I was surprised when I realized I had not dined at Biergarten (the German buffet restaurant at Epcot) in nearly 10 years. I’m not sure why because I remember enjoying my lunch there in Fall of 2015. But there are so many good restaurants at Disney World that I want to revisit fairly often plus there are always new ones opening that I want to try. Unfortunately my yearly visits are not long enough to fit everything in that I’d like into our dining schedule.
But for this trip, the first for our 3 year old granddaughter, Biergarten was requested by members of our group, as they thought she would enjoy the entertainment. We were all pleasantly surprised though when it wasn’t just the entertainment that was good but so was their buffet food.
So let’s begin with some of the options in the Cold section of the buffet…
On the top row was what was labeled a Seasonal Salad and to the right was a Bean and Pea Salad. On the bottom left was a Romaine lettuce salad (possibly Caesar but I didn’t have any to confirm) that was labeled House Salad and next to it was a Macaroni Salad.
Here we had a Tomato Salad and Cheese Cubes (I think Cheddar?) on the right. On the bottom row (left) was German Potato Salad and a Cucumber-Dill Salad.
The red salad on the bottom left was a Beet and Apple Salad. Next to it was a Sausage Salad. Above it was a platter of Liverwurst and to the side of the Sausage salad was what was labeled Ring Bologna.
Now for some of their hot foods…
Roasted Chicken and Green Beans
Veal Pot Roast
These were labeled Pretzel Dumplings. They are a Bavarian variation of traditional bread dumplings, where they use day-old soft pretzels to make them. I wish I could say that I tried them but my plate was too full by the time I got to these on the buffet.
This was Sauerbraten, a traditional German marinated pot roast with a distinctive sour taste that comes from marinating the meat for days in a tangy sauce. The name translates to “sour roast”.
This looked good but I didn’t see it until I returned to the buffet to get some desserts so didn’t get a chance to try it. I’m not sure if anyone in our group tried it. No one listed it as either one of their highlights (favorites) or lowlights.
Then, of course, there was a big pan of Herb Spatzle…
I also didn’t have any Spatzle because my stomach space for German pasta was reserved for Nudel Gratin (also known as Mac & Cheese).
Now for some of the favorites of our group, starting with our most popular two items…
The duo of Beer Cheese Soup and Pretzel Bread made everyone’s favorite list. What a great combination!
A couple of people, including me, had these Meatballs and gravy on their list of favorites…
On the left though was Salmon in a vinaigrette sauce that Allison said was not good.
On the right of the meatballs and gravy was a pan of Pork Schnitzel…
While the Pork Schnitzel was was one of Allison’s favorites, I was disappointed with it. I remembered the pork being pounded much more thinly the last time I had it here, which is how I prefer it.
Andrew tried both the Pork and Chicken Schnitzel (shown below on the left) and preferred the Chicken, listing it as one of his favorites…
Allison enjoyed the Pork and Chicken Schnitzels equally and listed them both as favorites.
In the above photo is also their Nudel Gratin (Baked Macaroni and Cheese). But I thought it deserved its own picture…
Though I still (slightly) preferred the Mac & Cheese that I had had at Homecomin’ the day before, this was delicious.
A few other favorites were the…
Bratwurst and Sauerkraut, which made Don’s list of favorites. Also pictured in the top row are what was labeled Regensburger Wurst and then Roasted Potatoes.
And that just leaves one of of Jake’s favorites…
Potato Pancakes
For those that like that sweet and savory combo, there was also a bowl of Apple Sauce next to the potato pancakes…
Now for the desserts, of which there were several. One of my favorites were the Apple Slices and Caramel Sauce…
So simple, yet so tasty!
Another favorite of mine and also of Allison was the Apple Strudel…
This Apple Strudel was delicious, especially when topped with the vanilla sauce that I failed to photograph.
My other favorite dessert and also the dessert that Andrew liked best was the…
Black Forest Baumkuchen Trifle
This dessert tasted as good as it looked!
Next was a favorite of both Allison and Jake…
Salted Caramel Cheesecake topped with crushed hard pretzels.
And rounding out Allison’s top 3 favorite desserts were the Chocolate Chip Cookies…
And last but not least, was Don’s favorite dessert…
Blueberry Crumble Cake
Overall, while the savory food was good here, the sweets (desserts) were the stars of this show. Or the “buffet” part of the show anyway.
These guys were the stars of the real show though…
Lucy really enjoyed watching the band and she and her mom went out to the dance floor to do the polka.
Just a few more photos of the picturesque German village surroundings (including a faux moon)…
Biergarten’s food, entertainment and festive atmosphere made for an enjoyable dining experience for our family. I would recommend this restaurant for larger groups, as they could easily accommodate them at their long tables. Also this restaurant would be good for those traveling with children, as the polka band was quite entertaining for the youngsters…and for us old people as well.
Taste of Disney 