Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh

Stinkypuss

Pennsylvania

4.43/5  rDev +14.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Wanted to wait for the "grand opening" but I was in the area and this place was JUMPING!

Atmosphere was very cool. European (German) style setting with benches taking up the beer hall, with a few tables on either side. Also it was a beautiful day, and there was plenty of outdoor seating. The place was packed to the gills but though the bar was full, there was a place to order a beer and drink as you wait for a table.

Quality was good, 4 trademark hofbrau beers all on tap, no seasonals yet. Though Ive never been to Germany, it felt like I was already there.

Service was pretty decent, given the volume of the place. I was just surprised I wasn't forgotten in the sea of people.

Selection was good, a dunkle, hefeweizen, light, and lager were all there, I was looking for something new but I was told they hadn't brewed it yet. No bother, I was toasting to the friendly german musician on stage, PROST!

The food was pretty good, a large menu but the food we ordered came rather quickly and the service was ok, given the volume of the place and it just opened.

Value, pretty good. Its a fun place to go for a few rounds and some food. Everything there was very traditional and I would reccommend this place to anyone who wants to go out and have a good time in the South Side Works.

04-19-2009 12:14:33 | More by Stinkypuss

RblWthACoz

Pennsylvania

3.83/5  rDev -1.3%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 3.5 | $$

Well they've done a good job of pulling off the whole German bierhall thing. This place is spacious with lots going on; or at least, the potential for a lot to be going on. Beer selection is somewhat limited in that they are getting directives from the head office. But there is a monthly special brew available. Food is okay. I felt like they could have been bringing more of the funk than they were. Seemed standard. Service is fine. I am not a big German beer fan, unless it's really giving some interesting flavor kick. That being said, I don't think I'll find myself coming back here much, if at all. There are too many unique local establishments to be hanging out at. Especially in the south side.

01-03-2013 16:05:21 | More by RblWthACoz

burnstar

Pennsylvania

4.22/5  rDev +8.8%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 3.5 | food: 5 | $$

Awesome beer hall atmosphere. Had a liter of hefeweizen which was awesome. Good attentive service. Not a huge selection but they have a new seasonal each month which is really cool. I wish I lived closer and could try them all. Food was absolutely awesome. We got the sampler appetizer which was great. Meals were a big hit. Reasonably priced. Again, I would love it if this place was closer to where I live. Great place to hang out, eat, drink, talk and have fun with friends. Overall this is a great place- I'm really glad this is in Pittsburgh.

12-31-2011 03:57:54 | More by burnstar

bamadog

Kentucky

4/5  rDev +3.1%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4 | $$

Part of the 'Burgh Beer Tour 2011.

Atmosphere: You know what you're getting yourself into when you walk into any of these places -- big town hall style seating, oompah bands, loads of waitresses walking around in the traditional German garb... It's really a good effort to invoke the nature of a German community celebration. Fun.

Quality: All of their own beers, and I feel that they care about what they're putting in your glass. Definitely a solid bit of beer, and good food and waitstaff.

Service: We had a good and attentive waiter, so I certainly feel that he was ready for the large, Saturday night crowd that was bustling about and he managed all of food and orders well. I do wish we would have had a waitress, though, as they look pretty awesome in those German dresses... kind of makes me wish I was German, or at least in Germany.

Selection: Not the widest selection, and all of the beers available are the Hofbrauhaus beers, but they're good and there's enough variety within their spectrum.

Food: Food is damn good, but not good for you at all. Tons of sausage dishes, and I think everything seems to come with pretzels and potatoes of some kind; it's like a carbohydrate and fat overload, but hey, it's not like you're going to eat it all of the time, so once in a while can't be too bad for you. Right?

Value: I feel that you get what you pay for form the atmosphere to the selection to the food. It's not necessarily a cheap night out, but you walk away full to the brim of good food and good beer.

06-08-2011 21:40:16 | More by bamadog

slander

New York

4.25/5  rDev +9.5%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4.5 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

On the heels of East End, yes, Pittsburgh. It's been a bit and there was no HB Burg when last I was here, so I'll have to hunt it out. Cross any bridge on the right river, and it's the stand alone in a strip of circle twice and then go hit the parking lot like you should have in the first place...

A most sprawling place, like a giant German house with eaves. Blue & white striped and argyle pole out front with HB & German play, and a row of ornamental fermenters upfront for the "we brew beer" show. Entered through the entrance located on the wrong end as far as I'm concerned, ducked the hostess booth and set about the large open room with vaulted ceilings.

On the near end, a wide "U" shaped clean laminate looking wood topped bar with seating for a dozen and a half on wooden bar chairs. I will set up here. 4 white ceramic Hofbrau towers sit at different points along the way, each with 6 handles. Barback is a row of counter over coolers, holding tiered booze with Jager machine & SoCo machine bookends. 2 giant shiny copper kettles rest behind the barback with a raised platform in between where one may play conductor in "sing along with oompa" going on at the other end of the room. Strangely, the platform has seating on a corner piece for a single sad man. A large shelving rack behind the kettles holds all the world's steins. Yes, that's where they are.

3 rows of bench tables run the room, some 40 tables or so in all, including the ones tucked to both sides of the stage against the wall. 4 step up tables canopied on both far walls, plus 4 roundies in the corner over the bar's shoulder along the panel windows over the deck area. Raised far end for the oompa band, which is one guy doing everything. He was kind of getting on my shit until he busted out Edelweiss and then I started getting all Von Trapp sad, and wondering what became of the hottie oldest sister. Flags to both sides of the stage, and an inflatable harp playing angel from the center of the room. The walls paneled lowers with old black & white Germany prints around the seating, below white walls & ceiling, with massive ductage blended. Large drop pentagon shaped HB lanterns over the main floor with wall & pillar mounted shortys, and smaller drop lanterns around the bar. Bell lamps over the canopied seating with alternating blue & white flaggings above.

Side room holds 30 tables, solo or in sets of two, with very large arched barrelesque rafter ceilings & ornate chandeliers. Views of the brews where equipment be behind glass there. And from the main room again through to the outdoors, holy shit! A patio terrace running the length of the place with 3 dozen tables contained within drop plastic walls, and down below, a bar and another 4 dozen tables in a gravel ground biergarten. I can see bar counter space & barrel tables, amidst the trees, strung white lights & lanters. And some light out front seating, a pen with a half dozen tables, I spy the oompa singing man there not singing just now.

All looked around out, I'm back at the bar for drink. 5 beers on the sampler paddle in baby tall mugs. HB Premium Lager, 5.2%, crisp, good maltiness, light hop finish, better than I remembered it being; Munich Hefeweizen, 5.4%, bananana clove as it should be, solid; HB Light, 3.8%, lightly hopped with some maltiness, actually not too bad; Dunkel, 5.5%, nice caramel flavors, a total sweety in a good way, mega win!; and the seasonal Oktoberfest, 6.3%, it's a good Octo with sufficient malty character, the only beer not made here, this one imported from Munich. The Dunkel & Premium Lager were the best of the lot, but the Oktoberfest and Hefeweizen were very close behind.

What? Sure, yeah, there will be food. Started with a bowl of the Gulaschsuppe (Hungarian goulash with beef, paprika & potatoes). Hearty, very rich, and just enough. And then the Wiener Schnitzel, trading up the German potato salad for the mashed potatoes, and got my chef's selection vegetables on (carrots, snap peas, broccoli, and something yellow). The Wiener Schnitzel (breaded pork cutlet) was stellar, and I now suspect that the ½ lemon they dealt me was to be squozen upon, but not having Schnitzed before, I had no way of knowing. And I did so enjoy the mashed, green specs of something in them and all, I wonder what they be. Dinner was very good.

You can visit the HB shop should you be hunting out the quintessential Ferdinand hat, and they've got some cool HB pieces otherwise. I guess if HB is going to set up shop this side of the pond, they'll need to have things up to snuff. So I shouldn't have been surprised to find the beer to standard, which it was. And I caught a pretty damn good meal, too. For a chain house, it was pleasant enough, definitely not as annoyingly pretentious as the one in Vegas, would you believe it?

03-07-2011 15:45:23 | More by slander

Woody188

Pennsylvania

3.43/5  rDev -11.6%
vibe: 4 | quality: 4 | service: 2.5 | selection: 4 | food: 2 | $$

We have stopped here a couple of times, food was not really that good, seems like it came off of a frozen food truck, but we go to these places for good beer. As for the beer it was a little above average, nothing that really wowed us. A word to those that like to relax and enjoy their beers, this place is turning into a Mecca for all the local college students. Avoid the place on weekend nights it reminds me of my fraternity house parties. Try going in the afternoon or early evening to avoid drunken college madness, unless thats what you like LOL. The interior does remind you of a Traditional German Beer Hall so it is a fun place to stop and drink.

02-07-2011 04:44:44 | More by Woody188

jeffzoet

Pennsylvania

4.78/5  rDev +23.2%
vibe: 5 | quality: 5 | service: 5 | selection: 4.5 | food: 4 | $$

If you live anywhere near Pittsburgh, you probably either know all about this place, or chances are you've been curious about checking it out. Well hopefully this will help you see what you've been missing! I'm not going to give you an entire history on this establishment, but just be aware that is one of three restaurant/breweries in the U.S. modeled after the 400+ year old original in Munich, Germany. I was really looking forward to visiting the Hofbräuhaus when it opened in the South Side Works in the spring of 2009.

My most recent trip was for the monthly keg tapping. You see, Hofbräuhaus keeps 4 beers on tap year round - the Light, the Lager, the Weizen and the Dunkel. They come in half liters and full liters! (I recommend trying a liter of half Dunkel / half Weizen!) Then on the first Wednesday of every month, they have a ceremonial tapping of a new seasonal beer. I've made it to 15 out of the 17 keg tappings that they've had since opening! This month's selection is The Christmasbier. I arrived around 6pm to get a good seat. We sat in the Bier Hall - the largest room at the Hofbräuhaus, and THE place to be if you really want to experience it at its fullest! Just before 7pm, we were asked if we wanted to hold flags in the parade. Yes, you heard me right... a parade! As part of the keg tapping festivities, they have a parade winding back and forth between the bench-style seating to introduce the first keg of the new beer. It consists of the head brewer rolling out the wooden cask keg of beer, the full German band (more on them later), and a few lucky patrons including myself who carry Bavarian and other beer related flags. It's a great way to celebrate a brand new addition to the Hofbräuhaus beer family!

As the parade ends, a line starts to form along both sides of the giant Bier Hall leading up to the front. Why, you may ask? Because the entire first keg is free! After a brief explanation of how they created the Christmasbier, they have a new person tap the keg every month. Once the keg is tapped, they pass out 1/2 liters of the beer. Since I was in the parade, I was fortunate enough to be one of the first to receive mine. Oh happy day!

My friends and I quickly returned to our table. After shouting "Prost!" in unison (the German version of 'Cheers') and clinking of our glasses together, we took our first sip. As usual with Hofbräu's beers, I was pleasantly satisfied by the flavor and aromas. What I like most about Hofbräu beer is that it's the perfect balance of quality and quantity. Which means that it is delicious beer; easy to drink by the liter! (or two or three!) The Christmasbier is a lager that it is a bit more robust than their mainstay Lager. The first thing I noticed was the full malt flavor that I love about holiday beers. It just warms you up on the inside during those cold snowy nights. At the end I caught a hint of flavorful hops (but not too much) for a satisfying finish - overall, a great beer that fits the season perfectly.

Not to be overlooked, Hofbräuhaus has a great menu as well. I always come for the beer, but love the options they have for the food pairings. A favorite appetizer is the soft German pretzels with bier cheese ($8.99). This trip, I decided to order something that I've never had there before - the Grilled Chicken Sandwich ($7.99), which comes with some of the best fries in town. I'm not a huge grilled chicken fan, but wanted to check off another item on the menu. It was surprisingly good! I added some brown mustard to it to add a bit more flavor, and found myself enjoying yet another item off of their menu. I think the reigning champ is still the "Hofbräuhaus Hot Brown" ($8.99). I'm not even going to bother explaining this one to you. Just go there, order it, and thank me later.

Now just in case the beer or food hasn't convinced you to visit, the other thing that truly makes this place unique (and long overdue in this area) is the fun atmosphere you can't help but get sucked into. Most of that is in large part due to the bands. A couple different musicians perform there, but my absolute favorite has to be Alpen Glow led by Joe Grkman Jr. (Find them on Facebook - All Grk'd Up) They show up wearing traditional Bavarian lederhosen and draw in the crowd with their catchy tunes and amazing accordion skills! Adults and children alike find themselves dancing on the benches (not only allowed, but encouraged!), waving their drinks in the air and singing along.

The Hofbräuhaus is the perfect place for families & friends to come and have a great time. It will be an experience that you will remember long after your visit.

this review was published at www.pittsbughhotplate.com

12-15-2010 18:26:08 | More by jeffzoet

beermanWV

West Virginia

4/5  rDev +3.1%
vibe: 4.5 | quality: 4 | service: 4 | selection: 4 | food: 3.5 | $$$

Atmosphere is very nice. The main beer hall can get very loud with the polka band and people packed in. Long tables with benches, with a nice bar area. Hard to have a conversation when it gets crowded in the evening. The balcony area overlooks the Monongalia River. Down the steps from the balcony is a open air outdoor seating area.

Beer selection is good. The seasonal changes once a month. Lots of german lagers and ales, as expected. My favorites are the hefeweizen and dunkelweizen.

Decent german dishes. My favorite are the pretzel girls who walk around selling pretzels with melted beer cheese.

This is a good place to bring friends and enjoy a afternoon or evening.

10-25-2010 02:50:42 | More by beermanWV

woodychandler

Pennsylvania

4.28/5  rDev +10.3%
vibe: 5 | quality: 4 | service: 4.5 | selection: 4 | food: 4.5 | $$

Transcribed from notes dated F, 21 Aug 2009.

Having just come from a screening of "Inglourious Basterds" at the nearby cineplex, it struck me as a good time to partake of some German-style biers.

On the approach, I was immediately struck by the bank of seven (7) 38-bbl. and two (2) 19-bbl. fermenters along the left side of the exterior of the building. I CANnot remember ever seeing such a design previously. The entry was likewise on the left side of the building, through a long vestibule with the m.d.s. to the immediate left and to the right was the remainder of the brewhouse (bearing in mind that the kettles were on prominent display in the middle of the bar area).

Behind the m.d.s. was the Gift Shop, but by making a left, I was in the bar area with the bar a "U"-shaped blonde wood construct surrounding the two gleaming copper kettles and a blonde wood cabinet for glassware along the left wall. Picnic style wood tables and benches with slatted backs were the general order of business with a few booths along the front and back walls on the right side of the bar area. A pair of double doors next to the back booths led onto the patio/Bier Garten area overlooking the Monongahela River. Along the right wall was a short stage for an Oompah band, although none was playing during my visit. Lots of exposed piping and ducting throughout, which I enjoy. The color scheme for the interior was Cream White and Royal Blue with the former being dominant. I also have to cop to being impressed by the female staff in their Dirndls, including puffy-sleeved blouses and white stockings, very traditional garb.

Back at the m.d.s., by continuing straight, along the front (south) side of the building, was a banquet/meeting hall behind glass doors.

I also took some notes for inclusion in my ASN column and I include them here in case you may have missed the issue in which they appeared. Opened 29 April 2009. Head Brewer was Eckhard Kurbjuhn assisted by Shawn Setzenfund. Plans were being made for a month-long Oktoberfest celebration in September 2009 with an eye towards expanding the fest in 2010 based on interest.

Beer: You had better be a fan of Lagers in all of its forms. Four standards - Premium Lager, Hefe Weizen, Light and Dunkel. Seasonals include Prussian Export (Jan.), "Adulterator" Doppelbock (Feb.), Marzen (Mar.), Bavarian Wheat (Apr.), Maibock (May), German Pilsner (June), Bohemian Pilsner (July), Steelers Schwartzbier (Aug.), Oktoberfest (Sept.), 1810 Pince Ludwig (Sept.), Weizenbock (Nov.), Christmasbier (Dec.) and a rotating Zwickelbier.

08-21-2010 00:55:23 | More by woodychandler

dwarvenspirits

Pennsylvania

2.45/5  rDev -36.9%
vibe: 4 | quality: 2 | service: 3 | selection: 2 | food: 2 | $$

Went here for a birthday party and was anxious to try the beer and authentic german food. Beer was subpar. Sure, it was clean and tasted good but didn't blow my socks off.

The food . . . it was not impressive at all. The breaded pork I ordered tasted like it was frozen and not made fresh. I think the only thing made fresh on my plate was the potato salad. Even the veggies looked like they were pulled from a bag and steamed.

The atmosphere was spot on with a bunch of large benches and tables and they had a live band playing when we were there, however, we couldn't sit in the audience hall because they didn't allow height chairs in there.

Overall, I was not impressed with this place. Overpriced food that wasn't fresh . . . not what I was looking forward to.

07-31-2010 17:59:13 | More by dwarvenspirits