Restaurant Review: Spinnrädl, Kaiserslautern, Germany

The namesake.

Spinnrädl
Schillerstrasse 1, Kaiserslautern
http://www.spinnraedl.de

Spinnrädl means "spinning wheel" in German, but in Kaiserslautern, people think of a restaurant specializing in German food instead of a domestic implement. According to the City of Kaiserslautern's website, Spinnrädl is the only remaining half-timbered building left in town. Built in 1740, this restaurant serves traditional German food, including Pfälzisch specialties from the area.

I visited this restaurant with a tour sponsored by one of the organizations on post and our grouped enjoyed a lunch there. The menu is, of course, very German; it included things like schnitzel, salads studded with meat, spätzle, flammkuchen, and a local dish, saumagen (sow's stomach; it sounds a bit terrifying to me, but meat eaters who've eaten it often like it). I am mostly vegetarian, and even vegan for the most part, so I did stray into the dairy path and ordered käsespätzle. It was tasty, if not a full on cheese overload, and was a HUGE amount of food. It came with a salad, which was fresh and tasted good.

The other members of the tour ordered things like salad, schnitzel, and a few hardy souls even tried the saumagen. I couldn't believe the size of the schnitzels; they took up the whole plates, which were big themselves! No one could finish the whole plate because it came with fries and a salad, too. Those eating meat remarked that it was delicious. Someone ordered a flammkuchen and said that was tasty, as well. This is considered a nicer, traditional restaurant but prices weren't bad; I think my very filling meal was about 8 euros or so and the meat dishes were in the 13 euros range.

The waitresses were pleasant and attentive. They handled our group of fifteen efficiently. 

The restaurant inside is very traditional German with white stucco walls and dark beams of wood. There are some interesting paintings and mosaics on the walls. The downstairs dining area can be a bit cramped. Upstairs offers dining halls and groups meet there.

We had a pleasant lunch and I recommend this restaurant for those seeking a tasty, traditional meal at a nice restaurant with prices that are reasonable enough. Vegetarians might be a bit disappointed at the offerings beyond käsespätzle, but this is a German restaurant and it's not a cuisine known for its vegetarian-friendly meals so I won't fault Spinnrädl for that. My expat friends bring their visiting family members here for traditional German food and I'm sure that I'll do the same.

Look! Meat cookin'!