For Mark Grant and his family, reopening Adolf Hermann’s successful German restaurant in Evans has been no easy task.
Hermann owned and operated Augsburg Haus – located at 4460 Washington Road in the Liberty Square Shopping Center across the street from Walmart, until his death on Sept. 1 at age 56. To mourn his passing, the restaurant closed that day and reopened on Wednesday, Oct. 13, says Mark Grant, his son, who helps his mom, Hazel, and his sister, Wendi, run the restaurant. The biggest challenge has been “him not being here,” Grant states. “He did everything.” Hermann – a native of Augsburg, Germany, emigrated to the U.S. and worked as a delivery driver for Pizza Hut and Steak-Out before launching Augsburg Haus in its original location on Walton Way in 2004. It moved to its current location in 2009. He says Hermann treated his customers like family. “There are still customers who expect him to be here,” Grant states.
Maurice Williams – the restaurant’s cook, says the owner would often sit down at the table and talk with his customers. “We have people who come up here on weekends and spend all day eating and talking,” Williams states. “It’s a laid-back atmosphere.” Since Augsburg Haus reopened, many of Hermann’s friends have stepped in to help keep the restaurant going. “We’ve had so many people help” by washing dishes and talking to customers, Grant adds. “Nobody asked; they just come do it because they care.” That’s how Williams started working there. He volunteered to wash dishes and has now worked for the restaurant for a little over four years.
Augsburg Haus serves a variety of authentic German cuisine, such as bratwurst and schnitzel. Grant says their most popular dish is jaegerschnitzel – a breaded and fried pork cutlet topped with mushroom gravy and served with fried potatoes. Williams explains the restaurant doesn’t serve domestic beers. Instead, the drink menu includes wine and a variety of German beers. While customers generally love the food, “People have German food and think it should all taste the same,” Grant states.
The restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Wednesday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday. For more information, visit augsburghaus.com or call 706-667-8181.
