Saturday 18th August 2012
Bob Thompson
A well known pub in Innsbruck it is centrally located in Maria-Theresien-Strasse, hence the name. There is not a lot of history as it was founded in 1996. Inside the building there are many rooms and they are a bit garish. There's nothing particularly wrong with that as it is pretty obvious that the target customer was a lot younger than ourselves.
Myself and fellow drinker Russell settled in the room on the right of the entrance. We were later joined by Patrick, Vaughan, Fergus and Norman. In the corner of the room was a small distillery. I always find these amusing as they look like robotic aliens to me. What's more, this was before I'd had much to drink! The brewery itself is located towards the rear of the pub and is behind the bar. The whole area looks very cluttered!
We ate here and the food was adequate without being exceptional, and the waiter was rude. When I told him he was he apologised and become more pleasant (potential tip disappearing?). Which rather summed up the whole visit, although the beer was reasonable, if a little gassy.
We were offered Stammbräu (4.9%) which was described as a Märzen, a very overused and mostly incorrect piece of terminology for beers that are perfectly ordinary light lagers. There was also a Weizen on offer.
When the DJ came on in the back bar we moved out to the street terrace, where the service was very good.
We had noticed that a large number of the local youth were wandering around the city in groups and appeared to be somewhat drunk. Russell commented that every time he had visited the city previously it had appeared "closed" and was surprised at the street activity. One of each party was dressed as a woman, and there were a group next to us who were drinking out of a wooden "party barrel" containing ten litres. They suddenly decided to depart, leaving half empty glasses and spilling beer in their haste. They decided to take the barrel with them but the action was spotted by the efficient waitress who sprinted down the street and relieved them of it.
Our experience of this place indicated the difference between a corporately run pub and one operated by a family or small enterprise. All the things that weren't up to scratch could be improved on, but won't be, as long as profit overwhelms everything else. A small example of this was that they charged extra for ketchup, mustard, mayonnaise, and other condiments including butter, all at different prices!
However, we were there for the beer and it was OK, so let it rest at that point, but a second opinion is required on this pub.
Important Information:
Theresienbräu, Maria-Theresien-Strasse 51-53, Innsbruck A-6020
Open: Monday to Wednesday 11.00-01.00; Thursday to Friday 11.00-02.00;
Saturday 11.30-02.00; Sunday 12.00-21.00
The pub is about ten minutes walk from the Hauptbahnhof (Main station) and the street is served by tram 3 and those of the STB a suburban railway that runs on tram tracks in the city centre.
