Burger 16/57 in Kaiserslautern, Germany, is a welcome addition to an underdeveloped market for burgers in the area. Pictured here is a cheeseburger served with French fries. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)
Burger 16/57 in Kaiserslautern, Germany, is a welcome addition to an underdeveloped market for burgers in the area. Pictured here is a cheeseburger served with French fries. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)
Burger 16/57 is located in a relatively rough area of Kaiserslautern, Germany, but the atmosphere and ambience inside makes up for the location. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)
The interior of Burger 16/57 in Kaiserslautern, Germany, is an appealing mix of an old structure and sleek, modern surfaces. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)
You wouldn’t guess it from all the beefy cows standing around in the fields surrounding the city, but finding a good burger in Kaiserslautern can be difficult. A new downtown spot is addressing that issue.
Burger 16/57 opened in 2016 just a few blocks from the city center. My wife and I finally paid an overdue visit for lunch on a recent weekend, and immediately added it to our rotation of preferred restaurants.
My favorite eateries have simple menus, stemming from a belief that a restaurant that has honed its focus has also honed its culinary craft. Burger 16/57 nails that test — there’s a chicken sandwich and some vegetarian versions of its offerings, but other than that, it’s all burgers and fries. As it should be. If a restaurant has a food in its name, always order that food. So at Burger 16/57, have a burger.
We ordered cheeseburgers and fries and were asked how we wanted the meat cooked, which was a very welcome question when most burgers in Europe seem to be cooked to medium by default. We like ours well done, and the burgers we were served were well done. Well done, Burger 16/57!
Our lunches were outstanding. Juicy, flavorful meat with fresh toppings; a bun that was substantial without being overwhelming; crispy, tasty fries served in a cool metal bucket and a generous amount of ketchup; chilled brownies with almonds for dessert. I wouldn’t mind having it all over again today.
If Burger 16/57 has a drawback, it’s the location. It’s nestled in a rather seedy residential area of inner Kaiserslautern. If not for the distinctive European church spires looming overhead, a walk to the restaurant might feel like a jaunt through the open-world setting of a Grand Theft Auto video game. And a walk is likely necessary, because street parking in the area is sparse, even when we visited on a weekday afternoon.
Once you reach the restaurant, the vibe is far friendlier. The interior is an appealing mix of an old brick structure and sleek, modern surfaces. Burger 16/57 has mastered the fast-casual balance of being nice enough to host a leisurely meal but unpretentious enough for the messy work of devouring a sizable burger. We plan to avail ourselves of the atmosphere again soon — and often.
16/57 BURGER Location: Moltkestrasse 16, Kaiserslautern, Germany. Street parking nearby is very limited, so parking in a downtown garage and walking the rest of the way might be a better option.
Hours: Open Tuesday through Friday from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. and 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m., and on Saturdays and Sundays from 5:30 p.m. to 9 p.m.
Dress: Casual.
Prices: Burgers range from about 8 euros ($9) to about 12 euros. Fries cost 3.20 euros per large order. Brownies were available for dessert for 2.50 euros apiece.
More information: Find and/or message Burger 16/57 on Facebook or call 0631 311 63102.
