Roast Haus Hof Brau

Was charged $ 19.06 this morning at 11:00 am for a turkey dinner consisting of two spoon full of small chunky day old white meat, an ice cream scoop of mashed potatoes and an ice cream scoop of dressing with a drink. The bread (probably charged extra for and more then likely sat out all night) consisted of a piece of hard french bread which I could not open to put my butter on. The owner knew I was not a regular, asked me where I worked and proceeded to rob me. I did not know of any other place around, was starving, and was new here. I was very, very, very disappointed in the quality of the food and informed the other owners surrounding this place. I was told that this was not the first time they had heard this. I hope this place disappears before a major law suit happens due to the nastiness and griminess of the restaurant and due to the lack of freshness and good quality food due any patron.
This restaurant should be condemned. If one eats at this restaurant, one will eat anything.

My last experience was such a let down from prior owners that I hadn’t returned until recently as I craved a Pastrami on rye. Although the food is still not any where near what it used to be, the staff this time was friendlier. I do expect to pay more for a premium sandwich, and I did… just a bit too much. I would probably feel better about this place on occasion if I hadn’t known the previous staff and food which was out of this world fantastic, so it’s hard for anyone to measure up. Having said that, if you want a hot plate of steaming sausages with mash potatoes or meat cuts, there aren’t many other choices around.

Wait wait. Waitaminute. I swear I thought I’d written a review for this place. I grew up in Marin and only get back once a year and I make sure to come here every time. It’s old fashioned, self serve and looks like it’s been there forever and it’s awesome. People who complain about how old it looks or that they have cafeteria trays really don’t know what Hof Brau joints are.
This last time I got my usual French Dip and the Roast Beef platter for my dad. I asked for the rarest meat they had and got exactly that. You’re getting real food here, not stuff made in some corporate factory and then shipped to a franchise.
Those of you who have complained about this place don’t realize that this type of food is dying out an in other states it’s almost unheard of. Maybe quit complaining and get with the vibe.

Absolutely Horrible. Isn’t what it used to be & should be inspected & condemned! What a disgrace

A great little place with fast service and fresh meat and veg– portions are big and it gives a quick turkey fix around the holidays.

So sad, this place used to be my to-​go place for a tasty open face HOT roast beef sando or HOT open faced turkey sando… I keep giving it a try again, thinking things will change, but alas, no more. The food is ALWAYS COLD. Mashed potatoes taste like «box» potatoes. I guess it would be OK if you got it to go and warmed it in a microwave at home, but who would want to do that! For the price they charge, hot food should not be that complicated.

I caught a glimpse of a magazine cover that read, «The war on deliscious». I didn’t know there was one, however I have noticed the difficulty of getting palatable, take out food, across the board. The Roast house, has been cheating, for a very long time. They have no compunction, in regards, to selling food, that should go straight into the trash. Specifically, day old corned beef, pastrami, and not freshly made potato salid. I would advise asking to see, what meat they will cut your sandwich from, and ask for a taste, before getting a sandwich and potatoe salid that costs 14 dollars, that has to go straight in the garbage. For shame.

Visually I feel like this place is lacking. The front showcases the meat, but it quickly turns very cafeteria like with the trays and railway. The seating in the back seems very old and something out of my grandparents photo album.
The staff was friendly and helped us with recommendations. This is the only positive point I can make.
But the food is the important part! Unfortunately it didn’t deliver here either. The food was cold, which sucks because the plates I feel intend to be something like a home cooked meal. I had the roast beef and it was cooked well, but cold meat just sucks. The mac and cheese was cold as well and just tastes terrible.
The worst part is that the dinner rolls/​sandwich rolls were inedible due to how hard it was. It literally felt like our teeth were going to be pulled out. Sadly because a few of us got sandwiches, we could only eat the meat inside and had to walk away from our «meal.»

The absolute most disgusting food… everything was old, way overpriced and my husband got sick. i wouldn’t even post one star except I had to in order to post this review!

The food has always been great. Been coming here for a couple of years now and I’m never disappointed. They carve the meat right off fresh for you. It’s more on the pricier side when it comes to lunch food but it’s worth it when you want something cooked right.

Hey Unilocal they are now open for breakfast. Great place to eat. I have been a customer over years. Great food.

This restaurant is the perfect example of what three stars imply — basic food that’s not half bad.
I was in the area, and a Unilocal search for German food led me here. The German spelling of «house» in their name fooled me into thinking I was on to something good, but realistically, the only menu item that fit the bill would be the sauerkraut.
I ordered one of the «plates». For a little extra, I went with two kinds of meat (pork and tri-​tip), and chose mashed potatoes and corn as the sides. It also came with a sourdough roll and butter. Had a Coke to drink ($ 17.48 total). You pick a table, and bring your tray, drink and silverware with you.
The inside of the tri-​tip was soft, juicy and pink, while the outer sections were tough and grisly. The pork was perfect — flavorful and tasty. The mashed potatoes and corn were typical buffet quality; eatable, but don’t give me too much.
Most people who came in were getting take out orders. I guess that makes sense since the ambiance is non existent. If I lived around here, I’d come back to try some of their sandwiches, but wouldn’t go out of my way to dine here.

I came here because I love a good Hoff Braus and was excited when I saw this place. I ordered a Turkey sandwich, while the turkey itself tasted great the bread did taste a little stale, however, overall it was a good sandwich.
My biggest complaint was the customer service, the guy serving me seemed to be in a really bad mood. This only was more evident when he got in an argument with what I can only assume was his wife at the cash register. It made the whole thing really uncomfortable and I could not wait to get out of there.
I will come back because the sandwich was good and finding a fresh turkey sandwich can be a challenge, but their customer service could go a long way towards being improved.

Basically donated my money there an hour ago. The turkey was ok, the stuffing smelled old, and the Mac n cheese was sour! Just ordered a pizza. If I was not so tired I would have taken this back to them and demanded a refund. Oh well, consider this a 20 dollar review. I was scared to eat the food after the first few bites because I did not want to get food poisoning.

I like saying Roast Haus back in the days cause it meant MEEAAATTTT!!!
Back then, there were actually two Hof Brau not that far from each other where if you want fresh carve meat without the wait, this is the place. Now only the Northgate One location remains. The prime rib was a special treat for me when I ask for a thick cut, not a problem. Tender and juicy! It was pretty good even several years ago imo but this past year… not so much. The turkey slices I got not only taste quite dry but even look like it has sat there too long for anyone to care. I notice the juice from the corn beef has some circular lard build up floating on top so please stir it up once in awhile. Mind you, I came in between lunch and dinner which might be the reason why as there was hardly anyone dining inside. When the meat was borderline warm close to room temperature and dry, I can see why. And what’s up with the stale roll that was placed on my plate for no good reason. If you think I’m going to down that, think again. Like go to Safeway next door and buy some non-​expired ones.
To not give up hope, I should stop by during normal lunch hour when carve turkey should taste like curve turkey! If true, I will update my review accordingly on that note because I don’t like saying Roast Haus any more and I really want to…

This is a review a sole dinner at Roast Haus Hof Brau in San Rafael.
I went here hoping for a hot plate comfort meal. I didn’t really expect it to live up to Harry’s Hof Brau in Redwood City or the legendary Tommy’s Joynt in San Francisco. But I did hope to get a decent meal.
So, can one aspect ruin what could otherwise be a enjoyable dinner?
In the case of Roast Haus Hof Brau, the answer is a resounding yes. The food was cold. The turkey was cold. The stuffing was cold. The mashed potatoes were cold. The man n cheese was cold. The gravy was a few degrees warmer than cold but not enough to help in warming the food it covered.
I had a big huge plate of food that looked good and, for the most part, tasted good.
The turkey had a nice flavour. The potatoes and gravy were a bit bland. The dressing, while not as good as homemade was pretty good but was a little dry. The mac n cheese was very tasty. It was made with a nice sharp cheddar. But, once again, it was cold.
Revenge may be best served cold but the same is not true for a big turkey dinner plate. You could combine the two though and take someone who has done you wrong to Roast Haus Hof Brau in San Rafael.
The roll was pretty hard and had a bit of a chew to it.
While not overly friendly, the service was efficient. The restaurant was mostly empty. I quickly placed my order and he carved my turkey and placed everything neatly on a plate.
The ambiance is very plain. There is some framed artwork on the wall but one would never get a comforting homelike feel here. The restaurant was clean.
Receipt: $ 14.15
Overall — If the food had been hot or even relatively warm, this would have been a pretty good dinner. Alas, the food I was served at Roast Haus Hof Brau wasn’t.

Service is so so
I enjoy the atmosphere and the décor here, kind of quaint.
1^st time I came I had the roast beef, mashed potatoes and Mac which was excellent.
2^nd time I had the turkey, veggies, stuffing, and Mac
Turkey definitely the best thing on the plate.
Veggies were a bit dated. Slight tartness to the dressing… maybe sourdough bread was used not horrible, just unexpected.
Pretty quiet here after the lunch rush
Definitely pricey
3^rd time I was charged for extra meat on an open faced sandwich when they didn’t even full up the whole slice of bread. When I asked for a little more and they didn’t even mention it was extra. I asked myself at the cash register when I saw the extra charge.
Incredible!!! I retract my earlier statements about it not being as bad as people say.
I can’t stand it when people don’t work hard to keep customers happy.

This minor update is a few years overdue.
But Roast Haus Hof Brau no longer has the best ruben in town. Still a decent place to eat, tho!

I’ve come in here a couple times recently, and each time the carvers have been rude and disinterested, and the food isn’t as good as it used to be. Yesterday, the carver pulled out a tiny piece of 2″ flute bread instead of the standard roll. When I asked him what he was doing he shrugged and said «sometimes they give us the wrong bread.» I ask if he thinks it’s fair to make me pay $ 9 for half the normal size and he just shrugged again, so I decided to walk out at this point.
What’s really disappointing is that Roast Haus wasn’t always like this. Years ago it was under different ownership, and I ate here almost every day. It was excellent, the carvers knew their craft and were friendly, and the food was excellent. Now though, the prices have been jacked up, the food isn’t well-​kept, and the attitude of the carvers is beyond reproach. I came in here hoping what I’d heard from friends who warned me were exaggerations, but they were not.

So I’m not sure why I’ve never been here. I worked across from them for the past five years but never checked it out. I guess from the outside it always reminded me of Tommy’s in SF and I was never in the mood for that experience until last week.
So the place is a lot cleaner and newer than I imagined. It can definitely use a little redecoration since it’s a bit early 90s in there. Not enough to be a cool dive. Just a little boring. I didn’t like that they had TV which was tuned into some crime forensic show. First, why have a TV at all? Then if you have one (because otherwise the employees will fall asleep in the roasts out of boredom), why a show where people are showing dead bodies and autopsies? Just not a good thing to watch while eating meat.
The food however is surprisingly pretty good. I had the pastrami and while it’s not the best pastrami I’ve had in Marin (or San Rafael for that matter, but maybe the best in Northgate), it’s still a pretty good find. I really like the rye bread they used. I wouldn’t touch the mashed potato or any of the items that’s been sitting there, but the pastrami. Yes, I’ll come back for that.