I was surprised when Houlihan’s on the far west side closed a few years ago–I thought it did enough lunch, happy hour and hotel business, but apparently I was wrong. Its successor, the short-lived nightclub Out, was destined to fail (more on that some other time). The third contender is Sprecher’s Restaurant & Pub, and I think it’s here to stay.

First, I was impressed with its service. My Friday night dinner there was sandwiched between  Thursday and Saturday dinner outings in which I thought I’d never see the waitress. But at Sprecher’s, our waiter was attentive without being overbearing and was good at multitasking. (Two diners at an adjacent table apparently had this waiter at a prior visit, as they quizzed him on what they ordered to drink last time, and he got it right!)

I sampled the brat, fish fry and sauerbraten with spaetzel, and all three were good. Without going into too much detail on the first two items–since they are hard to screw up–the fish was perfectly battered (crispy, not soggy), but I was disappointed that for $13 you only got three pieces instead of all-you-can-eat like you can for the same price at other restaurants.

The sauerbraten (super tender beef) was something I would order again, and the spaetzel was a perfect complement. However, if you’re not a meat fan, this dish is probably not for you, as the beef is, shall I say, not lean.

I also tried seven of their beers (the restaurant, by the way, is only licensed by name to Sprecher’s Brewing), with my favorites were the Black Bavarian and the Maibock. I recommend getting the sampler platter (about 3-oz. pours) if you can’t decide on one. 

What better way to end the meal than by having a root beer float? I tried the “low cal” root beer with chocolate ice cream. The root beer was surprisingly good for being lower in calories (I’m not sure by how much), but the ice cream was full of ice crystals, like it suffered from freezer burn.

Sprecher’s is open for lunch and dinner every day, with daily happy hour, outdoor seating and a side room for private parties.