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The place
With October drawing to a close and cool weather and Halloween around the corner, it seemed like a perfect time to sample some locally brewed ales and lagers and some comforting German food. It's not surprising that we chose Rohrbach Brewing Co. for the locally brewed ale, but many don't associate the good food with the Ogden restaurant.
The Urlaub family, with John at the helm, opened the restaurant in 1991 in the German House in the South Wedge, expanded on Buffalo Road, and then moved all operations to Ogden. Last year, the family returned to its city roots, opening a new, larger brewing facility and tasting room on Railroad Street near the Rochester Public Market. But back to this autumn feast.
The food
The menu is appropriately beer-friendly with hearty sandwiches, soups and a German-inspired menu. We decided to begin with soups, my companion ordering the Highland cheddar soup ($3.95/$4.50). Creamy sharp cheddar flavor was enlivened with Rohrbach's Highland Lager and had hearty bits of smoked bacon. I chose a cup of gulasch suppe ($3.50/$4.25) from the special Oktoberfest (October only) menu. Imagine the comfort of mom's goulash casserole, but just enough broth to make it spoonable.
We followed with an appetizer of the German potato pancakes ($6.25). The pancakes were seasoned throughout with plenty of salt and pepper, and served with sides of applesauce and sour cream that balance the crunch and peppery bite.
For our main course, we chose to share the Rohrbach's German Sampler ($15.95). In a nice touch, the kitchen sent two plates with half-portions of all the meats, accompanied by scoops of the tangy German potato salad, seasoned with bits of smoky ham, and the sauerkraut, which was plenty "sauer" but had a vaguely creamy background that took some getting used to.
The meats included weiner schnitzel, breaded and fried slices of veal that were a perfect thickness to retain moistness and flavor, but thin enough to pack plenty of crunchy crust. Then there were two house sausages, bratwurst and bauernwurst. The bauernwurst is a red beef sausage with a bit of smoky goodness. A side of hearty German mustard was perfect for dipping each snappy bite.
The drinks
There is a lively bar at the entry with wines and mixed drinks, but the main attraction is the ability to sample the house brews on tap. In a trick-or-treat spirit, we ordered the sampler, a "fun size" collection of four of their brews on tap. We chose the Stock Ale, similar to an American India Pale Ale with pronounced hops upfront; the Highland Lager, Rohrbach's flagship brew with a malty, toasty flavor that was not too hoppy; and the Scotch Ale, strong and bold with a bit of caramel.
Our final choice was the Vanilla Porter, a dark and complex English-style porter brewed with a selection of malts including chocolate, caramel and black malt, added to roasted barley for layers of flavor. A bit of vanilla flavoring is added after fermentation. There are toasty coffee and vanilla notes and perhaps I just imagined a hint of candy corn.
The atmosphere
The interior is wood-paneled with high ceilings. The walls are decorated with photos of German gasthauses and brauhauses. There is also memorabilia and advertising from former local breweries like Standard Brewing and Bartholomay Brewing.
