Genuinely good German and Austrian food can be pretty tricky to find in the U.S. And even though you’d expect a place like New York City to be chock full of excellent options, there is always something just a liiiiiiiiiittle bit off at each one. Which isn’t necessarily bad, but it doesn’t hit exactly right. That said, it doesn’t stop me from trying them when I see them! I recently found myself in the Lower East Side where I swung into Cafe Katja for brunch.

Naturally, I opted to order a schnitzel and a Bloody Mary. I also was really excited to see Apfelschorle (carbonated apple juice) on the menu and had to order one as well. Before we get into the Bloody Mary review, I have to deliver the bad news that the Apfelschorle was not very good. It wasn’t too carbonated and it tasted like apple cider vs. apple juice. So, anyway, let’s talk about the most important part of this meal: the Bloody.

Key takeaways

The appearance of this Bloody is decent. It’s served in an Weizenbier glass and the garnishes include lemon and lime wedges, with two bar olives and a tajine salt rim. The flavor of this is giving Campbell’s tomato juice, which is an absolute nightmare for me. But the cost is only $9.50, so the overall value isn’t too shabby.

My rating: 5/10

Garnish – 5
Originality – 3
Spice/Flavor – 4
Presentation – 5
Texture – 8
Value – 6

Not only would I not go out of my way for this Bloody, I wouldn’t order it again even if I go back to Cafe Katja. If you like Campbell’s tomato juice, you may not mind it, but it just wasn’t for me.