Dörfleins is a small village that is part of the greater Hallstadt area and lies in the Fränkische Schweiz or Franconian Switzerland. Hallstadt proper has more amenities but Dörfleins is the start of a fine walk over the nearby Kreuzberg. The other plus is there’s a great brewery in town, too.
Brauerei Schwarzer Adler Eichhorn
Dörfleiner Straße 43
Hallstadt (Dörflein) 96103
0951 75660
brauerei-eichhorn.de
Opening hours:
Closed Monday & Thursday
Tuesday, Wedesday & Friday from 9:30 to 22:00
Saturday from 9:30 to 20:00
Sunday & holiday from 9:30 to 12:00 & from 15:00
Hallstadt Station 2.3 km/Bamberg Station 5 km/irregular bus service
Output: 2500 HL
Founded sometime before 1870, the Schwarzer Adler still has an Eichhorn brewing and remains very much a traditional pub with somewhat odd (at least to non-Dörfleiners) opening hours. It’s a homey place with lots of dark wood and some thoughtful touches ringing in the seasons. Our first visit was in autumn and orange leaves gave it a fall feel. Don’t miss the great wooden door on the way in.
some charming touches at Brauerei Schwarzer Adler Eichhorn
The interior rooms were quite nice, as well and though not busy the Friday afternoon we stopped by, you could see they could accommodate a fair crowd. Not open the day we were there, was a Biergarten that surely comes in handy during warmer months.
interior of Brauerei Schwarzer Adler Eichhorn
They have their own butcher so mostly specialize in cold platters but they do have a small changing warm menu. My wife had standby Franconian favorite “Strammer Max,” a nice smoky ham with two fried eggs over dark bread. I had a warm smoked bacon type ham with sauerkraut which was served with bread. Both were quite good and reasonably priced. I washed mine down with their Schwarzer Adler Dunkles beer though most in the pub were drinking their noted Kellerbier.
Schwarzer Adler Dunkles & smoky ham oriented meals
I would have normally got the Kellerbier next but they had their Bock on tap and it was unfiltered no less. It was superb and very glad to wait for the Kellerbier until next time. This is the kind of Bock you travel all the way to Franconia for!
worth the trip in itself: one amazing Bock
Service was fair and friendly enough. We’d certainly return. There’s a nice hike just up the road and the brewery has an apartment for rent. I sure could drink more than one Bock next time.
I was back in the area to do the hike to the Wagner Keller but found the Schwarzer Adler unexpectedly closed. I then made a point of making a quick trip out on my Bamberg birthday trip to try their renowned Kellerbier. It was excellent, especially paired with an equally great plate of Zwetschgenbames (beef smoked over plum wood). I did have a Bock but it didn’t look the same as the previous year, nor did it measure up to my memory of that one. Hope to have it again to see if it was a one-off.
Eichhorn Kellerbier & a tasty plate of Zwetschgenbames
I finally got to the Schwarzer Adler on a Sunday afternoon for a longer session to enjoy their Kellerbier from the tank as well as try the rest of their line-up on tap.
Kellerbier from the barrel & in a glass
I got my second Kellerbier in a glass to see its lovely unfiltered golden hue but it is generally and more properly served in a Krug. I’d walked over from the Hallstadt train station and got totally drenched in the last kilometer when a thunderstorm came out of nowhere. I guess that’s why it was totally empty when I got there. With the extended time, I opted to try their Pils on tap too.
an empty Schwarzer Adler is a rare sight & their lovely Pils
I noticed a Rauchbier on tap and got that along with a plate of their excellent Zwetchgenbames. They went well together but I’d say all of the Eichhorn beers go well with food and are enhanced by it.
a half-pour of their Rauchbier & another plate of Zwetchgenbames
I also had time to resample what might be their best beer, the Schwarzer Adler Dunkel before moving back to a Kellerbier finale along with a Salzbrezen. The latter had never appealed to me but I saw a local eating one and could almost hear how crispy and fresh it was. On the menu, it said just that and I’ll have to admit, it was both.
the beer that started it all for me & a surprisingly good Salzbrezen
This was by far my most enjoyable visit to this fine brewpub and I’ll make sure I do the Sunday afternoon thing again soon.
Due to a six-month lockdown, it took me a lot longer to return than I’d hoped but that I did with my wife and some friends from Bamberg. It was a sunny Sunday afternoon so finally got to sit out in their lovely Biergarten.
finally getting to experience their lovely Biergarten
Of course, we drank quite a few of their Kellerbiers but my wife also got to try their Dunkles and I went for their Weißbier on one round too. Even though we’d had a large lunch, we coudn’t resist a plate of their house-butchered Zwetchgambames.
you can’t make a bad choice at Eichhorn
Beers: Kellerbier, Pils, Dunkles, Rauchbier on tap and Weißbier from a bottle.
Beer calendar: Bock from early October
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