I visited my writer friend, Carol Stigger, in North Myrtle Beach shortly after Hurricane Florence. I didn’t know what to expect, thriving restaurant-wise. And yet, I was in the mood for something a little unexpected. We took ‘cue and fried stuff off the list. We gave a chance to Horst Gasthaus and I’m so glad we did!
I’ve spent a considerable amount of time traveling around Germany. I’ve also been to some famous German-American restaurants in Chicago, Milwaukee, Baltimore and Hagerstown. This restaurant reminds me of non-touristy family restaurants along the Rhine. There are authentic touches at every turn.
Germans are serious about their beer and the breweries are serious about the glasses in which they are served. Each beer has its own glass. I tried a marvelous weissbier (white wheat beer) and it went down so easily! It had slight carbonation.
The bread was just like overseas: freshly baked, hearty but soft. There was a wheat bread and an addictive rye. Carb watching will go out the window.
The special of the evening was schweinhaxe (pork shank). I had a choice between beans or sauerkraut, home fries or mashed potatoes, with the silkiest, most voluptuous gravy I’ve ever had. The pork was nicely crisped outside, rich and tender inside. Portions were very generous. Our server was German and packed my to-go box to “make a little sandwich”. And by golly, I did!
My favorite dessert for all of my life — my dad’s favorite for all of his life — has always been Black Forest cake. They also had German Chocolate cake that tempted me. But, I went for my true dessert love, which I had not had for maybe more than a decade.
A German accordion player and singer played an evening of his homeland’s favorites, including Edelweiss. You can see some of it here.
In the front of the restaurant is a dedicated tavern area, also very neighborhood-y and authentic.
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