The Bier Garden Portsmouth Va

The Bier Garden
SHELLEY RAUCH'S REVIEW OF THE BIER GARDEN IN PORTSMOUTH: A beautiful Sunday morning prompted my husband and I onto the motorcycle, speeding across multiple bridges into Portsmouth, honing in on The Bier Garden.

We arrived about 20 minutes before opening, but the impressive wrought-iron gate was ajar, so we strode in. One of the owners smiled at us, told us that they would open at noon, but we could wait with a beer, if we desired. We desired.

Faced with an unwieldy 250-plus beer list, I threw myself into our waitress’s capable hands. At her prompting, Dave went with a Boddington’s, and I with the Weihenstephaner Hefe. The color was like burnished gold, and held a thick white head. There was a spiciness about it that smoothed into a pronounced wheat flavor, and was one of the better wheat beers that I’ve tasted. Lovely.

We kicked back and relaxed under the wisteria-covered porch, enjoying the eclectic mishmash of checkered tablecloths, mismatched chairs, and moss-covered statuettes. The sky cleared just a bit more, birds chirped sweetly, and the restaurant officially opened.
We’d sneaked in our orders a bit earlier, so shortly we had a ridiculous amount of steaming hot German goodness before us.

Dave went with his benchmark German test-food, the goulash ($10.95). It was served on a delightful bed of spaetzle and came with a side of his choice, in this case, the marinated green bean salad. He loved it all— the beef was tasty and tender, the gravy had the perfect consistency. A true plowman’s lunch— I was as impressed as he was.

I was tempted by the liverwurst sandwich, but in the interest of branching out, selected the bauernwurst platter ($6.99), with a pretzel roll($2.50). The pretzel roll, I wasn’t so impressed with— I guess I’d anticipated it being more pretzel-ish, although the accompanying mustard was nice. The bauernwurst, a pork and beef sausage similar to kielbasa in taste, was excellent; subtly spicy, with hints of mustard and marjoram. Mine came with a choice of two sides, and I selected the cucumber and potato salads. Both were quite good. The cucumber salad was liberally doused with vinegar and dill; the potato salad flecked with delicious chunks of bacon.

Since that day, we’ve returned many a time to expand our knowledge of the menu. All manner of sausages, I am happy to report, are fine, fat flavorful specimens. Jagerschnitzel ($14.95) comes drenched in a mouth-watering gravy that, in theory, could make shoe leather palatable. Freshly grilled onions and peppers provide colorful contrast. Sauerbraten ($12.95) is pleasantly stew-like, with plump, hand-made spaetzle soaking up the generous gravy. Both the liverwurst ($4.25) and teawurst ($4.25) sandwiches are served open-faced, and while tasty, were vastly improved by a squirt of spicy German mustard.

Tony and Lory Osfolk, known simply as “Mom & Dad”, and children Kevin and Stefanie, have created an authentic German restaurant in the heart of downtown Portsmouth. The recipes are all handed-down from the old country, and each meal is made from scratch to order. This European-style of dining, the antithesis of fast food, encourages one to linger a little longer over meals, over drinks, and preferably, with friends. Be it out on the patio, inside the wood-paneled dining room, or over in the bar, “be a diner, not just an eater!”
At any rate, how ’bout a little German today?

The Bier Garden438 High Street, PortsmouthPhone:393-6022 www.biergarden.com Specialties: authentic German cuisine Price range: Appetizers $2.50-$6.95; Soups & Salads $1.75-$6.95; Entrees $7.95-$14.95; Sandwiches $3.95-$6.95; Sausages $5.95-$6.95; Vegetarian $4.95-$8.99; Desserts $2.50-$4
Hours: Monday-Thursday, 11a.m. – 9 p.m; Saturday, 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Sunday, 12 p.m. – 9 p.m.
Alcohol: Beer and wine Smoking: No smoking in the enclosed dining area; smoking permitted at the bar and outside patio Vegetarian: Yes Wheelchair accessible: Yes Payment: cash, credit cards (no Diner’s Club), local checks
Noise level: ConversationalAtmosphere: Casual Additional Information: More than 250 imported beers, outdoor seating, carry-out, kids’ menu
Star rating: Food 4, Atmosphere 4 1/2, Service 3(out of five stars)