| Location: | Josef |
| Website: | https://josef-villach.at/ |
| Address: | Treffner Straße 100, 9500 Villach |
| Status: | Open (last checked on 19 September 2026) |
| Eaten: | "Original Josef‘s Ripperln am Holzbrett," French fries, small mixed salad, three beers (Josef‘s dunkles Doppelmalz) |
Spare ribs are a rare dish that often gets better the more you eat them. Once one gets into a routine of cutting the ribs off one by one, dipping them into sauces and sucking the meat off them (or carefully removing the meat with a knife and a fork, as I prefer), the enjoyment steadily grows until satiation takes over.
Josef’s Ripperln were, unfortunately, an exception by deteriorating with time. The first impression was good – the rack was nicely presented on a wooded board, a sharp knife was provided, and the initial bite revealed a hint of a pretty good marinade. The flavor of the marinade faded away soon, however, leaving well-grilled but rather dry and bland meat. The sauces did not bring much improvement: the white garlic one was not strong enough, while the BBQ one tasted industrial – exactly like I had remembered it from a dozen of other restaurants.
Pricewise, the spare ribs were a good deal, but note that they came with no side dishes at all. I cannot recommend French fries, for they were very standard and boring (though coming with ketchup that served as a poor third sauce), but my mixed salad turned out very fresh and having a delicious dressing.
Though the ribs did not excite me (but they were not a mega-disappointment either), the restaurant itself left a really good impression but featuring a very green and shady garden and serving a wide choice of beers, including “house specials.” A modest walk from the center of Villach, it is a good place for a relaxing lunch or dinner with a lot of beer.