I can't remember how we first heard about Schräglage, but I'm so glad we decided to try it last weekend for brunch. We'd seen that they advertise a "Surfer's Breakfast" with pancakes, and I wanted to find out if they were real, American-style pancakes or just another European imitation.
We thought we might need a reservation, but when we got there at 10:00 when the restaurant opened, all of the tables were free. We had our choice of a large one by the window, and sat down to sip on some Sekt while we perused the menu.
The breakfast menu is only available on Sundays, and all the dishes come with free coffee. They have a half-a-dozen egg dishes served with bread, German-style platters with assorted meats and cheeses, various muesli bowls, and, of course, pancakes! Their pancake flavors include plain, chocolate chip, blueberry, and banana.
On this occasion, I opted for the blueberry pancakes and a side of bacon. The pancakes were excellent, and probably the first real American pancakes that I've had outside of the States that I haven't cooked myself. They were of the denser variety (not the Bisquick mix kind), but soft and evenly studded with blueberries. The dish came with a large pat of butter and side of maple syrup (and there was more on request). The bacon was also of the extra-crispy variety that is sometimes hard to find in Europe.
On the other side of the table, my husband decided to order a breakfast burger topped with an egg and bacon because he'd read somewhere that Schräglage's burgers were some of the best in Stuttgart. They even allow you to double your burger, which after the small patties we've come to expect after experiences at other local eateries, seemed like a good idea.
We soon found out, though, that he needn't have worried, because the patties were what we would consider "normal" size. The meat was overdone for my tastes, but the patties were crumbly, juicy, and lightly packed, which I prefer to the German standard pressed patties. The burger was also served on a soft burger-style bun that was probably the best that we've had on any burger in the city. As I later found out, the buns are baked to order from one of my favorite local bakeries: Bäckerei Frank.
We enjoyed our meal so much, that we decided to return again for lunch last weekend. I tried the BBQ Burger with cheddar cheese, lettuce, onion rings, bacon, and BBQ sauce. (Note that they do NOT put cucumbers on their burgers, which proves that they are legit.) I asked them to hold the fried egg and ordered my burger medium, which they were happy to oblige. The patty was closer to medium-well when it came out, but still had the slightly softer texture that I was looking for. The thin, crispy fried onions and BBQ sauce complemented without overwhelming the burger. For my side, I asked for the "Meals Fries": tasty, thin fries that reminded me of the crispy fries from McDonald's. On the side, they brought a sauce caddy with all the ketchup, mayo, "fire", BBQ, Lynchburg, and burger sauce that I could want.
The one disappointment was Matt's quesadilla. He ordered the Quesadilla con Carne which looked more like a burrito than the flat, half-moon quesadillas that we expected. The flavor was okay, but nothing special. His side Caesar Salad was also sub-par, with the dressing tasting something more like a yogurt sauce. The moral of the story is to definitely go for a burger, which just *might* be our new favorites in Stuttgart. The pancakes are definitely worthwhile, too.
Schräglage is located on Wihelmsplatz 3, about a block from the Österreichischerplatz U-bahn station. They are open daily from 12:00 until 22:00, with an earlier opening at 10:00 on Sundays. If you go in the summertime, definitely try to get a spot on their large summer patio.