Gunk Haus, April’s Client of the Month, is a German gastropub run by Dirk Schalle and Elizabeth Steckel. After two and a half years of renovations, they opened the restaurant Memorial Day weekend of 2010, located at 387 South Street in Highland, New York.
Gunk Haus emanates a true Bavarian Gasthaus, with a warm and welcoming atmosphere and a menu full of well-known favorites like schnitzels and goulash, in addition to fresh takes on old classics like a spätzle and cheese and a sauerbraten dish made with short ribs. (You can click here for their full menu.) The restaurant serves “thoughtfully prepared comfort food made from carefully sourced ingredients” and are “seasonal when we can, local when possible, and as organic as sensible.”
Elizabeth is the visionary of the restaurant, focusing on the food, ambiance, and appearance of Gunk Haus, while Dirk is the back office manager and handyman, dealing with all the behind the scenes tasks of running a business and fixing things when they break.
In addition to enjoying an extensive lunch and dinner menu (they’re open Wednesday through Saturday, 11am – 9pm, and Sunday 11am – 8pm), you’ll get to take in the beautiful Shawangunk Mountains during your meal. In the warmer months, the restaurant has a great outdoor patio space, earning it the title of “Best Outdoor Dining” and “Best Restaurant with a View” by Hudson Valley Magazine numerous years in a row.
Gunk Haus has been insured by Ryan & Ryan Insurance Brokers since 2010. When asked why they chose R&R as their insurance agency, Dirk responded by stating:
“We got our first insurance through Jeff Smith, who was then working at another company. When Jeff moved to Ryan and Ryan we followed along, because Jeff was always on top of our insurance needs, upgrading our insurance as new products became available.”
Unfortunately, on June 7, 2020, a car crashed into Gunk Haus, igniting a fire that destroyed the front bakery and caused smoke damage throughout the house. Agent Jeff Smith happened to be in the neighborhood, and was at the scene within minutes after hearing about the accident. The next day an Erie Insurance adjuster came to survey the damage and initiate the insurance claim. According to Dirk, “Thanks to Jeff’s foresight on picking our insurance package, the renovation was fully covered by insurance, and we even got to retain 10 of our core staff through our business interruption insurance. Dealing with Erie Insurance was as painless as it could get under the circumstances.”
If you’re looking for somewhere to bring the family this spring, head on over to see our April Client of the Month. You can find more information about Gunk Haus (including a history of the neighborhood, pictures, accolades, and more) at www.gunkhaus.com.
And if you’d like to make sure you and/or your business have the proper coverage in the event of a disaster, give us a call at 845-340-0001—we will be more than happy to make sure you have the coverage you need to put you at ease.
