Homburger hof

In the courtyard

Typical German reads atypical menu

Alt Bier - hummmmm

Beauty is in the details

Homburger hof is dog friendly.  They even provide a water bowl

Mixed grill, with potatoes and herbed butter

Rump steak, smothered in onions and gravy, with bratkartoffeln

Schnitzel and fries

Scharf Käse - mixed vegetables, cheese, and hot peppers

Rondell 3  66424 Homburg, Germany

06841

Tele:  +49 6841 8090802

www.homburger-wirtshaus.de/

One of the first things you learn about Homburg Saar (pronounced Home-berk and not to be confused with Hamburg, in the far north) is that the Homburger hof is the only restaurant whose hours are dependable.  1000 to 0100 daily.  Period.  None of these closing at 1400, or not open on Wednesdays annoyances.  And yes, they serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner.  Der hof is also the biggest building in town, so it’s tough to miss.  By the way, hof often means courtyard and I guess the crowded tables out in front count.

For the past few decades, it’s been owned by the Karlsberg Brewery, also located in Homburg.  But, that’s not the beginning of the story.  The building was completed in 1907 and has been a military headquarters and a hotel before the brewery bought it and made it a restaurant.

Ok. Ok.  All of that is fabulously interesting, but is it any good?  I like it!  When someone even whispers about going there, I come running.  Karlsberg beer is some of the best around, especially the Alt Bier, or beer brewed in the old style, with the fermenting yeast forming on top of the wort (wheat or barley mash).  What about top-fermenting yeast?  Less fizz.  Usually alt bier runs from 4.8 to 6% alcohol and for my money is smooth as glass.  The Karlsberg variety is at the low end of the scale. Reminds me of English ale, also made with top-fermenting yeast.  The color varies, but is predominantly a deep mahogany.  If you think all dark beer is a little bit harsh and rough around the edges, alt bier will teach your taste buds a new lesson.

What about the food?  Earthy and delicious.  There’s nothing startling on the newspaper menu, but you can order without fear.  Traditional and dependable.  I love the salads, the schnitzel, and the rump steak smothered in onions and dark gravy.  The bratkatoffeln (pan cooked potatoes) are not to be missed.

You said ‘newspaper’ menu?  Yep.  Looks like a newspaper.  Reads like a newspaper, with specials replacing the normal newspaper ads.  Speaking of specials, there’s a different one each day of the week, which gives you a price-break of a couple of euros.  But, even without the price-break, the Homburger hof won’t shred your budget.

When you go to the Homburger hof website, check out their recipes, most of which feature beer, including three types of beer soup!

Now you’ve done it.  A heavy thirst is rising like a tsunami. Time to kiss off the errands, bundle the wife into the car, and chill in the hof and people watch, while the alt bier does its magical, psychological work.  If you can't drink a beer right now, just keep repeating this mantra:  I don't need a beer to be happy...I don't need.....