Hofbräuhaus Pittsburgh — Restaurant in Pittsburgh

Atmosphere- 5 stars- this is a lively Beer Hall with live music, creating a festive atmosphere reminiscent of Oktoberfest celebrations. Super clean with abundant seating. Many of which are large community style tables however there are some booths. If it’s really busy you may be seated with others but it in this environment that could be a fun thing. There is also outdoor seating overlooking the Monongahela River. Additionally, the venue boasts one of Pittsburgh’s most scenic outdoor Biergartens, offering views of the Monongahela River. They have their own brewery and offer avariety of traditional beers brewed on-site daily, including seasonal specialties like Oktoberfests, Maibocks, Pilsners, and Dunkelweizens. All beers are crafted according to the German Purity Law, “Reinheitsgebot,” using only hops, malt, and water. 

Service- 5 stars- our waitress was very friendly and helpful and dress out in traditional Germany attire. The also have Oompah bands or Bavarian bands. These groups typically perform traditional German folk music, polkas, waltzes, and drinking songs, often dressed in traditional attire like lederhosen and dirndls. On the day we were there it was just one performer with an accordion but he was excellent and getting the guests into the mood.

Food- 5 stars- The food was very hearty, flavorful, and authentically German, with a mix of traditional Bavarian favorites and American comfort food. Here’s a breakdown of what you can expect:

German Specialties: • Schnitzel – Breaded and fried pork or chicken cutlet, often served with warm potato salad or spätzle and gravy. • Bratwurst & Sausages – A variety of grilled German sausages like bratwurst, mettwurst, and frankfurters, usually served with sauerkraut, mashed potatoes, or German mustard. • Bavarian Jägerschnitzel – Schnitzel topped with a rich mushroom gravy. • Käsespätzle – German-style egg noodles baked with cheese and crispy onions (like German mac and cheese). • Sauerkraut & Red Cabbage – Traditional sides that complement most dishes. • Gulasch Suppe – A hearty paprika-spiced beef stew served as a soup.

Appetizers & Bar Snacks: • Giant Pretzels – Soft Bavarian pretzels, served warm with homemade bier cheese and mustard. • Potato Pancakes (Reibekuchen) – Crispy fried potato cakes served with applesauce or sour cream. • Obatzda – A Bavarian cheese spread served with pretzels or bread.

American Options: • Burgers & Sandwiches – With a German twist, such as bratwurst sandwiches or schnitzel sandwiches. • Wings & Fries – For guests who prefer American bar fare.

Desserts: • Apple Strudel – A warm pastry filled with apples and spices, usually served with vanilla sauce or ice cream. • Black Forest Cake – Chocolate cake layered with cherries and whipped cream.

We started off with the Works Sampler- pretzels, onion rings, potato pancakes and Rueben Balls- my favorite was the Potato pancakes and Rueben Balls. This comes with four dipping sauces (cheese, applesauce, BBQ and Thousand Island). This was very filling especially for two of us. I also got the Bauern Schnitzel (breaded pork cutlet covered with Black Forest Ham, Swiss Cheese and a Bier Cheese sauce) this was delicious!!! Came with a side of German Potato Salad and some Fried Cabbage. We also got the special which was basically chicken parmigiana except German style (pork cutlet covered with sauce and cheese on top of Spaetzle (noodles) also delicious!! For desert we split some Apple Strudel with Vanilla ice cream. We were so full and were ready for a long German nap lol!!

Definitely recommend coming here for great food and fun!!!

The portions are generous, the food is filling, and everything pairs perfectly with one of their...

Extremely disappointed, this used to be an amazing place. It was the one reason to make a big trip to pitt worth the drive. The menu has been blown clear to munich, and not in a good way, the food is a pale imitation of what used to be the standard there, and the staff was just so uninterested. It's not that they were bad, it's that they just barebones fulfilled their tasks, as if they simply could not care less.

The food we got, from the now extremely limited menu, was okay at best. Nothing really major to say, and that's part of the problem. It was very mediocre, something we could have easily beat at home, which we did on new years. The dessert was downright unpleasant. It was beyond obvious that it was frozen, drenched in cheap Hershey's syrup (likely storebrand going by the taste) and while the apple was delicious the dough was still uncooked telling me it was cooked from frozen in a microwave.

The final nail in the coffin was the price, you pay similar going to places where you have to dress up nice, well over 100 before the tip to feed 3 for mediocre food, frozen baked dessert, and uncaring staff. The guys don't even dress up anymore.

It also seemed like there was going to be a performance on stage, but they gave up after taking a half hour to set up.

I think the fact that they changed out the big beer hall tables and benches for smaller condensed seating is indicative of what happened; all the passion has gone for easy profit margins.

The one good thing to say is that the beer was good, that's the only positive I was left with.

In short, for most of my life I've been telling people how great the place is, but i just...

BEWARE OKTOBERFEST TIX FOR $200!!!!!

We reserved their 'special' Oktoberfest table for $200 and a separate $40 tip. This included a cookie sheet of 'loaded nachos' (tin of tortilla chips with a little cheese, little pico de gallo, a few jalapenos and sides of their cheese sauce) and pretzels (about 11), along with $50 toward food. They hold this event outside. So for $150, we got a soaked ground (due to poor planning for the weather), a table in the afternoon (when there were open tables), and a 2 person band. The inside restaurant is so so much better, yet this was a 'VIP' service. We felt ripped off. The server was great, and this was not her fault. They offered us to also book the following week for $100. No thank you!

This is a pure money grab, and the restaurant should be ashamed to be charging people for this 'experience.' We have gone inside Hofbrau House in Pittsburgh multiple times for the last several years. Their regular dining experience and band are great, but we were shocked their outside Oktoberfest was so disappointing. DO NOT GET SCAMMED! Just have a regular meal with them. You won't be disappointed. As an FYI, we visited on 21 September at 1pm. I reached out to the restaurant on 23 September, and still haven't heard back. Absolutely shameful for a restaurant with good food, atmosphere, and reputation.

We've also been to the original Hofbrau in Munich. They would be...