Stefanie Jacinto Deo

Review of Gourmet Haus Staudt Gifts

They have a great selection of German beers on tap...

They have a great selection of German beers on tap, and even their pear cider is deliciously unique. It's a very popular place, and has the liveliest beer house environment on the peninsula. You always feel like you're walking into a party. The thing is, it's extremely difficult to get a seat if you come after 5pm. There is no hostess to meet you at the door and put you on a waiting list. So you and your buddies just have to squeeze in and stand next to a table like vultures, hoping the people occupying that table will leave. It can get awkward, when you have people waiting and the people on the table are still hanging around chatting for 15+ minutes after they've drained their mugs.

As for the food, be warned that their kitchen closes early (8pm last time I checked) so be there early if you want proper food with your drink. They have a wide selection that includes other European-style fare aside from German fare. I agree that the "German" food here is not authentic German food; it has obviously been tweaked for American tastes. Foreigners who visit Germany often complain that the food there is too bland for them. So it follows that a German would find the food at this place too spicy.

Service is kind of a hit or miss; the servers are super nice and chill but because the place is super busy, it can be a challenge to get the attention of somebody to take your order. Once I ordered a drink and the guy completely forgot about it. Half an hour later, when I finally asked him about it, he apologized profusely. He promptly brought me my drink and said it was on him because of the slip-up.