downtown hofbrau

i had heard that a new restaurant had opened downtown, and that it was a hofbrau. in my mind, i had memories of the old fresno hofbrau dancing about. rich sandwiches, beers, and such. this new space isn't quite that, and that's all right.

when you come in the door, you see the menu on the wall, as well as a sign board with daily specials. it looks like a pretty good menu, with classic choices. also, i thought the prices were pretty decent. i generally try to snap photos like this discreetly. i was trying, but one of the chefs saw me and asked why i was taking pictures. i explained that i liked reviewing restaurants and photos always help, especially of the menu. it was pretty cool because they chatted me up a bit about how i'd heard about the place, and introduced me to the member of their staff handling their web presence.

i ordered the pastrami hot plate. it comes with a good amount of pastrami & two sides. i got the baked beans and the stuffing. let me tell you about the food. the pastrami - i think i've finally found a place to get a good, solid pastrami sandwich. i liked the pastrami, served here on it's on. it had a good flavor & texture, and wasn't too salty. and, it had just the right amount of fat to it. i was able to easily slice it, and enjoyed the meal. the baked beans - these were great. seriously, i was blown away by these baked beans. great flavor. not too saucy. bits of bacon mixed in here and there. i actually think that i would go back and try other menu items just because of how much i liked the beans. the stuffing - these were not the business. in fact, i thought they were pretty bad. it had a very pasty texture and the flavor was just weird. i choose to get them with the turkey gravy (they also have beef gravy) and even that couldn't save the stuffing. i rarely don't finish sides unless i'm feeling stuffed. i was getting full, but there was no way i was finishing that stuffing. overall, i had a good experience and liked most of the food. i'll go back and try more menu items and some different sides. the person in front of me ordered mashed potatoes, and they looked pretty good.

a view of the restaurant.