453 Nevada Way, Boulder City; 243-2739

The beer's the thing here -- and so is the only real beer garden in Southern Nevada -- but Boulder Dam Brewing Co. offers some pretty solid bar food as well. The bar-staple spinach-and-artichoke dip, for example, was much better than most, and the Brewer's Bratwurst was plump and flavorful. And if the Ploughman's suffered a bit from too-timid cheese and the Bavarian Beer Pretzel was a little too charred, you can't miss with the beer. (10/26/07)

Overall: B $

CAFE HEIDELBERG

610 E. Sahara Ave.; 731-5310

Despite a pronounced service shortage (read: one woman to serve the entire restaurant) we enjoyed our dinner at Cafe Heidelberg, thanks to the Old World German soul food. We loved the Bavarian potato soup, a special of creamy curried soup, Leberkase with fried eggs and the Schnitzel Combo, which brings together Wienerschnitzel and Jagerschnitzel. And we sure didn't go away hungry. (5/22/09)

Overall: A- $$$

HOFBRAUHAUS LAS VEGAS

4510 Paradise Road; 853-2337

An experience at the Hofbrauhaus has much to do with the room in which one is seated. The rear "indoor beer garden" is almost too quiet, but the raucous front room is more in keeping with the atmosphere of the Munich original. As for the food, the Sauerbraten was a tad on the dry side but the Nurmberger Rostbratwurstl, Bavarian Liver Mousse and Obazter, Swiss cheese with radishes, butter and rye bread, and Schwarzwalder Kirschtorte would make Oma proud. (12/17/08)

Overall: B+ $$