Place reviews

Or it may just be that Americans are more comfortable in a tavern that resembles what they have back home.

Schenkerla is rated 92 - Outstanding.

 

Then they should just stay home.

 

Doesn't surprise me, actually, and I'd guess it has to do more with "American" culture than with "American craft" culture. Service and selection are important to Americans;"Gemütlichkeit" doesn't factor into it. I always chuckle at the thought of someone trying to judge a place like Uerige on selection. Or service for that matter, if they get a grumpy Köbes without realizing that Köbesse are meant to be a grumpy lot.

 

Wait. Are there enough American touries visiting Cafe Abseits to make it profitable? I bet if you spent more nights there the main clientele would be Germans, right? That tells me that Germans themselves like the "craft beer" ambience just as much as the next bloke. What's on BA's site is totally irrelevant. I see it this way: I like an old gemütlich, old-fashioned German bar once in a while, but when I go out, I prefer something a bit more "modern." I think it's great that both ends of the spectrum exist. I wish there were many many more bars in Germany like Cafe Abseits, in fact, I wish there were one in FFM! I think it's great they both exist in the same town, giving you a real choice in beer-related establishments, not just the same old, same old.

 

Just visited both. Schlenkerla was great and my visit really turned around my impressions of rauchbier. The setting was beautiful; however, they had three beers (only Marzen on-draft). My experience at Abseits was very pleasant and memorable. Both times we visited, Herr Schumann (sp?) sat at the bar with us and we talked about Franconian beer. He even pulled some bottles out of his cellar to share. The bar staff were very friendly as well and I got to try some spectacular regional Pils & Keller Biers, as well as an amazing experimental beer from Weyerman. Both are exceptional places, but I will have fond memories of Case Abseits to remind me of my trip.

 

Are you back Stateside now? I don't know how to tell you this, but you just missed Schlenkerla's Urbock, which I think tapped a few days ago and is available now (and a case of which is currently en route to my apartment!).

 

Must write review!

 

Let's see, that BA people are idiots? That their value system is different? That they appreciate the uniqueness of Cafe Abseits in Germany as much as I do? Who knows.

 

If he doesn't, I will. You keep putting it on the Craft crowd to not be American. They value variety and service the same way any ordinary American does, and the same way Germans value tradition, the RHG, and nothing being open on Sundays. Each facet of one culture might seem strange to the other culture but that doesn't make one or the other inherently right or wrong. I think it would be nice if people came to Germany and got a better appreciation for how things work here, but I don't think it should be expected. Besides, isn't the story Jwale73 told as good a reason as any to like a place? Could you ever imagine a tourist coming back and sharing the same story about Schlenkerla?

 

I will do so, stay tuned!

 

Obviously, the service rating of Schlenkerla is bringing it down!! I experienced it first years ago, being served (supposedly) by the most-appropriately named Frau "Suck" (no lie!!!). Again last month.... my wife and I went into the right-side room and snagged seats as 2 patrons were leaving. A waittress went by at least 3 times in the next 15-20 mins, while looking right at us, and continued on.... We finally got served, but got a bit hot in the process...

 

Maybe, if that's all they want to do. But finding a place to to spend an occasional comfortable evening in a foreign country is not necessarily a bad thing.

 

I haven't been to Abseits, but Shlenkerla's service is usually described as pretty close to infamous. It's like the Falling Rock Tap House of Franconia. Plus, one of the categories is for selection. They usually only have 2-4 taps. Depending on your service, I bet the "vibe" rating might take a hit, too.
Mahr's on the other hand has a massive selection and really good service, so I don't know about that one.

 

Precisely, which I think is also one reason Belgium is held in such high regard here compared to Britain or Germany – with the establishments offering a choice of 40 or 60 strong beers, it is the beer culture most similar to the American one.

 

It's been thrown about by so many and so often, I have to ask when the service at Schlenkerla became so infamously bad?

I admit that it's been some time since I cast a shadow on its door, but when I did I never felt I received bad service (ask me about the Weißes Bräuhaus and I'll tell you some good stories -- and I think that was more performance art than anything ). Maybe it was overshadowed by the great new friends at our table or the Bamberg Onion I sucked down, I don't know -- but I sure didn't feel unwanted.