Barada in Kaiserslautern trying to lure customers with vast menu, low prices

Barada Restaurant in Kaiserslautern, Germany, is remarkably affordable, as evidenced by this meal of five fried chicken pieces, a generous helping of fries and a couple of small sides for 7.50 euros. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)

Barada Restaurant in Kaiserslautern, Germany, boasts a great location in the city's pedestrian zone. The restaurant shares a busy plaza with one of the city's iconic churches and popular ice cream shop Dolomiten. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)

Barada Restaurant is a new eatery on the main pedestrian thoroughfare in downtown Kaiserslautern, Germany. The location was formerly inhabited by a Burger King and Mexican spot Taco Kidd. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)

A heaping side of rice is served at Barada Restaurant in Kaiserslautern, Germany. This tangy rice dish is one of a vast number of food options at the versatile and affordable eatery. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)

The crispy chicken sandwich served at Barada Restaurant in Kaiserslautern, Germany, is larger and more appealing than its picture on the menu board. (Gregory Broome/Stars and Stripes)

A new restaurant has moved into what seems to be one of the premier locations in downtown Kaiserslautern.

It’s a historic building sharing a well-trafficked plaza with one of the city’s iconic churches and the beloved ice cream spot Dolomiten. It’s also just steps away from Stiftsplatz, which hosts the popular Saturday morning farmer’s market, and along where Kaiserslautern typically sets up its Christmas market.

All that would seem to work in the favor of Barada, the versatile and affordable eatery that now inhabits the space. But the site has changed hands repeatedly in recent years. Burger King swapped it out for a shinier facade facing the K in Lautern shopping mall, and Taco Kidd, a local stab in the general direction of Mexican food, came and went in BK’s wake.

Barada’s approach to succeeding in the location seems based on two seemingly positive qualities for a restaurant — value and variety. The place is certainly inexpensive, with every entree my group ordered checking in at well under 10 euros. And the menu is expansive, offering everything from fried chicken to burgers and fries to falafel and shawarma.

But the mixed bag of carryout food we took away from Barada was also a mixed bag in terms of quality.

The fried chicken, the item that drew me through the doors in the first place, was quite good, especially considering the price. I secured five crispy and flavorful pieces along with a generous serving of fries and a couple of other small sides for 7.50 euros ($8.84). But the fries, while packing a welcome spice, were intermittently spongy.

A crispy chicken sandwich, remarkably priced at just 4 euros, pulled off an unusual feat when the version we were served was far larger and more appealing than its picture on the menu.

I was too intently focused on fried chicken to sample the shawarma and falafel, but those in my group that tried it reported it fell short of some competing options they’d tried in Kaiserslautern.

All things considered — and there was a lot to consider — I’d eat at Barada again, especially as it gains its footing as a new eatery and streamlines its workflow. Its prices and menu give it a solid shot at success in one of Kaiserslatuern’s most noticeable locations.

broome.gregory@stripes.com Twitter: @broomestripes

Location: Marktstrasse 18, Kaiserslautern, across from Stiftskirche

Hours: 11 a.m. to midnight daily

Dress: Casual

Costs: Most entrees range from 4 euros ($4.71) to 7.50 euros.

Information: Search for Barada Restaurant on Facebook.

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