Iconic Guyanese Restaurant Plants First U.S. Outpost in NYC Today

An iconic restaurant from Guyana gets its first international location today as German’s Soup opens in Brooklyn.

The casual spot in the Guyanese capital, Georgetown, is known for soups with a yellow split pea base, given some heft with oxtail, chicken, beef, and plantains, alongside stews and a few other specialties. It’s landing in a petite location at 793 Utica Ave., at Linden Street, in East Flatbush with 16 seats, and it’s ultra-affordable: large mains max out at $11, with sides included.

This Brooklyn location is keeping the business strictly within the family who run the original: The sons of founder Hubert “German” Urling are the owners. German’s Soup has never expanded within Guyana. While it might seem surprising that an international expansion would be the first order of business, owners Clinton Urling and Hubert Urling Jr. have some sound reasoning — The 58-year-old original is reportedly “the first stop back home for any Guyanese expats,” and New York City is by far the country’s biggest hub for Guyanese immigrants.

Michael Tulipan/Official

Michael Tulipan/Supplied

Dishes at German’s Soup center around Creole cuisine — the classic cow heel soup is one of the staples on the rotating menu. Aside from soups, there’s meaty stews like the dark and rich pepperpot, made with a cassava root syrup, orange peel, cloves, cinnamon, and thyme, or cookup rice, an herby, meaty rice cooked in coconut milk. Sides keep with Caribbean classicism, and include macaroni pie, fried plantains, and stewed okra.

To drink there’s mauby, a sweetened and spiced fermented drink made with mauby tree bark. While commercial versions are produced, German’s makes its own on-site.

German’s Soup is officially open at 793 Utica Ave, from 11 a.m. daily until 8 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and 6 p.m. Sunday.

• German’s Soup [Official]