Harry’s Hofbrau

I’m so sorry to see Harry’s Hofbrau has closed. They used to have live music and a Tues. evening special with affordable prices.
Seniors, families and working people will miss you. Guess I’ll have to go to the
one in Redwood City whenever I’m in town.

Nooooooooooooooooooooooo!!! They are closed!!! I loved their turkey dinners and cherry pie. I am so incredibly sad to see that this treasure is gone. Booooo.

OMG!!! NOOO! One of my favorite dining places is closed?! Was going to come here for dinner over the weekend. but everything was dark and empty =(
I used to come here all the time because my friend had a fairly strict diet and this was one of the places he was willing to go to. The employees typically knew our order when we came since we came so often. We would typically order the Turkey dinner with a mix of white and dark meat, mash potatoes, stuffing, pasta salad, sweet kernel corn, whole wheat roll, and cranberry sauce. If my friend was super hungry, he would add the Turkey Leg Dinner as well. This place is one of the few places that I actually enjoyed the cranberry sauce as I typically dislike it. The stuffing here isn’t dry either. I always loved how when you walked in, you can see the turkeys roasting at the windows by the doors. Their carrot cake was also delicious but I would rarely order it since we would always get too full from all the food.
Looks like I’ll have to go to Redwood City if I’m really craving Harry’s =(

UPDATE– Harry’s is now closed. Rumor has it Crowne Plaza from across the street made them an offer they couldn’t refuse and now owns the old Black Angus restaurant and the now defunct Harry’s and will be tearing down both buildings and developing the space. We shall see…

When I want Thanksgiving in January then I come here. It doesn’t get any better than an open faced turkey sandwich smothered in gravy with mashed taters on the side! The only downside is that I wish it was named Henry’s Hofbrau cause Henry is a much better name and i like it more than Harry, but it’s ok since the name doesn’t affect the food!

I’m in San Mateo for an interview and bump into this place which is within in walking distance from where I stay. I ordered pastrami and corned beef combo with mashed potato and steamed veggies. Everything tasted great and the portion was larger than I expected. Nothing fine dining but great comfort food for someone just got off a 6-​hr flight. I’d give the food 5 star for the food, but I did see a fly and an ant… so…

I’ve been bugging my gf for a long time about making a trip out to Harry’s Hofbrau. So on this last trip to the bay, we finally made it out there.
She was shocked when we entered the Hofbrau and found there to be a line. She said the times she’s come, you simply walk up to the counter and order your food. After a 10 minute wait, I finally got my chance to order my lunch. I went with the split rotisserie chicken with a side of mash potatoes and red cabbage salad. The chicken was hot and very moist. The potatoes were mashed and served with some great chicken gravy. The red cabbage was tart and still had a crunch to it.
My gf’s lunch on the other hand was not as desirable. Her turkey leg was super dry and needed a ton of gravy to rehydrate it. The stuffing was dry and looking slightly burnt. The only redeeming item was the same mash potatoes and gravy. We ended up taking the turkey home for her dog.
I didn’t know they had a bar until after we finished. I would’ve like to enjoy a beer or two with my great lunch. This would have been nice of the cashier to point out.
I guess it comes down to paying close attention and picking the right food at the Hofbrau. I thoroughly enjoyed my visit here and I hope to come back again some day.

Have been here several times since posting this review and that staff person is no longer on the service line. Everything back to normal and can enjoy my dinner without worrying. Harry’s carrot and raisin salad still the best anywhere!
Hooray!

Whenever I visit this place, I always try their daily soup and 1 or 2 of their freshly baked cookies, Snickerdoodle being my favorite!
The format of this restaurant is like a cafeteria style. You pick up a tray and tell the chefs behind the counter what you want. Then you slide the tray towards the cashier. As you move, you’ll be asked if you want additional items like sides, biscuit, dessert, drink.etc.
The quality of food varies depending on what you order. Some items are better than others. My favorite is their half roast chicken meal and their tri-​tip dinner plate.
IMO, the price at this place is a bit on the expensive side when compared to other establishments with a similar setup.

This place was a hit or miss with me. I knew going in, this was going to be protein heaven, and I had to watch my protein intake. We got reservations for our big party group, so I went to order my meal. I got the turkey leg dinner which comes with stuffing, mashed potato and gravy, and I got a side of corn nibblets. It was a huge plate of food and all under $ 10. Can’t beat the price!
So it’s rather sad to say, but I rather prefer the mashed potatoes/​gravy and the side of buttered corn nibblets over the main entrée. My turkey leg was dry, despite being drowned by brown gravy. It was probably because it sat under the heat lamp so long! I also disliked the stuffing… it had a wet, bland, mushy, glue-​like texture which turned my taste buds off. Now I understand why my grandmother hates her senior food if it tasted like this. I do not look forward to becoming an oldie!
They had servers who helped bring your tray to your table if you needed help. Other than that, you were on your own. I liked the booths and the table areas were placed in a way that helped the flow of chit chat.

As a vegetarian… I know you are about to ask, what is a vegetarian doing at a hofbrau? Okay, my friend had invited me. I was feeling under the weather, so I just popped in to say hello and ordered some stuff to go. I did enjoy the mac n’ cheese at $ 2.49. However it was stuffed into this super small cup. If I’m paying for a side, I would wish for it to be a little bit larger. Since I have a huge sweet tooth I ordered their berry pie for $ 3.49. Yuck! How can you mess up pie? I spent over $ 6 on just 2 items, that didn’t fill me up.
This is a retirement hangout. The place was kind of busy for a Saturday night. I liked the feel of the place. Kind of old fashioned. I dig that. But I was just bummed about how they can get away with murder if you don’t eat meat. They should have a 3 side item menu for the non-​meat eaters.

After a day at the beach we were craving stuffing and mashed potatoes and found ourselves here. You order diner style, with your cafeteria tray and tell the guys behind the counter what you want while they pile your food on with ice cream scoops of whatever you’re fiendin’.
What I swallowed:
TURKEY LEG DINNER with MASHED POTATOES, GRAVY and STUFFING: How can you go wrong here? A large brontasaurus-​sized turkey-​leg smothered in turkey gravy. YUMMM!!! The stuffing was a bit mushy, almost like savory bread pudding, but it was bomb none-​the-​less and the mashed potatoes were light and fluffy. I told myself I would stop eating the turkey when I ran out of gravy and mash and at some point I had to tap out (with half my turkey leg still intact). WINNER WINNER TURKEY DINNER!!!
CARROT CAKE: Moist and delicious! I was so stuffed but everyone knows that dessert in the stomache is held in a different compartment so I had a bit of room for this lovely treat (and shared it of course!). My friends and I were worried that it would be dry since it was sitting out on the counter but then we noticed they only put 1 or 2 out at a time so they must have it in the back somewhere so they don’t dry out ‘cuz this slice was super MOIST!
My plate was about $ 12, with drink and carrot cake was around $ 18. Money well spent I’d say (Especially since I had MORE then plenty for leftovers the next day!)!!

Never knew about this hidden little place but I definitely want to try other things because the menu looked so good! They had a lot of meat and well, meat! I’m sure they offer salads too. It’s cafeteria style (leave your tray on top and slide it to the register).You can look at the food displayed or at the menu. I got the turkey leg and my choice of mashed potatoes and salad.
The leg was huge and they helped you pull some of the meat off the bone beforehand. Topped with gravy, (yum!) the turkey was very moist and salted, not seasoned. But the gravy definitely topped it off. The mashed potatos were also the bomb; smooth, silky and well buttered.
Top it off with a beer and the outdoors, I never have to hope that Thanksgiving will come sooner!

No frills… just the way it should be when you’re on a budget! Came here for a late lunch/​early dinner after a round of golf at Poplar Creek. For $ 16 I got two entrees (bbq beef sandwich and the turkey leg with stuffing) and a drink. The BBQ beef sandwich was smothered with this weird «BBQ» sauce that tasted more like the juices from canned pork and beans than any BBQ sauce I’ve ever had. Very sweet and ketchup like. The turkey leg was great! Lots of gravy and the stuffing was awesome… why is it that side dishes are often better than the main dish?
Tip: keep your expectations low. Go on an empty stomach when your tongue and taste buds will forgive you for putting just ANYTHING in your mouth.

Harry’s Hofbrau is definitely not for the calorie counter or someone on a diet, but if you’re trying to get your grub on, this is the spot! The food here is German American soul food. You will leave feeling stuffed and happy, but not greased down. Everything is super hearty and full of flavor. I’ve had their St. Louis beef ribs and pastrami Reuben, as well as a slew of sides to go with. If you’re looking for some heart-​stopping mac-​n-​cheese, try it!
It’s a cafeteria-​style restaurant, so you’ll be seating yourself after you pick your dinner. For the times I’ve been here, there has always seating available. Prices are reasonable and portions are large.

Food = 3 Yes, Jennifer C P. They have awesome gravy! (But they won’t serve you food in the bar. I like to eat while drinking.)
Bar = –1
* slooooooow service (We’re talking no one behind the bar for at least 15 minutes after we sat down. Service after that took forever!)
* Gross wine. (I mean, get a grip! This is California. There is NO excuse for serving bad wine. Good wine is cheap and readily available. They have Concannon. YUCK!)
* Since the wine was gross, I told the bartender I was sure she made a good Bloody Mary. She made a face and said it was a mix. *hands on hips* Lazy!
Location = 5 Close to home. (I miss you Black Angus. Please come back!)
Shame they really miss the boat on so many levels. They are comfortably close to home and could do a great local business if they looked at the market and added a few niceties, like a decent wine for starters. Food service in the bar would be good too.

I came here with a client of mine today for lunch. You order in a line from a menu, pay at the cashier and take the food to your table. There is no waiter service to take your order. I ordered the roast beef and he ordered the roast turkey. The meat is freshly carved by the chef and made to order. My roast beef was cooked medium rare to medium, just the way it should be made. I also had the dutch crunch bread dipped in the au jus for a flavor explosion. I ordered it with a side of mac and cheese and he had an order of steamed vegetables.
The place feels old fashioned, quaint and dimly lit like a pub. There are wooden tables and chairs and also seating in booths. I give Harry’s Hofbrau 3.5 stars for the food. It’s a great place for lunch.

Came here last night after moving into the area and I just couldn’t be bothered to cook.
The staff were really friendly and my husband and I both ordered the Roast Chicken dinner (
). Expecting to get a couple of slices of Chicken I was pleasantly surprised we both got half a Chicken. Portions are BIG. Along with the Chicken came mash with gravy, a dinner roll with butter (Wheat or White) and a hot side which I choose to be Steamed Vegetables (Carrots, Broccoli and Cauliflower).
The meal was ok — Chicken was really good but the undercooked veg and overly thick gravy kinda brought the meal down a bit but enjoyable nonetheless. For $ 8.99 I can’t really complain.
Choice of meat changes from day to day so if you’re craving something in particular check the website beforehand.
They also do sandwiches, salads and some very tempting ‘homemade’ cakes.
Quick self serve with a separate full bar, nothing special but a good place for filling up on comfort food.

An instant hit for me and throw-​back all in one.
Great home-​style (would we all be so lucky – and overweight – if we had home-​style like these guys) food at reasonable prices.
Good value for what you pay: The portions are generous. And they serve the kind of food that cafeteria-​style restaurants used to.
I had a Chef’s Special: ½ sandwich with a cup of soup for just under $ 7 and it was great and right sized. You can take any sandwich they have and they will ½ it and prepare it fresh for you, right in front of you. I had the Reuben with an awesome (thick, and chunky without resorting only to potatoes, tender clams, perfect taste) cup of New England clam chowder.
They also serve this same terrific clam chowder in a sour dough bread bowl for some inexpensive price (like less than $ 6). They had a eye-​popping selection of old-​fashioned food like roast beef or pork or turkey and lots of salads and thick chunky soups and gravys for your stuffing or mashed potatoes or sandwiches.
Steve N mentioned the Turkey Ala King and I did see it there: thick sauce with blocks of turkey just waiting for it to be ladled (large please!) over rice or egg noodles. Wow did that look good!
With all this wholesome, real and delicious food, you can actually feel your waistline E-​X-​P-​A-​N-​D-​I-​N-​G as you look at this stuff.
The Reuben was one in ingredients only, sliced warm corned beef (not the leanest but very tasty) on cold rye with Swiss cheese and sauerkraut; but not grilled or toasted. I guess they don’t have time/​facilities to do grilled sandwiches of these kinds. Thousand island was served on the side when offered by the staff before you checkout and order your pickle and crackers for your soup.
Service is friendly and efficient, although you will wait for at least 15 minutes in a full line before you check out.
The food and the atmosphere feel old fashioned for real. It’s like you could walk into this place 50 years ago and it would still look the same.
Large dining area with plenty of light and a good sized parking lot to boot.
All in all, I can see how this place has garnered such a following. Just plan ahead before the lunch crunch (don’t come here in a rush) and you will not be sorry.

The Art of the Hof Brau
Grab a lunch tray and make your way through the old school wood panelings of the cafeteria style lunch line to enjoy the lost and often overlooked art of the Hof Brau.
Nowadays, only a special type of person can appreciate the fine craftsmanship of a genuine Reuben sandwich ($ 7.34). The saltiness of the brine and tenderness of the beef are classic when paired with kraut and Swiss. (
)
Around 6pm on a weekday, we found ourselves surrounded by other fans of the Hof Brau’s Reuben. The other fans, I have to say are more Bingo, Shuffleboard, and Rummy than I, but this sandwich creates a common bond and the hof brau a place to congregate.
Yes, surrounded by the geriatric crowd some may call this Old Man food, however I still call it Man Food because I know one day I’ll probably be sitting in their booth absorbed in my Pandora app, fantasy sports, and video games.