Harry's Hof Brau

Joining me for lunch today at a place she recommended was Shantel. We dined on the patio at Harry's Hof Brau. My idea of a Hof Brau was sloppy counters, meat, and grease everywhere. To the contrary, this establishment was clean as a snowflake. The service was best described as pleasurable. When you walk in, there is a large overhead menu and the folks at the carving station are happy to explain each of their dishes in addition to offering you samples of their various fresh meats.

I'm starting to think I'm losing my knack at making the right sandwich selection. For the second time this week, I believe I was bested by my lunch guest.


This is the incredible sandwich Shantel ordered. Constructed of Tri-Tip, BBQ sauce, cheddar cheese, crispy onion strips, lettuce, tomato, and served on a fresh french roll. Once I saw this thing being erected I knew I had made the wrong selection. That's what I get for cutting in line. Now I know why they say "Ladies First".

Shantel rolling her eyes in bliss as she experiences extreme goodness.

I ordered the Roast Pork sandwich, with lettuce, red onion, tomato, and pepperoncini on a french roll. They offered to dip it in Au Jus sauce, and I was imagining them dipping the whole sandwich in Au Jus like an Italian Beef sandwich. Instead they dipped a millimeter of it in Au Jus, barely enough to stain the bread brown. Sandwich was dry, meat flavor was good. I used some of their house mustard that was available at our table, which helped out a bit. The star of the show for me was their decadent macaroni and cheese that I ordered on the side. Rich, thick, creamy and cheesy, with some crispy panko breadcrumbs on the top. It truly was everything Mac and Cheese should be!!

Kenzie was a little camera shy, her mama not so much.

Harry's Hof Brau offers an astonishing amount of tantalizing choices for your enjoyment. They have turkey legs, frankfurters, enormous enchiladas, and daily lunch specials. If you are in Livermore, and you love meat, Harry's Hof Brau should be your next lunchtime destination.

You can visit them online at:

http://www.harryshofbrau.com/

Or in Livermore at:

2491 1st St
(between Maple St & Mcleod St)
Livermore, CA 94550

Red Smoke Grill

Red Smoke Grill is home of the local's favorite, the Tri-Tip and Bleu! This is a fantastically rich sandwich with thin slices of Tri-Tip and mountains of Bleu Cheese. I was joined by my friend Grant, and we noticed immediately that, this isn't the kind of place for smiles and chit chat from the owner working the cash register. You walk in, you view the menu hanging overhead, your order, you pay, you sit, they call your number, you eat, you leave!!

That being said, the food here is fun to eat, they have some great flavor combinations. On earlier visits I have sampled their Pulled Pork, and Tri-Tip and Bleu sandwiches. They also offer many sides including potato salad, french fries, baked beans, and the like. Stay away from the cole slaw, very bland, but their roasted corn salad is exceptional.

Grant ordered the Tri-Tip and Bleu.


The "Santa Maria" Tri-Tip has great flavor, is cooked well, and is thin and tender enough to bite easily. The bleu cheese is plentiful as you can tell from the picture, creamy and a little mild. Keep in mind their sandwiches are served ala carte, so you have to order sides or else your "Samitch" is "Rolling Solo".

In trying to keep a balanced diet and still write a food blog I decided to go with their "Protein Plate" option. You can choose between Tri-Tip, Pulled Pork, or 1/4 chicken, served with a salad consisting of romaine lettuce, roma tomato slices, and feta cheese. The salad comes with your choice of dressing, I went with the Balsamic.


They use the same delicious Tri-Tip as in their sandwich for this dish. It works well with the salad and is a fantastic choice for the health conscious. Sure it's red meat, but low carb and quite filling.

If you are in the mood for a sit and go restaurant and you like Bar-B-Que "style" food, give Red Smoke Grill a visit.

They are located online at:

http://www.redsmokegrill.com/

Or in person at:

4501 Hopyard Road
Pleasanton, CA