Stuttgarden Tavern – Galveston, TX

Touted as the “Best Lil’ Beer Garden in Galveston”, Stuttgarden Tavern is located on the east end of the Historic Strand area, just off 21st Street. It is an open air patio style restaurant serving food, beer on tap and bottled, wine, and featuring a greenhouse-enclosed full service liquor bar.

 

 

The food is German or has a distinctive biergarten bent, and is outstandingly tasty.

 

 

 

Irish Nachos – waffle fries topped with minced meat (pulled pork this time), cheddar cheese, bacon bits and sour cream. [photo]

 

 

 

Sauerkraut Balls – delightful balls of sauerkraut, breaded, fried, and offered up with dipping sauces.

 

 

 

Banger & Mash – bratwurst (choose from hot, cheese stuffed, mild or seasonal) served with mach potatoes and gravy and braised cabbage.

 

Gouda Brat – served on an oversized hot-dog style bun, this bratwurst is covered in sauteed mushrooms and onions, with a lavish application of smoked Gouda beer fondue. (Pictured is the seasonal brat, stuffed with mixed venison and other meats.)

 

 

Brat Sampler Plate – a variety of brats to choose from (hot, cheese stuffed, mild or seasonal) , with ‘kraut and cabbage sides.

 

 

 

The Steven – a half pound of beef served with house made BBQ sauce, house made pickles, a fried onion ring and cheddar on a grilled bun.

 

 

The Traditional Burger – a half pound of beef served with lettuce, tomato, house made pickles and shaved onion on a slightly sweet grilled bun. (Photo includes Swiss and avocado.)

German Potato Salad – served cold or warm on request, featuring sliced red potato, bacon, green onion, and house dressing.

Order in or for takeout. You can even call in an order for pick-up any time during the kitchen hours.

This place is also dog friendly. Their website proclaims, “We like dogs… Dogs are always welcome on the patio.”

On the 1-5 scale, Stuttgarden Tavern gets:
Cleanliness – 4
Service – 4
Quality of food – 4.5
Flavor – 4.5
Pricing – 4
Overall experience – 4.2

Stuttgarden Tavern on the Strand
2110 Strand Street
Galveston, TX 77550
(409) 497-4972

–Ann Cathey

Cafe Michael Burger – Galveston, TX

The steps outside of this pylon mounted restaurant are a tad steep, but we mounted them courageously to find a super clean indoor dining area with an understated surf theme going on. At Cafe Michael Burger you pick up your laminated menu and have a seat while you decide on which offerings you want to order, and there are plenty to choose form. When you are ready, step on up to the register and tell the nice folks what you want. You are rung up at this point and given a buzzer about the size of an old cell phone. It will blink and vibrate when your order is ready. It also reminds you that it’s there when it talks to you.

Patio seating.

In the meantime, collect your drinks and pick a spot from which to enjoy the view. We sat outside on the patio, which is “screened” with side by side garage doors, most of which were up to give the best access to the scenic view of the Gulf, while the ends remained closed as a wind break. It was a rather chilly day.

Scenic view of the gulf.

Perusing the menu made decisions difficult. There are numerous burgers at the top of the list, but further down there are some German offerings that were very tempting. Burgers and German food! Can it get any better?

The burger patties are hand formed and not over spiced, though the patties seem a little thin on the bun. The buns are soft and hold up to the juiciness of the condiments and fresh veggies. All meat is cooked through, with no choice that we are aware of.

The sauerkraut is made in house, as we suspect, are the pickle spears that come with some of the sandwiches. There is a hint of sweetness to the mellow kraut, with none of the harsh bite or saltiness many of us are familiar with.

Sides are available in full or half orders, making it easy to be a pig, or to try more than one side without over stuffing yourself.

Condiments are available, though the only things on the tables are napkin dispensers, salt and pepper. Ketchup, mustard, and other items are self-serve from a unit int he main dining area.

Galvez Burger – guacamole, shredded cheddar and mayo, hold the pico de gallo on this one. Guacamole is not just mashed avocado. There’s a bit of spice and diced tomato added, among other things.

 

Bratkartoffel (German fried potatoes) are skillet fried to a crisp with onion and bacon. This stuff is potato crack!

 

 

Michael Burger – 1/3 pound beef with lettuce tomato, lots of pickles, mayo and mustard. We opted for no onion and added cheese.

 

 

 

 

Reuben – sliced corned beef with house made sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, Russian dressing on grilled rye. Not greasy. The kraut is very mild and slightly sweet. Served with a dill pickle spear that tasted of the same spices used in the kraut. Very tasty.

 

 

Beer Batter Onion Rings – lots of crunch! Real onion battered and deep fried.

 

 

Before you leave, bussing your own tables is appreciated.

On the 1-5 scale, Cafe Michael Burger gets:
Cleanliness – 5
Service – 5
Quality of food – 4.5
Flavor – 4.5
Pricing – 4
Overall experience – 4.6

Cafe Michael Burger
11150 Termini-San Luis Pass Rd.
Galveston, TX 77554
(409) 740-3639

— Ann Cathey