The Hofbrau
If you are ever in Munich, you need to stop by the world famous Hofbrau. It is a magical place filled with great food, great people and great beer. I will get more into all of these below, but I would kill for a large Dunkel and a pretzel right about now. So, how did I end up here you may ask? My friend Daniel from Germany suggested I venture on over. I can say I’m so glad I listen to my friends. Now that I am thinking about it, they should be glad too. I highly recommend it to everyone who is looking to visit Germany. The best time to go is during Oktoberfest. Although it’s the busiest time of year, nothing else will ever come close in comparison for the self-proclaimed beer enthusiast. You just need to grab some friends and your lederhosen and let the fun begin.
The Brews
The Hofbrauhaus Munich offers a small but delectable selection of beers. There is Original, Dunkel, Weisse and Oktoberfest. The last one is only available for about a one month out of the year. Other than that, it is fairly easy to pick your poison. Original is light beer. Dunkel is dark beer. And for those with a gluten allergy, Weisse is German for wheat beer. The beers come in two sizes of glass steins, large and small. If you happen to be having a few beers with the guys, you should know size does matter. My personal favorite was the dark beer. It was the first style of German beers ever brewed. You can just taste the history.
The Food
Traditional Hofbrau food is exquisite Bavarian cuisine. It’s not that Americanized cafeteria food your grandmother is use to eating. The Hofbrau was built to serve the royal court, so you know the food is great. You can expect lots of meat, veggies and carbs. The menu changes with the seasons. For example, the restaurant currently has a special Lent menu. The restaurant has menus in both German and English. However, I had a waiter that didn’t speak English who gave me a menu in German. I had to point to an item on the menu. Turns out, I really like pigs ear. It was super delicious. My favorite item on the menu are the pretzels. The beer wenches carry them in baskets fresh out the oven and they are only five Euros.
The Ambiance
The restaurant is a tourist site in its own right. There are plenty of tourist that line up outside and take pictures. However, the real party is inside. Walking into the Hofbrau, you are typically greeted by a live band usually playing polka music. Amazingly, it is a mix crowd of locals and tourist. Most of the restaurant is communal seating. It is done on a first come, first serve basis with the exception of the regulars who own the table. As long as the table does not fill up, you can sit with the regulars. It is a great way to make some new friends and hear some amazing stories. Going directly through the bottom level, you will enter the beer garden. It is not as crazy as inside, but it can be when the weather is nice. Bottom line, this place is a must when visiting Munich.
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