When reading a guidebook, I came across two reviews for German restaurants in Pittsburgh: Max's Allegheny Tavern and the Penn Brewery. I've already been to Max's (see, Max's Allegheny Tavern Offers Authentic German Food), so when my father happened to be in Pittsburgh on business and wanted to meet me for dinner, I suggested the Penn Brewery. Overall, it was a fine choice, but wasn't the kind of place I'd visit again soon.

The menu was mostly in German (with English translations, of course) and featured traditional German favorites like Sauerbraten (a beef roast) and Wurstplatte (a sampler of three different sausages). I ordered the Jaegerschnitzel, a breaded cutlet of turkey or veal (I chose turkey) with a mushroom cream sauce. My dad then ordered the Wienerschnitzel, the same dish without mushrooms. I wasn't going to commit the faux pas of switching my order at the last minute, so unfortunately, I can only comment on one dish instead of two. However, that one dish was quite tasty. I'm not usually a big fan of mushrooms, but they added an extra dimension to the flavor of the rich, creamy sauce. The cutlet was cooked well, too: perfectly tender.

The side dishes were mostly good. The German potato salad was cut into larger chunks than I usually like, and it ended up a little mushy, but the sauerkraut was very good. The dark brown bread was tasty too; you may have to be careful not to fill up on it before you get your meal!

Also, I hear the Penn Brewery has a lot of great beers. If you happen to 21 or older, try their beers; they've won some awards, and they're all brewed right there at the restaurant. You can check them out on the restaurant's website.

As for the setting, there were parts of it that I liked. Before you get to the door, you walk through a very inviting stone courtyard, which appears to offer outside seating in the summer. The dark wood restaurant interior was also nice. If you disregard the neon sign out front, the restaurant almost looks like it might have been in Germany.

Almost.  Inside the restaurant, everything seems just a little bit forced. The picnic tables are fun, the flags on the wall are kind of neat, but it all seems a little too polished. It's sort of like the assorted junk decorating the walls of a Max and Erma's or TGI Friday's – these "bar and grill" restaurants try to give the impression that they've got all of this quaint authentic charm, but you know they probably buy their decorations from a tchotchke factory.

And then, a band started playing. Of course! It's October! So, in the grand spirit of Germany (or rather, in the grand spirit of Munich, which we Americans think is typical of all of Germany), they had an "Oktoberfest" theme going on, complete with a band of lederhosen-clad musicians, accordion and all. They sang a couple of songs about Germany, a couple of songs about the Steelers, and a lot of songs (and corny jokes) about beer. It was all kind of funny to chuckle at with my dad, but again, it was funny in the way that Max and Erma's decorations are funny. I'd imagine that real Germans would cringe. Plus, it made it hard to carry on a conversation.

Maybe I shouldn't be so harsh on the place. I might be just a cynical college kid, and if I just loosened up a bit, I'd have a lot of fun there. However, most of the crowd appeared to be in their 40's, so I wouldn't classify the Penn Brewery as a student favorite.  

In addition, although the food's tasty, it's a little expensive, and I can't help but think that a large portion of the price must go towards the band and other assorted kitsch. In the future, if I'm looking for German food on the North Side, I'll go back to Max's Allegheny Tavern.

Restaurant type: German-American Microbrewery
How to get there: Ask one of your parents who is in town to drive you. 800 Vinial Street in the North Side
Price for an entrée: $15-20
Rating: 5.9
Website:http://www.pennbrew.com

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