We hope you have a unique dining experience and leave here planning to come back and see us again soon! We have been serving grilled steaks out of our little joint on West 6th Street since 1934, and have served generations of local families. We have a lot of friends from all over central Texas and even from halfway around the world. Robert "Coleman" Hamby, along with his brother Tom, opened this,
"The Original Hoffbrau", on August 4, 1934. Figuring they would soon lose their job driving the ice wagon for Mission Ice because of the depressed economy, the brothers made a small investment in the piece of property and figured on opening a restaurant. By stroke of luck or by blessing, depending on how you look at it, the prohibition laws that had made beer unavailable for some time were revoked that same month. Those people who could afford the nickel for a glass of beer made their way to the Hoffbrau and the two men were more than happy to serve them crackers and cold cuts just to make that nickel beer sale. Few people could afford to eat out during the depression years, but those that could spare the nickel came in for a beer. The Hoffbrau boasted kegged beer too, which people were curious about. We have a few old photos of the place at that time on display on our walls. People could afford to eat out and made their preferences known. Soldiers from Bergstrom, during WWII, came in with big money to spend and big appetites. They convinced Coleman and Tom to try steaks. The small cast iron grill you see on our bar was purchased, which could prepare 2 steaks at a time. The steak sales took off and we've been serving them ever since. Along with chunky fried potatoes, sliced bread (for sopping) and the ever famous "love it or leave it" Hoffbrau salad... loaded with garlic. Coleman's sons, Robert and Tom, were here from the 1950s to the early 1990s, and today Coleman's granddaughter, Mary Gail, and her son, Zachary, operate the place. Depending on where you are seated, you are likely to see some photographs of these folks in the dining room. We pride ourselves on loving people and loving what we do, so please ask if we can help you with anything. Two or three of our employees have been here more than thirty years, and almost all have ten or more years under their belt. Several are the second, third, or even fourth generation of their family to work here. It just gets in your blood I guess. We think so, anyway.
