Vier- und Marschland, my home for the last three years, is a rural part of Hamburg. The River Elbe gallantly flows by, slowly rocking the water back and forth with the ebb and tide. Seagulls stalk boats and screech in excitement as they toss fish to the surface. You barely hear the sounds of the city in this neighborhood, just the distant cackling of an old barge trudging upriver or the grinding of diesel tractor engines passing from one cornfield to the next.
So to find this cafe was like stumbling upon an oasis of alternativeness in the middle of conservative farmland. This 'Road Cafe' belongs in the Schanzenviertel and seems exotic and dislocated here.
The menu was limited to simple things like pasta, pizza, grilled sandwiches, ice cream, bottled beer and soda pops. They are probably the only place in this neighborhood to offer Hamburg-brewed Fritz Cola. Prices were pretty cheap.
There are four sections to choose from: the quiet, enclosed beer garden in the back, the beach to the north complete with sand and Strandkorb, the louder front porch facing the street and a small indoor lounge with couches.
There's a cigarette machine for late evenings when the gas station next door closes.
The cafe is far from perfect in appearance. The proper American English name would be 'Roadside Cafe' not 'Road Cafe'. It looks like they are going for an American biker feel with Harley Davidson signs, a confederate flag flying and the owner inked nearly from head to toe. Yet, the owners have kids that run around the cafe. There's an electronic dart board, juke box filled with CDs from the 80s, children's books and a box of toys for small children. So for me, it's confusing which age range they're targeting. It's also hard to figure out if they are trying to encourage neighborhood regulars or attract the city dwellers that frequent us on sunny summer days showing off their luxury antique autos.
Regardless, the lack of perfectionism and the obvious intention to make everyone happy successfully creates a casual, laid-back, everyone-is-welcome atmosphere where you don't feel judged. read more
