Tip Top Meats- German Grocery, German Restaurant (revisit)

mmm-yoso!!! is a food blog.  Kirk, Ed(from Yuma) and Cathy write about food they ate and the circumstances surrounding the meal(s).  Today, Cathy is writing. 

The Mister and I had Friday birthdays this year and for our eight days of celebrating tried to choose restaurants that were (ideally) as old or older than us; it seems this is almost impossible given our age, but Connal's came close. This is another birthday week meal. (My other posts about Tip Top were also birthday meals, plus Vicky wrote a post about Tip Top in 2007).

Tip Top Meats opened in 1967, in  Glendale, as a meat store with a small restaurant inside (as many ethnic grocery stores still have within their doors). The owner, "Big John" Haedrich, a Master Craftsman Butcher and Sausage maker, finally moved to Carlsbad in 1977, keeping the same business model.  Walk in and to the left among the grocery aisles.  There's a menu above (and more menu on the other side of that ceiling closer to the cash register). You order and pay before retrieving your own beverages and finding a table.  Your food is brought out to you. We sat across from the cash register, around the corner of the seating area; there has been some remodeling and there is covered outdoor seating as well. This is a sausage sandwich($8.99).  I had a choice of Polish, bratwurst or knackwurst and, of course, chose smoked Polish sausage.  It came with a roll, but I asked for rye bread.  I was asked if lettuce, tomato and mayonnaise was OK and said 'yes' and those were placed onto the bread for me...the side of German potato salad was excellent (I could have had fries...but why). Here's a close up of the spices and flavorings in the smoked sausage.  It is excellent.  The Mister ordered a "Steak -N-Stein".  There is a choice of a 14-16 oz sirloin, 8-10 oz filet mignon or 12-14 oz New York steak, along with a choice of soup or salad (this is oxtail soup, which tasted like a wonderful gravy) and choice of frosty tap beer (He chose Tangerine Wheat).The Mister chose the sirloin, cooked medium rare.  This also comes with a choice of potato, vegetable or kraut or red cabbage (you can see he chose half kraut, half red cabbage) and a roll.  I think this was more than 16 ounces.  It was wonderful, worth the price ($12.98). (The filet mignon or New York Steak are $14.98) 
After our hearty meal, we perused the grocery and meat cases, choosing future meals, snacks and condiments.
The headcheese selection is amazing. The butcher meat case, smoked meat selection as well as frozen meat items made choices almost overwhelming. There were also beers, wines, aisles of candies and fresh pastries near the door which also tempted us.  A great day in North County.

Tip Top Meats 6118 Paseo Norte Carlsbad, CA 92011 (760)438-2620 Open seven days 6 am-8 pm Website

Comments

[Ed (from Yuma)]

I'd almost forgotten about that style of oxtail soup. A lot of that stuff looks very tasty. Someday, Tina and I have to get up there.

[Cathy]

The old fashioned oxtail soup, Ed...it's great. I know you drive out to taste and buy food you can't get in Yuma...and selections from here might satisfy a craving. It's as close as I can get to duplicating what I grew up eating.

[caninecologne]

What a great place....it's on my list of must visits.

[Kirbie]

Happy Belated Birthday! I saw the title of this post in my feed and immediately thought "Oh it must be the birthday posts!" Such a great tradition =)

[Cathy]

You'll like it, cc. There's something for everyone. Breakfast until noon, overlaps lunch starting around 11...
Thanks, Kirbie. I'm going to get to all the birthday meals within the next three weeks or so; each was great in its own way. We stumbled onto the 'theme' of old(er) restaurants after choosing the second one...