Sauf Haus Bier Hall & Garden

I only spend time writing reviews on here when I have an exceptionally good or bad time, and unfortunately this place deserves a review because their outside/​back bartenders are the worst humans I’ve met in a hot minute. Biggest complaint, in order to get an iced water I had to walk all the way from one side of the bar to the other and pour it myself (which may not sound so bad at first glance but the bar spans the length of the room and it’s a shoulder-​to-​shoulder-​crowd, which took approx 20 min each time.) I wanted to ask the bartender «hey, you think we could work out a deal where I pay you to serve me drinks, or is that too far outside of your job description?» But I remained a gentleman and didn’t. Yet, considering that I’m tipping a bartender anywhere between 20−40% to pour me drinks, I find this unacceptable.
That said, once I mentioned my complaint after having to go through this routine twice, I was cut off and not allowed to order any more. Note: this was only after two alcholic drinks, and I was clearly not inibreated enough to warrant a cut off, so it seems more like their ego’s just weren’t strong enough to handle a logical complaint. But hey, I’m sure they kill it with the ladies while dressing like a bunch of little kids wearing the exact same make/​model/​color of levi’s (which hopefully their boss made them wear, otherwise it just displays their douchebaggery) and skinny leather straps.
All that said, their was one bartender who was actually reasonable that continued accommodating me, unfortunately I can’t recall his name at the moment but props to realizing your bro’s were improperly and unfairly cutting off a patron. Aside from the complaint, this place has all the potential to be a great spot. good venue, good vibes, good beer, and your front side top floor bartender is a darling (please keep her and promote her) but please rid yourselves of the liability that you carry with your upstairs/​outside bartenders from last night.
Sincerely,
An American Patriot

Came here for happy hour with some friends. It’s located right above Shake Shack, which is prime real estate in my opinion. There are multiple bars, the top of which is their beirgarten/​roof top bar. It was enclosed since it is winter, but it was warm and cozy upstairs.
We decided to sit on the second floor which gave us easier access to the bar and place to sit. I had a Hefeweizen and my husband ordered the Dopplebock, ½ liters please. There is also the liter option for your beer drinking pleasure. Happy prices included $ 3.00 off all drafts, which given how much beer you get, is a good deal. Our beers were good, the size was perfect for me.
There is food available but we only took care of our liquid diet. Cool spot overall; fun place to go for happy hour or for a good beer in DC.

Entered the Bier Hall around 9pm on a weekday with my boyfriend & a friend of ours. I was surprised at how busy it actually was. No open tables, so we sat at the bar. Not the largest selection on tap, but still an okay variety. Post-​dinner I was stuffed, so opted for a light pilsner which was average. The guys had their 1L stein’s just for the experience. Service was okay, she was a bit inattentive when we needed her to be, but we enjoyed ourselves. The noise levels were inconsistent throughout the night. It went from rowdy and loud to completely quite and bare in a short amount of time. If you wanna converse properly, I’d recommend the bar area, a bit more intimate in an ironic way. They have tons of finger foods for the drunchies, pretzels, sausages, etc. to nibble on while you drink. Overall, not the best beer garden, but not the worse.

Sauf Haus… I really love this place! Great selection of drinks, a variety of rooms (my favorite is the top bar that the band is sometimes in), and big pretzels when you felt like you drank way too much (Shake Shack is also down below).
This review is long overdue, but I do really enjoy the laid-​back vibe of this place.

The Bier Hall was quiet because we went around 5pm the weekend after Christmas, most folks were out of town… not that we minded. We went for drinks ahead of our dinner reservation and enjoyed a liter of beer along with pretzels and a sausage.
The food was good, hit the spot after some drinking, and what we needed at the time. I wouldn’t go for the food but then again, it is called a Bier Hall & Garden, you go to enjoy a few German biers. :)
I could see this place being awesome during Oktoberfest or some other celebration.

I think you need to strategize your visit. Based on the previous reviews, it seems like after-​work hours are the prime time for mid-​twenties to early-​thirties crowd. I visited Saturday night (based on a friend’s recommendation and without Unilocal to guide us). The crowd was all college-​kids. It was SO loud and raucous! Yes, I know — I sound like a cranky old lady in this review. But the crowd plus the blaring music made it really difficult to converse with my company without constantly leaning in.
The beers were good, but the ambiance was just really so-​so.

I’ve been to Sauf Haus a couple times in the last couple months. It’s been great both times! They have multiple floors for drinking and games, but the top floor is my favorite. It was all decked out for Christmas the last time I went.
Getting a drink at the super long bar is pretty easy, and they have a nice selection of beers and of course, the SHOTSKI. The prices seem reasonable compared to other places to get a beer or drink in DC, so I have no problem with it. The TV’s behind the bar are a nice setup if you want to go there to watch a game.
All in all, great layout to a place with good drinks. There’s lots of space so it’s good for groups as well.

A very wide selection of German beers on tap, ranging from HB, to Spaten to some other smaller breweries I’m not familiar with. Prices are average for DuPont Circle but is among the cheapest in the area during happy hour when beer, pretzels and food are $ 2 off.
If you want a meal, the braut platter came with two and I could distinguish between the different flavors and textures. The sauerkraut lightly sautéed in the braut juices (you bet I just used a french term to describe German food). The roll was okay; not really conducive to eating with the braut inside. However what I think most people will want is a $ 6 – 8 normal pretzel or the $ 18 – 20 two pound pretzel for a group.
There are several levels, some sit down or lounge oriented, but the rooftop (somewhat covered, heated, loud and occasionally with music) is the best. If you are considering Public Bar right next door, this is the better option, especially for beer. Anyway you should visit Sauf Haus… like schnell…

Good beer & good prices. I always stop by this place when I come to DC for work. You can get a liter of beer for anywhere between $ 13-​$ 16 dollars.
Cool place to chill at with your friends, the location is situated on the 2^nd floor of a building right next to shake shack. It gives you that semi rooftop vibe which is nice and the beer selection is HUGE!
I know I was late but I still got the DG Oktoberfest Liter for $ 16. This defintely quenched my thirst.
Oh yeah, HH on weekdays from 4pm — 7pm.

Walking around Dupont, I saw a group of people headed in a door with a bouncer checking id’s. I would have walked right passed the door located next to Shake Shack, but glad I didn’t. This beer garden is on the rooftop and easy to miss. Since they have a retractable roof, luckily the garden is open year round. They have additional bars located inside as well.
The place was pretty packed with a nice looking crowd. Nothing worse than an empty bar. Aside of the fun ambiance, the beer was great and $ 2 off for Happy hour. We tried the 1lb pretzel which was delicious. I mentioned they should add beer cheese to their mustard & Nutella. I will definitely return. A fun place to bring a group of people or meet new since the tables are shared.

This was a pretty decent German beer garden inspired venue. I didn’t have the food so can’t remark on that, but the beer selection was notably German with your choices being draughts of Franziskaner, Spaten and the like. The beers also come either a large mug (16 oz I’d ponder) or giant which after drinking 2 I would say was 12 gallons. The rooftop was very crowded, and oddly enclosed for some reason. A real missed opportunity if you ask me. It was loud, but not so loud you couldn’t converse. You could move around the place and get a drink in a reasonable amount if time.
It was pretty different from the other places near by in DuPont, but that didn’t make it any less trendy or hipster-​ish.
I’d recommend the place, but it really wasn’t anything special, nor would you miss out if you didn’t go. Honestly we only wound up here because the bar right next door was charging a cover.

Good selection of beers and drinks! Pretzels were yummy.
Stairs are a killer. LOL

I remember getting dogged by my buddies for calling this place Safe House. Apparenlty its Soft (silent «T») house. Go figure.
Anyways, we came here for a happy hour on Friday (opens at 4 pm, we came at 3, so people don’t make the same mistake we did) and after an hour it was jam packed! We got the 2 liter beers to start off the afternoon and after 2 of those, I was pretty much gone. Fair warning to people: drink responsibly. I saw another patron order a gigantic pretzel and I was like… I want that… So I got that. The gigantic pretzel was about $ 20 and came with 4 different dipping sauces (including Nutella!!). I wish I could say the pretzel was good, but it was like a wonderbread shaped pretzel with a blah taste structure. But what should be focused on are the beers, which are fantastic. I didn’t see any american beers which is to be expected by this German Oktoberfest style bar.
As for the décor, you have to walk up 2 flights of stairs to get to the rooftop bar area which gives off a true oktoberfest vibe. There are these highlighter orange tables and benches aligned next to the bar and soccer (football) games playing on the 2 TVs. The rooftop view was mediocre as it overlooked the street adjoining Connecticut St. which offers little to no people watching.
Remember to say Soft house with a silent T (not safe house), otherwise people will give you wierd looks

No bocce ball? No shuffleboard? The bartender looked at me like I was crazy and offered me foosball instead. Not the same thing. I was sad :(
However, out of the bars in the dupont circle area, I like this german bar the best. I particularly enjoyed the fact that they offered grapefruit beer, which is what I always get. It was lovely. They also let you sample their beers which is so nice!
It was not very crowded, which can be a good or bad thing — depending on what you want. But their pretzel sizes were out of this world! I don’t think I’ve ever seen such a big pretzel, and not only was it soft like it should be, but apparently my friends got the small size! The chocolate sauce for that was noms.
I say not bad, though they do have a «rooftop» bar, but the summertime is just too humid for that.

Sauf Haus accomplishes what it sets out to, but does so without the flare befitting of a 5 star review.
The upstairs «garten» was way too hot, lending itself to a slightly unpleasant atmosphere. Some degree of next generation cooling system was clearly in order.
We went for the tap takeover and the beer was above average, but not great. I suspect the average German set of beer may have something on Devils backbone, so this comment is admittedly somewhat superfluous.
Overall, I will be back.

I went to Sauf Haus at the beginning of summer (June) after reading the rooftop had open for the summer. This alone would have drawn me but the fact it is a beer hall/​garden sealed the deal. I have been to a couple of beer hall/​gardens in Germany and loved the laidback, happy feel of them and have been eager to find something similar in DC. While Sauf Haus does not recreate that same scene (large indoor dining hall or outdoor space with long tables allowing people to mix and mingle with friends and strangers a.k.a. friend you just don’t know yet), I am not sure if that is really possible in DC. Regardless, it was a pleasant experience.
We all went up to the roof, got a drink, and found an end of a long table that had room for four people. There was not too much getting-​to-​know-​your-​neighbor feel but I think that is more of a reflection of our culture than the bar. There is a variety of German beers, so we each got different ones. All of which were pretty good. The bartender (a tall blonde man who had a slight German or Austrian accent?) was not super friendly and smiley, but he was quick and got everything correct so I don’t have any complaints.
We spotted the small pretzel at another table and decided to order the next size up — the 1 pound pretzel (the 2 pound pretzel seemed like a colossal amount for four people who merely wanted something to go alongside their drinks). This pretzel is truly huge and I can only imagine how gigantic the 2 pound pretzel must be! With the pretzel comes three types of mustard (regular, Dijon, and spicy) as well as a chocolate dipping sauce. The pretzel itself is soft with a perfectly salty buttered chewy exterior. It was a hit with all of us!
Unfortunately while we were on the roof, it started to rain. We all had umbrellas and didn’t feel like moving so we just opened them and stayed put for 30 minutes. During the time, workers attempted to close the roof though they left the center part uncovered, which was where we were sitting (naturally). In true DC summer fashion, the rainstorm turned into a thunderstorm so everyone had to go indoors for safety reasons. The second floor has another bar and large windows that are perfect for people watching.
We all enjoyed ourselves despite the rain (which actually made us all laugh both then and now) and hope to come back soon. Perhaps we’ll try and tackle the mammoth 2 pound pretzel?!?

I like Sauf Haus for the following reasons:
— Happy hour 4−7pm: $ 14 for a liter, $ 8 for half liter, & $ 2 off other drinks
— Two levels: if it’s not too hot, go to the roof!
— The bartenders wear jorts and suspenders
— Huge pretzels: They’re delicious and come with a spicy and tangy mustard and regular mustard
It’s between Public bar and Shake Shack. Sauf Haus does not have a ground level, so walk up the long flight of stairs.

Really good location — a couple blocks away from Farragut Square and Dupont Circle. It’s right above the Shake Shack which will really hit the spot after 3 or 4 tall ones.
I came here after work around 4PM and headed straight for the rooftop. The place was dead and we got our pick of spots. We sat right in front of the mist-​spraying fans — this is crucial if it’s a hot summer day. The roof set up is not optimized for any sort of a cool breeze to come through.
By 5PM though, the local yuppies will be making their way here in full force. Before you know it, you are shouting at the top of your lungs to hear the person right next to you. It’s not something I could handle on a regular basis. The beer selection was amazing though. That much is undeniable. They had a wide assortment of German beers on tap — none of which sounded familiar, all of which (that I had) were delicious.

Came here for happy hour with friends Friday after work and had a really great time. It seemed like a cool spot with some really good beer on tap. Ordered myself a liter of wheat beer and a 1 lb. pretzel for just over $ 20. When you offer 1 and 2 lb. pretzels, how can I not get one?
Sadly though, it was a disappointing pretzel. I will say, it was gigantic. I couldn’t imagine what a 2 pounder must look like! It was great for sharing and went fairly quickly, but it was somewhat dry and lukewarm with not a very crisp crust. I much prefer a hot and soft pretzel, so I was a little underwhelmed. Nevertheless, still quite a fun happy hour and I’d most likely order the pretzel again to share.

Not bad! This place is best for groups.
The sausage though, with mustard sauce was so good!
Sam, the bartender was super nice and friendly and accommodating. You pay for your food at the bar but then you bring your ticket to the dude who is preparing your food. They have a limited HH menu.
This place is spacious but confusing at the same time. It has plenty of open long tables for groups. We went up to the second floor but didn’t realize there is more room upstairs. We went up and realized restaurant is divided up into two bars, one in the back.
I enjoyed my time here! It is directly above the Shake Shack! You go into this long narrow staircase which can only fit one person one way or the other… if you want to go up and someone is coming downstairs, then one has to wait for the other.
Shout out to Sam who was so accommodating to my group!