Biergarten - lunch or dinner?

[jemeh5]

It's getting close to our trip and so now I'm obsessing about small things and can't make up my mind. I think this is some sort of Disney Obsession Disease...
Anyway, we have 7:30am breakfast reservations at our hotel and then we're heading to Epcot. I have a reservation at Biergarten for lunch at 1:20 and one there for dinner at 5:15. I can't decide which to keep. Why this simple decision is driving me insane, I don't know. Does anyone have an opinoin? Is the food better for dinner since it's more expensive? Are we better off going for lunch and then snacking around the world later or vice versa? Help! I'm trapped in this decison and can't get out!

 

[lizandjason]

Lunch has almost everything that dinner does (except a couple of beef dishes) and as you pointed out, it's less expensive. By 1:20, after touring Epcot, you'll be very hungry...which is what you need to be when you go to Biergarten! Definitely go at lunch and eat a light dinner/snacks later in the evening.

Have a wonderful time!!

 

[goofyintoronto]

The decision is pretty easy, if your on the DP, go with dinner. if your paying OOP, go with lunch. Lol. Not much difference between the two anyway.

 

[crabbygal902]

I have been for dinner and really liked it. I don't think I'd enjoy lunch because of the setting of the restaurant. The restaurant atmosphere is an evening outdoors at Oktoberfest, and going during the day from the bright sunshine into the dark restaurant would be kinda weird for me. Also, the meat and potato offerings seem so heavy for lunch.

From what I've read on the menus, lunch and dinner are almost identical with a a few more hot buffet items at dinner. My favorite dish was the tomato basil salad (wonderful!) and it is available for both meals.

 

[lovin'fl]

We've been twice...1st time was lunch and 2nd time was dinner. They do the show twice during lunch hours. When we went for lunch it was between shows and the place was pretty empty...in fact, we walked up (no ADR) and were seated right away. If you don't like the shared seating with strangers, go for lunch as you may be able to have a table to yourself. The food is almost completely the same...one dish they have at dinner and not at lunch is the Sauerbraten which I love, so it was a plus for us to go for dinner the 2nd time. If you are paying cash, go for lunch...and/or...if you don't want to be seated with strangers, go for lunch...otherwise go for dinner.

 

[figment_jii]

Like the PP, one of my family's favorite items is the sauerbraten , which is only on the dinner menu. So we always go at dinner time. If you're on the DDP, then dinner is the better value. I would have breakfast, then snack around the world mid-day for lunch (the Kringla and Patisserie have really yummy items) and then have dinner at the Biergarten.

 

[jemeh5]

Thanks to everyone for their responses. We are not on the dining plan but I would definitely prefer to go for dinner but wish I could go a bit later. Unfortunately the ADR's are filled except for around 8pm which won't work.
I'll definitely ask my husband if he would miss the Sauerbraten and let that be the deciding factor. I would hate to miss the show during lunch though...ugh, nothing is easy when planning for Disney!

 

[figment_jii]

If you have time between now and you're trip, I would keep trying to get an ADR at the time you want. People's plans change, so ADRs do come open. I've had pretty good luck finding the time I wanted, even if at first it wasn't available.

 

[jemeh5]

Thank you figment_jii! I have been doing that everyday and will keep trying. Do you know if there is a deadline of when I can cancel ADR's?

 

[figment_jii]

The Biergarten is not one that requires cancellations one day in advance. So you could cancel the day of the ADR if you needed to. I've actual done that - walked up to the podium and canceled the ADR for that day because plans changed.

 

[jemeh5]

Thanks figment!!

 

[sharonabe]

My question is, "what is your breakfast reservation?" Are you eating a buffet that morning at 7:30 or a light breakfast? If it's a buffet, even 5 hours between them would not be enought for me, so I'd go for dinner. Even with a regular TS breakfast of eggs, potatoes, bread, meat, and coffee would be pushing it for me to be ready for a heavy lunch buffet.