Second Look: Biergarten Haus

That's a big pretzel. Photo provided by author.

It’s been several months since the opening of Biergarten Haus on H Street NE so I thought a dinner out with friends and family this past weekend would be a good check on how the Haus is doing with its food, drinks, and service.  I enjoyed my brunch there a couple months ago but Biergarten Haus has received some rocky reviews in the local press.  After a few months of constructive criticism and listening to patrons, every new restaurant deserves a second look.  I found satisfying suds, some bland spuds, and hearty German fare with only a couple duds.

It’s been several years since I got my strudel on, but Biergarten Haus does get the atmosphere pretty close to correct based on the beer halls I patronized which in Munich and in other parts of Germany.  Large communal wooden tables, large steins of beer, and colorful flags and banners create a pretty authentic beer hall environment.  Our (large) party was handled well by our server — keeping the liquid refreshments flowing and handling food orders being placed in groups instead of all at once.

The menu isn’t extensive but there are at least options for vegetarians and (slightly) lighter fare, as well as a short list of specials.  We started the meal sharing one of the newer appetizers — a 2.5 pound pretzel, sliced in half and filled with black forest ham, cheese, homemade pickles, and spicy mustard.  The pretzel sandwich was deliciously satisfying and possibly the group’s favorite part of the meal.  The pretzel was crusty yet chewy on the inside, the fillings flavorful and the pickles just on the edge of saltiness but crunchy and fresh.  If I return to the Haus with a few friends I may suggest this is a main course or as an accompaniment to our beers.

Dinner was certainly filling.  My jagerschnitzel arrived piping hot and was fried crunchy and yet still moist on the inside.  I have no idea how much the pork cutlet weighed but I estimate it at between 8 ounces and twenty pounds.  The sides were pleasing but plain — potato salad could have used a bit more mustard and the lone potato pancake was bland.  (Yes, I know I OD’ed on potatoes but both sides sounded too good to pass up).  I declined the supermarket-style dinner roll as I’d had my fill of carbs for the evening.

My dinner-mates had more mixed reviews of their entrees.  Sauerbraten was tender but a little under-seasoned.  The seasonal vegetable side dish turned out to be Brussels sprouts, which I enjoy but seemed to be an odd choice without any warning from the server (I think most people expect the standard mix of broccoli and carrots or peas).  A side of braised red cabbage was bright with flavor but quickly became overwhelming.

Drink options are plentiful and Biergarten Haus provides an array of German beers on tap as well as wine and a full bar.  Beers on tap are offered in half-liter and liter portions.  Prices for beer range from reasonable to steep depending on the size and type you order.  A liter is roughly equal to 2.1 U.S. pints, so divide up the per-liter price to decide if you are getting a good deal on your alcohol.  I appreciate the variety on tap and being able to try new German beers I don’t see in many other restaurants or liquor stores.

Biergarten Haus has regular trivia nights and screens a variety of sporting events (college football, horse racing, and briefly “Wheel of Fortune” were on the night I was there) and can easily be seen as a place to hang out for a couple hours with good beer and good friends.  Should you get hungry there are filling options — some good and some that come up a bit short.  Enjoy enough lager, though, and you may forget about any shortcomings in your schnitzel.