After our walk around downtown Cleveland, my friends and I were ready for lunch. We decided on a place that we had visited once before. Just a short walk away was the Hofbrauhaus Cleveland. The tavern / restaurant is a franchise of the famous Hofbrauhaus (Royal Brewery) in Munich, Germany. The original was founded in 1589 by Duke Wilhelm V of Bavaria, and centuries later remains popular with locals and visitors alike. (Even though I am not a beer drinker, when I visited Munich some years ago, I had lunch at the original Hofbrauhaus. Although I was fearful that it would be a tourist trap, my meal was quite good.)
After World War II, franchises opened in other cities in Germany as well as in the United States, Australia, Asia, and even Brazil.
Cleveland's Hofbrauhaus is a cavernous beer hall with long tables. Fortunately, we were there before the Saturday night crowds arrived. When it is busy, and a German band is playing, the place is an echo chamber, and it is hard to have a conversation.
Three of us had schnitzel for lunch. Duffy ordered the traditional Wienerschnitzel.
Gayle and I both had the "jaeger schnitzel" covered with a mushroom gravy, served atop spaetzle, and with a side of cranberry orange relish.
Frank ordered the Nuremburg würst (sausage) served with sauerkraut and mashed potatoes.
For dessert, the other three had apple strudel, but I ordered the Black Forest cake. I usually don't often order cake in a restaurant, because too often it has been sitting too long and is dried out. But this was delicious!
We were all very happy with our meals. In the past, I have preferred Das Schnitzel Haus, a German restaurant closer to home. But in my last couple of visits there I thought that the quality of the food had gone downhill, and a couple of my favorite dishes were no longer on the menu. On this visit to the Hofbrauhaus, the meal was exceptionally tasty, so I would say that it is now my favorite German restaurant in the Cleveland area.
It was a delicious ending to our excursion to downtown Cleveland!
YUM! My maiden name is Schmidt and I remember many good German meals growing up. My Dad was a great cook and loved to make all things German. There actually is a German restaurant in San Miguel called Berlin that has great food. Haven't been there in a long time as it is difficult for me to get to it.
ReplyDeleteMy mom was one quarter German and one quarter Swiss. The one German dish that she made frequently were spaetzle. Hers were the best I have ever eaten, but unfortunately she did not write down the recipe.
DeleteI remember the old Hofbrau Haus on East 55, I believe. It had a very authentic atmosphere, and I remember having a wonderful time on a field trip in high school, organized by a teacher. That was when teachers could do such enriching experiences with their students.
ReplyDeleteI went to the old Hofbrau Haus a couple of times. The first time was a Christmas celebration with teachers from school, and it was great. The second time, quite a few years later, the place had really gone downhill. But I am happy to report that the new place is very good. (Not to mention it's very convenient to Playhouse Square.)
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