Brat Haüs, located in Old Town Scottsdale, sets itself apart from the fray with a unique atmosphere, casual food made from scratch and a world-class beer list. Killer cocktails help, also.
As soon as you enter the beer garden at Brat Haüs, you’re transported. I’m not quite sure where to, because I’ve never experienced a place quite like this. The outdoor, dog-friendly beer garden is pretty much hidden from Scottsdale Road, and that is part of it’s charm. You forget you’re in Old Town Scottsdale, or even Arizona. What was once a parking lot is now almost Oz-like in the way it feels a world away. If Oz had a ping-pong table and cornhole. Maybe more than anything else, the vibe of the beer garden alone is reason to visit Brat Haüs.
The staff at Brat Haüs is knowledgeable and friendly. There’s a good chance you won’t be familiar with quite a few of the beers on the rotating craft beer list. Your server will be, and he or she will be able to help answer your questions and help you find the right beer. If you prefer liquor, the handcrafted cocktails are done right. The Modern Range with elderflower, grapefruit juice and champagne is refreshing either with the standard vodka or with gin.
In the appetizers and shared plates, the Cheese Curds are good enough to remind Wisconsin natives of home – minus the squeaking. The Pretzel is another dish that everyone at the table should take part in and the beer cheese fondue is a must-have with it. If you are there with a large group, the Giant Pretzel comes in a pizza box… and takes up the whole thing.
For the main course, if you go with a sausage, you won’t make a bad choice. The classic “Haus” is exactly that – a classic. The “Boar and Bacon” with smoked apple, lemon, fennel and sage is a crowd favorite. In the “Big Plates”, the schnitzel is huge. The “haüs gravy” served atop it is a housemade mushroom gravy that is spectacular. It’s served with fries, but you may want to get a side of them anyway. They are prepared in the Belgian method of brining them in saltwater for 24 hours then fried twice – the first time to bake the inside then again to crisp the outside. The result is french fries the way you always dreamed they would turn out.
Brat Haüs is located at 3622 North Scottsdale Road and is open from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
For more information, visit brathausaz.com