In brief
The dish every Oktoberfest tent builds its menu around is the Wiesn Hendl, half a roast chicken, at about 700 calories a portion, and the standard item behind the reservation minimum of “two beers and half a chicken”. Alongside it sit roast pork at about 570 calories, suckling pig at about 605, giant pretzels at about 840, roasted almonds and gingerbread hearts. Vegetarians eat well by Oktoberfest standards, with Obazda, Brezn, Radi and Käsespätzle on most menus, while vegan options stay thin, mainly a vegan bratwurst. Non-alcoholic drinks are no bargain either: a liter of water runs €11.13 in 2026, nearly the price of a liter of beer. I could not find a published euro price for the food itself anywhere I checked this season, so this guide covers what to order and its calories, not a menu of prices.
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Most Oktoberfest menus are the same eight dishes wearing different tent decor. This page runs through what those dishes actually are, roughly how much they will cost you in calories rather than euros, since nobody publishes the euro price, and where the vegetarian and vegan options actually sit. It is part of my complete Oktoberfest guide; for the drinks side of the bill, see my Oktoberfest budget.
The anchor dish: Wiesn Hendl
Half a roast chicken, the Wiesn Hendl, is what the reservation system is actually built around: the standard minimum consumption at a reserved main-aisle table is two Maß of beer and half a chicken per seat2. At around 700 calories a portion, it is also one of the lighter mains on the menu relative to its size, and the dish you will see on nearly every table in every tent1.
What else is on the table
| Dish | Calories | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Wiesn Hendl (half roast chicken) | ~700 kcal per portion (166 kcal/100g) | The anchor dish; also the reservation minimum |
| Roast pork | ~570 kcal per portion (230 kcal/100g) | A heavier alternative to the Hendl |
| Suckling pig | ~605 kcal per portion (376 kcal/100g) | Richer than roast pork by weight |
| Giant pretzel (Brezn) | ~840 kcal per portion (280 kcal/100g) | Shared at the table more often than eaten solo |
| Roasted almonds | ~590 kcal per 150g | A stall snack, not a tent dish |
| Gingerbread hearts (Lebkuchenherzen) | ~350 kcal per 150g | More souvenir than snack; often decorated rather than eaten |
| Obazda | Not given | A Bavarian cheese-and-butter spread served with radishes, and a standard vegetarian and vegan option |
Source: oktoberfest.de’s own calorie guide1, cross-checked against its food magazine section5 and the official visitor FAQ3.
Resi says I could not find a published euro price for the Hendl, a pretzel, Schweinshaxe or a Brotzeit board anywhere on oktoberfest.de, and two tents’ own sites were just as tight-lipped. Budget generously: a chicken, a pretzel and a couple of sides for two is a realistic order, and I would treat any number you see quoted elsewhere as a rumor until the tent’s own menu confirms it.
Vegetarian and vegan at the Wiesn
The official visitor FAQ answers this directly: vegetarians have real options, with “Obazda, Brezn, Radi or Käsespätzle… on every menu,” plus soups and dumplings3. Vegan visitors have a narrower path; vegan bratwurst sausages are the option the FAQ names specifically. oktoberfest.de’s own food coverage runs an article titled “Happy meat-free at the Oktoberfest, no problem at all,” which suggests the festival is actively marketing to both groups rather than treating them as an afterthought5. Obazda and a fresh Brezn happen to be two of my own favorites regardless of diet, the kind of Schmankerl I would order even with a full Hendl already in front of me.
Brotzeit: the other way to eat at the Wiesn
Not every order has to be a hot main. Brotzeit, literally “bread time,” is Bavaria’s snack-plate meal, and oktoberfest.de’s own food magazine pictures Obazda mit Radieserl, Obazda with radishes, as a Brotzeit item5. It is the lighter, shareable option if you are at a table for the music and the company more than for a full dinner. None of my own favorites turn up inside the tents, oddly enough: a Leberkäs Semmel with Händlmaier‘s sweet mustard, or a plate of Rostbratwürstl and Wienerle, is what I ate on an ordinary Munich day, not at the Wiesn. Brotzeit is where the two worlds meet. My Brotzeit explained page covers what goes on the board away from the festival.
What to drink alongside it
A Maß of Festbier runs €14.80 to €15.90 across the tents in 20264. If you are pacing yourself, the non-alcoholic options are not the cheap route: water runs €11.13 a liter, Spezi €12.84, and lemonade €12.35, all close to the price of the beer itself. Kufflers Weinzelt pours wheat beer instead of standard Festbier, at €18.40 a Maß, for anyone at the table who prefers it. My own order was never a straight Maß; I always asked for a Radler, half beer and half lemon soda, and the tent still pours and prices it as beer, so do not expect a discount for drinking less of the actual thing. My full budget page converts all of this to dollars at the day’s exchange rate.
Dessert, if there is room
Kaiserschmarrn, a torn, shredded pancake, is served in an organic version at the Ochsenbraterei tent, according to oktoberfest.de’s own food coverage5. It is one of the few sweet, sit-down dishes on offer inside the tents themselves, as opposed to the stalls outside selling roasted almonds and gingerbread hearts.
The stalls are their own food scene
Not everything worth eating is inside a tent. The lanes between them are lined with stalls selling roasted almonds, around 590 calories per 150 grams, and gingerbread hearts, around 350 calories for the same weight1. The hearts in particular are as much a souvenir as a snack; they come iced with messages and are as often carried around the grounds on a ribbon as actually eaten. If your plan for the day includes wandering rather than committing to one tent, the stalls are where a lot of the actual grazing happens.
How to order once you have a seat
Food follows the same etiquette as beer inside a tent: you order it from the waitress assigned to your section, not by flagging down whoever passes closest.
- Sit down first. Food and drink are served to people at a table, not to people standing in the aisle.
- Order for the whole table at once if you can. A waitress carrying plates for ten people at a time appreciates one round of orders over five separate interruptions.
- Have cash ready. Some of the largest tents, Augustiner, Bräurosl, Löwenbräu and the Ochsenbraterei, take cash only, and that applies to food as much as to beer4.
- Expect the Hendl to take a few minutes. It is roasted to order in volume, not held under a heat lamp, so a busy tent means a short wait.
- Share the pretzel. At roughly 840 calories, a giant Brezn is built for a table, not a single eater1.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the most popular food at Oktoberfest?
The Wiesn Hendl, half a roast chicken, is the anchor dish of nearly every tent menu and the standard item behind the reservation minimum-consumption rule.
How many calories are in an Oktoberfest pretzel?
About 840 calories per giant pretzel, based on 280 kcal per 100 grams.
What do vegetarians eat at Oktoberfest?
Obazda, Brezn, Radi (radish) and Käsespätzle are on most tent menus, along with soups and dumplings.
Are there vegan options at Oktoberfest?
Yes, though limited; vegan bratwurst sausages are the main option named by the official visitor FAQ.
How much does food cost at Oktoberfest?
I could not confirm exact 2026 euro prices for tent food from any oktoberfest.de or tent page I checked this season, though drink prices are published; budget generously and check the tent’s own menu the week you go.
What is Obazda?
A Bavarian cheese-and-butter spread, often served with radishes, and one of the standard vegetarian and vegan options at the festival.
Related Articles
Sources
- How many calories are in the Oktoberfest classics — oktoberfest.de, City of Munich. Accessed 2026-09-24.
- Booking Oktoberfest: book a table — oktoberfest.de, City of Munich. Accessed 2026-09-24.
- Oktoberfest visitor FAQ — muenchen.de, City of Munich. Accessed 2026-09-24.
- Beer price — oktoberfest.de, City of Munich. Accessed 2026-09-24.
- Eat and drink — oktoberfest.de, City of Munich. Accessed 2026-09-24.