Hofbrauhaus Restaurant — Restaurant in Helen

My relationship with Hofbrauhaus has been long-standing, and I would like to consider my character shaped, in parts, by my experiences here. The first time I visited was over four years ago, during the height of the 2020 pandemic. I was on my way up to university, a recent high school graduate of not yet eighteen winters. We sat outside in the early evening, with the gentle flow of the river and the smooth breeze cooling our dishes to an agreeable eating temperature. I had the wurst platter, then, and it was wholly delicious. The knockwurst was cooked perfectly, and the Hungarian wurst perfectly seasoned. The red cabbage melts in your mouth, and the spiced carrots are delightful. While looking at the menu, the concept of the Germanator intrigued me, but in my naïveté I abstained, believing myself incapable—and unwilling, for I was struggling with a lack of desire to ever indulge in unhealthy meals—of finishing it myself.

I carried with myself the regret of that folly for the next year, for I left feeling as though I lacked courage. A virtue untested is a vice, after all. I wanted to prove myself in the arena of blood sport that is eating challenges, and my failure to rise to the high marks set by the Germanator followed me as a looming specter.

The next year, on a road trip up to the mountains in Pennsylvania, we made the brief detour to Helen once again. This time, I came prepared. I went for a run that morning in order to starve myself for my impending date with destiny. I arrived as the pounding warmth of late June brought rivulets of sweat to bear upon my back, seeking refuge in that ever-cool river breeze. The sun began to set as our order arrived—I had gotten the Germanator that time. It arrived at 8:41 pm, EDT, laden with succulent corned beef, juicy wursts, and perfectly tart sauerkraut, among other such decorations. The carrots were again my choice of side, for I sought that delicate flavor once again. At 8:52 pm, EDT, it was all gone.

I had a slice of cake to celebrate then carried myself with pride, resting on the laurels of my victory as that specter of regret faded from my life. The Germanator, it seemed, had been conquered.

I’ve since retired from my zealous pursuit of eating challenges, but my experience with the Germanator remains my first—and favorite—memory. In fact, I think it’s actually the biggest reason why my wife agreed to marry me. Someone who hadn’t conquered such a colossal burger would not have been worth a second glance, no doubt.

My family returned to Helen once more just this week, and though I forgot to wear my Hofbrauhaus shirt and bring my commemorative mug, we decided to stop by. I felt that same twinge of challenge, but I am much more humble than a braggart, and to entertain the counsel of the Germanator once more would have been nothing short of arrogance; a thumbed nose in the face of those who tried valiantly, yet failed, to meet that test of courage.

Lucas served us brilliantly, and my memories of Hofbrauhaus will remain pleasant until my next journey back. The hoagie, which I had this time, was incredible. The bun was toasted to perfection, bulging at the seams with delicious meats, crisp vegetables, and savory sauce. I had the carrots, of course, as you can never go wrong with them. It was a five star experience, the river was brilliant, and the atmosphere second-to-none.

If you’re in Helen, you must stop. If not to pursue the same dream I once did in my youth, then to enjoy the best food in Georgia’s own slice of Bavaria. I’ve graduated college now, and I’m moving off to start my new life with my new family soon, but my memories of this beautiful restaurant will stay with me for time immemorial.

Best of luck to you, enjoy your time in Helen, and may the Hofbrauhaus treat you as well...

I'm torn on this review, and I gave it a lot of thought before committing to this. The service was top-notch. I was alone on this trip, and it was there around 3pm, so ahead of lunch, and before the dinner rush. I was immediately seated and I had reviewed the menu before entering. Full disclosure, I love German food, and I am a bit picky with it. I have also been to Germany and I have spent a lot of time in Leavenworth, WA, but had always heard of Helen, GA and how quaint it is, so the bar was set high due to this. I ordered my meal and it was in front of me in less than 10 minutes. The service was incredible! I wasn't the only patron there, but you wouldn't have known this based on service alone. My order was accurate, and everything was hot. Portion sizes were not as big as I was hoping, but in a post Covid world, I've noticed portion sizes have been shrinking everywhere, so perhaps that is a moot point. So why only two stars? This isn't the best schnitzel I have had, I was underwhelmed by it and the German potato salad. The red cabbage to me was the highlight, and it wasn't too sweet. The portion sizes were on the small side for me. Being that I am trying to lose weight, that isn't a bad thing, but for what you are paying, I found it disappointing. The breading on the schnitzel was just OK at best, and the herbs were odd, I've never seen green herbs as abundant into Schnitzel breading. The German potato salad was warm, the kind I liked, but lacked the vinegar tanginess that I am accustomed to, and was more buttery. It wasn't horrible, but definitely, the meal as a whole was underwhelming and not as good as I was hoping for. The service and the atmosphere were incredible, as was the river view. My glass of water never went empty, the server and host worn the traditional clothing, and the restaurant was well themed and was a visual and nasal delight. Would I go back? Yes! So why did I only give three stars? The food. It just wasn't up to par with anywhere I have been or had in the past. Is it close? Sure. If this was a game of horseshoes, it's close enough, but I wouldn't put it in a top 30 based on food alone. Overall atmosphere and service, easily top five. That's why I have 3 stars. Really, 2.5, but I rounded up to 3. If we were getting nitty-griity, 2.2 stars out of 5. I would change the potato salad recipe and take some of the herbs out of the schnitzel breading. I would try something else on the menu next time, is all. Plus, this was my first experience here. It deserves another try with my family.

Oh, unrelated: I think Helen is better themed than Leavenworth, and mainly because there are far more structures with the Bavarian theme than Leavenworth has. It was cloudy on my visit, so I couldn't see surrounding mountains or hills, but that is one thing that Leavenworth has over Helen. Since this was my only stop on this trip, I wanted to throw that out there. I will bring my family through...

I liked some of the options but it was really not the best German restaurant I have ever tried. I feel like there are just too many dishes that don't match the quality and standards of the other better options I have tried here. The options are somewhat authentic but the flavors just aren't enough for most dishes. I think you're better off trying some other restaurants.

Jaeger Schnitzel 4/5 - the chicken was so tender and lightly seasoned. Although the gravy was decently seasoned and you could really taste the herb flavor, it was underwhelming compared to others I tried. I did truly enjoy it but it was definitely not the best I have ever tried,or in Helen. Pair this with spaetzle and you have yourself a very tasty meal.

Wurst platte 5/5- got the bratwurst and the knockwurst as the wurst options. The bratwurst was the best bratwurst my brother and I had ever tried. It was so flavorful and smoky. Most others are bland or barely flavored. As you can see from the picture, the wursts were well cooked on the grill and added that extra flavor. The knockwurst was so tender and tasted just like turkey hotdogs, which I love. I will say that I wish the sizes for the wursts were bigger, but only because they were so delicious. I think this is what I recommend most out of the whole menu.

Haus Burger 3/5 - despite the picture showing that it was super cheesy and looked so good, it was decent. The meat patty was not seasoned enough and the provolone cheese did not add much flavor, as provolone naturally is not so delectable. The fries were battered and seasoned well so they paired so well with the burger.

Schweinshaxe 2/5 - the portion was massive but quite bland. The seasoning on the outside was light and did not give enough flavor to the pork. They need to marinate the pork for a longer time or season much better.

All sides 2/5 - all the sides we tried were really bland, with the exception of the spaetzle. The spaetzle was salty and had a distinct flavor that many German restaurants don't get right. The potato salad was bitter and sour with no distinct good flavor. The sauerkraut was acidic and that's it. The red cabbage salad did not taste flavorful either. The potato cake was crunchy in the outside but unbearably dry on the inside. The roasted potatoes were dry and didn't have...