Four hundred years after Bavarian Kings started brewing beer in Germany, der Staatliche’s Hofbrauhaus in Munich has licensed its recipes in Columbus, Ohio. The Hofbrauhaus in Columbus offers authentic Bavarian beer, German cuisine, traditional German music, and a festive atmosphere in a city that used to only celebrate its German ancestry at Oktoberfest in the Fall.
Location: 800 Goodale Blvd., Columbus, Ohio (in the Grandview Yard neighborhood)
Menu: Whether schnitzel, wurst, sauerbraten or spätzle is your favorite German dish, you will find it here in the form of entrees, soups, salads, or sandwiches. This is true German fare, complete with German potato salad, sauerkraut, red cabbage, and applesauce. If dinner and a Bavarian brew don’t fill you up, then you can always move on to apple strudel or a cream puff for dessert.
Of course, this is America, so for the less adventurous, the menu includes the standard American fare of a grilled chicken salad, burgers, fries, and other familiar favorites. Some folks just must have a burger with their beer.
A lunch buffet is offered, catering to the office crowd who needs to get in and out within an hour. Brunch is served on Saturday and Sunday, for those who have time to make an event out of weekend feasting.
Upon entering, a large copper sink next to shelves of individually owned growlers, locked until their owners make their next visit, gives an impression that this place has developed a large group of loyal fans. Let’s face it, while the menu is plentiful, the real reason most people walk in the door here is for the beer.
Four beers are offered all year. Specialties like Oktoberfest, Malbock, Pilsner and Hefe Weizen Dunkel are brewed seasonally. A full calendar is on the restaurant website, which includes the dates of new keg tappings when the seasonal specialties are introduced. Short YouTube videos describe all the seasonal beers. The Bavarian Kings of yesteryear would be quite amazed at all the modern, high tech ways their recipes are being marketed, and the videos that appear online.
Thoughts: Have you ever wanted to gather a group of friends or family for a meal or celebration, where separate checks are appropriate, a large party is welcome and easily accommodated, and the food is actually good? I visited the Hofbrauhaus with a large group needing separate checks. The waitress accommodated us effortlessly. The large outdoor biergarten is a delightful place to be on a nice day. In the cold winter, there is still plenty of room indoors to gather a group in a festive atmosphere. The website calendar also gives the schedule of live German music.
The celebrating never ends. Between special keg tappings, live music, happy hour and late night happy hour, there is always something going on. Reservations are only taken on Sunday. The Hofbrauhaus is open for lunch and dinner 7 days a week.
All this beer drinking and feasting might give the impression this is not a place for children, but it is a very family friendly establishment. If you can’t get to Munich anytime soon, this is the next best place to be.
Price Range: Appetizers $10-16, Soups $4-5, Salads $5-14, Sandwiches $10-12, Entrees $12-34, Desserts $4-6.
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