Merlin GmbH in Lübeck

I've known this snack bar since childhood, but unfortunately, it's gone downhill. The prices are significantly overpriced, the portions are smaller, and the taste is mediocre. The value for money is no longer acceptable. It's simply too expensive for what you get. You're better off going to a restaurant; it's just as expensive, but at least the food is freshly cooked. The pizza is just thick dough with no flavor.

On Christmas Eve 2025, we ordered two half-roasted ducks with gravy, red cabbage, and potatoes. The food was absolutely delicious! 😋 The portion was more than generous, and the price was right. 👍 Thank you for the great offer; we'll definitely order again. 🤗

I picked up something for home again. As always, the staff at the counter were super friendly and the quality was top-notch. Highly recommended.

I tried again today. Anyone who calls this a bratwurst clearly sees the customer as an enemy, not a customer! What a waste of this grill. I'm definitely never going back!

I'm so disappointed... I ordered takeout today and unfortunately had to throw half of it away. The order: 1 pizza, which was "okay," 1 schnitzel (hunter's style), currywurst with bread, and 1 Merlin's cheese pastry. These are all simple dishes, and what could possibly go wrong, I thought... Well, apparently quite a lot. The schnitzel was missing lemon and sauce. And no, there wasn't too little sauce... There was absolutely none! :/ The currywurst was so-so, and it didn't come with bread. Instead, there were fried potatoes, which nobody ordered. (Yes, some might think I should be happy about the fried potatoes... No! If nobody eats them, they just throw them away. That's not sustainable.) But by far the worst thing was the so-called Merlin's cheese pastry. Basically a calzone... The ingredients should have been: tomato sauce, bell peppers, mushrooms, coleslaw, feta cheese, and regular cheese. What I received: A pizza pocket filled with about three small strips of bell pepper and a tablespoon of ground beef. The rest of the space was filled with coleslaw and loads of sliced ​​onions. Firstly, the product description didn't mention ground beef and onions, and secondly, all the other ingredients were missing. We used to enjoy stopping by Merlin's for takeout or even eating in. That's going to change now. We'd rather go to a kebab shop. They prepare everything right in front of you, and you leave full and satisfied. And finally: I understand that working in the restaurant industry is often very stressful and that mistakes can happen in the heat of the moment... But this definitely should have been handled better. I hope the Merlin team takes this criticism to heart and works on it so that such mistakes can be avoided in the future.

Probably one of the best snack bars in Lübeck. Prices are OK, it's fast, the food is tasty, and the tables and benches are almost always clean.

I've been going to Merlin's since I was little. It used to be the best place ever. Unfortunately, the food isn't as good anymore. The tzatziki tastes like quark. The crispy chicken bites used to be so delicious. Now they're just these pre-made orange nuggets. The pizza is good. The fries are okay, but there are better ones.

A must-visit for over 20 years whenever I'm in Lübeck – which is far too infrequent! Great meat dishes, superb salads, fair prices, and (mostly... 😉) friendly, efficient staff who quickly fulfill your requests. The only problem: the parking situation. But pre-ordering a parking spot from the universe usually helps!

I've known Merlin for a very long time, ever since the place opened. It used to be packed, but a few years ago the management obviously changed, and it's not as great anymore. I still go there occasionally, around lunchtime before heading home. The number of customers is quite manageable compared to before. It's usually down to management. Why change something that's worked well for so many years? I'll never understand that.

Perfect for a quick bite. The service is very friendly, and even during peak hours there's always time for a smile.

I've never had such bad food. The schnitzel was so inedible. It barely passed the fryer and was then doused in béarnaise sauce and left to float. The gyro was small pieces of roast pork, bone dry, and inedible with tzatziki. We order from Lieferando very often, and I've never had such a bad meal there. It was a big decision for us to never eat there again.

As always, the queue dissolved surprisingly quickly, and as always, the food tasted very good (currywurst/fries).

As always, super fast, great quality food.

Absolutely top recommendation I always enjoy coming here for dinner

Nice service, but the food has deteriorated considerably over the years, but there are no decent snack bars in Lübeck, so it is still by far the best in Lübeck

Gyro burger is an absolute joke, 6 tiny pieces of meat, more onion rings than meat.

The food has always been super delicious, as far as I can remember. The daily specials are always very unusual, and the portions are more than adequate for the price. Above all, the staff is very friendly and always in a good mood. I really enjoy coming here; many other snack bars should take a leaf out of their book on how a snack bar should and can operate. Thank you for this 😊👍🙋🏽‍♂️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Fries are okay! The chicken tastes like the smell in the store. The coleslaw is mediocre. Everything used to be good.

This is now one of the nicest snack bars in Lübeck, the staff is always very friendly even when stressed, things move quickly even when the snack bar is busy, it's a shame that there is only one here in Lübeck

Yes, definitely. Delicious, fast, and we'd love to visit again. Keep it up.

Super delicious currywurst! Highly recommended! :-)

Unfortunately, the fries haven't been cooked all the way through lately, so you get cold fries. Perhaps the staff should leave the fries in the fryer for an extra minute! The fries aren't edible like this. Every kebab shop has much better fries. Think about it.

Fries dry and tables not clean ‼️

I haven't eaten such a mushy lump of fries, ketchup and mayo in a long time.

The food is delicious, and you get it very quickly, but when you look at the prices, you wonder if it's worth it... I paid more than 17 euros for a schnitzel, some fries, and a drink! I could have gotten that elsewhere for 12 euros... Well, it used to be cheaper anyway, but you have to tell everything as it is right now.

Good food, especially the lunch menu. Always good, plentiful, and varied. The staff is always friendly and up for a joke, especially with the regulars. And not all "old" people are grumpy. I'd rather go to a place where the staff is nice to me than have to go to the basement to laugh. Some customers also enjoy a bit harsher jokes. And yes, in day-to-day business, except for lunch, there can be mistakes, or not everything always tastes consistently "right." But we should be glad that Merlin exists; where else are there snack bars that serve more than just doner kebabs and succubus? And the ladies who roll their eyes are probably referring to me. They'll get it twice as much from me, though. ;-)

We ordered takeout for the first time in ages. Unfortunately, the food was completely dry—half a chicken, the fries were soaked with grease, and the spit roast had a completely soft crust. It used to be a truly iconic snack bar, but now you can't order anything there anymore.

Unfortunately, we went for currywurst and fries today; it tasted awful. Never again for me!!!!!

Delicious food at reasonable prices. It's very busy, like a train station. But it's fast and clean. Some of the female employees deserve a thumbs-up. The tone is commanding and it's very quick...you feel like you have to apologize for possibly having a question.

There's a difference between a giant currywurst and a fried currywurst... there's also a difference between soggy fries and fried potatoes. The staff is neither able to take orders correctly nor, after repeated corrections and questions, serve the order correctly. This is a disgrace, and it's not the first time it's happened! It's best to only order here if you don't care what you eat anyway...

Definitely the last time! The food was insufficient, and the quality and taste were poor. The staff were dirty and rude.

If I could, I wouldn't give it a star. Unfriendly, loud, and the food was served. Aside from that, it didn't taste good. Simply awful!

Bad food and incredibly unfriendly staff!

We eat there every now and then. The pizza is absolutely delicious. Unfortunately, they only serve it on Thursdays. I liked the atmosphere better before the last renovation. But you don't stay there very long.

The salesperson/waitress with her dyed-black hair, dark voice, and piercing in her right lower lip makes a relaxed visit impossible. Her treatment of older customers, in particular, is rude, cheeky, eye-rolling, and condescending. I've witnessed this several times. I won't eat here again.

Merlin used to be a great snack bar. If snack bar, then Merlin. We were nearby and were happy. The unfriendliness of the staff was quite striking. Not all of them, but the majority, are probably unhappy there. There's usually a reason why employees are in a bad mood. To eat: Roast pork with crackling, potato wedges Ribs, potato wedges, coleslaw Homemade meatball with fried potatoes No exaggeration: the taste of everything ranged from inedible to completely unacceptable. The meatballs were probably a mixture of meat, then put in a blender, then made into a frika. Totally soft. If they were even homemade, I can't say. Fried potatoes were still the best part of all the meals. But they weren't like they used to be. Totally small, completely soggy in fat. The potato wedges only worked with mayo, so you couldn't taste the actual flavor. They would have been inedible otherwise. The ribs were in a sauce that tasted more like cheap ketchup than anything else. Of course, taste is a matter of opinion and everyone has different preferences, but we will never eat there again. There's a definitive statement about quality: I usually finish all the plates, but I'm not like that. I'm happy when my wife and kids leave something left over. I didn't even finish mine. I feel sorry for the people in the store, but that was awful.

A friend recommended the grill to us. What you get, at least where we live, is fast food put together from wholesalers. You can get lucky depending on which product you order on site, or which goods the operator purchases from wholesalers, how high the throughput is at the snack bar, and how the food is prepared. It wasn't right for us. The quality of the burger is on the level of a simple hamburger from McDonald's. The meat is thawed from a bulk pack, ketchup, that's fine. The burger bun is standard, so it's okay. The coleslaw is too sweet for our taste, the pita meat is good, the bread is relatively dry. The price of 3.90 for water/cola/etc. is unacceptable for a snack bar. The staff was very nice, but we were bothered by the frequent references to the more expensive dishes.

Very tasty food, good burgers and schnitzel.

The most unfriendly staff ever. You order food that arrives cold, only to get a new dish with raw meat. Impossible. Then you complain and are confronted with the statement, "Then you shouldn't come here anymore." Total mass processing. I've rarely seen anything so antisocial. I had to stare here because otherwise I wouldn't have been able to write a review! This "restaurant" doesn't deserve a single star.

Lunch sold out at 12:30 PM!!! We had arranged to meet there a week ago for pork knuckle. They just said "all sold out." The dish was still on the board, though. How do they plan and buy when the dish is supposedly already sold out? We went there specifically for that reason and were very disappointed. Conclusion: You shouldn't go there with high expectations for a meal.

Absolutely disappointed after today! Rude checkout, and the food came in batches. The hot dog and burger were even cold... I've never experienced anything like that before and hope it doesn't happen again. The schnitzel, on the other hand, was, as you'd expect, amazing... There was nothing going on that would justify the possibility of any food issues.

Merlin is the place to go for fast, good, and varied food. Everyone will find something they like here! Since the renovation, it's also been comfortable to sit in, and it's clean. What I particularly like is the friendliness, attentiveness, and motivation of the staff. Marcel particularly caught my eye—he's truly brilliant!

I ate pizza for the last time! The pizza is so oily!! Wobbly! From all the garlic oil! It's not even crispy anymore! Totally soft!! I had to use a paper towel to try and get all the oil off the pizza!!!! You only taste garlic! Nothing else! I'm so angry! They specifically ask you how much oil, but you don't say that much! Did your ladle slip or something?!!!! I ate it for the last time!

Very good food....friendly service...fits 👍

Highly recommended. Friendly service, attractive ambience. The food tastes like home-made. Fresh ingredients and decent portions at a reasonable price. Varied lunch menu. Something for everyone. So go and enjoy yourself!

I've known the snack bar since it opened. I used to get my fries there when I was a little kid. The snack bar used to have a dark pub feel with deep hanging lights above the tables 🙂 Despite the renovation and a bright ambience, you can still sit comfortably. I also think the food is delicious across the board. A nice alternative to the kebab shops popping up on every corner. I hope you make the next 50 years full too! Glad you exist!

I have been a customer for 30 years, but yesterday I ate a tuna pizza with my family and we had a terrible evening, thanks to the tuna pizza we got food poisoning, even my 5 year old son.

I bought half a chicken to take away on Thursday and even got a piece. When I got home I knew why the half was bad. I am very disappointed

After a long time we were here again and experienced a real disappointment. Hardly anything has changed in terms of the ambience and the busy staff, but we were shocked by the cutlery. It wasn't clean, but it was greasy. The food looked good, but the taste was bland. The gyros barely seasoned in dry pita bread and the schnitzel also had little taste, except for the fat. It's a shame, as Merlin always had a good reputation. But after this meal it can no longer hold it.

The food is always delicious and the staff are particularly excellent. Every time snappy and super friendly 😍

The food (gyros) was very, very little at first (4 months ago there was twice as much meat) and it only tasted like a spice 🤢 and it has also become more expensive. Until recently it was still good to eat, but yesterday I bought it for €39 and it wasn't tasty at all 🤢 even the knuckle had no taste 🤢

A typical snack bar, nothing special, nothing really bad

Large selection and no matter what you take, everything tastes good. Very nice and friendly staff.

Delicious food, quick preparation. A very good snack bar, but it's too cold for me to eat on site.

The portion of fries for 3.40 is small, the taste is okay The man at the counter was friendly The shop looks in need of a bit of an overhaul, musty, greasy, sticky - it's a shame...

This restaurant prepares barbecue in a special way, especially grilled chicken.

Fast, tasty, reasonably priced.

Snack culture that you can hardly find anymore. Very very good selection and quality. 🤤👍

Yes! Super fresh, diverse selection of salads that you can put together yourself and serve.

Nice service, delicious food, delicious schnitzel with paprika sauce, fresh fries, what more could you want. Unfortunately a bit far away 30km a bit too expensive for a burger or gypsy schnitzel. Please open a branch in Boltenhagen. There is nowhere near as tasty a snack as Merlin.

Das Essen war so schlecht , die Pommes waren noch fast roh und das Hähnchenschnitzel war so hart das man das nicht beißen konnte . Merlin war damals mal sehr lecker aber heute nur noch Grotten schlecht

If anyone is wondering why Germany isn't known for its good food, this place is doing its best to keep it that way. Chips that have been flattened beyond recognition amaze many physicists and prove that there are two-dimensional objects in our three-dimensional space. Fries are like fries are, sometimes better, sometimes worse - you can hardly expect more. The honor is saved by the salads, which are fresh and good. Unfortunately, however, an imaginative amount of sauce comes into play, covering half the plate like a blanket and imposing its cruelly average taste. In terms of taste, it is a full bouquet of butter, butter with a delicate hint of butter. After the first bite, you start anxiously looking for the quickest way to the toilet, hoping that it isn't busy. Nevertheless, the bar has many fans and lovers of mediocre but quick cuisine. So don't let yourself be misled and think about whether your culinary taste is really as boring as the food served here.

Solid snack. Tasty and reasonable prices.

The gyro plate has to be used every now and then. A classic.

Really a great “cult snack bar” at the Kaufhof that is rarely found today💪

Just like you imagine a well-kept grill snack bar. Service is top, food is delicious and the restaurant is very tidy and well maintained. Whenever the craving for grilled chicken makes it difficult to think, Merlin is the savior in an emergency. Thank you and stay as you are

Upscale snack bar. The food is very tasty.

Cheap snack bar... cheap meat, employees laugh at you if you want a pizza on Tuesday. It doesn't say on the menu or on the website that pizza is only made for a certain period of time. There's mainly only extremely fatty food, even the salad tastes like a deep fryer... you can get something there in case of an emergency.

Staff friendly food was very tasty

Best quick snack, wide selection.😁

Before the fire it was dark and confusing. Today it is nice and friendly and bright, with a clear layout. Plenty of staff, fast service. Spit roast as it should be. Good mayonnaise Unfortunately dry gyros

Despite the change in ownership, there has been no real improvement in the food. Prices are rising sharply... Conclusion after 5 years: Rating has gone up significantly. Food is delicious, prices are ok, staff is very friendly and helpful. So 5 stars from me...

Very solid selection of food. Even quite inexpensive for snack bars. Food tasted very good. I'd love to come back. But nothing special here.

After some colleagues and friends told me how "great" this snack bar was... I was doubly disappointed! The schnitzel was good, no question. The fried potatoes were so salty that it felt like I was sucking salt crystals. At home the fries were just a potato mass without any seasoning. After eating the "food" I woke up at night because I was so dehydrated and sat awake for 2 hours... Let's be honest: Do you taste your food??? It was really a disaster!! Never again!

I love the schnitzels. Great food!!!

Nice bright and clean takeaway restaurant. The staff is always nice, attentive and quick, even in the most stressful times you never have the feeling of being rushed or in a bad mood. The food is always fresh and delicious. The fresh salad counter is unparalleled in terms of quality and selection. All I can say is top 1+

Ate currywurst with fries after a long time - delicious

I've known the snack bar from the beginning. Always a must when I'm in Lübeck. Unsurpassed.

I just ate the gyros. Doesn't taste good at all. Big chunks, poorly seasoned. Everything else was very good as always

The pizza is still as good as it was 10 years ago. The toilets are clean and always welcome. Thumbs up from me and enjoy it

The store has been here for decades. Fast, tasty, friendly and inexpensive.

Unfortunately, the price-performance ratio is no longer right. The currywurst was often burnt, as were the fries and the pizza base. Only the ladies and gentlemen behind the counter are very nice, friendly and hard-working.

A snack bar that rightly bears the title “cult”. The food, no matter what, was great. The staff was very friendly, helpful and accommodating, the store was very clean and the price-performance ratio was second to none. I'll go there more often, thank you

Fast, tastier food, friendly staff, affordable prices, what more could you want☺️👍❤️

An old-established snack bar and always friendly service. Delicious food at reasonable prices and huge portions. Still a must for me when I'm back in my old hometown.

Everything delicious. Gladly again.

Good selection of dishes, very tasty dishes at a reasonable price. Fast service, lots of cash registers and enough dining area with seating.

So if you go there without much expectation, it's okay. The sauce was partly cold, the meat was not too expensive due to the children's magic box, but the 5 nuggets pair of fries were a super cheap toy. I have no idea, I thought €7.50 was too much. The schnitzels were too hard and the salad wasn't the real deal either 😅 There are worse things but also better things 🙈

Price performance is right, food tastes great

Bester Spießbraten ever Wir haben vor Ort in Lübeck gegessen und es hat super geschmeckt. Meine Frau und ich wohnen jetzt in Schwaben. Leider findet sich solch ein Imbiss hier nicht.

Had chicken today. Was super tasty. The food at the other tables also looked very tasty. The ambience suits the cult snack bar. Simple but clean. Friendly staff serve you. Prices are okay

We wanted to give Merlin another chance. Well, enthusiasm is something different. The two schnitzels were lukewarm (they used to be really hot). The fries were good. My daughter wanted flatbread with cheese gratin, but she was told it wasn't available. Maybe the menu should be updated. Strangely enough, the schnitzels were already ready. Previously, they were only made when they were ordered. Never again

If you like raw fries and a cold schnitzel, Merlin is the right place for you. It takes 4 minutes from the time the food is ordered to the time it is served, so the food cannot be warm or well done. Never again!!!!

Shop before opening hours 7:30 p.m. instead of 8 p.m On a Wednesday

Absolute cult in Lübeck, I come several times a year to get food, sometimes I also eat on site. The staff is friendly. The cleanliness is variable but the business puts customers first.

Well...I really wouldn't call it a cult. The food was average, really nothing special and way too expensive (yes prices are rising everywhere, but here you pay a little more for what?)

Nice service, great delicious food

A normal snack bar, you are served quickly and the food is okay, not a highlight. You can argue about the ambience, but it doesn't appeal to me, you feel like you're at the train station

Merlin's fast food joint is closed too often. Due to lack of staff. Or there is no pitza, not for days, due to a lack of staff. When it's open, all the staff are friendly.

Bought pizza and was completely disappointed. Where is the cheese??? Staff unfriendly!