We were originally planning to go to a Schlactfest in Jettingen today, but thanks to Gerhard in our local Facebook group, Bill and I went to Ludwigsburg, instead.  Gerhard recommended Sam Kullman’s Diner, a German chain restaurant that specializes in American style diner food.  I’m generally more amused than impressed by German interpretations of American food, but the pictures I saw on the restaurant’s Web site won me over.  Bill would prefer ribs over bratwurst any day.  We made reservations for noon on OpenTable.de, a move that was totally unnecessary.  There were plenty of booths open when we arrived right on time.

Kullman’s Diner has a wide variety of choices for the discerning palate.  We could have had breakfast, which included American staples such as pancakes, scrambled eggs, and steak and eggs.  We could have had a club sandwich, a burger, or a wrap.  They have snacks like onion rings and cheese sticks.  They even have salads and some vegetarian selections.

We came for the ribs.  Right now, Kullman’s has several winter specials, one of which is smoked pork ribs.  They also have Hickory BBQ ribs that come either sweet and smokey or hot and spicy.  There are BBQ platters and steaks, too.

Bill is excited!  He loves his ribs and we’ve been missing them lately.

Gazing over at the bar area, I noticed a folded American flag.  I wonder if the owner is American.

Kullman’s offers a full bar, as well as a lot of gooey desserts.  It looks very kid friendly and there’s something for everyone… or at least most people.  I do have a certain Italian friend who would turn his nose up at Kullman’s or any other American restaurant.  But he’s a snob.  We decided to have two large hefeweizens on tap, though we could have had Miller if we’d wanted to.

I do love a good draft wheat beer.  

I ordered the special: smokey pork ribs.  They were like spare ribs that came with a side of very mild barbecue sauce.  I really enjoyed these ribs, although I have had better ones in the States.  I would say for Germany, these are among the best I’ve had and the closest to what we’re used to.  These ribs were very lightly sauced, so it was necessary to dip the meat in the ramekin.  

Bill had the hickory smoked ribs, which were more like baby back ribs.  He went for the hot and spicy barbecue sauce.  I am a wimp when it comes to spicy stuff and I wouldn’t say the sauce was all that hot.  It reminded me a little of Asian inspired chili sauce.  But Bill liked the ribs a lot.  They were succulent and he managed to save some for a snack later.  I think I liked my ribs better than Bill’s.

Both of our dishes came with fries and cole slaw.

I was somewhat tempted by dessert, but knew I’d regret it if I ordered it.  Bill asked our very professional waitress for the check.  She spoke English quite well and switched to German when Bill spoke German.  All told, we spent about 35 euros for our lunch today.  I would go back, although next time, I might try one of the many burgers offered.  I might even try a shake.

There is a lot of parking near the diner, but for some reason, the big garage closest to it was closed.  We had to drive to the other side of the bahnhof complex and park over there.  I was actually a little worried about parking there, since the lot was empty and I was afraid it might be privately owned.  Fortunately, my fears were unfounded and we had no issues.

Overall, we liked Kullman’s Diner and would probably go back if we had a hankering for American food done German style.  I have a feeling it’s a place where people go when they’re drunk and need greasy protein… or maybe women at a certain time of the month who are in the mood for something sweet and salty.  It’s very handy for anyone waiting for the train.  It also seems popular with kids.  It’s definitely not bad for a German style greasy spoon.