New Bohemia draws obvious comparisons to its neighbor down the street, Kramarczuk’s, Northeast’s most tongue-twisting landmark since 1954. Despite the similarity of their sausage-focused menus, the restaurants feel worlds—and eras—apart. With its 8 p.m. bedtime, Kramarczuk’s has an old-world, family-oriented feel, while an extensive tap list and night-owl hours give New Bohemia a collegiate appeal.
New Bohemia’s space—a former Panera redone in industrial chic—is designed for mingling, like an indoor beer garden, with nearly all the seating on rail-side stools or at long, communal tables. The wurst (not house-made, as they are at Kramarczuk’s) are ordered at the counter and delivered to your seat. They’re a little pricier than average ($5.75 to $7.50) but they tag all the bases: consistent grind, hearty spicing, snappy casing. The extra toppings—kraut, caramelized onions, sautéed mushrooms, and such—and the hand-cut, skin-on fries with adventurous dipping sauces (balsamic mayo, bacon/blue cheese/walnut) are welcome additions. As are the helpful description sheets that accompany each beer flight, to help distinguish a malty Maibock from a crisp Kölsch.
Grinding (of meat, not teenage dancers) and seasoning tends to muddle the nuances between the flavors of New Bohemia’s more unusual sausages, including buffalo and wild boar. The gator sausage, in fact, tastes rather like chicken. But perhaps it’s intended less as culinary revelation than conversation starter.
233 Hennepin Ave. E., Mpls., 612-331-4929, newbohemiausa.com
