We met up with some family friends at the Bier Garden for lunch in Portsmouth earlier this year. What prompted us to choose this dining venue had origins in how our families met; our families were both living in Germany, belonging to the same support communities and social networks. Living in Deustchland, we developed our appreciation for German cuisine, and of course German beer. After leaving Germany, we would often reminisce on our time there and seek out German cuisine whenever practical. I wouldn't say that our taste for German cuisine is refined, however, we generally knew what we sought out in the dishes. With that being said, the Bier Garden had exceeded our expectations and delivered an authentic experience from start to finish.

Beginning with the location, the venue sits on a main thoroughfare through the city of Portsmouth. There is street parking, but depending on your luck, it is a hit-or-miss. We had intentions of going to the Children's Museum of Virginia, so we opted to park at the public lot just behind the museum which sits several blocks away - not too bad of a walk. The Bier Garden almost sits almost inconspicuously amongst the other dining venues in the row, however the gated alleyway stands out above others. It was raining that day, so there was a decent sized puddle that we had to navigate through in order to get to the entrance.

As we entered, it felt like we had stepped through a portal that brought us back to Bavaria. Aside from the outcrop dining area, much of the interior design was in similar fashion to what we experienced dining throughout Germany. Similarly, holding true to said economically-efficient design, the space was rather tight, but cozy. We brought in a stroller and had to set it away from where we sat.

The hosts and waitresses were incredibly friendly and welcoming. They were quite accommodating and patient, especially with the number of children in our party. The menu was surprisingly diverse in selections and offerings. Similarly, the beer selections exceeded our expectations as well. We settled on some Dunkels, pairing them with schnitzels and spatzel, which turned out wonderfully. The potato salad was a bit-underwhelming (less vinegary than we liked), but overall the food and beverages hit the spot.

Overall, a great venue, and a perfect spot to sit down with family and friends to enjoy a nice meal.