Miami Beach Restaurants

Having lived in Munich I know a thing or two about German beer and the Hofbräuhaus that is one of the city's famous beery landmarks. When I heard that the brewery opened a location in Vegas I shrugged that it would be a poor incarnation with too much glitter but secretly coveted their good fortune in being able to enjoy big liter mugs of beer and munch on large soft pretzels. So, you can imagine my delight when my wife (who happens to be German and read about it in a German tourist magazine!) told me they had opened another location in Miami. I read up on it and not only did they bring over the menu, big mugs and beer but they were trying to bring over the ambiance as well. I didn't know what to expect but wanted to surprise my wife who hadn't been home in a few months. Set on the pedestrian mall of Lincoln Road on Miami's trendy South Beach it was set up well as we approached it on foot and soon saw the familiar HB umbrella's heralding the Munich brewery's trademark logo. Though the interior of the restaurant in no way compares to the Munich institution, they did a nice job of creating a biergarten atmosphere in the outside sitting area. They even have the exact wooden chairs and tables as in Munich!

They have a full German menu and the prizes while a bit higher than in Germany are certainly quite reasonable for South Beach. We wanted the Obatzn, a cheese spread renowned in Munich but they were out of it that day so opted for a plate of assorted cold meats and cheeses. It was $16 but more than ample for two people. The quality of the meats was good though not truly representative of what you would get in Germany. Still, with a large soft pretzel ($6.95) and a liter mug of beer ($11-12.95 depending on the beer), it was pure heaven sitting under the trees and enjoying the cool breeze. The best thing was they even had Hofbräu's fantastic maibock on tap! The deep copper brew with creamy head is one of Munich's finest and it was in great form and perfectly poured into the huge mug. At 7.2% alcohol it is a dangerous mix of malt and hops that is all too dangerously drinkable. After a few sips we both felt transported back "home" and even felt "jet lagged" the next day. It was more expensive than doing the same thing in Munich but considering the price of flight and it only being 45 minutes by car from home, it really was a bargain. We truly felt we got away for the day and know we'll be back soon. Looking for the typical Miami experience? Well, this isn't it. Want an idea of what Munich is like then head over, it is damn close to the real thing.

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