE BIRD!!!!”
When you travel (or live) abroad, what is the ONE food that you miss the most from your home? Let’s chat about it in the comments below!
LeAnna Brown
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LOL…that’s awesome! Glad you got your beef! 😉
Where are you from in Nebraska? I’m originally from GI, but have spent the last 6 years living as an expat in Istanbul, Warsaw and Melbourne. When we lived in Turkey, we would go crazy for pork and often smuggled a suitcase full of pork from trips to Germany and Italy!
The things we do for food, right? We are from Omaha; born and raised! If pork was your thing, what are you doing in those other places? Germany is where it’s at for pork!
You have definitely sold us on the burger – looks delicious!
I’m a sucker for a good burger too! Free walking tours and rick steve self walking guides—such good recommendations! I did those tours all over Europe and think that they are great.
Hi, I’m Anto and I’m a total burgerjunkie. I love most of the American burgers, they are just not the same as they are at home (Holland) and the first thing I get whenever I arrive back in the US, is a proper burger. My favorite ever I had in New Zealand though, which was at Fergburger. I love Berlin and I will definitely keep this place in mind for a next visit!
Haha! Yes!!!! Now that we aren’t in the land of beef, we are ALWAYS on a quest for a decent burger when traveling. We went to Fergberger TWICE while in Queenstown and twice to Atlas (an amazing-and “cheap”- steak place)!
This is definitely something I would do, and probably will do now that you’ve introduced me to it. I would definitely travel out of my way for a really good burger, and you’ve sold it pretty well.
OMG! I need to show my boyfriend what you guys have discovered. I love dark beer – he loves burgers. Perfect combination! We will FOR SURE head there if we travel to Berlin together in the near future! Yummy! Thank you for sharing this awesome recommendation!
LOL! I love that episode of HIMYM! 🙂 We are heading to Berlin this summer, so I think I’m going to have to add this spot to our list! Thanks for sharing–can’t resist a good burger! And the walking tour sounds great as well. Always nice to add a bit of context to what you are seeing!
What a great layover! There’s so much to see and do in Berlin I’d have a hard time leaving. Not a fan of beef but when there’s a great recommendation like this, I’d go out of my way.
Isn’t it such an amazing feeling when you FINALLY find a place that does food the way you’re used to :D!! That’s one of the hardest things about being away from home for me – you can’t always resort to your comfort foods in times of need. So awesome that you finally discovered the bird!
Now if only it wasn’t 5 hours away from me! On the other hand, maybe that’s a good thing. It’s hard enough staying fit with all the great German Beers and Pretzels…I probably shouldn’t add cheeseburgers and fries regularly to the mix! 😉
That was a really funny episode of HIMYM and I watched that a couple of times! I love burgers, too. It’s something I can eat for the rest of my life and in all my travels, I make sure to always find the best burger in town. Will bookmark this for when I visit the area in the future! Xx