Stefan Seuss and his partner, Mark Scharnitz, opened Cuckoo Clock Brauhaus, located at 99 NW 54th St. last year. In a short amount of time, the bar and restaurant already has a fan base as the go-to spot to watch a soccer game, grab a drink, and devour house-made authentic German and Eastern European delicacies. "People seem to appreciate what we are doing," Seuss tells New Times. "My partner Mark and I had this space available, and I always had this idea in my head of stepping into the restaurant and having a different theme."
Seuss moved to Miami in 1997 from Munich, where he pursued his master's degree at the University of Miami and worked in various industries. However, it wasn't until 2015 that he first ventured into the restaurant business by investing with a friend in the popular German-American restaurant, the Hoffman, in Jensen Beach. After seven years of watching the Hoffman become a hit in Jensen Beach, Cuckoo Clock took a year of planning to come up with. Seuss's partner called him one day, asking if anyone would be interested in taking over the 54th St. building. "I was really interested and then we started this business," he says.
New German bar and restaurant Cuckoo Clock Brauhaus in Little Haiti has become a go-to spot for authentic Bavarian and German cuisine.
Cuckoo Clock Brauhaus photo
Traditional German Cuisine Without the Oktoberfest Gimmick
Cuckoo Clock is not a stereotypical German eatery with lederhosen-wearing servers or where every day is Oktoberfest. Instead, the restaurant brings the traditional German and Austrian flair with some twists and turns and has fun doing it. Seuss hired professional chefs to prepare the food. The menu features the classics like bratwurst sausage ($18) and schnitzel, an ultra-flat, fried chicken cutlet ($25), and the rich, hearty Hungarian stew, goulash ($18) that is poured into a bowl filled with tiny German dumplings called spaetzle."We developed the menu eight years ago at The Hoffman, starting with the schnitzel," Seuss says.Seuss also combines different cultures with the food he ate growing up in Germany. He remarks that the "Greek salad" is sold all over Munich due to a large Greek community in Germany. Naturally, he added it to the menu. Mostly everything is either homemade or purchased from German bakeries or delicatessens. Aside from the feeling that mom is cooking in the kitchen, the tasty food comes down to technique.
"For our German pancakes — latkes in the U.S. — we do it differently. Latkes are usually fried from the spot on, but we cook it in butter first and then fry it for the last thirty seconds, to make the corners crispy." Seuss adds that you cannot throw a whole chicken cutlet into the fryer: it'll be saturated with oil. Like the pancakes, the cutlets are shallow fried in butter. "I use a lot of butter and eggs because they give a lot of taste. I wanted to stay true."
The desserts are largely made in-house, including the apfelstrudel ($14) and sacher torte ($10). "There's a lot of soul in it. I use real Hungarian paprika in the goulash and real curry powder from India for the currywurst sausage. It's simple food, but when done right, it tastes really good."
The second half of any brauhaus is obviously the beer. The Cuckoo Clock tap features beer from Seuss' hometown, all across Germany and Belgium, satisfying any thirst. "I have Michelob Ultra in case someone really wants it," he chuckles.
Plus, Cuckoo Clock has breakfast and beer specials on the weekends to enjoy while watching the European soccer matches, including an English breakfast (sausage, eggs, tomatoes, and baked beans ) and a Bavarian breakfast (white sausage and beer). There is also a happy hour all day on Tuesdays and every day between 4 and 7 p.m.
The Brauhaus Serves More Than Authentic Fare — Chess Nights, Karaoke, Jazz, and More
The brauhaus festivities do not end there, though. Seuss says that there are monthly chess nights, karaoke, video game nights, and even jazz nights. Beginning in February, there will be "after-skiing" nights, inspired by the apres-ski lifestyle in Europe. "It's like drinking after skiing — we'll have a DJ there," he adds.While an average restaurant usually tries to figure out its identity after the first year, gauging what doesn't work and what is possible, Cuckoo Clock has already hit the mark. Seuss has little intention of changing a system that is already working. In just a year, people have found their new spot to watch the game, grab a beer, and be transported across the Atlantic to Germany. "I'm proud in the sense that I really appreciate how people really come here and say, 'Wow.' People appreciate it. I'm proud of that.'"
Cuckoo Clock Brauhaus. 99 NW 54th St., Miami; 786-963-0149; cuckooclockmiami.com.
