Lundgrens Garage

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

Follow the smell of smoke down Köpmangatan in Borgholm and you'll find Lundgrens Garage — a place with, as White Guide puts it, "Borgholm's fiercest heart and soul." The philosophy here is straightforward and uncompromising: food should take time, both to cook and to eat. The meal is where people meet, where conversation thrives, and the guest is always at the centre of it.

The Low-and-Slow Philosophy

Lundgrens Garage draws its inspiration from Southern USA BBQ culture, applying patience and smoke to meat, fish, seafood and vegetables alike. The technique is "low and slow" — long cooking at low temperature, with smoke from various hardwoods added for depth. It is, in the restaurant's own words, what barbecue actually means. Anything that isn't smoked is clearly flagged on the menu, a small but telling detail that speaks to how seriously the kitchen takes its craft.

The crown jewel is the brisket, which goes into the smoker for 18 to 20 hours. The result is an outer edge that turns seductively black — crisp and chewy — while the meat underneath stays packed with flavour and melts at the touch. It arrives, as all hot dishes do, on an aluminium tray. Burnt ends, baby back ribs, kolgrillad pluma and house-made sausages also make regular appearances, rotating with what's available and what the team feels like firing up that week.

Seven Smokers and a Courtyard

Step into the cozy courtyard and you'll count no fewer than seven large grills and smokers lined up and ready. Sawdust and charcoal are visible throughout — the briquettes, reportedly, are best stored in the toilet. It's that kind of place: confident, a little irreverent, and completely serious about its American cuisine.

The atmosphere runs to American rock on the speakers and staff who are, by all accounts, super-friendly, fast and attentive — weaving between tables and groups without losing the relaxed energy that makes Lundgrens feel like a genuine gathering place rather than just a restaurant.

Recognition That Means Something

White Guide's Fine level recognition confirms what regulars on Öland already know: this is one of the most distinctive American cuisine destinations in Sweden. Dogs are welcome as long as their owners behave, the outdoor seating fills up fast, and the brisket sells out — so the advice from the kitchen itself stands: get there before it's gone.