Ludwig’s Garten

I am seriously depressed that this place is gone… I spent way to much time at their bar… this was like my all time favorite bar ever… I think I may go into mourning… I don’t live in phillt anymore but somehow just knowing it was out there made me feel better… sigh…

whyyyyy? why did you goooo!!!
i shall cry the next time i have to wait for the husband to make spaetzle, now that you’re gone, ludwig’s.

I don’t drink beer, but I do eat. ;)
I love the salad and hungarian stew soup. I’ve had the sauerbraten was really delicious.
I wasn’t crazy for the schnitzel or desserts, but the sausage platter was yummy.

Ludwig’s Garten est kaput. Soon to be «Time» from the owners of Vintage

Service was terrible one server told us to wait at the bar, didnt bother to pass it along that we were there to eat. The bartender finally realized it and chewed out the other server for ignoring us, so the server was mad at us the whole time for her getting in trouble (I should point out we didnt actually complain to the bartender she just realized we weren’t getting any attention). I ordered the schnitzel and what I received was a paper-​thin piece of meat that felt like it had sat on the counter and was reheated, my wife enjoyed her food but mine was so screwed up I refuse to go back.

The star rating on this review is entirely based upon the beer selection. I’m of german extraction, my family were all German pork butchers before and after they emigrated to the UK and needless to say, a love of good German food is somewhere deep within my psyche.
Ludwigs does not serve good German food. The schnitzel I was served was so shameful that I would never eat there again and none of my other friends had a better experience (including one who is far more German than my claim).
But the beer list is astounding. I don’t get here as often as I would like so I can’t comment too much on the rotation policy but there always seems to be something new for me to try. It is well spread over the different beers, usually with a selection of Pils, Kolsch, Altbier and all the other favourites.
A word of warning, always check the strength of your beer. Last time I was in, I got a bit carried away with the Paulaner Salvator and couldn’t work out why I had trouble walking home. Turns out that at 7.5% and on an empty stomach, five proper pints can have quite an effect.

Folks, there are no wings on your platters in Germany, unless you are in an american diner. Squeezing a waitress in a halloweenish dirndl dress does not make things better either. Unfortunately, you will not find a single good or even authentic german restaurant in the city :(.
What is really good, though, is their fabulous beer selection. Try: Buttenheimer Kellerbier, unfiltered, microbrewery and Ayinger Dunkel, dark beer.
If you want german food — NYC. There is also a daily direct flight to Munich with US Air…
Update: Closed? — Not a loss.

So I’m staying at a hotel in the area and my good friend recommends a few places in downtown Philly. We walk past El Vez, way to trendy and another interesting sushi spot on the way to our eventual destination, which is Ludwig’s. Now this is a straight up neighborhood bar… with employee’s plucked out of Deutschland. For a Thursday night it was pretty active and I enjoyed the overall vibe. They had a 3 man band playing some great tunes, but we decided to sit in the other section, where the modern jukebox was setup. Nice mix of 60’s and 70’s classic rock, btw.
The beer selection is outstanding. I started off with the Delirium Nocturnum and then 2 glasses of the Spaten Ocktoberbest. Very tasty, indeed. This place also has great late night menu, we had the Wurst plate and the fries. Nice and dark and dungenous. Don’t forget to oggle the dried flowers above the bar. Would definitely come back here.

when we think of Philly and it’s top notch beer pubs, we all immediately think of the Belgian places like Monk’s, and the Irish places like Fado. but this place is proof that you should never forget about the Germans.
It has an uncanny selection to choose from, and it is my favorite place to go when it comes down to the dark beers. the food is pretty damn good too, and it has a friendly staff (I do feel bad about them having to dress like Swiss Miss knock offs). Ludwig’s also hosts the occasional music night that is fun to check out.
The only flaw is that it can be absolutely horrendous to move around in when it gets crowded.

If you’re looking for a good German beer bar, Ludwig’s is your place (not that there are that many German bars in Philly). The place is covered in wood trim, dim lighting, and various German decorations. It’s pretty spacious, and the waitresses wear dirndl’s (which is a little silly). Luckily, the waitresses are charming because I know that I’d be cranky if I had to wear that outfit to work.
They’ve got a good selection of German beer for about $ 5 a pint. Their food is also pretty good, although I didn’t like the hot wings. They were too saucy (like a sticky bbq sauce, but not good) and they were kind of mushy. They should stick to German food, which they do well and serve up for really great prices. Although I prefer Irish pubs and trendy night spots, I like to duck into Ludwig’s every now and then for a pint and some hearty German fare. Check out their beer and food menus at:
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UPDATE: I upgraded Ludwig’s from 3 stars to 5. I went there for lunch not long ago, and I had a fantastic time. My friend and I each got spaetzle for lunch (she got the Kaesespaetzle and I got the Schwezinger Spaetzle) [excuse the «ae» spellings, since I can’t type in the umlauts]. Both were fabulous. The Kaesespaetzle was a mixture of several cheeses with the spaetzle (which are little egg noodles), and the Schwezinger spaetzle was a mixure of black forest ham, onions, super thin asparagus spears, and cheddar. Oh, so delicious! The waiter was also super nice. He was from Germany, so my friend and I were able to order and converse with him in German (even though I forget most of the language — I used to know it). He also recommended a Franziskeller when I ordered a Hoegaarden, so I went with his suggestion. Let me tell you, it was the tastiest, hugest beer I’ve ever had for lunch (it’s a German wheat beer, light and citrusy, and the glass was humungous — at least 12″ tall). I had a great time, and I’d definitely go back for food again (and beer).

I don’t know why employers find it necessary to torture their staff by forcing them to wear ridiculous garb. City Tavern, Johnny Rockets, many of Stephen Starr’s joints and yes, Ludwig’s. The waitresses don these absolutely ridiculous German farm girl outfits that make them look like the Swiss Miss. Poor kids.
Staff-​torture aside, Ludwig’s has an excellent selection of imported beer, not all of it from Germany. They have a fair selection of Belgians both on draft and in the bottle. When I went, they had McChouffe, which is one of my absolute favorites. My German professor who was herself from Germany eschewed the place for its inferior German style cuisine. I liked the bratwurst I had there, but what do I know, I’ve never been to Deutschland. Definitely go for the beer, though.

Ah, Ludwig’s. I haven’t been back in probably a year, but my band played a number of nights in this authentic German restaurant/​garten. We made almost nothing for the job, I remember, but they would bring us beer all night. And, during our breaks, they used to plate used up some incredible German classics.
I was in Germany, though not long enough to find the country’s great restaurants. Still, I got a truer Bavarian experience from Ludwig’s than I did on my three nights in Berlin (during which, to be honest, my friends and I spent most of our money on beer and hard liqueur.)
Try some schnitzel. Try everything with the suffix «wurst.» Try anything with «kraut» in the name as well. Most things served in Ludwig’s are hard on the digestive tract, but for the quality of the food, it’s not too hard on the wallet.

Cool place. If, like me, you aren’t a beer drinker (though it’s a good place if you ARE a beer drinker), you can get a cocktail at an insane price. I got a PINT of bourbon & ginger ale for $ 6. One drink was all I needed. The food was good. Beware: it is served in generous portions. My pork sandwich (a bit sweet but really good) was big enough for two. The fried gruyère appetizer was surprisingly good.

My friends and I love to go here every thursday night from 10 to midnight for their weekday $ 3 drink special. This place is one of a kind that I’ve seen in Philly. With a decent «garten» atmosphere and not a big crowd on the weekdays, this place has become a great gathering and drinking place for my friends and I. Their latke’s are especially good.