Bierstadel in Sindelfingen, Germany, offered some asparagus-filled specials on a mid-May Monday evening. The dish consisted of schnitzel, asparagus with Hollandaise sauce and potatoes, garnished with a strawberry. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

I’m a creature of habit when it comes to food. When I find a restaurant I like, I go there religiously and order my favorite dish.

Even though I have been more adventurous in Germany, I have played it safe when covering sporting events in Stuttgart. On one such occasion in late summer last year, I didn’t want to waste time on bad food, nor did I want to go too far from the autobahn to get back on the road to Kaiserslautern.

I settled on Bierstadel, a place in Sindelfingen just minutes away from Panzer Kaserne. It had good reviews online and it serves traditional Swabian fare. I was sold.

Yet I didn’t touch the local cuisine. Instead, I saw that the daily specials were chock-full of chanterelle mushrooms, which have become one of my favorites since moving here.

The chanterelle soup and pork medallions in a chanterelle cream sauce with spätzle noodles tasted amazing, and I couldn’t get Bierstadel out of my head. So when I returned to the Stuttgart area in mid-May, I knew where I was headed to eat.

Somewhat hidden behind a wall of plants along Pfarrwiesenallee, Bierstadel can hold up to 90 guests inside and an additional 120 in the biergarten. Don’t expect to walk in and get a table. The waitstaff knew I was coming, but even so, they just barely managed to squeeze me in.

Indoor seating at Bierstadel in Sindelfingen, Germany, can hold up to 90 guests. Reservations are suggested. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Once seated, I told myself I would order regional fare and I stuck to that, more or less. Another customer asked about the specials with asparagus. Considering it’s asparagus season, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity.

To compromise, I selected the asparagus special with schnitzel, Hollandaise sauce and potatoes, as well as the Sindelfinger Leibgericht, a dish of pork tenderloin fillets with cream mushrooms, maultasche (Swabian dumplings) and cheese spätzle.

I received the typical questioning look from the server that I normally get from ordering so much food. And considering my not-so-boyish figure, I probably should heed said look.

The asparagus special arrived first. I prefer green asparagus to white, so I was a little crestfallen when the dish had the white version, which is coveted by many Germans during this time of year. The Hollandaise sauce added a rich lemon-butter flavor to the asparagus, and the strawberry garnish was a nice touch, a nod to another seasonal crop.

The schnitzel was scrumptious, with the meat juicy throughout and the breading crisp.

Then it was time for Sindelfingen’s favorite dish. I started with the ravioli-like maultasche. It was filled with ground beef and tasted like meatloaf. It took some time, but I warmed up to it.

The Sindelfinger Leibgericht is one of the classics of the Bierstadel in Sindelfingen, Germany. It consists of pork tenderloin fillets with a mushroom cream sauce, maultasche and cheese spaetzle. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

I moved on to the pork fillets. Just like the schnitzel, they were cooked thoroughly and yet still were juicy. They went well with the hearty mushrooms and sauce, which came with actual cream to mix yourself.

The cheese spätzle was the last remaining dish. It was great, but I couldn’t place all the cheeses involved. I recognized Emmental and gouda, but I could tell I was missing something.

The server queried the cook and it turned out to be mozzarella. Surprisingly, it went well with the other two cheeses.

Overall, the proprietors’ and employees’ pride in their food and service was evident from beginning to end. And I can understand the high reviews online.

My two experiences at Bierstadel have cemented the restaurant’s status as my go-to spot whenever sports bring me to Panzer Kaserne.

Bierstadel, a restaurant in Sindelfingen, Germany, lies at Pfarrwiesenallee 16. Parking is available in the front, on the street and in the back. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Bierstadel in Sindelfingen, Germany has a beer garden for up to 120 guests. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

More parking can be found by the back entrance to Bierstadel in Sindelfingen, Germany. The restaurant lies on the north side of town 4.4 miles away from Panzer Kaserne in Böblingen, Germany. (Matt Wagner/Stars and Stripes)

Bierstadel

Address: Pfarrwiesenallee 16, Sindelfingen, Germany

Hours: Monday and Wednesday through Saturday 5-10 p.m.; Sunday, 11 a.m.-2 p.m. and 5-10 p.m.

Prices: Soups and salads start at 6.20 euros; main dishes start at 15.80 euros and can range up to 31 euros for a steak.

Information: Phone: +49 7031 803 999; Online: bierstadel.de