The Bier & Cheese Collective — Restaurant in New York

When my friend invited me to join her at a birthday party in Astoria, I was certainly hesitant. The trek from Hoboken was not the slightest bit appealing. She mentioned that the festivities would be taking place at the Ditmars location of Astoria Bier and Cheese. I had no idea what this intrgiuing venue would be like, so I checked out the pictures on Yelp, and my eyes popped open at the sight of the 6 or so cases full of different beers. For someone that goes to the liquor store at the start of each season to grab one-off bottles of seasonal flavors, this embodied my idea of a complete buffet. I agreed to suck up the lengthy commute, all in the name of beer passion.

We arrived at the comprehensive shop, where we were confronted with both indoor and garden seating, a bar with several brews on tap, display cases full of cheeses and meats, and of course the famed wall of gourmet beers. We grabbed seats in the rear garden and chatted with her friends for a bit before deciding on our plan of culinary attack. After sampling the Downeast Summer Cider from the tap, I decided to go another route with the Citizen Dirty Cider packed with real ginger. I enjoyed that can alongside some tasty bites. The Figgy Piggy grilled cheese was a sweet and smoky blend of creamy Taleggio, buttery Prosciutto, spicy Arugula, and a touch of sweet Fig Jam. It was a sinful, gooey treat! We felt mildly healthier when we paired this with a side Pickle Plate, which included toothpicks skewering dills, beets, peppers, and more. After several hours of drinking, we did not feel that spliting a singular sandwich really did the trick, so we followed it up by sharing yet another variety that was packed with vegetables. I, personally, preferred it to the Figgy Piggy, but my friend disagreed. Granted, I had been the one to make the leaner recommendation, though. Lastly, I also had a few bites of someone else's pretzel, which was great!

Between the comforting food options and vast selection of brews to the variety of dining areas, Astoria Bier and Cheese had something for everyone. It really was a great place for a small group like ours, or even for a...

Love it here.

Great cheese selection, excellent charcuterie selection. Really friendly service. Awesome tap beer selection - definitely a focus on supporting local breweries which is on my list of what rules. Outdoor dining when the weather is nice.

One of the best things about this place is they have refrigerators of bottled and canned beers that you can come in and grab-n-go. Such a wide variety -- a well thought out selection. They also have plastic wrapped cheese and meats so that if you're on the run, you can make a quick pit stop to bring an AWESOME spread home or to a party/friends home. They have tons of cracker and pairing options as well. They have a nice sized menu with cheese-focused lunch/dinner options - the grilled cheeses are AWESOME, obviously.

You can sit up at the tap-bar or at a table.

Cheese and meats are a huge indulgence for me. I come back as frequently as possible. The only thing I think is a bummer, personally, is that there is no wine. Wine and cheese is more my thing than beer and cheese. But the ever-rotating craft beer selection keeps my boyfriend very happy, so it really isn't all that bad :)

It's a fun date night spot, or a spot to grab a cheese/charcuterie board as an appetizer before heading elsewhere/home for dinner. Highly, highly, HIGHLY recommend.

I look forward to also trying the...

My retired dad is visiting.

He spent his career traveling across the country grading cheese and dairy products on quality.

He was excited to come here with me and ask staff if they carried Tillamooks 2014 sharp cheddar for which they one best in class sharp cheddar in the World Cheese Awards.

My dad did ask.

I could only describe the man's smile and words back to my dad as condescending as he told him to go to the grocery store down the street. Even as my dad continued to explain that he hasn't been able to find it anywhere since the award.

Downright pretentious, dismissive, and not to mention unknowledgeable. Man heard Tillamook and stopped listening, had no idea what my dad was talking about because he stopped listening, even gave me pretty bad service while I bought a Harbison.

We get that Tillamook is no Jasper Hill but really???

I've been to this cheese shop countless times now that the one on Broadway closed and there was always something weird about it. I've spent plenty.

Don't know if it's something about how my dad looks but do they want our money or not?

You're better off making the hike to Spitfire in Midtown or Stand Alone on Jackson Heights if you don't feel like...