A veteran chef and restaurateur is brewing up a slamdunk new restaurant and beer garden in Frisco that combines some of Texas' favorite things. Called Hoff's Steaks & Steins, it'll spotlight steaks and craft beer, with a menu that's mostly-American but with some warm, familiar German touches.
Hoff's is from Adrian Creasey, a congenial, British-born chef with a long resume who was part of the opening team at Eatzi's and has worked for heavyweights such as Brinker and Central Market.
He'll open Hoff's at 5454 Main St. — most recently the British Lion Pub but previously the Londoner Pub, which he's now transforming into a gathering place with friendly touches such as a cedar pergola and a stage for live music.
"I've been interested in doing a steakhouse in that area for a few years," Creasey says. "I also love Fredericksburg and New Braunfels, and was inspired by the idea of incorporating elements of German cuisine."
"In central Texas, they've got great meat markets and there's a huge tradition of eating steaks and drinking beer," he says. "So this will be Texan with hints of German, and that ties in with craft beer, which I'm passionate about."
Hoff's is named not for the Hoffbrau chain but for the original Hofbräu concept in Germany featuring a brewery with an attached beer hall and eatery.
The menu will include sandwiches, salads, oysters, ribs, wurst plates, and steaks. Gulf oysters will be a thing, served on the half-shell with choice of cocktail sauce and horseradish or soy ginger and wasabi or pico mignonette, or else Oysters Hoff — three broiled oysters with green enchilada sauce, melted cheese, pico de gallo, and jalapeño.
There's a Bavarian Dip sandwich with shaved ribeye, cheese, and horseradish cream on a baguette, served with fries and bone broth dip for $15; and a wurst sandwich with grilled sausage in a baguette served with sauerkraut and spicy mustard for $8.
A brisket Reuben features brisket that's been cold smoked then cooked sous-vide, with Swiss cheese, sauerkraut, and remoulade.
Entree-type dishes include a fried seafood platter with shrimp, fish, coleslaw, and fries; and "steak & chips," their version of steak frites with mesquite-grilled Cowboy steak, fries, and salad with ranch dressing for $17.
Sides are very Hill Country and include German potato salad; sauerkraut, with cabbage, garlic, sea salt, and jalapeño that's been fermented for 30 days; and Bavarian-style coleslaw with oil & vinegar dressing, spiked with bacon.
They'll also do weekend brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10 am-3 pm with a separate menu featuring French press coffee, sous-vide eggs benedict, steak & eggs, German pancakes, and eggs & brisket hash.
Price point was important, Creasey says. His selection of steaks start with a 7-ounce center cut filet for $23 and top out at a 16-ounce rib eye for $29.
"I was originally going to go somewhat middle-of-the-road on steaks, until a friend said, 'I can't wait to taste your food,' and the pressure was on," he says. "So it'll be good steak, but my goal is to not have a steak over $30. Affordable steakhouses are one category that has done well during COVID-19, and I'm mindful of that."
Creasey also owns the NY Pizza & Pints chain which is another cuisine that has thrived during the pandemic, so he knows of what he speaks.
He hopes to be open by April, with newly installed amenities such as Adirondack chairs, an interior garden, and other landscaping — creating a beer-garden atmosphere where patrons can eat, drink craft beer, and listen to country music a few nights a week.
