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If you are local to the KMC in Germany and looking for a great new place to eat, shake your tail feather down to Benji’s Birdhouse. Located next to the train stop in downtown Ramstein, this restaurant can be easily accessed by public transportation or car. We found free parking at a grocery store less than 500 meters away. They specialize in delicious fried chicken meals, unique cocktails and hand-spun milkshakes so this is not for those feeling peckish.
A quaint little restaurant that opened in May 2022, Benji’s Birdhouse is on top of another eatery where giant windows allow the sunshine and breeze in. Owned by the same people who run Best of Germany 2022 winner, Benji’s Burritos, the Birdhouse has been packed since day one. After eating there, we can see why. We secured a Friday night reservation by messaging them on their Facebook page. We arrived early and they were able to seat us before our actual reservation time. The server brought us to a high-top table where we had a great view of the downtown street area. For families with children, there is a small play area with some toys nestled in the back corner.
We were forewarned that the milkshakes can take some time to make so when the server came by to take our order, we went ahead and ordered the “Speculoos Cookie” and “Cinnamon Toast Crunch” milkshakes. Neither of us was disappointed. Cookie crumble pieces filled every delicious sip through the straw of the Speculoos shake. Megan’s Cinnamon Toast Crunch milkshake was the perfect balance between cinnamon and sweet. The crunchy cereal gives the creamy milkshake a variety of textures. The only issue was that the milkshake was so thick, it quickly destroyed the first paper straw (which was quickly resolved by the server kindly bringing another). For those looking for more “adult” drinks, Benji’s offers cocktails, a boozy milkshake, as well as Hefeweizen and Bitburger on tap.
While the milkshake would really be enough of a meal, we didn’t just go there for decadent desserts. Benji’s offers fried chicken delights in a variety of ways: as a Buffalo dip, four different sandwiches (plain, Korean-BBQ-style, hot and “extra” hot), in tender form, on top of waffle fries and for those feeling somewhat healthy, on a mixed green salad. We started with the Buffalo chicken dip and while delectable, it suffered from the same issue as the paper straw in the milkshake; the tortilla chips were not always strong enough for the thick dip.
As for the main courses, because milkshakes and Buffalo chicken dip were not enough, Tamala chose the chicken tenders with waffle fries and coleslaw and Megan went with the “O.G.” chicken sandwich. Both meals came with what Benji’s has named “Shmack” sauce and while we are not sure what the ingredients include, it was a creamy sauce that contained ketchup and complimented the crunch waffle fries perfectly and was a “shmack” in the face of flavor. Megan’s sandwich is best described as “bigger than my face,” and both entrees were crispy, juicy, savory and fried to perfection.
No matter if you are in the mood for a delicious fried chicken meal or simply a decadent milkshake to end your day with, Benji’s has something for everyone.
