Haller Str. 29
74564 Crailsheim
Tel: +49 7951 2951003
Crailsheim Station 500m
Opening hours:
Tuesday to Sunday 11:00 to 14:00 & 17:00 to 22:00
Closed Monday
The Brauereigasthof Engel-Keller has been owned by the Fach family since 1888 but has been run by Georgios Spyroglou for a number of years. It features both German dishes as well as Greek delicacies as you might imagine from the restaurateur’s name. This is not unusual in Franconia as Greek food is very popular and much as in the US, Greek run eateries are well-run and generally good value. The inside looked cozy enough but it was a gorgeous day and everyone was sitting outside. I was soon doing the same with a beer to cool off.
large fairly shady Biergarten & cozy interior
Though some dislike small pours, when there is a large range of beers on tap I very much appreciate a .3L serving. It’s enough to get a feel for the beer and if the person pouring them takes their time, they don’t have to be fizzy. I was also biding my time until the next train to Rot am See, where I planned to have lunch along with sampling the beers from the Adlerbrauerei Carl Schmetzer, the real reason for my visit to the area. So, I had small pours of the Engel Hell, Gold and Hefeweizen. All were decent if not ground-breaking examples of their styles and quite carefully poured to not be fizzy and exhibit a decent head. The small glassware were even branded. If I hadn’t divulged their being smaller pours, it’s unlikely anyone would have suspected.
three quick small beers before my excursion
I returned that evening for dinner and again enjoyed sitting outside as it was about as perfect a summer evening as you’ll find. I was glad I’d sampled a few of the beers earlier and dove right in to their Pils. Though nothing compared to the Adlerbrauerei Hefe Pils, it was nonetheless a classic German Pils and my favorite of the Engel beers up to that point and was glad I’d ordered a full pint.
back for dinner & an aperitif Pils
While this may be historically Franconia, there were no such dishes on the menu. Though the Greek food sounded (and smelled delicious), I opted for the Schwäbisch classic: Zwiebelrostbraten. This is a big meal and generally not all that great in Bavaria. The price was good at just under €25 too. Since I’d already had their Kellerbier when in Dinkelsbühl earlier in the year, I went right to the Kellerbier Dunkel. It surpassed the Pils as my new favorite Engel beer.
a very tasty Zwiebelrostbraten & their two Kellerbiers
I got a full pour of their regular Kellerbier to finish things off. I needed another to help wash down the ample meal. I couldn’t decide which of the two Kellerbiers I liked most and it appeared by looking around that the regular one was the number one seller.
While I wouldn’t return as a beer destination, I wouldn’t hesitate to eat here again and by all means having a local beer beats getting a regional giant. Will I make it back? Well, Crailsheim sits in a good spot so it’s not completely out of the question even if it’s not in the cards.
Beers: Engel Gold, Engel Hell, Engel Kellerbier, Engel Premium Pils, Engel Hefeweizen, Engel Kellerbier Dunkel. Bottled Engel Aloisius Märzen, Engel Bock Hell, Engel Bock Dunkel, Engel Hefeweizen Dunkel. They also have a range of alcohol free beers, Radler mixed beers and organic beers in bottles.
Beer calendar:
Engel Maibock in spring
Engel Volksfestbier during their autumn Fest
Engel Weihnachtsfestbier for the Christmas season
Back to Crailsheim.