Ever since we arrived in Wiesbaden, back in late November 2018, I have been curious about a burger joint downtown. The place is called Hans im Glück, and it’s a chain restaurant. I’ve been wanting to go there for a long time, but every time I summoned the nerve to walk into the place, it’s been unappealingly busy. I was also a bit afraid that I wouldn’t like the food. I often find German style burgers lacking. People here seem to like the molded style of patty, which is perfectly round and tightly packed together, making it less juicy.

Nevertheless, it had been awhile since my last excursion, and I wanted to try a place we have never visited. I suggested to Bill that we go out for lunch, and after some thought, decided I’d finally try the burger joint that had made me curious for so long. Bill made an online reservation for 1:00 PM, and we showed up there right on the dot. We were crammed into the waiting area right next to the dining room. A party of four was just ahead of us.

As usual, the restaurant was busy, and most of the tables were occupied. We ended up at a small, somewhat cramped table right next to a window and the kitchen. Originally, I was going to sit with my back to the window, as the seats were basically backless hard benches that, in some cases, were shared with nearby parties. I shared a wide bench with another person. Our backs were toward each other. If I had been sitting where Bill sat, I would have had a bench to myself. But I decided I would rather sit with access to the aisle. I could hear music piped into the restaurant, but there was a lot of noise from talking, babies crying, and children shrieking.

A young woman asked us if we knew what we wanted to drink. Hans im Glück has a full bar and offers all sorts of drinks– everything from soft drinks to cocktails. I ended up ordering a hefeweizen beer, while Bill had a lemon thyme drink, which is house made.

Bill and I both decided to have beef burgers, which is the restaurant’s speciality. They also offer chicken burgers, salads, loaded fries, bowls, and desserts. Vegan and vegetarian sandwiches are available as well. In January, the restaurant is offering deals on vegan dishes as well as non-alcoholic drinks.

I ended up getting a bacon cheeseburger, while Bill had the Elsaesser burger, which was a burger with camembert cheese and cranberry sauce. We both got a side of fries. The waiter suggested we get the “menu” deal, which would be cheaper and give us a coffee drink at the end. We agreed to that. Then we waited. The restaurant was pretty busy. We weren’t in a hurry, so it was no big deal. As I watched other people’s burgers coming out of the kitchen, I realized that this is a place that offers those “molded burgers”. I figured I probably wouldn’t be very impressed…

Meanwhile, I took a few new selfies… I wanted a new photo that didn’t look so much like my dark haired older sister, but with blonde hair and fuller cheeks. I swear, the older I get, the more I resemble my sister, Becky, if she weren’t a really petite person.

After awhile, our burgers came out. I had ordered mine with a brioche bun. Bill got a sourdough bun. His was messy, while mine wasn’t. Both had the restaurant’s own burger sauce on it, which I couldn’t really taste. I was dismayed to see the cheese wasn’t melted on my sandwich, but the burger was hot enough that it melted enough by the time I ate it.

What can I say? The burgers were okay. They weren’t mind-blowing, but they weren’t terrible, either. I thought the service was a bit slow, even after the place cleared out, as we were finishing up. We had to wait a bit for our espressos and the check. This is even taking into account that service generally is slower in Europe than it is in the US. However, the wait staff spoke English (though they didn’t have to) and they were pleasant. The prices weren’t too exorbitant, and I liked the non-alcoholic drinks they offered.

Would I go back there? Probably not. I don’t know that I would make a special trip to go there, anyway. But I wouldn’t refuse to go back, either. It was okay. I did find the seating kind of uncomfortable, and both Bill and I bumped our heads on the low hanging light fixture over the table. The bathroom could have used some attention, too, mainly because there was no toilet paper in the stall I used. Fortunately, I had tissues in my purse.

The total bill was 41 euros, which isn’t too bad. I would probably opt for Five Guys over Hans im Glück, though. I felt like Hans im Glück could use a good cleaning. It looked a little grungy to me. Still, I can see why it’s a popular place. It’s very kid friendly, while offering libations for adults.

Anyway… now my curiosity is satisfied. It was nice to get out of the house for awhile. Next weekend, we’ll be in Switzerland, dreading Trump’s inauguration. Stay tuned for that, because we have lunch plans at one of the top fifty restaurants in the world.