Plaza Hof Brau, Arden-Arcade (Sacramento)
Are you the type of person who fancies presentation, expensive tablecloths, and places with Michelin ratings?
Then Plaza Hof Brau clearly is not for you.
However, if you're like me and you appreciate good food no matter what - especially if it's affordable - the old-school hof brau at Watt and El Camino (next to the 24 hour Country Club Lanes bowling alley and the now-closed Tower Records) fits the bill.
Although their specials change on a daily basis, their meat and potatoes are their...meat and potatoes. Fresh prime rib being carved up on a constant basis serves as the backbone of the menu, and mashed potato sides are available to accompany that main course. Ordering is done cafeteria-style, you get in line and have your meal set up as you like it, then pick up a soda or coffee on the way to the cash register.
On my Friday evening visit, I went for a 1/4 lb. prime rib sandwich au jus (around $5.49). The au jus is served in two cups, one for dipping, and the other to collect spillage - very convenient, and a sign of just how much of the sauce one gets served here.
I've had French dip/au jus beef sandwiches before, but few lend themselves to savoring the way this one did: the slice of meat was mellow enough to melt in your mouth, yet retained a distinct beef flavor. Essentially, comfort food for the 20th and 21st centuries.
The sizable contigent of senior citizens and the ancient photos of Sacramento on the walls attest to this restaurant's venerability - Sam Gordon founded this hof brau as one of his dining enterprises in the late 1950s. But this is definitely not just for the over-fifty set, as people of all ages also partook in the delicious selections.
Plaza Hof Brau's old-fashioned charm isn't trendy or fancy - it's simply effective. And with daily operating hours until 11 PM, you can dine in late after a long day, unwind, and then maybe go bowling next door afterward!
