Hofbrauhaus is iconic, and overwhelming.
Depending on the…read moretime of the day you go, and the size of your group, you will have different experience. Afterall, this is a beer hall, and it can get very busy, rowdy and loud. If that's the vibe you are looking for (I mean why else are you going here?) go with the right expectation.
Basic Rules (purely based on my observations):
- It's massive and tables are for sharing. Walk in and find yourself a seat. Be polite and ask the guests... the servers are not going to find seats for you.
- Go through the menu, and figure out what you want. Be decisive and don't "hmm and haw" when the server is ready to take your order. Use google if you are not sure what a dish is. Of course you can ask the server, but don't be surprised if they are annoyed by too many questions during a busy time. Remember, language barriers can be frustrating for both guests and staff.
- They do have Non-alcoholic beers, just make sure to specify.
I was only in Munich for a couple days, and visited Hofbräuhaus twice (t was just the easier option in my case).
First time:
Walked in soon after opening on a Friday because I wanted to try Weisswurst (which is only served before 2pm). Place was nearly empty, so I found a whole table to myself (had others share the table after). Service was on the slower side, but I was able to order pretty quickly. It didn't take too long for the food to arrive. The place started to fill up slowly and the band started playing and it was a cool space.
Second time:
As I had more family join me and wanted to experience a classic Beerhall, so we went on Saturday around 1 pm with a group of 6. It was completely packed, and very loud. We found a table pretty quickly as people were leaving. It did take a while for the server to come to our table and took a while for the food to arrive. We shared and tried a bunch of dishes and everything was quite good and interesting. Disclaimer: I am not an expert on authentic Bavarian food, so I am not here to comment on that. Simply put - as first time visitors, we enjoyed our meal.
Couple other things:
Prices were quite reasonable.
Although it's pure chaos, it's a fun environment.
Staff members can be direct, and the tone may not translate well... which may be a bit frustrating for foreign visitors.