Jenny Gerena, left, and her daughter Chantal Hill opened El Parche Colombian and
German restaurant in Reichenbach-Steegan, Germany, in February 2026. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)
When Chantal Hill and her mom, Jenny Gerena, decided to open a Colombian-German restaurant in a little village outside of Kaiserslautern, they didn’t expect it to be quite so popular.
But in the six weeks since El Parche’s opening, they said they’re already struggling to keep up with demand from customers flocking to them for homemade empanadas, arroz con pollo and bandeja típica.
“It surprised me but I’m happy,” Hill said when I stopped by the restaurant on a recent Saturday afternoon before the dinner rush. “We haven’t really done very much promoting. It’s been more word-of-mouth.”
El Parche — Colombian slang for a gathering or hangout — was originally envisioned as a German-Colombian joint. The co-owners thought they would attract more diners if they could also offer traditional German fare. But by the second week, the schnitzel and goulash they were cooking up every day was going largely untouched.
Chantal Hill, left, Jenny Gerena, center, and their family members stand in front of El Parche in Reichen-bach-Steegan, Germany. (Courtesy photo/El Parche)
“Every German I expected to order a German dish, but they’ve just been ordering Colombian dishes, and they love them,” Hill told me. “I’ve not had one German say, ‘I don’t like this.’ ”
My friend and I decided to stop by on a Friday evening to get a taste of the South American cuisine.
My first thought upon entering the restaurant — which had a spacious layout and large bar — was that I was glad we called ahead to make a reservation. The place was hopping. Nearly every table was filled, and as we took our seats, we could hear Spanish, German and English conversations flowing throughout the restaurant.
Gerena, who gets in early every day to make the food fresh, told me she’s very intentional about making sure customers are getting an authentic Colombian experience. The dishes are made fresh every day, never frozen, and they even ship some ingredients directly from Colombia —like triguisar, a popular seasoning mix made of cumin, pepper and other spices.
The hand-cut tortilla chips at El Parche in Reichenbach-Steegan, Germany, are freshly fried and come with aji, a spicy, tomato-based dip. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)
The arroz con pollo, or chicken with rice, is seasoned with Colombian triguisar and served with fried plantains at El Parche in Reichenbach-Steegan, Germany. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)
To start, my dining companion and I ordered chips and aji (a spicy dip made of tomatoes and herbs), an empanada and a passionfruit margarita to share.
I feel strongly that the mark of a good restaurant is homemade chips, and El Parche did not disappoint. They were hand-cut, perfectly crispy and paired well with the cool zing of the aji. Even after our main dishes arrived, we found ourselves continuing to reach for the chips throughout the meal.
The handmade empanadas at El Parche in Reichenbach-Steegan, Germany, are made with shredded beef and potato. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)
A single empanada was hearty enough for both of us to share as an appetizer. The savory corn pastry dough was stuffed full of well-seasoned shredded beef and potato and steaming hot.
We both loved the frozen margarita, which seems to be a rarity around K-Town. Hill told me they also offer a variety of traditional Colombian drinks, like Aguila and Club Colombia beers, and popular fruit-flavored sodas.
She also pointed out their bottles of Colombian spirits, like Aguardiente Antioqueño — an anise-flavored liqueur— and Ron Viejo de Caldas rum.
For our mains, my friend ordered arroz con pollo (chicken and rice), which was seasoned with the aforementioned triguisar and served with hard-boiled eggs and a side of plantains.
The bandeja típica, a traditional Colombian platter, is served with crispy pork belly, shredded beef and chorizo at El Parche in Reichenbach-Steegan, Germany. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)
I ordered the bandeja típica, a traditional Colombian dish served on a large platter (bandeja) and heaped with generous portions of food.
Spoiler alert: I could not finish it all. But I did enjoy the rice, beans, shredded beef, fried egg and plantains, as well as the fried pork belly and sausage — which is also imported from Colombia, Hill said.
We left our dinner with full bellies, a box of leftovers and a vow to return. Hill and Gerena said they’re still going to keep some German items on the menu, but are also looking to hire more help to keep up with the demand for Colombian food. Some of their friends are even scouting out spots for a second restaurant.
“I had somebody send me locations already in K-Town and Ramstein,” Hill told me. “I just said, ‘Relax; we need to get this one going.’”
The drink menu at at El Parche in Reichenbach-Steegan, Germany, includes frozen margaritas and popular Colombian beverages like Aguila beer and fruit-flavored sodas. (Lara Korte/Stars and Stripes)
El Parche, Colombian & German Restaurant
Location: Hauptstrasse 83 66879 Reichenbach-Steegen
Hours: Thursday through Saturday, 5 p.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, 11:30 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Cost: Cash only. Entrees 13 euros to 20 euros. Empanadas 3.50 euros apiece, or five for 16 euros or 10 for 30 euros.
Phone: +49 6385 4150090
