Melanie F.
Yelp
It was a nice May day, and my hubby and I dined for a dinner for the first time in Hofbräu München / Bierhaus NYC. They had some interesting specials, including a grapefruit beer.
I had stopped by previously and had a snack here, but this was my first legit "meal" here.
This place has atmosphere in spades. I love that the decor (flags/drapes) matches the German vibe matches the music. Most restaurants these days have music that sort of "undercuts" the vibe of the cuisine they are serving. This one did not. Big points here. But in my opinion, the music was far too loud. I might be in the minority on this one because I'm a bit sensitive to blaring music, but it annoyed me and made me want to get the check a lot faster. Even if you aren't sensitive to the noise--it makes it very hard to have a conversation. (I did pop some earplugs in, so I didn't need to complain or bolt.) So thumbs WAY up on the band, thumbs down on the decibel level.
The service was solid. I'd been here before and had iffy service, but this time our server was friendly and on point. I think his name was Mark and he was from England--props to himǃ I appreciated that they made me a mint lemonade which wasn't on the menu -- and was refreshing and delicious.
Sidebar I know the servers don't tend to be German or speak German -- but I would like to see the staff be able to say the names of dishes in a more authentic way. It would contribute to the German vibe.
The food... Hmmm... From what I've tried, I'd say the food ranges from "pretty good" to "just okay." Previously, I had a great pretzel with mustard, beer cheese, and a side of "Obatzda" -- now THAT was tasty. But for dinner... I didn't have as much luck. The Brussels Sprouts (with apples, etc.) not bad. Also not memorable. The Caesar salad (admittedly, not the most authentic choice in a German join) -- way too much dressing and very "soppy." The flatbread with the mascarpone and bacon sounded excellent on paper but tasted more like fast food. The quality of the crust and cheese were lacking. It had a certain dogfood-y taste, so I wouldn't try that one again. The sausage/wurst with cheese in it was tasty and more on par with what the place is good at...which makes sense because it's more traditionally German. The sauerkraut it came with was GREATǃ And I don't typically like sauerkraut. My husband liked the side of mashed potatoes but I did not -- so we were split on that one. I'll say if you like umami flavors and "hearty" meals, you'd probably enjoy that. And for dessert, we had the apple cake with vanilla icecream--it was okay. Warm and decent flavors but not super fresh or interesting.
My husband very much enjoyed the flight of beers. And I am not a beer drinker, but even I liked the grapefruit beer concoction that substituted for one of the beers. Shout because it was very nice of them to accommodate the special requestǃ
We had some liquors after dinner like Goldschläger (which I just found out isn't German but Swiss) and Rumple Minze (which is German) -- because I was curious mainly. I love the array of interesting selections. I will say (and I'm not the expert here) but the way they were served (in a big honking glass but filled about a third of the way) made it seem cheap and unattractive. Sometimes it's all in the presentation.
After we left, my feeling was that I had a great time, definitely felt full/satiated, but I walked away with this sentiment "If I'm gonna go out and eat food that isn't super healthy, I rather eat something that is super delicious." And keepin' it real, this wasn't a good tradeoff.
All in all, if you're a foodie or a healthy eater, I don't think you'll have the options you're seeking. But, if you like to drink beers and have appetizers (like big German PRETZELSǃ) in a festive environment, while listening to some talented musicians, you may really enjoy yourself here. I'd recommend coming to this place with a group of friends, especially if they're from out of town and want to experience a diversity of NYC vibes.