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No language barrier to eating German at Berliner Kindl in Black Mountain.
You don’t need to speak German to dine at Berliner Kindl in Black Mountain, but you do have to eat German. With one exception – grilled American cheese on white or wheat bread – the entire menu celebrates and honors the hearty cuisine of Germany. That commitment and authenticity pulls in locals one or two times a week and compels others to make a road trip to satisfy their craving for all the wursts – knackwurst, bratwurst and Weisswurst.
“We have regulars who drive from Charleston and Raleigh just for lunch or dinner,” says Roger Schultz, owner with his wife Kristy since 2024. “They make a point of telling us they made the trip just to eat at the restaurant.”
Chances are, many of the regulars have been taking a seat at Berliner for many years before the Scultz’s took it on; Berliner traces its timeline back to 1987, when Maria-Theresia Reid opened the original in the back half of the building on Broadway. The name was a proud nod to the city where she grew up before emigrating to the United States. For ten years, Berliner was open for lunch from 11am – 3pm Monday through Friday and also served as a deli.
In 1997, it was purchased by Sharon and Friedhelm Trube, who turned it into the immersive experience it remains today. Mr. Trube – known as Freddie – is from Darmstadt, Germany, and came to the US in 1981; Sharon was raised in Maiden, NC. Not long after the couple bought the business, the tenant in the front – hairdresser Helga Atwood from Munich, Germany – decided to hang up the tools of the trade and the Trubes doubled the size of Berliner Kindl. Channeling his fond memories of the small restaurants he knew back home, Freddie designed the restaurant to replicate those, from framed oil landscapes of German countryside to solid wood furnishings, beer steins to the charming dirndls worn on weekends by the servers.
Roger says the first time he visited, he was reminded of the places he discovered while in the US Air Force and stationed in Zweibrucken. He enjoyed the food, beer and ambiance, but it didn’t inspire a hankering to buy the whole shebang. He and Kristy lived in South Florida and had discovered Black Mountain as a cool summer alternative to the extreme heat and hurricanes of that region.
“I spent 25 years in IT and Kristy is a high school AP history teacher,” Roger says. “She really fell in love with Black Mountain, and we began talking about how we could relocate there. Then we heard that the restaurant was for sale. Our youngest son is 18, has Down Syndrome and loves to cook. What makes more sense than upending your life and buying a German restaurant?”
Schultz laughs as he says he reminds himself of that optimistic reasoning every day, still learning the ropes in an industry he was brand new to. Though he and Kristy officially took over in April 2024, he spent several months shadowing Sharon Trube, who is still quite involved with Berliner.
They were also fortunate to retain most of the staff, including the lead server who has been there 21 years; the newest employee actually preceded the Schultz’s. The menu – appetizers, sides, German specialties, German sausage platters, combo dinners and sandwiches – did not change, and the apple strudel is still made in house. All beers are German imports – including two NA options – and much of the wine list as well.
Berliner celebrated Oktoberfest September 20 through October 4 and will hold a Holiday Market as Germans do for a couple of weeks in December, selling imported chocolates, stollen loaves and other German imports.
“Customers tell us all the time how happy they are that we didn’t change anything,” Roger says. “We’re proud to be part of the history of Berliner Kindl.”
— Written by Kay West
— AIRfare is sponsored by McGuire Wood & Bissette
Photos courtesy of Berliner Kindl
First photo: Roger and Kristy Schultz
Second photo: Berliner-style brat, home fries and sauerkraut
