Der Braumeister--Cleveland, OH (Lorain Ave.) [$$]---

After much deliberation between three menus that were not entirely vegetarian friendly, Shannon chose Der Braumeister.  We had not visited a German restaurant yet, and there were a few appetizers that could be made into entrees, to make up for the one vegetarian entree available.  The German Bier Haus was full of dark wood and stained glass.  It's interior immersed us in a homey European atmosphere that we instantly fell in love with.  The waiting staff was extremely friendly and accommodating in deciphering what was vegetarian and what could be made as such.
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Shannon:

My stomach was so ready to indulge in pierogies or sauerkraut, especially having had dined almost solely on saltines yesterday, because of an upset stomach.  I was really looking forward to making a motley meal out of the appetizers I could have, since the one vegetarian entree was described as a lasagna dish.  The dish sounded tremendous, however, I was hoping to enjoy a more characteristic German meal.  Unfortunately the sauerkraut balls appetizer I had my eye on was not vegetarian.  The waitress was so helpful in checking with the kitchen for what I could and could not eat.  Eventually I decided I would make a sandwich vegetarian by asking for them to remove the ham, and I ordered the pierogi appetizer.

The waitress seemed uncertain what pierogies were on the menu that day.  She informed me potato was the only option, so when she handed me the cheese pierogies I was delightfully surprised.  The pierogies were fried crispy on the outside with sauteed onions and sour cream to accompany.  The cheese was soft, mild, and almost sweet.  Mixed with the salty onions and cool sour cream, I was in utter heaven!  I may just end up getting multiple orders of these next time!  For my entree, I ordered the Bavarian Pretzel Sandwich, without the ham.  The sandwich included melted Swiss, lettuce, tomato, and German mustard on a warm Bavarian pretzel.  Grace had mentioned the cranberry mustard on the menu, so upon ordering I asked if I could have this mustard instead.  I had the choice of a side, so I picked applesauce.  I had not even finished my appetizer when the sandwich arrived in all its glory.  The pretzel was my favorite part, it being speckled with sea salt and warmed to perfection.  The cranberry mustard came on the side, along with the German mustard.  Not being a huge mustard fan, the cranberry mustard was a good choice, as the cranberry was the overpowering flavor.  The saltiness of the sandwich paired very well with the sweetness of the applesauce.  It was all very filling, so I ended up taking half the sandwich and some of the applesauce home with me.  Two meals for one!

Der Braumeister was an amazing choice.  I loved the decor and even though there wasn't a ton in the way of vegetarian options, the waitress helped make sure I had something delicious!  I was very pleased that she checked so thoroughly what I could and could not eat, I really appreciated feeling comfortable and welcome, and that they were willing to accommodate.  I would love to go back and try the pasta entree, or perhaps just get more pierogies!  I had a wonderful lunch here today!
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Grace:

As a girl of German descent, I was so excited when Shannon chose Der Braumeister! I've never been a fan of sauerkraut, though, so I knew off the bat that I wouldn't be getting that. We sat down, and I noticed there were only two other people in a booth across from us, so I found it weird when the waitress said they didn't have the cheese and potato pierogies that day. Since today is Mardi Gras and I was definitely in the mood to eat a ton, I browsed the menu for a good ten minutes before landing on the sandwich, soup, and salad combo. $9.50 for all of that food seemed like the best deal for a struggling post-grad. Although I wanted a German beer (because, well...when in Rome, right?) but I decided not to since Shannon's stomach was still sensitive. I didn't see the point in indulging if my lunch partner couldn't. I ordered the Grilled Turkey and Havarti Sandwich and tossed salad, with the day's soup special, German Potato. Usually, when you order a combo it's either half a sandwich and half a salad, or half a salad and half a soup, but this combo contained all three! Surprisingly, even the sandwich had both halves, so you could imagine how pleased I was when I got all of this food for less than $10!

My German Potato soup came first, so I was happy when Shannon placed an order for pierogies so I didn't have to eat in front of her. The bacon in the soup was really subtle, and the potatoes weren't chunky like they are in, say, a stew. About ten minutes later, the rest of my combo came. The shaved turkey on the sandwich was delicious and paired well with the lettuce, tomato, and cranberry mustard. I hadn't even heard of cranberry mustard before this outing, so I had been really intent on trying it. The semi-hard, multi-grain bread was really thin, but it actually did a great job of holding the contents of the sandwich together. Although the sandwich juices were dripping onto my salad, and I'm a bit OCD about my foods running into each other, it was so remarkable.

I've driven by Der Braumeister loads of times, and I have always wanted to try it. Needless to say, I was excited to try it for my first time with Shannon! At the end of the meal, we received a complimentary oatmeal raisin cookie after we had gotten our coats on to leave. Our waitress told us to have a seat while we enjoy our cookie and that she would be right back with our credit cards and receipts. We were confused about how we were to go about paying, so getting the cookie was a nice way to tell us we were still welcome and accommodated. I wholeheartedly enjoyed Der Braumeister, and I loved seeing the German heritage so proudly represented throughout. :)
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Bar area

More bar area

Even more bar area

Quaint niche-booth

Doorway between dining room and bar

More seating

Decorative wall

Glimpse of the party room

Shannon's pierogies

Bavarian pretzel sandwich and apple sauce

German Potato soup

Grilled Turkey and Havarti sandwich with tossed salad

Free cookies! :) :)

Outside/Patio area

Front door

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Der Braumeister was spectacular to say the least!  Our bellies are satisfied and already looking forward to a return trip!  Maybe we'll stop back in the summer and sit on the patio to soak up some sun!  This is a really fun place, let us know if you stop in for a brew!  There's so many to choose from!
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