I totally agree with Tom. As a longtime neighborhood resident, I was really looking forward to the Haus opening (especially after last year's H St festival). My first experiences were basically, "whoa, this is awesome." However, I've come to like it less and less, and the food really is crap. Spending 13 bucks for a poorly made sausage is a crime. And 22 bucks for bad sauerbraten, is ridiculous. The beer selection is fabulous, but not good enough to compensate for the unbelievable crowds. It's a cool place, and I'm glad that it's here and attracting crowds to H St, but it ain't my kind of place. I'd rather pay Tony 3 bucks for a great brat from the George Foreman grill (and maybe a Chazz special) and have a couple of Dale's while not getting elbowed by a bunch of dudes. That said, I think it's a luxury to complain about anything positive happening on H these days...
Haha. Funny. These peeps from Ohio or Indiana go to Germany for a high school exchange year, and can't get rid of the romance that they experienced there... When you could have fed them doo doo and they'd be over the moon,replete with the "German experience". Clearly they've never spent time there as an adult. Yes, there are lots of places in germany that serve food just like this. I know. I eat in these populist joints when I'm low on cash and in the country. Why can't the post hire adult reviewers that actuallY travel frequently, and don't pine for their over romanced high school experiences abroad? It's shoddy journalism at best.
I hope the author of the article gets back to the motherland for a reality check. They are probably still in love with the zit faced german that couldn't do better than making out with a foreigner GAG!
Omg! Two comments before I finished my post! Please, parochial Americans, stick to pizza hut and comment on something about which you actually know. Wait.... Forget that, the blog would be devoid of commentary. As such, please continue to amuse the rest of us. Thanks, and p,ease get out more.
the place is interesting, the beer is good but priced like an entree, and the menu is not enticing, i'd never pay that much for a brat of any kind. i'll stick with the places that are focused on attracting their neighbors instead of a tourist attraction. argo and pug here i come...
poo- Having lived in Europe and visited Germany often as an adult, including a month long stay during the 06 world cup... I can tell you with certainty that the food is entirely mediocre at Biergarten Haus. I have no teen-aged romanticized idea of Germany and it's cuisine... I enjoyed the food while there and enjoyed some of the same items being served on this menu, unfortunately Biergarten Haus just doesn't deliver.
DCjaded- sticking with snack food would be fine if the delivered that well, but they don't.
I don't know if it's fair to compare Biergarten Haus to places like Cafe Berlin. Clearly, the focus at BG is the beer and with CB it's the food. It's like comparing a bar food place with a real restaurant. That said, if you're ever in Philadelphia, give Brauhaus Schmitz a try: awesome draft selection and the food is really top notch. I had a schweinehaxe that was the size of my forearm; fall apart tender with a salt and caraway crust like a pork rind.
The thing with German food is, it's not rocket science.
Really, how hard is it to make a potato pancake or a dang sausage?
Cafe Berlin and Cafe Mozart both do a much better job with food.
And the beers seem cheaper there too (could just be my imagination on that part).
I've had very friendly service at BH, which apparently many have not.
But the food was truly abysmal.
And the prices were too high, particularly given the quality.
We paid something like $15 for a cheese and meat appetizer that was one of the worst I've ever seen.
It was low quality, so much so that it was sortof insulting.
I could buy they 'we are really just a bar' excuse if they served their food at regular bar prices.
But they are charging restaurant prices for some pretty bad food.
But I still like the young lady that waited on us (sorry, didn't get her name.... very friendly black woman in her 20s.... may have been a bartender also).
My problem is with Biergarten Haus' beer. Although the selection is excellent, they don't seem to be taking very good care of the beer lines. When I've been there, the beer has a sour, vinegar aftertaste. When I want good German beer, I go to Cafe Berlin. Even though they only carry 3-4 on tap, they taste terrific and the owners clearly take very good care of the beer system.
I've eaten there multiple times, and always really, really enjoyed it. I even took my parents there - one German, one Austrian, and they both loved it as well, especially the fish platter.
I seriously don't get all of the intense hatred from most of the commentators here. It's full for a reason, and not just because of "tourists." I always see a lot of my neighbors there.
Ah, being a critic is tough, and recieving critiques is even tougher. Me, i don't like beer or german food so i can't say. I am glad they are on h. I often agree with poo on the hayseediness of many commenters/critics, but poo, at the hut, they can put cheese right in the crust! Tonyt the pug, your second choice for brats.
For me, it's not really the quality of food that puts me off. Sure, it is terrible. What really gets me, though, is the insane prices they charge for it. I think that's why so many comments seem angry rather than just perplexed-- it's almost like an insult.
"Spongy" is the exact word to describe their bratwurst.
The difference between Biergarten Haus and an authentic German experience can be summed up right here:
BH - http://tinyurl.com/2dxbdkr
Authentic German experience - http://tinyurl.com/23xhvgh
If Granville Moore's can get the proper glassware, why not BH? Why spend all that money on details like mounted deer and then ignore what shows up right in front of the customer on the table?
Relative to the price, the food at BH is rancid. It's a great place to take friends from out of town (including those poor bastards that Bridge and Tunnel it), but I will echo others' sentiment: it lacks the charm of a neighborhood establishment.
I wish BH all the success in the world, though. I will gladly imbibe there once a month or so. I will just make damn sure that I eat beforehand.
Re: the glassware - During the World Cup they said the generic glasses were just temporary until they got through those initial crowds. I guess they still haven't moved to the beer specific steins. The food is expensive but I don't think the beer prices are that bad considering the volume you are getting. I've also had mixed experiences with the staff. Some are very friendly and some are worthless. I like the place but try to go at off times.
I looked forward to the BH all summer, and I still very much like having a beer there on a quiet night (Sunday-Wednesday), but I must agree with the other posts: It's not that the food isn't good, but it's ridiculously over-priced for what it is.
I don't expect great German food (see Old Europe in Glover Park), but for $13 (which is more than Old Europe), the brats shouldn't be awful.
Really, thet could buy Johnsonvilles from Safeway, stick them on a Forman Grill and it would taste MUCH better. Oh well, I live close by so I'll still go there for a beer. And since it's doing so well, I doubt the owners at BH have much incentive to either improve the food or lower the prices.
Love the atmosphere, though I can't speak to the complaint on the beer line issue (though I know that's a common problem). I have not had a problem with "undesirables" as many commenters have... I think in this sort of establishment, the more people, the better - regardless of whether they ride a fixed gear bike or not. Conversely, if a group is causing problems, I don't care whether they're from Georgetown or Anacostia.
The food is truly terrible. Not that I'd try to compare it to Cafe Berlin or an y other German restaurant, but if you have food on the menu (at any price) it should at least be edible. I have yet to have any such "food" there. If the kitchen can't handle the menu, they really just need to dumb it down and/or abandon the German theme and go with hot dogs and fries or something.
In my book, a great, large beer garden that serves good beer is worth having on H street, regardless of the quality or price of the food. And the way things have been going, if lousy, expensive food keeps some of the crowds away, all the better. My biggest complaint is a problem of success - waaaay too many people.
I have eaten at Beirgarten Hause, Cafe Motzart and Cafe Berlin. Motzart is probably the best for food, but it is also really expensive. I am not sure why but German food is really expensive in D.C. If you want anything beyond a sausage at any of the three places it will cost you more than 20 dollars which seam crazy. Cafe Berlin's food is as underwhelming as te Haus, and is just about as expensive. The only redeming factor that place has is that you can always get a a seet on the patio and the rueben is 8 bucks. The Haus has great beer but way overpriced food, but should that really suprise anyone in this city. I think the folks that said stick to the snakes and thr great beer selection and call it good.
What do you expect for a group of Russians and Slavs opening a German bar? The best part is the Biergarten. Plain and simple. I was not at all impressed with the menu and the food I got really turned me off to it. I lived in Berlin for nearly two years and the menu is very typical for tourist.
I've had ethnic foods from and being in various different countries. The only time I have come across a place with too many TVs or screens are where the tourist are.
It will be interesting how things go during the winter, because the space inside is not very inviting.
Hey, it brings more and more people to an area of the District where there is no Metro stop. I remember Argos food was so so and was typical bar food, until a new kitchen manager came in and the menu changed and improved. Maybe in time BH will get a kitchen manager and provide fantastic Deutsches Essen (German food).
ps: I tried to tell the owner my point of view and he didn't want to hear what I had to say.
I really don't understand all the hate. Place is big, fun and ambitious. Sausages are good. The brunch is really good and different. Place is new and continually getting better.
The inside when it is cold will be very cozy and atmospheric.
Beer is great and selection impressive.
I think all in all, an incredibly successful place that is helping H be a region-wide destination.
Thanks for coming to H Street, guys and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on our neighborhood!
I honestly don't understand how people can eat the food at Cafe Berlin - it is really vile. Haus is nowhere near as bad as that, but its high pricing raises expectations that are not fulfilled.
Brunch is great, and the place itself is very pleasant in the daytime.
Count me with the group who can't stand Biergarten Haus. Food sucks & overpriced, service is mediocre, and half the beers can be found cheaper at other bars nearby (Ms Whiskey's).
32 comments:
I agree with that guy 100%. Pretzel balls? Maybe Schneeballen, but not pretzel balls. That place badly needs a menu revision.
I totally agree with Tom. As a longtime neighborhood resident, I was really looking forward to the Haus opening (especially after last year's H St festival). My first experiences were basically, "whoa, this is awesome." However, I've come to like it less and less, and the food really is crap. Spending 13 bucks for a poorly made sausage is a crime. And 22 bucks for bad sauerbraten, is ridiculous. The beer selection is fabulous, but not good enough to compensate for the unbelievable crowds. It's a cool place, and I'm glad that it's here and attracting crowds to H St, but it ain't my kind of place. I'd rather pay Tony 3 bucks for a great brat from the George Foreman grill (and maybe a Chazz special) and have a couple of Dale's while not getting elbowed by a bunch of dudes. That said, I think it's a luxury to complain about anything positive happening on H these days...
Haha. Funny. These peeps from Ohio or Indiana go to Germany for a high school exchange year, and can't get rid of the romance that they experienced there... When you could have fed them doo doo and they'd be over the moon,replete with the "German experience". Clearly they've never spent time there as an adult. Yes, there are lots of places in germany that serve food just like this. I know. I eat in these populist joints when I'm low on cash and in the country. Why can't the post hire adult reviewers that actuallY travel frequently, and don't pine for their over romanced high school experiences abroad? It's shoddy journalism at best.
I hope the author of the article gets back to the motherland for a reality check. They are probably still in love with the zit faced german that couldn't do better than making out with a foreigner GAG!
Omg! Two comments before I finished my post! Please, parochial Americans, stick to pizza hut and comment on something about which you actually know. Wait.... Forget that, the blog would be devoid of commentary. As such, please continue to amuse the rest of us. Thanks, and p,ease get out more.
I guess that it makes sense that Poo would like crap.
ouch. its pretty hard to f up sausage
the place is interesting, the beer is good but priced like an entree, and the menu is not enticing, i'd never pay that much for a brat of any kind. i'll stick with the places that are focused on attracting their neighbors instead of a tourist attraction. argo and pug here i come...
wait, they have food? Oh yeah, the ANC requires it. Just stick with beer and snack food.
Agree with anon. 9:42. I had high hopes for this place when it opened but the Adams Morgan/Georgetown douche crowd has pretty much taken it over.
Lets just hope they don't overrun the Pug/Argo/Granvilles like some godforsaken zombie douche army that devours decent neighborhood joints.
poo- Having lived in Europe and visited Germany often as an adult, including a month long stay during the 06 world cup... I can tell you with certainty that the food is entirely mediocre at Biergarten Haus. I have no teen-aged romanticized idea of Germany and it's cuisine... I enjoyed the food while there and enjoyed some of the same items being served on this menu, unfortunately Biergarten Haus just doesn't deliver.
DCjaded- sticking with snack food would be fine if the delivered that well, but they don't.
I'm not registering an opinion, but how do people think it registers compared to DC German places? I have generally gone to Cafe Mozart.
I really like the food at Cafe Berlin and Cafe Mozart much better.
I don't know if it's fair to compare Biergarten Haus to places like Cafe Berlin. Clearly, the focus at BG is the beer and with CB it's the food. It's like comparing a bar food place with a real restaurant. That said, if you're ever in Philadelphia, give Brauhaus Schmitz a try: awesome draft selection and the food is really top notch. I had a schweinehaxe that was the size of my forearm; fall apart tender with a salt and caraway crust like a pork rind.
The thing with German food is, it's not rocket science.
Really, how hard is it to make a potato pancake or a dang sausage?
Cafe Berlin and Cafe Mozart both do a much better job with food.
And the beers seem cheaper there too (could just be my imagination on that part).
I've had very friendly service at BH, which apparently many have not.
But the food was truly abysmal.
And the prices were too high, particularly given the quality.
We paid something like $15 for a cheese and meat appetizer that was one of the worst I've ever seen.
It was low quality, so much so that it was sortof insulting.
I could buy they 'we are really just a bar' excuse if they served their food at regular bar prices.
But they are charging restaurant prices for some pretty bad food.
But I still like the young lady that waited on us (sorry, didn't get her name.... very friendly black woman in her 20s.... may have been a bartender also).
My problem is with Biergarten Haus' beer. Although the selection is excellent, they don't seem to be taking very good care of the beer lines. When I've been there, the beer has a sour, vinegar aftertaste. When I want good German beer, I go to Cafe Berlin. Even though they only carry 3-4 on tap, they taste terrific and the owners clearly take very good care of the beer system.
I've eaten there multiple times, and always really, really enjoyed it. I even took my parents there - one German, one Austrian, and they both loved it as well, especially the fish platter.
I seriously don't get all of the intense hatred from most of the commentators here. It's full for a reason, and not just because of "tourists." I always see a lot of my neighbors there.
Ah, being a critic is tough, and recieving critiques is even tougher. Me, i don't like beer or german food so i can't say. I am glad they are on h.
I often agree with poo on the hayseediness of many commenters/critics, but poo, at the hut, they can put cheese right in the crust!
Tonyt
the pug, your second choice for brats.
The reviewer nailed it.
For me, it's not really the quality of food that puts me off. Sure, it is terrible. What really gets me, though, is the insane prices they charge for it. I think that's why so many comments seem angry rather than just perplexed-- it's almost like an insult.
"Spongy" is the exact word to describe their bratwurst.
The difference between Biergarten Haus and an authentic German experience can be summed up right here:
BH - http://tinyurl.com/2dxbdkr
Authentic German experience - http://tinyurl.com/23xhvgh
If Granville Moore's can get the proper glassware, why not BH? Why spend all that money on details like mounted deer and then ignore what shows up right in front of the customer on the table?
Relative to the price, the food at BH is rancid. It's a great place to take friends from out of town (including those poor bastards that Bridge and Tunnel it), but I will echo others' sentiment: it lacks the charm of a neighborhood establishment.
I wish BH all the success in the world, though. I will gladly imbibe there once a month or so. I will just make damn sure that I eat beforehand.
Re: the glassware - During the World Cup they said the generic glasses were just temporary until they got through those initial crowds. I guess they still haven't moved to the beer specific steins. The food is expensive but I don't think the beer prices are that bad considering the volume you are getting. I've also had mixed experiences with the staff. Some are very friendly and some are worthless. I like the place but try to go at off times.
I looked forward to the BH all summer, and I still very much like having a beer there on a quiet night (Sunday-Wednesday), but I must agree with the other posts: It's not that the food isn't good, but it's ridiculously over-priced for what it is.
I don't expect great German food (see Old Europe in Glover Park), but for $13 (which is more than Old Europe), the brats shouldn't be awful.
Really, thet could buy Johnsonvilles from Safeway, stick them on a Forman Grill and it would taste MUCH better. Oh well, I live close by so I'll still go there for a beer. And since it's doing so well, I doubt the owners at BH have much incentive to either improve the food or lower the prices.
Love the atmosphere, though I can't speak to the complaint on the beer line issue (though I know that's a common problem). I have not had a problem with "undesirables" as many commenters have... I think in this sort of establishment, the more people, the better - regardless of whether they ride a fixed gear bike or not. Conversely, if a group is causing problems, I don't care whether they're from Georgetown or Anacostia.
The food is truly terrible. Not that I'd try to compare it to Cafe Berlin or an y other German restaurant, but if you have food on the menu (at any price) it should at least be edible. I have yet to have any such "food" there. If the kitchen can't handle the menu, they really just need to dumb it down and/or abandon the German theme and go with hot dogs and fries or something.
-Ry
If Hank Chinaski were still alive he would never set foot in the Beergarden, maybe the Pug, but that might even be too high class for him.
In my book, a great, large beer garden that serves good beer is worth having on H street, regardless of the quality or price of the food. And the way things have been going, if lousy, expensive food keeps some of the crowds away, all the better. My biggest complaint is a problem of success - waaaay too many people.
i'm not one who cares one bit for "authentic", whatever the hell that means.
but i can about good, and about value.
the beer at BH is great, but i won't ever eat there again.
I have eaten at Beirgarten Hause, Cafe Motzart and Cafe Berlin. Motzart is probably the best for food, but it is also really expensive. I am not sure why but German food is really expensive in D.C. If you want anything beyond a sausage at any of the three places it will cost you more than 20 dollars which seam crazy. Cafe Berlin's food is as underwhelming as te Haus, and is just about as expensive. The only redeming factor that place has is that you can always get a a seet on the patio and the rueben is 8 bucks. The Haus has great beer but way overpriced food, but should that really suprise anyone in this city. I think the folks that said stick to the snakes and thr great beer selection and call it good.
What do you expect for a group of Russians and Slavs opening a German bar? The best part is the Biergarten. Plain and simple. I was not at all impressed with the menu and the food I got really turned me off to it. I lived in Berlin for nearly two years and the menu is very typical for tourist.
I've had ethnic foods from and being in various different countries. The only time I have come across a place with too many TVs or screens are where the tourist are.
It will be interesting how things go during the winter, because the space inside is not very inviting.
Hey, it brings more and more people to an area of the District where there is no Metro stop. I remember Argos food was so so and was typical bar food, until a new kitchen manager came in and the menu changed and improved. Maybe in time BH will get a kitchen manager and provide fantastic Deutsches Essen (German food).
ps: I tried to tell the owner my point of view and he didn't want to hear what I had to say.
Joe Englert said:
I really don't understand all the hate. Place is big, fun and ambitious. Sausages are good. The brunch is really good and different. Place is new and continually getting better.
The inside when it is cold will be very cozy and atmospheric.
Beer is great and selection impressive.
I think all in all, an incredibly successful place that is helping H be a region-wide destination.
Thanks for coming to H Street, guys and spending hundreds of thousands of dollars on our neighborhood!
Joe, I very much appreciate your positive attitude, and I agree with almost everything you said.
But the brats suck. Sorry
I honestly don't understand how people can eat the food at Cafe Berlin - it is really vile. Haus is nowhere near as bad as that, but its high pricing raises expectations that are not fulfilled.
Brunch is great, and the place itself is very pleasant in the daytime.
Count me with the group who can't stand Biergarten Haus. Food sucks & overpriced, service is mediocre, and half the beers can be found cheaper at other bars nearby (Ms Whiskey's).
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