Hofbräuhaus Brings a Slice of Central Europe to Lake Erie
Cleveland, aside from consistently inconsistent sports teams, is famous for being a multicultural city, thriving with a diverse culture and various ethnicities. Prominent among those locations is the Hofbräuhaus Cleveland, a Bavarian beer hall that acts as the focus of German culture in Cleveland. While other locations can provide a window to a specific ethnicity, nothing immerses one in a culture more than the Hofbräuhaus Cleveland, transporting the visitor from Northeast Ohio to the mountains of Bavaria with an unrivalled and unique ambience.
Hofbräuhaus Cleveland is the American reincarnation of the famed Staatliches Hofbräuhaus in München, Germany, the official Royal Brewery of the Bavarian government. The Staatliches Hofbräuhaus was opened in 1589 and became one of Germany’s most famed beer halls. The alcohol was so famous that in the 1600s an invading Swedish King once agreed to leave Munich and Bavaria in peace if the city surrendered some hostages and 600,000 barrels of Hofbräuhaus beer. After WWII, returning Allied soldiers made the Hofbräuhaus a famous attraction, and the franchise expanded to various locations across Germany, Europe, and then various Hofbräuhaus beer halls in the Midwest, East Coast and large American cities.
Bavarian beer halls are known for their relatively rowdy and exciting atmosphere, and the Hofbräuhaus Cleveland is no exception. If you don’t already know German you’ll become accustomed to the calls of “Prost!”, the German equivalent of cheers. While there are other areas of the Hofbräuhaus, the main hall will be a surprise to those not familiar with the franchise. Long tables, community seating, and a large central hall provides a very different environment to those accustomed to the more individual setting of traditional American restaurants. Most afternoons and nights, traditional German music is performed live on the stage in the main Bier Hall.
In addition to the Bier Hall, there’s also an event hall that can be rented for private events. Also, a more private, traditional environment, the Hermit Club Restaurant, previously reserved for the aristocrats of Northern Ohio is open to those seeking a more quiet ambience. In the summers, the 1,000 seat Biergarten outdoor patio is opened, giving a full Hofbräuhaus experience in the comfort of a Cleveland summer day.
Further marking their position as a franchise, the Hofbräuhaus Cleveland also operates its own gift shop, with apparel and novelty, perfect for the collector or the drunken Germanophile.
The Hofbräuhaus Cleveland is a truly incredible experience, with an unrivaled menu of Bavarian delicacies and American favorites coupled with the famed spirited environment. If you want a new cultural experience, try it out on an afternoon with a few friends or family. For a more serious fan of German culture, a Friday night can provide a very boisterous experience. However, the food, specifically the Bavarian dishes, and atmosphere requires a specific taste, and those not an admirer of the heavy German meats will find little else on the menu that they can order. That being said, I believe every Clevelander should make a trip to the Hofbräuhaus Cleveland to broaden their horizons of Cleveland’s diverse culture.
