Need your help...do we book a dinner at Biergarten

[mickeystoontown]

We are thinking of trying Biergarten for dinner but, now don't laugh, I don't know what a bunch of the stuff is that is listed on their menu. Ask me about gumbo, jambalaya, catfish or Southern foods and I can tell you all there is to know because we are from Louisiana.

Our son is a bit picky and doesn't like any sauces, just likes the basic fare. We are not real adventuresome but are open to trying some new foods.

So, I need your opinions on what we might order and whether or not we would even like it there.

Also, I hear that you all eat at a large table. How does that work?

Opinions and pics would be awesome!

 

[ms*mountaineer]

We really enjoyed Biergarten last week! The buffet had lots of different types of sausages and bratwurts. There was also roast pork, roast chicken, roast beef in these little bite size shapes - my kids really liked all this. There was potato salad, potato soup - can't go wrong with that! All that is basic type food that my kids liked - they ate better at this restaurant than other places with chicken fingers and pizza.

Looked like most tables were for 8 people. We filled one table - but if you have less, you will probably be seated with another family. I suppose this bothers some people, but we would think it's fun. It's a very festive environment, a little loud with the band playing - so it's not a place where you'd have to force conversation with your table-mates if you didn't want to.

 

[MickeyNicki]

Here are a ton of buffet pictures with "English" descriptions

http://disboards.com/showpost.php?p=24109455&postcount=4

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

If you would like to know what any specific dish is, let us know and we can explain it to you.

Biergarten is a must-do for us each trip. Imo, it's one of those restaurants that makes every type of eater happy.

 

[PictureJumpr]

German food is very meat-and-potatoes, and I have picky-eater friends who seem to adapt to it quite well (some even adopt it )

We lovelovelovelove the Biergarten, but being of primarily German descent I guess we are perhaps predisposed to it...

A quick primer for the dishes you will find:

Anything-wurst is a sausage. The most 'famous' of course being bratwurst and liverwurst (I hate this one) but there are also knack(knock)wurst, mettwurst, bockwurst (no, there is no beer in it - it is usually eaten with bock beer)... there are many of these types at Biergarten

Spaetzle is a form of pasta - basically these are lumpy little dumplings made of egg noodle.

Rouladen is thinly sliced meat (I believe Biergarten uses beef), traditionally rolled around some combination of bacon, onions, pickles... and with mustard.

Frikadellen is basically just a flattened meatball. Bouletten is the same thing, but is a local term from Berlin, and these may more often be smaller and not be flattened.

Schnitzel is just a thin cut of meat (typically veal but can also be pork) that is breaded and fried. If the tag says 'Wiener' it does not mean there are frankfurters involved - the dish is originally Austrian (Vienna) and that word means 'Viennese'

'hausgemachtes apfel rotkohl' is red cabbage cooked with apples. 'hausgemachtes' just means 'homemade' or 'made in the house'

Sauerbraten is a roast, typically of beef, that was marinated in vinegar (sauer=sour) and often something sweet like beets and/or raisins, then braised. I am not particularly fond of this one, myself, but I have family members who would sell their children for a good one.



HTH!

 

[AshleyMWC]

My DF and I ate here in October for the first time and we both really enjoyed it! We were at a table with two other families- I think there were 10 people total at our table- and we really liked talking to everyone at the table. We found the food very good, although I admit we didn't always know exactly what we were eating. I think they have a great variety of meats and potatoes and salads, and I would bet everyone in your family couls find something they wolud like. Definitely try and schedule your meal time around the show also, it is fun!

 

[csarenz]

I agree with some of the PPs that Biergarten's menu can be pretty safe for picky eaters. There are dishes on the buffet that will be to a particular taste, but there are also a lot of items that most people would like, assuming they are ok with meat/potato/vegatable selections. Plus the desert buffet is wonderful.

As for the seating, I enjoy it. My friend and I ate there in April (the girls didn't want to go) and we were seated next to a lovely family from Nebraska (we were from CT/NY). You aren't forced to interact with the other people at your table, but you can if you want to.

In my opinion, it is a good time for a family meal at Epcot.

 

[DonaldTDuck]

We are thinking of trying Biergarten for dinner but, now don't laugh, I don't know what a bunch of the stuff is that is listed on their menu. Ask me about gumbo, jambalaya, catfish or Southern foods and I can tell you all there is to know because we are from Louisiana.

Our son is a bit picky and doesn't like any sauces, just likes the basic fare. We are not real adventuresome but are open to trying some new foods.

So, I need your opinions on what we might order and whether or not we would even like it there.

Also, I hear that you all eat at a large table. How does that work?

Opinions and pics would be awesome!

With pork Schnitzel just think of it as chicken fried pork. It beats chicken fried steak all to pieces. Sauerbraten is a roast beef with a few herbs. Don't be afraid of the cold sausages, they are much beter than you would think.

 

[BeckieSue]

Biergarten is a MUST for us each trip. Even my DS who is more on the picky side loves it. Great buffet so you get to at least try something you might not be sure about. We are a family of 4 so we are always seated with another family. Both times, great groups and great conversation. Also dont forget about the great beer! Hope you love it like we do.

 

[pixie08]

We booked Biergarten to give it a try (because we like to try new things and have a goal to try and eat at every place in wdw ).

Anyway we weren't sure what to expect. It was myself, my Dh my Brother and my mother. Well we absolutely loved it! The band, the singing, the chicken dance and the beer make this place so much fun (ok we didn't chicken dance but we liked watching lol!)We just ate there in Oct and they are asking to go back in Jan!

pics..

desert

 

[mickeystoontown]

Anyone else have thoughts on dinner here?

 

[mickeystoontown]

bump

 

[bavaria]

Anyone else have thoughts on dinner here?

I used to recommend it as a safe, non-German (like most Epcot eateries it is 'influenced by...' rather than 'authentic') location.

However based on recent past trips, I would hesitate to recommend it. Many of the servers seem to agree with me. Not only has there been a reduction or disappearance of some items, and more Americanization of others, the last few visits food has not been fresh, breads have been stale, etc. It would appear that food is left out longer on the buffet rather than being replaced with fresh items.

Sommerfest seems to have suffered the same fate this past year. Very sad when servers whisper to me in German 'don't bother...'

 

[catne]

We liked the food, liked the band, liked the beer, enjoyed watching kids dance. Had great server...but we had extremely bad luck with the people we sat with, so be prepared for either having a great bunch of people at your table, or a very uncomfortable time! Even though they explain the seating arrangements when you get the reservations & again when you check in some people apparently don't "get it" until it actually happens...then do the frowny-faces all through the meal which is not very pleasant for those seated with them. The only redeeming feature for us was that we were seated first, so we had the end of the table overlooking the dance floor...at least we had a great view of the band & dancers. But the groups we were seated with were not pleasant at all (the one family strongly disapproved of the beer we were drinking...totally disregarding the fact that they had chosen to eat in a "beer garden" I guess...and the other couple seemed to be horrified that they were seated with total strangers.)

 

[bavaria]

We liked the food, liked the band, liked the beer, enjoyed watching kids dance. Had great server...but we had extremely bad luck with the people we sat with, so be prepared for either having a great bunch of people at your table, or a very uncomfortable time!

Good point. During F and W we were seated with two women who were frankly falling down drunk and slurring their words, and I was shocked that our server actually served their beer order.

They were offensive during the meal, and regaled us with a long lecture on 'German food' even though they admitted that they had never left Florida before. My friend was highly amused that they would lecture ME on such a subject

Needless to say we gulped down our food and pretty much ran out of there to avoid such idiots. They were the most unpleasant table-mates and I felt for the small family we left behind, with very well behaved children, who had to listen to their garbage and inappropriate language.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

I'm surprised with the horrible tablemates some of you have had. We only ate there once but it was so loud with the entertainment that we didn't even get a chance to chat with ours. That didn't bother me, though, as I loved the entertainment and was too preoccupied with the wonderful food to care about much else.

 

[bavaria]

It is quite difficult to ignore someone touching, rubbing, and slapping you, leaning over the table to use obscenities, drooling their beer, and otherwise behaving badly.

The poor quality food certainly did nothing to divert attention from such antisocial behaviour.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

It is quite difficult to ignore someone touching, rubbing, and slapping you, leaning over the table to use obscenities, drooling their beer, and otherwise behaving badly.

The poor quality food certainly did nothing to divert attention from such antisocial behaviour.

It seems like you had a really bad experience. I'm sorry that this happened to you.

 

[bavaria]

It seems like you had a really bad experience. I'm sorry that this happened to you.

Thanks, but I felt worse for the family. They had such sweet, well behaved boys and were obviously extremely uncomfortable with the language and behaviour. Nor could they manage to finish their meal so quickly with children (and shouldn't have had to be in that position)

Unfortunately weekends at F and W can bring out the worst in some people; I am not prudish but these women made a meal miserable for six other people with their behaviour.

 

[mickeystoontown]

Since I can't make ADRs for a while now that our trip has been moved to August, I'm still trying to decide where to eat. Anyone been to Biergarten recently who'd like to share their thoughts/opinions?