Suppenküche - German Bierhaus Charm in San Francisco
Written: Jan 22 '06 (Updated Feb 06 '06)
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Pros: Spätzle!
Cons: Somewhat out of the way, for me anyway
The Bottom Line: I'd eat here all the time if it were closer to where I live.
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| lyagushka's Full Review: Suppenkuche |
We'd heard such good things about Suppenküche from friends that I'm at a loss to explain why it took us so long to eat there. Actually, it's probably my fault. It's a German restaurant, known for its beer. I don't drink beer, so that was no attraction for me. And every time my husband suggested it, I was in the mood for something lighter than typical German fare. Finally, on a chilly winter evening, the stars were aligned and we went. It didn't take long for us to return after our first meal there.
Suppenküche is in the Hayes Valley neighborhood of San Francisco, which has trended upscale over the last several years. You could walk to the restaurant from the opera house or the Civic Center BART station in about 10-15 minutes. The exterior is pretty unassuming compared to other swank looking businesses nearby. The interior is spare but pleasant in a rather odd way. On the one hand, it resembles a Bavarian bratwürsthaus, with large wooden tables, chairs and benches arranged in a few interconnected rooms. On the other hand, there are bamboo and paper umbrellas, and fair sized tree branches hanging from the ceiling. Other decorations are very minimal, though I did spot a portrait of mad Ludwig on the way to the bathrooms. (They were clean.) Patrons seat themselves, sometimes at communal tables, in a loud and lively friendly atmosphere.
Service from the young and pierced waitstaff is casual and almost affectionately friendly, but also very prompt and efficient. On our first visit, the waitress brought us a bilingual menu almost as soon as we we'd seated ourselves, and though she encouraged us to take our time deciding, she didn't keep us waiting to place our orders when we quickly made up our minds. She brought out a basket of two types of bread with an herbed butter, and our drinks within a minute or two of taking our orders, despite the fact that the place was packed.
I'd hoped that the menu would include spätzle with onions and cheese, and Suppenküche delivered. There are other dishes that sound tempting on this menu, but I've stuck to the spätzle on both our visits because they're simply fantastic. Coated in a rich, sweet, oniony-butter sauce, layered with lots of tasty emmental cheese and sprinkled with black pepper nuggets, this is a dish to make the baby Atkins weep. The portion is enormous; even though my husband enthusiastically helped me eat the noodles, I still ended up taking about a third of them home each time. This dish comes with a lovely mixed salad of a few very fresh pieces of butter lettuce topped by generous helpings of red cabbage in vinegar, shredded carrots dressed with some type of citrus juice, and batons of red beets. I told the waitress that the spätzle were really, really good, and that I wanted to take the rest home. She looked at me and said, "Oh, I know, honey. I had to go out and buy larger jeans because of that spätzle."
My husband first opted for the lentil stew and maultaschen, technically both appetizers. The lentil stew was hearty and light at the same time, in a tomato base with potatoes, but no meat. Maultaschen are a sort of German ravioli stuffed with pork and vegetables, in this case dressed in a creamy mushroom sauce. He liked the lentil stew very much, and was satisfied, but less than thrilled with the maultaschen, saying it didn't compare well to those he enjoyed in Stuttgart. I'd never gone with him to Stuttgart, but I had to agree that the ravioli were just okay, nothing great. Fortunately, he was impressed by the beer he chose, a Kölsch on our first visit and a Bütten Alt on the second. On each visit, he judged the beer to be very well kept. He thought they had an impressive selection of beers on tap from all over Germany, rounded out by a few Belgian beers and a few beers in the bottle.
On our next visit, armed with a large appetite, he ordered the meatloaf with bacon and egg, and thought it was great. The monster-size side of mashed potatoes was delicious too. I tried a small amount of his food and agreed that it was very good. Though strongly tempted by the (pork) wiener schnitzel and the jaegerschnitzel, I stuck with my spätzle. I'll definitely try one of these on my next visit though. Again, the portions were too large to polish off, and the leftovers were boxed up for us. We've never quite had room for dessert at Suppenküche, though the pear tart sounded tempting.
I liked the fact that the waitstaff at Suppenküche gets to eat a meal towards the end of their evening shift. They sat next to our table on our first visit and ate a hurried and interrupted meal together. I take this as a sign that management is at least trying to take care of its staff, which usually translates into happier employees who give better service. I was certainly satisfied by the service on both of our visits.
Suppenküche is open for dinner only seven days a week, from 5-10pm. They also have a Sunday brunch which sounded interesting to us, but we've never tried it. Prices seemed eminently reasonable to us, with the pre-tip tabs for our ample meals coming in at less than $40, including one beer on each occasion. Choices for vegetarians are limited, and for vegans, nonexistent beyond salad. Valet parking is available for those who perversely insist on driving in San Francisco. Reservations are taken only for parties of six or more. The restaurant serves only beer and wine as far as alcoholic beverages go. It doesn't have a full bar, but it does offer a couple of non-alcoholic beers. The emphasis here seems to be on good hearty food served at fair prices and in an unpretentious style.
I would unhesitatingly recommend Suppenküche to anyone who enjoys traditional German fare in a convivial, slightly rowdy atmosphere. Those who don't like loud dining environments may not appreciate Suppenküche's charms, though if you can get a seat in the smaller back room, it will be a little quieter than in the front. This would be a great place for a group of friends to have an evening out, but not for a quiet romantic date. If you're in the Hayes Valley neighborhood around suppertime, don't pass this place by, especially if you like beer.
I can also recommend a meal at any of these other San Francisco eateries:
• Boulevard - hands down, the best restaurant in San Francisco
• Woodward's Garden, which is almost as good as Boulevard
• Betelnut - highly recommended for a fun night with a group
• Helmand - little known but excellent Afghan place and a great value
Recommended:
Yes
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Best Suited For: Friends
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