Categories

The Bier Haus (The Beer House)

It’s before noon on a Friday and I find myself hungry. I quickly check Bier Haus’ Facebook page to confirm they were open, I motored on over and was happy to find that I could actually park in the normally busy lot, shared by Ta Ca & Screaming Mimi’s on Price & Oglethorpe.

I walk into the restaurant and there are charming little pottery vases holding some cut flowers on every table and that’s the only thing I see…no salt or pepper shakers. When a restaurant doesn’t have salt and pepper on the table, the message is loud and clear: “Our food is so good, you don’t need to season it!” The gauntlet has been thrown down and frankly, I think it’s pretty badass and I like the arrogant confidence…as long as you deliver. I’m greeted by my server, Keith. He’s positive, lively, and incredibly helpful. He explains that everything is fresh; there is no freezer on the premises.

At Keith’s suggestion, I try the Spinach, Mushroom, and Cheese Crêpes. French cuisine is one of my absolute favorites, so I’m surprised to see them on the menu. I decide on pommes frites for my side with Cajun remoulade as my dipping sauce, and an extra selection of the hellfire mayo made with ghost peppers, along with a side of grilled vegetables.

The crêpes placed in front of me look like an omelette…and have the thickness of one. With my first bite, the taste reminiscent of Green Giant’s frozen spinach and cream sauce tickles memories from childhood meals at friend’s houses. The thick, spongy pancake is the furthest thing from light, airy, delicate crêpes.

I turn my attention to the vegetables to find a great mix of asparagus, butternut squash, zucchini, and yellow squash. It’s tasty, but I notice that everything is inconsistent in the width of the cut: the zucchini, which is sliced paper thin and the yellow squash is cut super thick, leaving one overcooked and one undercooked with the rest being just about right.

I try some frites and they are cold, limp, and look unevenly cooked. As Keith apologetically brings me another order, this time piping hot, I notice the same unevenness in the cooking. The Cajun remoulade and the hellfire mayo dipping sauces are very good. I expected the hellfire mayo to be really spicy, but it is pretty tame, although it still has a great flavor. I should note that Marshall, the owner, is sitting in the dining room. We’re the only two people sitting there and I’m surprised he hasn’t come over to address the issue.

Looking to wrap up my meal on a good note, I go with German Black Forest Stout Cake on Keith’s recommendation. I replied that I’m not a big cherry fan to which he says there are no cherries in it. Huh? He explains that the cake is filled with a layer of ganache and chocolate chips. The deceptively small piece comes out and it is rich and has a fudge-like consistency. I’ve always known Black Forrest Cake to be a chocolate cake with copious amounts of cherries and whip cream but the slice I get has no bearing to my expectation. That being said, it is decadently rich and tasty.

Bier HausAfter my initial visit, I started asking around to see what people thought. People are loving this restaurant…eager for the beer to arrive, but still going for the food. I decide to bring my friend Charlie who is fluent in French and German, and familiar with German food. We go for an early dinner a few days later.

We decide to start with the Mushroom & Walnut Pâté. “A variety of exotic mushrooms, walnut, olive oil, thyme, shallots, and roasted garlic blended to make a wonderful and healthy appetizer! Served with a side of crusty breads.” Ummm, HECK YEAH, this is what I’ve been waiting for. Knock your socks off, full of flavor awesomeness! This is a good portion (about a cup and a half) and the five little crostinis, while flavorful, aren’t enough. Our server, Destin, is such a sweetheart; she has the kitchen toast us some more. Unfortunately, they come out black. Yes, burnt and charred. Whoever was in the kitchen apparently thought that was fit to send out.

We decide to get the combination platter of schnitzel and sausages, thereby allowing us to try all four of their sausage offerings as well as four different sides. The sausages offered that day are Bison, Brat, Bier, and Kielbasa. I don’t know if it is the lack of fat or if they are overcooked, but they are dry. Where is the oozy, drippy, sinfully moist fat?  On the other hand, holy schnitzel! Those are amazing.

Unfortunately, our sides are a mixed bag. We’re looking forward to trying their German Potato Salad, which sounded authentic: vinegar based with scallions and bacon, served warm. Sadly, this isn’t it. It’s room temperature, weak and needs more…everything. There are no satisfying chunks of bacon in it, just a powdery dust that adds no flavor, lacking salt and vinegar and whimpers blandness. We have the pommes frites with truffle oil…and these are really good.  The truffle oil makes a world of difference! The green olive dipping sauce is really bright with a lot of fresh lemon coming through. The last two sides on the other hand are hopeless. The blandest mashed potatoes I have ever had the misfortune to eat are on my plate and my brain takes a moment to process that it is ice cold. My freshly mashed potatoes taste like they have been blended with just water and refrigerated only to be brought back out to be inadequately heated and put on my plate. My sauerkraut is room temperature and doesn’t taste great.

The Belgian Waffles, we’re told, won’t be available until business picks up so we go with the Belgian Truffle Cheesecake. It comes out looking a mess. There’s a slight tang at the end that is off-putting. It either needs to be more tangy, or not there at all. The tang makes it seem like it had soured and spoiled like curdled milk.

Again, Marshall is there in the dining room; this time hammering nails into the wall and putting frames up…which fall with a crash. Not exactly something you want going on in a restaurant while you’re eating and it made me feel like my enjoyment of his establishment was of little importance to him.

As with any new restaurant, there are some kinks to work out. Timing their sides to go out hot with their entrees will hopefully get smoothed out. With some tweaking to their sides, they could be vastly improved. My main hope is that their quality control and standards improve because I can see it as a good place to have the mushroom pate with a big glass of red wine…and hopefully with properly toasted crostinis.  Overall, the amazing service by Keith and Destin, made me want to go back. Bier Haus has been experiencing growing pains, but if they can work on their consistency, I think they could really do well.

The Bier Haus
513 E. Oglethorpe Avenue
Savannah, GA 31401
912.349.1163.
www.thebierhaus.com

Jessica Ghormley

 

Share Now :

Facebook
Twitter
LinkedIn
Email
Reddit

2 thoughts on “The Bier Haus (The Beer House)”

  1. Rebecca Douglass

    I appreciate and applaud your honesty. I was looking forward to going to this restaurant, but I think I’ll wait awhile.

  2. I’m not a big fan of German food, so I am glad I read your review. I’m going with friends to this establishment September the 19th. I won’t be getting either one of the desserts, imagine a Black Forrest Cake with no cherries….hello? I hope they have that pan seared duck as I don’t eat pork or fried foods. Going to be an experience I can see already!

Leave a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Categories

Sign up for
our Newsletter!

Categories
March 2024
M T W T F S S
 123
45678910
11121314151617
18192021222324
25262728293031

Follow Us On

Scroll to Top