Beer Review: Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh (revisited)
Posted by mike | Filed under Beer
Not too long ago, I made my way out to Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh for some food and beer. After that initial visit, I wasn’t at all impressed. The food didn’t come close to my expectation, and the place was so noisy that I couldn’t hear myself think—let alone talk to the people I went out there with. Tonight, the Pittsburgh Beer Meetup made their way out there, so I got another chance to give it another try. This time, I focused on the beer. With respect to just the beer, I’ll bump them up a point on my 5 point rating scale. I’m still not a fan of the food (but also didn’t try any food this time).
Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh
/ ($$) (rating only the beer)
3201 S Water St
Pittsburgh, PA 15203
(412) 224-2328
The options. Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh serves only Hofräuhaus Beer. There are four base options: lager, hefeweizen, light lager, or dunkel. The menu also suggests that a series of monthly “seasonal” brews are available, but that is not currently the case. Presumably, they are in the process of ramping up their brewhouse and have imported the four base styles from other locations. Beer comes in two sizes: full liter and half liter. If you get the full liter, then you can choose to pay $16 and keep the mug, which is far heavier than you might expect (no really). Otherwise, each half-liter will run you about $4.50.
On Dunkel n’ Lager. This time, I tried two different half-liters: starting with the dunkel and moving on to the lager. I consider those to be the “basic” options, and the other two to be merely appeasement beers. Of course, I can feel the backlash of half my audience rising up against that statement right now. Both of the beers I tried were notable in how well they stayed on style. American brewers face constant temptation to brew beer that varies wildly from the accepted styles in an effort to differentiate themselves in a crowded marketplace. That doesn’t mean the beer isn’t good, but it does mean that good examples of classic styles are hard to come by. In that regard, I think Hofbräu fills an important gap.
The Dunkel. The Dunkel is a dark lager with significant malt character. In terms of style guidelines, I would peg it as a Doppelbock—but I’m by no means qualified to make that assessment. The beer has significant caramel overtones and a well-balanced malty sweetness. Hops are minimal, but present to the extent required to balance the malt. Overall, I am a fan.
The Lager. Somewhat surprisingly, I am even more a fan of the lager. If you’ve had Yuengling, then you know the style already. The Hofbräu Lager is a classic amber lager that offers a fuller flavor than Yuengling. That’s not to say that it’s a heavier style, just that I sense a more complete flavor profile. This full profile contrasts with the tendency of Yuengling to come across with fewer flavor dimensions that quickly collapse as the beer warms. The lager offers some minimal caramel falvor with what I think of as a “lager character” I’m fairly certain that this is likely the result of yeast byproducts. I also suspect that the degree of carbonation in the Yuengling is greater than the Hofbräu Lager.
The atmosphere. I am still tremendously disappointed by the Hofbräuhaus atmosphere. A jolly old man perpetually sits on stage at the front of the beer hall, singing the same German drinking songs and leading an occasional toast all night long. In just a little over an hour, he had already repeated the script multiple times. Even worse, the audio volume is so high as to eliminate the possibility of any reasonable conversation. I’ve nearly lost my voice on both visits, and that’s just trying to talk to the person next to me.
No real switch in opinion. Despite the somewhat rosier picture of Hofbräu that I deliver with this post, I still think I have the same opinion. Hofbräu is a loud and noisy party house. They have good beer for that type of establishment, but I am so far unimpressed by their food. That makes Hofbräu a great place to go out with friends for a raucous night of drinks but a lousy place to go for a one-one-one chat. There is a completely separate dining area that would probably offer a much less noisy atmosphere, but that’s almost the opposite extreme. A middle ground would be very useful, and that could be easily accomplished by lowering the announcer/singer’s audio level.
So should you go? Yes. If you like beer, and you live in Pittsburgh, you should definitely give Hofbräuhaus a try. Try their beer, and experience for yourself what it is they have to offer. That having been said, it is by no means a favorite of mine. You would be hard-pressed to convince me that I should visit more than a few times a year.
June 8th, 2009 at 2:12 pm
I just went this past Friday, June 8 and the experience is somewhat different now from what you describe. We didn’t have any food (outside of a few pretzels form the basket). I enjoyed the liter of lager that I had, though I didn’t approach the beer from a grading perspective. I wasn’t blown away and I didn’t dislike it either…pretty decent I’d say upon memory alone.
To the atmosphere…It was fairly loud and raucus, but not as unbelievably loud as you describe. I lost my voice, but that’s due to singing along to all the songs. This visit, they had a band up front and the volume was at an acceptable level for what you’d expect from a band. They had an accordianist (sp?), guitar player, trumpet player, and others perhaps, but I was more concentrated on my friends than paying attention to what they were playing. They mixed in some very good sing-along English songs (Johnny Cash being one) and German drinking songs. More English than German, by probably a 5-1 margin or greater if I had to guess. Regarding having a middle-ground for loudness, I’d suggest the outside area is probably good for a break from singing your throat out. Overall, I’d say I had an amazing time and will take all the friends I visit for a good time. If you’re in for a normal night of drinking, this may or may not be your place, but as far as my Friday night was concerned, it’s great for the crowd who just wants to sing along and have a great time! I won’t say your review is wrong, because it just sounds like the atmosphere has definitely changed since your visit.
July 28th, 2009 at 1:28 am
By far, tha best kept secret on the southside is The Hofbrauhaus!!! On Friday nights…….you couldn’t find a better atmosphere!!!!! The HBH Pittsburgh has done it right. You must come on a Friday night if you wanna have a true blast of a night. For those who do not enjoy a great live band and their decibel level, The HBH Pittsburgh offers several different seating options out of earshot of the band. The food is good AND IT’S NOT JUST GERMAN FOOD. do yourself a favor, ignore these reviews and just come see, drink, taste and experience it ALL for your own self….
November 9th, 2009 at 12:32 pm
I WAS PLANNING ON DINNER AND A FEW BREWS WITH THE NEW ” IN LAWS ” AND MY SOUL MATE BUT NOW I’M HAVING 2ND THOUGHTS ? I WAS HOPING THE GERMAN FOOD EXPERIENCE WOULD BE FAVORABLE AND WORTH THE TRIP TO THE BURGH…… DECISIONS DECISIONS…… WE’RE NOT INTERESTED IN LEAVING WITH A HEADACHE….. HOPE THE FOOD MEASURES UP !!!!
January 14th, 2010 at 12:03 pm
I hate to break it to all of you who are complaining about the noise – but this is what it is supposed to be, and anyone who has been to Hofbräuhaus (or any other similar establishment)in Munich would agree. Loud, noisy, and a good time. If you want a fancy or quiet dinner, then go to Max’s Allegheny Tavern or try somewhere else. That or maybe you just needed to have a few more beers…