I only stopped by briefly for a beer, so I'll keep this review short.
It was my first time going to a Hofbrauhaus restaurant and to a beer garden in general. My first impression was positive. It's a perfectly situated restaurant in Southside Pittsburgh along the Monongahela River. The combination of 1 liter beer mugs, waterfront and waitresses in Dirndls made for a jolly good time.
The environment is very conducive to casual outdoor group drinking. The outdoor area is large with numerous tables. I'm guessing the capacity of the beer garden is close to 150 people. So it's a great place for group parties as well as for taking out of town guests like me who have never been to a beer garden before.
Beer was good I guess, but nothing spectacular. At the time, it was more about quantity over quantity. I didn't get a chance to sample the food, but judging from other tables there are definitely a lot of nice options that go well with beer. Service was pretty average, but waitresses in Dirndls is a plus (maybe?).
As I mentioned before, it's a great place for the occasional group outing. However, as another reviewer mentioned, it definitely carries a huge element of novelty. It's not your neighborhood bar and is not a real cozy place to grab a drink. With that said, I will be back to try the food if I am ever in town again.