Wirtshaus "Zur Käsmühle" - Offenbach's most beautiful beer garden

On summer days, there is almost no better place to stop for a bite to eat at the end of a bike ride, a walk or a day's work. Here, the banker at the next table unties his tie and orders a round of Paulaner by the meter - ten different 0.1 liter glasses of beer to try, a teen in hiking boots examines his sun-reddened skin beyond the spaghetti straps and spoons up a sundae and the Labrador mix waits dutifully under the table until his master has finished his Hessen schnitzel.

The beer garden at the Käsmühle is surrounded by greenery, fields, fruit trees, woods and the Bieber river. You have to keep some blood-sucking pests at bay in the evening. But in return, you dine in the middle of nature, "good plain cooking", regional, plentiful and with a twist.

The seasonal menu at asparagus time is reasonably well-stocked with just under a dozen classics (asparagus with ham, schnitzel, fish), while the "asparagus tarte flambée" and the "asparagus platter", which offers a selection of everything, are imaginative.

The Käsmühle mainly serves meat in all its varieties: schnitzel, steak, offal and bratwurst. However, just over a dozen dishes are vegetarian. Clever: A small head of lettuce serves as a marker for meatless dishes in the sections "From the soup pot", "Pub fritters", "Fresh from the garden", "Hand cheese side" and "From the pub kitchen". The dishes under "Festive feast" and the "Schnitzel menu" are reserved for meat eaters. To start, we order a "Countrywomen's salad with sheep's cheese from Vogelsberg farm sheep" and "Handkäs' mal anders", one of nine clever variations on the traditional Hessian dish. The main course is a house specialty: "Wirtshausfladen" with Parma ham, cherry tomatoes and fresh basil pesto, as well as a "Taunus schnitzel" from the schnitzel menu: grilled pork schnitzel with onions, meadow herbs, tomatoes and sheep's cheese au gratin.

The thirst quenchers, two large glasses of sparkling Ebbelwoi, arrive quickly, as does the Handkäs'. The onion marinade with the walnut pieces goes perfectly with the creamy, mild Handkäs'. It's a shame that the second starter, the countrywomen's salad, takes a little while to arrive and is served alongside the "Wirtshausfladen". Small kitchen mishap, that's what happens. The friendly, really quick waitress apologizes with a disarming smile. With so many guests, not everything always works perfectly.

A large wooden board arrives at our table. The crispy yeast flatbread with Parma, pesto and mozzarella is best eaten with your fingers and tastes like more. But the colorful market women's salad, with good raw ingredients and fine, mild sheep's cheese, but a somewhat flat raspberry-balsamic dressing, also has to be eaten. Too bad: the otherwise very good Taunus schnitzel was missing the meadow herbs, and the side salad came with a very rich, sweet vinaigrette. But on a mild summer evening in this atmosphere, that is of secondary importance.

For those who prefer something to digest instead of dessert at the end: The Käsmühle serves very fine fruit brandies from the Franconian distiller Hans Adrian from Großheubach. Incidentally, the Käsmühle doesn't have a day off. From 11 a.m. there are homemade cakes and hearty pub fare without the fuss and fuss, which will satisfy even the hungriest of diners. Even at weekends and on public holidays, there is always a place to sit outside under the sun canopy on the terrace and in the large beer garden with stone barbecue. Inside, the rustically furnished mill, coachman's and hunting parlors offer space for up to 150 guests to celebrate. The best way to round off a snack or family celebration is with a walk through the idyllic nature reserve around the Käsmühle, where you will often come across deer and wild boar in the evening.

Small price check:
Starters (incl. soups) from €3.60 to €8.30
Salad menu from €3.30 to €12.40
Main courses from €8.30 to €19.50
Desserts from €1 per ice cream scoop to €4.60 for a sweet gourmet tarte flambée with vanilla cream, apple rings, almonds, cinnamon and walnut ice cream.