Hofbräu — Restaurant in Berlin

I dined at this restaurant today and had very mixed feelings about the experience. First of all, the food was excellent — it completely changed my perception that Europe is a “culinary desert.” The server who mainly took care of my table, a very friendly gentleman, was wonderful. He was always smiling, kindly introduced the dishes, and shared a bit about the local food culture, which left me with a very good initial impression.

However, two other staff members seriously ruined the experience for me. First, another male server - after I had already placed my order, I politely asked him for the WiFi password. He responded very impatiently and, with a rather angry expression, told me that the WiFi password was written on a table inside (while I was sitting outside), and that I should go check it myself. I felt extremely awkward but still thanked him politely. Later, when I asked the friendly gentleman (the one who had been serving me), he warmly opened the menu and showed me that I could simply scan a QR code to connect. This left me wondering — is this a training issue, personal attitude problem, or even something worse like racial bias?

Second, there was a female staff member. After finishing my meal, I tried to ask her for the bill because the two male servers were not nearby. She was working at the entrance and, very rudely, told me that she was “not a server.” However, I clearly saw her serving drinks and moving around the restaurant. I don’t understand — even if she wasn’t assigned to my table, couldn’t she simply call someone over to assist me? What’s more frustrating is that I noticed she was much friendlier toward white customers.

In short, while the food was truly outstanding, the service experience was extremely...

I stopped by Hofbräu Wirtshaus Berlin for a quick lunch, expecting a great experience given its reputation as one of Germany's iconic beer brands. Unfortunately, the reality was quite disappointing. Since I don’t drink, I only ordered food, and I couldn’t help but notice the server's slightly annoyed expression and tone when they realized I wasn’t ordering beer. To make matters worse, despite the restaurant being nearly empty with just three tables occupied, it took over 20 minutes to get the bill. The server’s attitude was made even worse by their not-so-subtle hints about wanting a tip, even though tipping isn't mandatory in Germany. I was determined to dive deeper into German cuisine, not wanting to give in to my friends who joked that Berlin’s staple food is kebabs. But by the end of this meal, I found myself wishing I had just gone to the kebab place I’d been meaning to try instead. We ordered the Gulash Soup, Currywurst, and Fried Leberkase Meatloaf. The Gulash Soup was the highlight, with rich flavors and a comforting taste compared to the others. However, the Currywurst was, quite frankly, the CurryWORST. It tasted like it was drowning in ketchup mixed with Worcestershire sauce, with no trace of the spices that should give it a curry-like flavor. It was just a bland sausage sitting in a sea of sauce and fries. As for the Meatloaf, the star of that dish was actually the Bavarian Potato Salad that came with it, flavorful and well-seasoned, far outshining the main course. At this point, I feel like this place is probably best for beer enthusiasts. But if the food quality is anything to go by, even beer lovers might want to think twice...

This visit happened on a Wednesday afternoon at 3:30-4:30. When I walked in and said for 1 person, the lady at the door asked if inside or outside, I said inside and she just said the to your left. I figured any open spot at this point, I went and found an empty spot, sat down, nobody asked or said anything. There was a QR code on the table, I scanned it and it brought up the menu but no ordering option. Sat there looking at the menu for a good 2-3 minutes and got uncomfortable. Someone finally came by and said that table hasn’t been cleaned yet….err it looked clean to me, but w/e I wasn’t going to trip. She didn’t even point me to another “clean” table so I found a different table. Sat there and finally someone came by to ask if I want to order or drink. That was a rough beginning.

The food I got the sausage platter, 1 each of their beer, 2 pretzels. Food was okay. Not great or not bad, it’s okay for bar food.

The older gentleman that served me was cool. He tried to explain the items for me even though the me u’s in English. He recommended me drinks, and since I wasn’t sure, he even brought me a sample of the season beer. Glad he did cause that beer was great. I ended up getting one. If it wasn’t for his hospitality, this whole experience would’ve gone to shit, especially with over 20k+ reviews. So I thank you kind sir! Sorry didn’t get your name.

Okay, food: was just like any similar establishment

Service: could use some work, but then again they are dancing between being a beer garden and dine in restaurant.

Atmosphere: for being dead afternoon at 3:30, it was still pretty lively and...