Chris A.
Yelp
Updating my review from six years ago. I loved it then. I still love it now.
We came here one evening for a nice dinner with family. We've always loved the location, as it is right smack dab in the middle of the very stroll-able downtown Sanford. I always check out the local art co-op and the used book store when I'm within one mile of downtown Sanford. I love it.
Nestled right in the middle of the little empire that Hollerbach's is building, is the flagship restaurant. You can't miss it. The patio is huge and stunning and fun-looking. The inside feel like you're in some sort of German wood cabin. Very warm and inviting, with various German knickknacks all over the walls.
Giant windows outlooking onto the street, rows and rows of communal bench-style seating that forces you to sit next to strangers, and the big stage at the front of the restaurant for live music really set off the aesthetic for this place. One of the best in Orlando. Not kidding.
As for service, I'm sure they have to staff as minimally as possible. Budget cuts and the state of the economy and all. But our poor server was run absolutely ragged with the amount of tables he was serving that night. It was a Saturday night, probably the busiest night of the week for them, but still, I hope someone called out and this wasn't their standard staffing model.
In the end, though, we never went without refills for long, and the food still came out, and while it wasn't right, our server made it right the moment we asked him. Bravo to this guy. He earned his tip that night, that's for sure.
As for the food. I cannot say enough how good it was. It's not Michelin star butter poached snapper or anything, but what they attempt to do, they achieve at a six star level of execution. The finest German food I've ever had.
We started off with the Riesenbreze (Gigantic Bavarian pretzel served with sweet mustard and Obazda, a savory spread made with cream cheese, onions, sweet paprika, beer and Gemütlichkeit!).
Just amazing. This giant thing had it all. The crispy exterior of a pretzel, the chewy inside, just the right amount of large salt sprinkled on top. And then the dips. The classic mustard that everyone looks to, and a very interesting spread that was very creamy and papriky, beery spread that I ate all up and licked the plate. Very good.
My main course was the Jäger Schnitzel (A rich Hunter's pan sauce of brown gravy, wine, sautéed mushrooms and onions - with Spätzle mit Jäger gravy
and Sweet Red Cabbage).
This thing was massive, pounded flat, and fried to a crisp perfection. So perfect that even the thin meat inside wasn't even dry. Lovely. Even if it was dry, the deep, umami brown sauce would have taken care of that. Very nice pairing, and a very good pairing with the spätzle, those yummy little egg noodles. I loved this dish. It's in the running for what might be my last meal on earth if I got to choose.
I also got to sample the Alpiner Schnitzel (Topped with Emmenthaler Swiss cheese and smoked ham with Heaven & Earth Potatoes and Gasthaus Salat).
This was very nice as well. Same, lovely meat cutlet, but covered with a very potent smoked ham and a very Swissy Swiss cheese. No sauce, but none necessary. Served along with the best mashed potatoes I've ever had in my life.
Looking back, I've said a lot of nice things about Hollerbach's, and I meant every single one of them. This five star review kind of makes me want to look back and make other five star reviews of mine down to four stars. This place really shined, and I can't wait to come back.