Take, for example, the potato. Rogacki (pronounced Ro-GATZ-ki) has one prep-kitchen devoted solely to washing, steaming, peeling and chopping. The store makes some two tons of potato salad a week, in at least six varieties.
Upstairs and in the basement, workers are busy filleting herring, slicing cucumbers, shaving cabbage and carving meat to keep Berliner feinschmeckers happy.
Other workers, braving the smoking oak logs in the cast-iron ovens, which date from 1932, move racks laden with different types of brined fish (eel, herring, halibut) to smoke.
Given that the place serves around 1,500 people a day, you will need a strategy. First, be prepared to eat while standing. Rogacki has standing tables (you can reserve one ahead of time) and, during warm weather, places to sit outside.
The employees don’t speak much English, but they want to help. Pointing at whatever looks good is usually enough. Try mixing and matching food and drinks from the various food stations and deli cases. Line up with a tray, cafeteria-style, and point to a specialty — say, fried fish (usually cod), which goes for 1.50 euros (or $2.25, at $1.50 to the euro) per 100 grams (about 3.5 ounces). Add a side of potato salad (61 euro cents) from another counter, fetch a glass of crisp grüner veltliner (2.50 euros) or a half-liter bottle of Erdinger Weissbier (4 euros, with a 2.50 euro refund if you return the bottle) from yet a third.
If you get lucky, you might score a table outside. But your best bet is to do as the Germans do: stand and snack.
Open Monday to Wednesday, 9 a.m. to 6 p.m.; Thursday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Friday, 8 a.m. to 7 p.m.; Saturday, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
Rogacki, Wilmersdorfer Strasse 145/46; (49-30) 343-8250; www.rogacki.de .

http://travel.nytimes.com/2009/10/04/travel/04bites.html?ref=travel