Stuttgart is the third location in Germany for the Turkish chain Big Chefs, which also has locations in Libya, Iraq and beyond. (John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes)
The entrance to Stuttgart’s popular Killesberg Park has always seemed like an ideal location for launching a successful restaurant.
There’s foot traffic, available parking nearby, easy access to the U-Bahn and bucolic surroundings, at least by metropolitan standards. But one eatery after another has failed here.
Enter Big Chefs, a chain based out of Turkey. It’s the fourth restaurant to give the location a go in less than 10 years.
The establishment, which serves Mediterranean cuisine with a focus on specialties emanating out of the Levant, opened about a year ago. I pass it almost daily on dog walks, but never ventured inside until now.
Big Chefs seems to have gotten off to a good start with a strong dinner and lunch crowds. The menu is extensive; beyond its core specialties, there are burgers, steaks and other Continental offerings.
Given its eastern Mediterranean focus, I opted for the Mezze Mezze, which involved a sampling of hummus and a variety of other dips and roasted vegetables served with a large side of flat bread. The platter was large with an appetizing looking arrangement of bowls. Some of the dips were spicy while others were mild. I devoured all of it.
Big Chefs in Stuttgart is best known for eastern Mediterranean food. This dish, called the Mezze Mezze, includes a serving of hummus and various dips. (John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes)
Among the less Mediterranean-inclined offerings, the burgers made some of the other diners at the restaurant happy. They come with seven-ounce patties and choices of garnishes like mango relish or cheddar cheese and jalapeno.
That said, I get paid in dollars, and the burgers convert to about $20. I can make a burger that probably isn’t quite as good, but is good enough, for much less. If I’m going to splurge, I stick with what’s different to me.
Fortunately, it’s an extensive menu and the pictures on them were accurate from what I saw on the tables. Specials like the eggplant soup, and standards like the hummus topped with meatballs or one of the many pide looked tempting.
The atmosphere inside the restaurant is an added bonus with a high ceiling and huge windows that give a natural brightness to the place. There also is a bar where you can enjoy a meal or just a drink.
After my meal, I was offered tea, but declined. At a neighboring table I noticed a group of mothers having a leisurely lunch, with a waiter refilling their Turkish tea glasses from time to time. Big Chefs seems like the kind of place where people come to enjoy a meal without a sense of hurry.
After paying my bill, I walked my full belly off in Killesberg Park, taking in the botanical gardens in full bloom.
The Stuttgart Big Chefs is the third location in Germany, with others in Frankfurt and Oberhausen. Some of the other locales for the chain suggest an adventurous ownership group given its restaurants in places such as war-torn Libya, Iraq and far-flung Uzbekistan.
As for the fate of the Stuttgart Big Chefs, it’s hard to know whether it will have a better run than the restaurants that came before it at Killesberg. But based on my tasty first try, it might have a chance.
And judging from the patrons, which appeared to include a good mix of people with roots in Turkey and elsewhere in the region, there could be the making of a loyal following.
Big Chefs is a fairly new restaurant in north Stuttgart located near the entrance of Killesberg Park. It has an extensive menu of eastern Mediterranean food and familiar offerings like burgers. (John Vandiver/Stars and Stripes)
Big Chefs
Address: Am Höhenpark 2-4, Stuttgart
Hours: Sunday to Thursday, 9 a.m. - 10 p.m.; Friday to Saturday, 9 a.m.- midnight
Contact: 01573-785-6405
Prices: Between 15 and 30 euros per person
Dress: Casual
