A Night of Authentic German Food at Chicago Brauhaus

I said it in my bakeries of Chicago post and I’ll say it again. Food has an extraordinary way of bringing people together. We all have to eat, right? We might as well eat and have a good time, too. That seemed to be the philosophy at the heart of Chicago Brauhaus.

Joel described the restaurant best by likening it to the lodge/pub that Gaston frequents in Beauty and the Beast. Even though I have not a strand of German in me, I felt like I was home. The atmosphere was welcoming, laid back, and familial. Our waitress, who if I had to guess was probably in her sixties, spoke to us with tenderness equal to a paternal grandparent.

After a few minutes of looking around the room, I would estimate that half of the tables had a boot of beer at them.

Boots. Not mugs. Boots.

Before I proceed to tell you whether or not a boot wound up at our table, let me tell you this; Hubby hates beer. Over the almost eight years we have been married he has continuously tried all the popular names, and each time his reaction has been the same: “It tastes like dishwater.” I’m inclined to agree with him, although there are a few brands of which I can manage to endure an entire bottle.

That said he didn't hesitate in ordering a boot of Julius Echter Weiss. While I probably wouldn't order it if a German wine was also on the menu, this German beer was far better than any beer I have experienced. Upon ordering ‘the boot’, our adopted grandmother waitress told him she would need his credit card.

I guess glass boots filled with 2 liters of beer don’t always survive until the end of the night.

I tried to help a little, but couldn't commit because I was more interested in enjoying a German wine. My choice for the night was a Riesling made, naturally, in Germany. 

We also noticed many tables getting a colossal sized pretzel as an appetizer and quickly realized these were not just pretzels, but imported Bavarian pretzels.

An absolute must in our night of authentic German food.

With the pretzel being the size of my head, it wasn't difficult to split it four ways.

Hubby's appetizer is hiding behind my delicious pieces of pretzel.

For dinner, Hubby ordered the Brauhaus special (more on that in a moment) which came with a Sülze appetizer. I was weary at first, but Hubby insisted that I taste it. In later research I discovered that Sülze is head cheese. Cheese sounds good, but this wasn't cheese. On further investigation, I learned that head cheese isn't cheese at all but rather a European cold cut. But don’t think American cold cuts—no that would be too simple. This is a meat jelly made with flesh from the head of the animal (cow, pig, sheep, etc).

Makes you feel a little better about eating hot dogs now, doesn't it?

For dinner, I couldn't resist ordering Goulash with Spätzle. Though I don’t have a lick of German in me, I am half Hungarian. My family has an amazing Hungarian goulash recipe, among other Hungarian delights including the best chicken paprika you will ever taste in your life, so I needed to have theirs to compare.

I’m going to be honest.

The meat was perfectly tender, which is of utmost importance in goulash. You can have all the flavors spot on, but if your meat isn't tender the dish is ruined. The noodles were on point and were certainly a step above the bagged egg noodles I usually use. The flavor, however, didn't compare with the subtly sweet flavor of my family goulash.

Don’t get me wrong, I loved it. I wanted their secret to keeping their meat tender during the cooking period (our goulash is best when it cooks for at least two hours), but I also felt a little bit of Hungarian pride as I ate.

The Brauhaus special was a sampling of German bratwurst, Sheboygan bratwurst, Kassler rippchen, with potato and sauerkraut. It was essentially everything that is amazing about Germany on one plate. It was definitely a man’s meal, as Hubby was pushing himself towards the end.*

*There was no way he was going to leave any of that delicious meat behind.

Joel and Mallory ordered what Guy Fieri ordered when he covered Chicago Brauhaus for an episode of Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives. We also learned that the Triple D crew had just recently been there to feature the Brauhaus again on an upcoming episode. It will be on in May, and we’re excited to see what new tasty delights Guy recommends.

Mallory had the Rindsroualde, which is a beef rouladen. In a nut shell, it is German beef, all rolled up. Delicious!

Joel’s meal, however, would probably be my meal of choice if I find myself in Lincoln Square, Chicago again. The Suerbraten is a braised, marinated beef. Something magical happens when beef is left to sit in liquids for a few days. I found myself sneaking as many bites from Joel’s plate that my stomach would allow.

The experience of Chicago Brauhaus was not just centered on the food. Don’t get me wrong, the food was outstanding. In one meal, I experienced more of Germany than I could ever learn in the same amount of time from reading a textbook. This wasn't just a place that people go to for a quick meal. This wasn't just a place that people go to once a month. This was somewhere people went, often, to laugh, sit back, and enjoy life. This was seen by the permanent dance floor that the room was built around. By the musical entertainment of accordion, guitar, and piano, some German, some popular American songs, that adults and children alike rose from their seats to enjoy. 

As the music calmed, the accordionist slowly released the first few notes of Edelweiss and Joel tilted his head and nodded at me in recognition to the song. 

I've always loved how music can send you back to a specific time and place in your life. This simple, beautiful song sent us to our childhood. Without words or images, we were back in our parents’ living room watching “The Sound of Music” for the thousandth time. Somehow Rodgers and Hammerstein managed to make a song about a flower give all who know it a connection to family and their homeland whenever it is played.

We went to Chicago Brauhaus expecting the food to be the primary part of our night, but I would venture to say that anyone who enters their doors will find that the food, though deliciously unforgettable, is not the element of Chicago Brauhaus that keeps it in business. It is the heart, the sense of family, and the gushing of homeland pride that echoes within and spreads to anyone who crosses their threshold.