Udo Snack Stuttgart: The Burger Bar That Beat McDonald's to Town
Udo Snack Stuttgart, the city's oldest burger joint since 1964: Udo Höroldt's history, today's two operators, the Calwer Straße address and what to order.
Udo Snack is Stuttgart’s oldest burger joint. It was selling burgers in the city before McDonald’s arrived, and the Stuttgarter Zeitung dates that arrival to 1978. Its founder, Udo Höroldt, opened Stuttgart’s first chip stand on Bolzstraße in 1962, then Udo-Snack on Calwer Straße in 1964. The downtown branch is listed at Calwer Str. 23, 70173 Stuttgart, and a second original branch trades in Stuttgart-Ost under a different operator. If you want to taste where Stuttgart’s burger story began, start here. Phone first, though: my newest dated source is from November 2024.
Correction note. I set out to profile chef Benjamin Peifer and his restaurant INTENSE as a Stuttgart burger address. That pairing is wrong. The Michelin Guide places INTENSE, which Peifer runs with his wife Bettina, at Weinstraße 31 in Wachenheim an der Weinstraße, in the Palatinate, about 100 km from Stuttgart. It holds two Michelin stars for a Palatinate-Japanese tasting menu, and there is no burger on it. The founder who really matters to Stuttgart’s burger story is Udo Höroldt of Udo Snack, so this page is about him.
Udo Snack Stuttgart at a glance
Udo Snack is a no-frills snack bar on Calwer Straße that has served burgers and fries since the 1960s. Today two separate operators run its two remaining original branches.
| Detail | What I could verify |
|---|---|
| Founder | Udo Höroldt (died 1989) |
| First venture | Chip stand on Bolzstraße, 1962 |
| Udo-Snack opens | Calwer Straße, 1964 |
| Downtown address | Calwer Str. 23, 70173 Stuttgart |
| Phone | +49 711 226 98 94 |
| Other original branch | Stuttgart-Ost, run by Christos Chatzopoulos since 1985 |
| Calwer Straße owners (Nov 2024) | Gill Ramandeep (60%) and Jens Caspar (40%) |
| Spin-off | Pop’s Burger, full-service restaurants in the Stuttgart region |
| Latest dated source | Stuttgarter Zeitung, 7 November 2024 |
Udo Höroldt: the man who brought the burger to Stuttgart
Udo Höroldt, a Saxon who had fled to West Germany, opened Stuttgart’s first Pommes stand on Bolzstraße in 1962. Both Stuttgart’s official tourism site and the Stuttgarter Zeitung credit him with it.
Bolzstraße street sign in Stuttgart: Udo Höroldt opened the city’s first chip stand on this street in 1962, two years before Udo-Snack (Photo: Reutlingendorf, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
Two years later he opened Udo-Snack on Calwer Straße. So when you see both 1962 and 1964 quoted, neither is wrong. The first is the chip stand. The second is the snack bar that still carries his name.
By the 1970s Udo Snack had grown into a chain of more than 30 branches. Höroldt died in 1989, aged 50, after a serious illness, according to the Stuttgarter Zeitung.
Udo Snack outlets over time: one chip stand in 1962, more than 30 branches in the 1970s, and two original branches left in Stuttgart in 2024 (Chart: Burger Breton, data from Stuttgart-Marketing and Stuttgarter Zeitung)
The oldest burger restaurant in Stuttgart: Udo Snack before McDonald’s
Udo Snack is the oldest burger restaurant in Stuttgart because it was selling burgers in the city before McDonald’s arrived. The Stuttgarter Zeitung made that the headline of its January 2024 history piece, “Wie Fast Food nach Stuttgart kam” (How fast food came to Stuttgart): long before McDonald’s.
The same newspaper dates McDonald’s arrival in Stuttgart to 1978. That is the only source I found for the year. Read it as the Stuttgarter Zeitung’s date, not a settled fact.
Udo Snack timeline: 1962 to today
The Udo Snack story runs from a single chip stand in 1962 to a 60th anniversary in 2024 and a regional spin-off.
| Year | Event |
|---|---|
| 1962 | Udo Höroldt opens Stuttgart’s first chip stand on Bolzstraße |
| 1964 | Udo-Snack opens on Calwer Straße |
| 1970s | The chain grows to more than 30 branches |
| 1978 | McDonald’s arrives in Stuttgart (per Stuttgarter Zeitung) |
| 1985 | Christos Chatzopoulos takes over the Stuttgart-Ost branch |
| 1989 | Udo Höroldt dies, aged 50 |
| 2012 | Stars and Stripes calls it the best burger in Stuttgart for many locals |
| 2020 | Pop’s Burger reported opening in Esslingen (March) |
| 2023 | Pop’s Burger opens in Ludwigsburg’s Marstall centre (July) |
| 2024 | Calwer Straße celebrates 60 years with free fries for VfB fans |
Udo Snack timeline, 1962 to 2024: Bolzstraße chip stand (1962), Calwer Straße (1964), 30+ branches (1970s), McDonald’s reaches Stuttgart (1978), Ost branch handover (1985), Höroldt’s death (1989), Pop’s Burger Ludwigsburg (2023), 60th anniversary (2024). Render as a vertical timeline on mobile (Table: Burger Breton, data from Stuttgarter Zeitung (2023–2024) and Stuttgart-Marketing)
Who owns Udo Snack today?
Udo Snack is no longer one company: the two remaining original branches have different operators. As of November 2024, the Calwer Straße branch belonged to Gill Ramandeep (60%) and Jens Caspar (40%), according to the Stuttgarter Zeitung.
Christos Chatzopoulos has run the Stuttgart-Ost branch since 1985, per a July 2023 Stuttgarter Zeitung report. Two things I could not pin down: whether the branches share recipes, and the exact street address of the Ost branch.
Udo Snack Calwer Straße: address, hours and how to visit
The downtown Udo Snack is at Calwer Str. 23, 70173 Stuttgart, in the city centre, a few minutes’ walk from Stadtmitte S-Bahn station. Phone: +49 711 226 98 94.
Stuttgart’s tourism office lists these hours for Calwer Straße:
- Monday to Thursday: 11:00 to 21:00
- Friday and Saturday: 11:00 to 23:00
- Sundays and public holidays: 12:00 to 19:00
Treat those hours with care. The listing is undated and does not match the hours Stars and Stripes printed in 2012. My newest dated source is from November 2024, so I cannot confirm that the bar is trading in 2026. Phone before you make the trip.
Map of Udo Snack at Calwer Str. 23, 70173 Stuttgart, a short walk from Stadtmitte S-Bahn station. The Stuttgart-Ost branch is not shown because its address is unverified (Map: © OpenStreetMap contributors, ODbL)
What to order at Udo Snack
Order a burger and a Pommes Weiß-Rot. The name means “white-red fries”: fries under mayo and ketchup, in the colours of VfB Stuttgart.
Pommes Weiß-Rot: fries topped with mayonnaise and ketchup in VfB Stuttgart’s white and red, Udo Snack’s signature side (illustrative photo, not taken at Udo Snack) (Photo: Tim Reckmann, CC BY 2.0, Wikimedia Commons)
The football link is not decoration. For the 60th anniversary, from 7 November 2024 to the end of that year, the Calwer Straße branch gave a free portion to anyone wearing VfB colours. That tells you who the regulars are.
Back in 2012, Stars and Stripes wrote that many locals regarded Udo Snack as “the place to find the best burger in Stuttgart”. Its reviewer ate a double cheeseburger with lettuce, pickles, onions, ketchup and mayo. That is the order I would start with: plain and old-school, the burger this place built its name on. I can’t vouch for today’s version from a recent visit, though.
How much does a burger cost at Udo Snack?
I could not verify a current Udo Snack menu or current prices. The last published range dates from 2012, when Stars and Stripes listed burgers at €2.50 to €6.00. Those prices are 14 years old, so expect to pay more in 2026 and check the board when you get there.
Burger price ranges: Udo Snack €2.50–€6.00 in 2012 (about $3–$7) vs Pop’s Burger €4.90–€12.90 in 2023. No current Udo Snack prices could be verified (Chart: Burger Breton, data from Stars and Stripes (2012) and Stuttgarter Zeitung (2023))
Pop’s Burger: the Udo Snack family spin-off
Pop’s Burger is the full-service offshoot of the Udo Snack Stuttgart-Ost branch, not the original snack bar. Christina and Apostolos Chatzopoulos, children of Ost operator Christos Chatzopoulos, took their father’s Udo Snack burger out into the Stuttgart region. The name is a nod to him: “Pops”.
- Esslingen: Martinstraße 27/1, Esslingen am Neckar, in a former horse stable. Reported as opening in March 2020.
- Ludwigsburg: opened in July 2023 in the Marstall shopping centre, with about 75 seats indoors and 50 on the terrace.
The Marstall-Center in Ludwigsburg, where the Udo Snack spin-off Pop’s Burger opened in July 2023 with about 75 seats indoors and 50 on the terrace (Photo: RudolfSimon, CC BY-SA 4.0, Wikimedia Commons)
In 2023, Pop’s Burger charged from €4.90 for a hamburger to €12.90 for the Pop-Fit-Burger, with patties made fresh on site. The same report counted seven locations and a planned opening in Sindelfingen. I could not confirm the 2026 count or the Sindelfingen site.
Udo Snack in Stuttgart’s burger scene today
Udo Snack is the heritage pick in a crowded field. In January 2023 the Stuttgarter Zeitung counted about 60 burger restaurants in Stuttgart, six of them opened in the previous year. For the full picture, see our Stuttgart burger guide hub.
- Classic Rock Café (David Blanco) has served burgers since 1995.
- Oh my Burger (Cuma Keklek) has been at Olgaeck since 2018.
- Buddiez started in Bensheim in 2019 before Michael Melake brought it to Stuttgart-Ost.
- Stuggi Town Burgers (Nurhak Özgül) closed after eleven years.
- Burgerheart on Tübinger Straße 8 opened in April 2019 and had closed by September 2024.
The Falstaff Street Food Guide Germany 2024 picks Buddiez, Smashburger 0711 and Ruff’s Burger among the best burgers in Stuttgart. Those are the newer wave. Udo Snack plays a different game, and I would not judge it by smash-burger standards.
Stuttgart burger scene compared: Udo Snack (since 1964), Classic Rock Café (burgers since 1995), Oh my Burger (Olgaeck, since 2018), Buddiez (Bensheim 2019, Falstaff 2024), Smashburger 0711 and Ruff’s Burger (Falstaff 2024) (Table: Burger Breton, data from Falstaff Street Food Guide Germany 2024 and Stuttgarter Zeitung (2023))
Is Udo Snack worth a visit?
Yes, if you want Stuttgart’s burger history on a tray, and if you phone first. It is the original, it is central, and in 2024 it was still giving VfB fans free fries. Go for the story and the Pommes Weiß-Rot. If you want a crusty smash patty and a brioche bun, skip it and head to one of Falstaff’s picks.
How I researched this profile
I did not rate Udo Snack: I could not verify a current menu, and this profile is not based on a recent visit. Every fact here comes from dated sources, cross-checked on 7 October 2026: the Stuttgarter Zeitung (2023 and 2024), Stuttgart-Marketing’s tourism listing, Stars and Stripes (2012), Falstaff (2024) and the Michelin Guide. Where only one source supports a fact, I say so. I left out aggregated review scores and unverified recipe details such as patty weight or beef origin.
More burger guides near Stuttgart
Stuttgart is one of several German-speaking burger cities we cover. Compare it with our hubs for Berlin, Düsseldorf, Leipzig and Dresden, or read our guide to the best burgers in Vienna.
Crossing into Switzerland? Our Holy Cow! Basel profile covers a Swiss burger chain. For a Michelin-starred chef who does put a burger on the menu, read our profile of Ron Gastrobar in Amsterdam. Or browse every guide on the Restaurants hub.
FAQ
What is the oldest burger restaurant in Stuttgart?
Udo Snack is Stuttgart’s oldest burger joint. Udo Höroldt opened a chip stand on Bolzstraße in 1962 and Udo-Snack on Calwer Straße in 1964, and it served burgers before McDonald’s reached the city.
Who founded Udo Snack, and when?
Udo Höroldt, a Saxon who fled to the West, founded it. His first chip stand opened in 1962 and Udo-Snack on Calwer Straße followed in 1964. He died in 1989, aged 50.
Did Udo Snack serve burgers before McDonald’s came to Stuttgart?
Yes. The Stuttgarter Zeitung reports that Udo Snack sold burgers long before McDonald’s, which it dates to 1978 in Stuttgart.
Where is Udo Snack, and what are its opening hours?
The downtown branch is at Calwer Str. 23, 70173 Stuttgart (+49 711 226 98 94). Tourism listings give Mon–Thu 11:00–21:00, Fri–Sat 11:00–23:00 and Sun/holidays 12:00–19:00. The listing is undated, so call before visiting. A second branch trades in Stuttgart-Ost.
Who owns Udo Snack today?
As of November 2024, Gill Ramandeep (60%) and Jens Caspar (40%) owned the Calwer Straße branch. Christos Chatzopoulos has run the Stuttgart-Ost branch since 1985. They are separate operators.
Is Pop’s Burger the same as Udo Snack?
No. Pop’s Burger is a family spin-off: Christos Chatzopoulos’s children took the Udo Snack burger from the Ost branch into full-service restaurants in the Stuttgart region, including Esslingen and Ludwigsburg.
How much does a burger cost at Udo Snack?
No current price list could be verified. In 2012, burgers cost €2.50 to €6.00. At Pop’s Burger in 2023, burgers ran from €4.90 to €12.90.
What is Pommes Weiß-Rot?
It is fries with mayonnaise (white) and ketchup (red), the colours of VfB Stuttgart. It is Udo Snack’s signature side.
Is INTENSE by Benjamin Peifer in Stuttgart?
No. INTENSE is in Wachenheim an der Weinstraße, in the Palatinate, about 100 km from Stuttgart. It is a two-Michelin-star tasting-menu restaurant, not a burger restaurant.
Where can I find the best burger in Stuttgart?
For history, go to Udo Snack. For the newer scene, Falstaff’s 2024 guide picks Buddiez, Smashburger 0711 and Ruff’s Burger. Our Stuttgart hub collects every guide we publish on the city.
