Looking for reviews/stories about beer halls in Austria & Germany.

Munich:<BR>Andechs - Weinstrasse, not really beer hall- but great beer restaurant for locals.<BR>Haxenbauer for really good chunk of pork on the bone - service can be hostile if you ask for a table and they are full. Near Hofbrauhaus but much less touristy.<BR><BR>Vienna - Munich and Bavaria is beer, Vienna and Austria more for wine - bars are called heurigen. Wachau valley (70kms from Vienna is one end of valley, town called Krems)famous for them as well as Grinzing area near Vienna.

1. Hofbrauhaus (Munich)...located a couple of blocks from the Marienplatz. Very large, crowded...usually with tourists, good food and great beer, loud raucus atmosphere with drinking songs and an oompah band, few Germans but a lot of drunk tourists <BR><BR>2. Augustinerbrau Keller (Munich)...located about three blocks from the haupbahnhof, never been inside but the outside is like a forested picnic area, food is good, beer is one of my favorites, laid back atmosphere, tons of Germans and few drunk tourists drinking at large picnic tables<BR><BR>3. See Haus (Munich)...more an outdoor restaurant but with great beer and food, located in the Englisher Gartens, quiet atmosphere and a great place to relax and look at the swans and the lake <BR><BR>4. Stiglbrau (Gratz, Austria)...cannot remember exact location, but in the center city, nice half timbered atmosphere, good food and the beer is very good<BR><BR>5. Ausgustiner (Salzburg)..located in the basement of a church, the food is ggood, the beer is good but it is not anything to really write home about.<BR><BR>6. Stiglbrau Hotel (Salzburg)...located in new town across the street from Mirabella Gardens...an outdoor beer garden beside and part of the hotel, very good food, the beer is good and you sit at picnic tables, nice atmosphere<BR><BR>Hope this helps,<BR><BR>US

Henry,<BR>I would recommend you pick up a copy of &quot;The Beer Drinker's Guide to Munich&quot;. We used it on our trip last year and the book has some great suggestions. Here is their web site:<BR>http://www.beerdrinkersguide.com/<BR><BR>I second the Augustinerbrau in Munich; Augustiner was my favorite beer and we had a really good dinner there.<BR><BR>Also, if you have a nice sunny day, try the Hirschgarten (located just outside central Munich). Directions by train are included in the guidebook mentioned above.<BR><BR>We went to the Hofbrauhaus twice (right around the corner from the hotel) and it's not where the locals go, but it's fun (and the food is pretty good).<BR><BR>Have a good trip!

Kendra,<BR> Thank you very much for passing on the beer drinkers guide. I sure enjoyed it. Also thanks to the others who replied. Henry

ANDECHS....the beer is great regardless of the halls, which are nice. Get there if you can.<BR><BR>MUNICH....funny story about the Hofbrauhaus. <BR><BR>I was there last year with 2 other guys while the wives shopped. We started talking to a German that was quite drunk and did not speak English. He was very friendly but his wife finally made him leave. He had let us know through hand gestures that he could tell he had too much beer when it came out of his ears.<BR><BR>One hour later we are leaving Munich in heavy traffic. My wife notices a German waving at us from the front seat of a cab and then pointing at his ears. She asked me what that guy's problem is. I looked where she pointed and said &quot;oh thats our friend from the Hofbrauhaus&quot;. Only in Germany. <BR><BR>His wife was in the back seat of the cab looking very upset but our buddy was still having a good time. Our wives could not believe that they left us only one hour to have a few beers and we made a friend.....that found us in traffic.<BR><BR>Gotta love that beer!