Schurwaldhöhe - Esslingen

We were here with a group of ten people and had to double-check before entering the restaurant whether we had enough cash, as card payments are unfortunately no... read more We were here with a group of ten people and had to double-check before entering the restaurant whether we had enough cash, as card payments are unfortunately not accepted, which seems rather impractical these days. Inside, a large dining room awaits, decorated in a classic sports club style, which certainly retains its old-school charm. The service was very friendly and attentive; a glass with a slight flaw was replaced immediately and without discussion, which was a positive. The culinary aspect of the evening, however, was not convincing. The goulash soup as an appetizer seemed like a ready-made product, and the bread served with it was still cold in the middle. The side salad was okay, but nothing special. This impression continued with the main courses: the pork loin with creamy mushroom sauce and spaetzle were edible, but here too, the processed ingredients, from sauce to mushrooms, were clearly noticeable. My companion had a schnitzel with spaetzle and sauce, which unfortunately wasn't at all convincing – the spaetzle arrived cold, and the schnitzel looked like a ready-made product from the deep fryer. Additionally, two other dishes from our group, lentils with spaetzle and string sausages, didn't arrive until I had already finished my meal, which unfortunately further spoiled the overall impression. The prices are reasonable, but this is also reflected in the quality of the food. The location may be nice for a cold beer on the terrace in summer, especially if you're cycling, but I wouldn't go back for the food. It gets three stars for the friendly service and the overall fair price level, but there's still plenty of room for improvement in terms of cuisine.

The schnitzel is delicious. The fries are delicious. The salad is too cold for me personally. The salad dressing isn't my thing. Prices are rather low. read more The schnitzel is delicious. The fries are delicious. The salad is too cold for me personally. The salad dressing isn't my thing. Prices are rather low.

We were there for the first time on a Tuesday, August 12, 2025, around 7 p.m. A nice, quiet beer garden, which, unlike the nearby beer garden, wasn 't overcrowd... read more We were there for the first time on a Tuesday, August 12, 2025, around 7 p.m. A nice, quiet beer garden, which, unlike the nearby beer garden, wasn 't overcrowded. Large terrace, great view of the greenery. We chose a table in the corner. The table wobbled considerably. We helped ourselves with pebbles and a folded tissue, both of which were already lying on the floor. The waitress came and asked what we wanted to drink and if we wanted something to eat. Only I wanted something to eat. My companion had already eaten. I, on the other hand, had only had breakfast and was hungry. The drinks came quickly, and I was asked what I wanted to eat. I hadn 't finished reading the menu yet and needed a moment. The waitress left. I thought she 'd come back later. A few more guests arrived. There were about 12 tables occupied. The waitress was visibly stressed. Since I wasn 't in a hurry, I waited. After all the subsequent guests had ordered and received their food, I tried to get the waitress 's attention. No chance. After over an hour ! , I waved to the other waitress, she walked over to our table, the table in front of us asked something, and then she turned back. I thought, OK, she saw it and would tell her colleague who had served us before. But we continued to be ignored. There was no communication beforehand, so they could have been angry with us. We kept wondering what we had done. The waitress was at the next table and finally she came back. It was now 8:30. Would you like something to eat? she asked in an annoyed tone. I answered yes and was about to say what I wanted to order. She knew I wanted to order food. But there were two people behind us who wanted to play mini golf. The waitress then dealt with them. Annoyed, she said, Yes, but in 10 minutes I 'm closing the facility, you have to go inside to my colleague! Then she looked at me. I said, A cordon bleu with fries, please. And she turned on her heel and was gone. I actually wanted mayonnaise with the fries, but then I would have had to yell after her. Our drinks were almost empty after such a long wait. Ordering more drinks wasn 't possible. We were ignored again. We watched the hustle and bustle. Between the frantic running back and forth, there were smoking breaks, right in front of the guests next to the door. A table wanted to order something else. The waitress didn 't have her notepad with her. She called her colleague to come inside and get her a pen and notepad. It was all kind of weird. By now it was 8:50 p.m., and two more guests arrived, who were immediately rudely told that there was no more food. We then realized that I hadn 't finished my meal. I 'll get more. And decided to leave at 9. The waitress looked at me several times, but didn 't come. She didn 't come to take the cash either. My companion had to go inside. The lights were on inside, and I could see the waitress go into the kitchen when my companion wanted to pay. Another lady then took care of him. She couldn 't find our table, or rather our order, in the cash register and retyped our drinks. When my companion left, the waitress came straight back from the kitchen. As if she had been hiding. I don 't know what we did to her. There wasn 't any more communication than described here, which suggests we upset her. I come from the restaurant industry myself and have never experienced anything like this. I suspect it was the boss herself; as an employee, this kind of behavior wouldn 't be tolerated anywhere. It 's a real shame, because the location is really nice. But now I know why there was so little going on here, and the other beer garden further up was so crowded...

The menu said it was Alpirsbacher beer, but it was Paulaner (I specifically asked and was told we only have Paulaner). They should think about it and update the... read more The menu said it was Alpirsbacher beer, but it was Paulaner (I specifically asked and was told we only have Paulaner). They should think about it and update the menu. Everything looks pretty dirty. The tables on the terrace were sticky, the paint was peeling off, and moss and lichen were already growing on them. The mini golf course is very run down, with some broken patio furniture lying in the corner, and the fairways are in a deplorable state.

Very tasty food at reasonable prices. Very friendly service and a pleasant outdoor seating area. If you like, you can play mini golf right next door after dinne... read more Very tasty food at reasonable prices. Very friendly service and a pleasant outdoor seating area. If you like, you can play mini golf right next door after dinner.