Harry's Hofbrau
Categories: Nightlife, German, American (Traditional) [Edit]
390 Saratoga AveSan Jose, CA 95129 (408) 243-0434
- Price Range: $$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Private Lot
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: Yes
- Takes Reservations: No
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: No
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: No
- Good for: Dinner
- Best Nights: Wed, Fri, Sun
- Happy Hour: Yes
- Alcohol: Full Bar
- Smoking: No
- Coat Check: No
98 reviews
San Jose, CA
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75 Reviews for Harry's Hofbrau
My fat cells are always happy after I have eaten here. Anytime I want a turkey dinner and Thanksgiving is no where in site this is where I come to get my fix. Large portions, cafeteria style, great meat!
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Food for a different generation. If you are curious on what was in 50 years ago, check this place out. Seriously, the food is not bad, just different. Portions are large and you feel like you are back in the college cafeteria.
June 10, 2008: I simply don't have the words today to describe how awful the food is. I simply want to go back to bed and sleep without feeling like my guts are being ripped apart.
June 13, 2008: Okay, I can now write this review!!! First thing: This place was not my choice - the choice was made for me. You see, it was son's high school baseball awards banquet and Harry's was the chosen venue. I can see the choice: Hungry high school baseball players that really don't care as much about the taste as they do the quantity. I get it.
With all that said, I think Hometown Buffet does a better job - and you can keep going back. (However, I am not a HB fan.)
Son got the baked ham with macaroni and cheese and a roll, passing on the salad. He said the ham was good.
DH got the roast beef meal. He said the roast beef was really good, but the rest of the meal was uneventful.
I got the Danish Beefsteak (what was I thinking?). This was one weird dish. Kinda of like a rubbery Salisbury Steak with a sweet tomato gravy. Awful, awful, awful! I got stuffing as my side dish. That was like no stuffing I've ever had before. I actually didn't think it was stuffing as much as I thought it was paste.
A friend and fellow team mom next to me got the Turkey A La King and her impression was that it was basically pot-pie filling over rice. It looked..... processed.
The grandmother next to me had the bratwurst and sauerkraut and said it was quite good. Okay, I do take into consideration that she was of an age that Harry's is popular with, but I must admit that the brats looked to be the winner of the table.
In the end, all was not bad: Son was voted MVP!
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My first time here and last. The view of the ham and roast beef wasn't appealing. It reminded me of cheap free Las Vegas buffets.
Parking was hell because of the casino next door.
You will definitely get your money's worth here... I've seen people get the turkey or the roast beef and all... But for me, its all about the BBQ Tri-Tip sandwich or BBQ Tri-Tip dinner... They have a great BBQ sauce!
My only complaint about this Harry's Hofbrau is that for some reason it does not match the atmosphere at other Harry's Hofbrau in Redwood City... Maybe its next to the Garden City or something, but I like the friendlier atmosphere at Redwood City.
If you're in the mood for a BIG plate of comfort (...in the form of roast turkey, cranberry sauce and mash potatoes n gravy), then this is the place to be. If I have super stressful long hard day and all I want is a hug, then you'd probably find me here stuffing my cheeks.
To sum it up, it's meat and potatoes.
I'd rather spend Thanksgiving with Harry.
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here's what you do:
stop by during lunch sometime and order one of their deli sandwiches. order the ham sandwich and have them add swiss cheese. excellent stuff.
next, hit the bar area and down some beers with your sandwich. remember, your not drinking alone if the tv is on. but its only 11:30 in the morning you may say. remember, it is 5:00 somewhere.
finally, after securing a good buzz go next door to garden city and hit the hold 'em tables. i will be waiting there to take your money.
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This is a local dinner spot in Saratoga for that family style country dinner.
The best part: Succulent cravings of roast beef, turkey, corned beef, tri-tip, prime rib (on rib), and ham.
The bad part: It's not a buffet. WHY?!!!
Bowl of Clam
Since it was a cold rainy evening, I wanted a warm appetizer. This is the calm chowder served inside a huge sourdough bowl. This is a meal in itself. Next time ask for the cup. Generous servings although this batch had too much celery and not enough clam. I wouldn't consider this an award winning dish but something to enjoy with a meal.
Roast Beef
Two stars for the nine pieces of thin sliced beef. It was succulent, tender, and still juicy. I appreciated the fact that they provide heat covers to keep your dish warm until you arrive to your table. The challenging part of this dinner venue is carrying your fully loaded dinner tray to your table. Mine was pretty heavy. Skip the mash potatoes and gravy. The texture of gravy didn't taste right. I have to agree with Ed H and Heidi G. They really thickened it with flour. This didn't please my taste buds. If I'm visiting Hofbrau again, I'll make note to ask for steak sauce. Better yet, I'm going to skip the beefs and try the famous turkey here. You'll know what I mean as you walk towards the restaurant. I'll save the last two stars for the next visit.
Environment
The ambiance displays the German heritage with its unique statues, flags, and old country wood decor. The dining area is huge and offers banquet services for large scale events. No waiting serve. Dining here is much like Sizzler's - line up, explore the menu, place your order and watch them prepare your dish, and push your tray down to the cashier. Not the perfect place for romantic dinners.
Bar: Full scale bar. One star the great selection of beer including IPA's. Great place to meet with friends for drinks.
Perfect for Family Dinners: Yes.
Serves Sauerbraten: No. I haven't had Sauerbraten in years.
http://www.kitchenproj...
Great alternative from Hometown Buffet: Yes! Come here for the fresh hand-craved meats! I can honestly say its lean cuts so you won't feel guilty about getting fat.
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If you're in one of those moods where you're just craving meat like no other, you should come to Harry's Hofbrau. It's nothing fancy, but they serve up some decent cuts of meat. It's a cafeteria - you get in line, you tell them what you want, and they plop your items on your tray that you push along the top of the counter til you get to the cash register. Their standard meat dinners come with your choice of meat (e.g. corned beef, roast beef, rotisserie chicken), a small salad, a dinner roll, and mashed potatoes. You can choose to add additional sides (e.g. stuffing, mac and cheese) for some more money. They've also specials of the day; when I was there last week, they had yummy looking BBQ ribs.
After you've paid, you find your own table and eat. Someone does come around to bus your tables after you leave, but during your meal itself, you won't see any waiters coming around. Like I said, nothing fancy, but it will satisfy your meat cravings. My bf and I highly recommend the corned beef. :-)
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Yum Yum Yum..!
- Cafeteria style but with good food
- HUGE servings, guaranteed to walk out STUFFED
- Variety of meats, sides and desserts
- Laid back atmosphere
- Open till 11 PM
-Plenty of parking
The only thing that kind of bugged me is that the servers seemed kind of unhappy and pissed off..
I got the chicken fried steak meal with mashed potatoes and gravy mmm can't wait to go back for more!
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Okay, Yelpers - work with me on this one. The place is called "Harry's Hofbrau." Sounds vaguely German, doesn't it? Then why would you expect stellar Greek salad, enchiladas or lasagna? Pat - forget the vowels - let these people buy a clue instead!
Hofbraus are known for their roasted meats and beer. Going for any other reason is a exercise in frustration. DO NOT bring a vegetarian here (at least not one you want speaking to you at the end of the evening). However, if you're into fresh carved roast beef, turkey, corned beef, ham - this is your place! The sides are okay but focus on the meats and you'll be fine. They'll offer seasonal food (bratwurst during Oktoberfest and boiled corned beef and cabbage for St. Pat's) that's great as well.
That said, their other dishes are not as spectacular ... but that's not why I go to Harry's. Just because some place serves something doesn't mean it's going to be good if it's not their specialty. I wouldn't go to an Italian restaurant and order sushi - that's just got bad idea written all over it.
Their beer selection is one of the better around since St. James's in Mountain View burned down. Again, their selection includes seasonal choices so make sure to ask what's new that month.
Harry's is also going to save me this November. Somehow my wife and I were talked into hosting Thanksgiving dinner this year but our minuscule kitchen is incapable of creating that much food at once. Enter Harry's - who sells whole turkeys with fixings if ordered in advance!
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I would give it a 0 if I could. I got the stomach flu from there from their pastrami dinner last weekend. Let's just say I didnt' get any sleep that night.
Wow I need to get back over here it's been to long.
All I remember is that these guys serve thanksgiving style BIG dinners where you can get stuffing, mashed potatoes, gravy, and HUGE turkey legs. All in all the servings were always proper and since it's served cafeteria style you can get your fixins quick (A nice bonus for a fat hungy P.O.S. ) The emphasis here is on big portions. Huge portions. They hook it up with a lot of food.
Always loved coming here after a session at Garden City next door.
If you like slabs of meat, with gravy and a whitish/grayish/yellow vegetable on the side - this place is for you. I am not a huge fan but my husband likes the place. I think their corned beef is not too bad, but that's about it.
Comfort food at it's best. Every once in a while I get a craving for a Thanksgiving meal with all the fixins', and Harry's has never disappointed. They give you an insane amount of turkey, mashed potatoes, stuffing, they ladle on the gravy, by the time you get your tray it weighs a ton and you can barely carry it to your table. I usually just order the turkey here, but I have tried some of their salads and they are good too.
Been there a few times with my girlfriend on a Saturday night. If you're craving a good thanksgiving type home meal, this is the place to go
I always go with the turkey and all the fixings. My girlfriend got the corn beef cabbage special, which she liked. It has very quick service since you simply choose what you want, sort of like Boston Market style. overall a good place to eat.
I've been coming here since I was a wee little one. Its one of those places that hits the spot if you are craving comfort food. The prices are reasonable and the staff is very friendly.
They give us so much food that generally my husband and I share the beef roast dinner which includes a salad and a big heaping bowl of mashed potatoes and gravy. We also share some Mac n Cheese and its a cheap dinner for less then $15 together. Its also my Dad's favorite place and we come here every year for his birthday.
Beer and lots of it? Win.
Comfort food and lots of it? Win.
Parking and lots of it? Win.
Walking 5 min here from my office on my last day of work, with a bunch of coworkers, eating, drinking, shooting the shit and talking about all the good memories and making more? Win.
That's what places like Harry's are for: friends, food, beer.
This is where you go if you want to stuff yourself silly. Hand carved turkey, beef, sausage, other meats, mashed potatoes n gravy, stuffing, pie, mac n cheese, etc. etc.
Or eat/drink beer in big BIG chairs that make you feel sort of like a king. Or, queen in my case. Not the male-queen type though.... Nothing against them or anything... Okay, I'll just stop now.
I like the meatloaf with gravy. I did try the beef ribs and know not to get it next time. I usually do end up getting way too much food. I've gotten the turkey dinner before and it was pretty tasty, the turkey was just a bit dry.
The service is friendly and this is a great place to have large group meetings. They also have a full bar in the back. Very casual atmosphere.
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Two words... Thanksgiving everyday
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Maybe the food isn't as good as I'd like to think, but I've been going there my entire life and I'll always have a soft spot for it. I like the old laminate tables and decor the way they are and they better stay that way.
The stews, chicken fried steak, and sausages are always pretty good. The carved meats are a bit bland for my tastes now, but the german potato salad makes up for that. Some of the other sides like the mashed potatoes and salads are really institutional, but I guess Harry's is honest about being a cafeteria type of restaurant.
Harry's has taken the approach of keeping the portions big over the years rather than trying too hard to keep the prices down. I guess I respect that. It is a good value either way.
Harry's is a weird place, but I like it. It's a meat & potatoes joint, which is not usually my thing, but Harry's does it well. The meats are great, and I even like the potatoes, which is rare for me. The German potato salad is almost as good as my family recipe. If you're not into big slabs of meat, they also serve sandwiches and a handful of daily specials like lasagna (yum), turkey a la king, and beef stroganoff. They also offer a wide variety of side dishes and salads, all of which I've enjoyed so far.
The main things Harry's has going against it are the lowbrow cafeteria setup and the cheesy bierhall design. I definitely wouldn't recommend it for a first date or other dine-to-impress function. However, for solid home-style cooking, this is a great spot, and open late to boot.
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Harry's Hofbrau is one of those places where you go in and you know its good food.. I say this because the median age group inside is I believe around 85. The older generation doesnt have time to eat crappy food.. they know whats good and Harry's is good. I just wonder how they can carry their trays to their tables they weigh like a 100 lbs???
Who couldnt love a place that looks like a 70's kickback take on what Americans think Deutchland might look like...
If you are a meat eater (in large quanities) and like just regular hearty food like mac n cheese, brownies, pasta salads... this place is great despite its decor and dark atmosphere. Which I kinda like.
My mother used to make me go to the one in San Leandro as a child and I remember that the roast beef sandwiches are amazing.
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Harry's Hofbrau is one of the few places where I can get my Thanksgiving turkey dinner any day of the week. Instead of pressed white meat turkey roll, I can gnaw on a turkey drumstick with all the trimmings for under $10. The senior specials are good bargains because it includes dessert and some side dishes. The one weak area is the choice of veggies which seems to be canned peas, corn, or carrots.
Cafeteria food at its best. Can't seem to give cafeteria food higher then 3 stars though. Usually come here for lunch, friendly servers and everything.
I also go to the store in Redwood City, but I like this location the best. It's next to Garden City. One of the few poker parlors where i have a winning record.
I love the turkey leg dinner with stuffing, gravy, green salad, and a roll. I've been having this same meal since Reagan was in office.
I'm craving this meal while I'm writing this review...
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If you're looking for a swanky steakhouse go to a swanky steakkhouse. If you're looking for some classic comfort food and somewhat cheesy atmosphere, go to Harry's. Growing up in Palo Alto there was a small Harrys HB out at the PA airport, and then the big one out on El Camino in Mountain View, sadly now closed. The one on Saratoga is close enough that we can wander over when the cravings hit. I think we're due. Even our 10 year old son was asking about it the other day, he's all about mac 'n cheese and they do it right at Harry's.
Love, love, love the roast beef dinner! Delicious semi-thin slices of slow roasted beef sitting a pool of its own juices on the plate. Mashed potatoes with oh-so-rich brown gravy are served in a little cup on the side. I'm not really that into gravy but I have to tell you, I crave it from here. The meal also comes with a nice dinner roll and a salad, dripping in your dressing of choice. For some reason I go for the thousand island at Harry's, normally I'm more of a ranch person.
I've had a sandwich or two over the years, they do make a great sandwich. The table side condiments are nice if you're into froofie mustards.
My husband likes Harry's not only for the nostalgic value of having grown up going here, but because of the BEER. He loves to try different beers and there's always something at Harry's that he hasn't had.
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I give them 4/5 because the meat is to die for. Most of the sides are good at best, and the service is sometimes good, sometimes bad. They also didn't have refills on soda (that's a star right there). But for the price, it's not too bad. I also like the decor of the place. I feel like I'm in some WWII movie or something. lol
Even when it's busy, they get you in and out rather quickly... =)
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Well, if I could give it less than one star I would.
I had not eaten there in years and was excited bring the kids there for there first time. We got there and all wanted the pork loin in various ways, well bummer they had no pork. My son got the kids plate of corned beef... that was the high point of the meal. The corned beef itself was tender, although rather bland.The side potatoes were cold, macaroni and cheese was (I guess) good to him (but then he is 9). My daughter got the 1/2 and 1/2 and asked for the roast beef to be made into a hot open faced sandwich. The roast beef was so rare and tough that not only couldn't she cut it, I couldn't cut it all the way through the sinews. She ended up choking a few times trying to get it down. Green salad was wet with watery blue cheese dressing, the clam chowder .....later. My wife got a pastrami sandwich, the pastrami was good and lean she said, but she went to put mustard on it and it came out all watery and soaked her bread in urine colored water. She ate the bottom and the meat. I had really wanted the pork, so I ended up getting the "Boston Chowder", never had tasted anything like it. Tasted like a cream based chowder with a lot of sugar in it. Very unexpected taste, maybe that is "their" way. Oh and it was not quite cold. but definately not hot...possibly warm. Tried to recover it with a lot of pepper to cover the sugary taste... nope. It was not edible. To use a understatement, I was dissapointed... the whole family was dissapointed. Likf is to short to eat this sort of food, if I want comfort food... it will not be here. If I want to get stressed out and pay for a bunch of food that is left on the table... this is the place.
I have an emotional melange for this place based on a number of factors. Granted, I love its 70s Germanic dark wood decorative style...I almost feel as if I've been sucked into a restaurant in Fantasyland or something. The portion sizes are generous, and the staff is efficient and friendly.
However, the food has left something to be desired each time I've visited. On the first occasion, I ordered the mac-n-cheese with a side salad. The m&c was fine, nothing fabulous, but it definitely filled me up. My salad had far too much dressing, so I made a mental note to ask for it on the side next time.
I revisited the place yesterday with some co-workers. This time, I auditioned the spinach lasagna and the apple/gorgonzola/walnut salad. Again, an error in judgement. The lasagna was ridiculously sized and not the most fabulous in terms of spices. (I honestly found it bland--but then, I'm used to authentic lasagna from Mom and Grandma). The salad was soggy and had the wrong type of dressing for a lettuce/fruit blend. It had looked edible at the time of purchase, but I certainly couldn't stomach all of it.
So if you go, I would recommend this--if you order a salad, get the dressing on the side. If you get an entree, split it with someone. That way, you won't be scarfing down something less than wondrous and lamenting that you spent $8.50ish on it.
It's cafeteria style is wonderful, but can be a bit overwhelming...if you get there at the wrong time you're gonna be sitting in quite a line to get your food...but it's well worth it and actually moves rather quick.
They have a wonderful variety of meats and daily specials.
They have a huge dining area that is comfortable no matter where you sit, and the food is comprable in price and quality.
The portions are also huge. Good european style selections.
My personal fave is the open faced turkey sandwich with half mashed potatoes half stuffing with lots of cranberry sauce...and the best part? They cover the whole damn thing in gravy...
oh yeah!
Settle your thanksgiving craving anytime of year.
Harry's Hofbrau Haiku
Harry's is dark wood
Open faced turkey sandwich
Drowned in gravy good
Thanksgiving all year
Large portions make me sleepy
Stuffing is homemade
This is what is bad
Macaroni Salad tastes
Only like mayo
Open late Hofbrau
Offers large bar, comfort food
I love coming here
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I used to eat at the one in San Mateo back in the day and used to love it. The love afair has ended acctualy. I went the one in San Jose and the Turkey was so dry. the meat was doused in Salt. The desert was good. but for some reason I always felt the sides were overpriced. The open faced sandwich lacked any german flavor whatsoever. Not sure if the location dictates what you eat but I'm not impressed with location. My review is based on my 6 times eating here.
Ok so you don't go here for high end service or meals. You go here for pure starch and meat! Lol its what they do best. They are fast friendly clean and easy. You don't have to dress up and you can actually feel good about your age as you are clearly the youngest hippest one there. Roast beef good, turkey good, ham good lol you get the idea. All fresh roasted right there and good god they give you huge portions.
So put your hoity toity notions aside and let Harry's Hof your Brau!!
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This is easily a 5 star place. My reasons are the following...
*You can get homestyle turkey dinner until 11pm everyday!
*The line is as easy as 1,2,3...
*The turkey is always fresh and yummy (at least in my experience)
* They sop on the gravy and their mashed potatoes are real!
*Okay okay, their stuffing is not the kind I like, but gee... as long as the turkey and potatoes are good.. I'm a happy camper.
*Their specialty salad with the walnuts is really tasty....
Alright, I don't know if all of their food is great, but darnit... You gotta go with what they specialize in! It's like ordering pizza from a chinese restaurant... it may be interesting but definitely not what you wanted. Get my drift?
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Much like Henry's Hi Life, Harry's Hof Brau is a San Jose institution. It was around before all the million and one other restaurants that are open now were even thought of.
Tonight the fiance asked for comfort food. I immediately thought of the mashed potatoes and stuffing w/ gravy from the Brau.
We went. It was the same place that I went to 15 years ago. Nothing has changed. It was Thanksgiving dinner 3 months early for me.
Long story short is that it's still good and still there.
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I stopped by here the other day
i am not big on the cafeteria style places
i had the turkey dinner with a salad
the cesar salad it was on the soggy side and tasted a little too anchovial for my liking
the turkey was good
the mash and gravy was just like grandma used to make
the stuffing was a mess i would skip this item next time
the cranberry sauce was too small about 1/4 of the size i would have liked to have
over all it is an okay place but i would rather go to boston market
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