Prost! In case you missed it, Biergarten in EPCOT’s Germany Pavilion recently became a buffet again.

After Disney World’s reopening, Biergarten switched to a family-style all-you-can-eat menu, and we’ll have to admit, while many of the foods were the same as at the previous buffet, the family-style presentation was wonderful. But now that it’s reverted to a buffet, so how does it fare? Well, let’s find out.

Atmosphere

One thing we can say about Biergarten as a buffet — the atmosphere has mostly remained the same. You’ll find it in the back of the Germany Pavilion — and you might miss it if you’re not looking for the painted sign just above it. Go through the archway below the sign, and you’ll find the podium where you can check-in.

Note that this restaurant uses Mobile Dine Check-in, which allows you to check-in via the My Disney Experience app. There’s also a QR code you can use at the check-in desk that allows you to check-in. Whichever method you choose, you’ll be notified via text when it’s time to be seated!

Once inside, you’ll notice that this Disney World restaurant is VERY unique. It’s basically set up like an authentic German beer garden! The story (because every Disney experience has a story) is that this quaint Bavarian village is celebrating Oktoberfest and you get to experience it! No matter when you eat here, for lunch or dinner, every experience is set on this Oktoberfest evening. And see that stage? This is where you’ll see LIVE polka music, dancing, and entertainment throughout your meal!

You’ll also see tables and chairs, as well as longer communal dining tables. Because of the storyline of this restaurant, it does stay kinda’ dark in here, no matter when you dine. But when the performers are on stage, it really lights up the whole experience (literally and musically)!

Also, it’s helpful to know that, traditionally, guests dining here are seated at communal tables, meaning that you could be seated with another family. Right now, depending on availability, Biergarten is currently seating one party per table, but your experience may vary. If you have concerns about being seated with another family, make sure you address that with the host or hostess when you check-in so they can work with you.

At the entrance, you’ll spy a sign noting when you can catch the Oktoberfest Musikanten. For many guests, this band is a highlight of a visit to Biergarten, so come prepared to get loud and silly and occasionally yell out “Zicke zacke, zicke zacke, hoi hoi hoi!”

Like we said, you’re getting a meal AND entertainment here. And it’s always SO much fun to watch the lively performances. Note — if you’re looking for a quiet meal, you ain’t gonna’ get it here, at least not when the band is out. Feel free to clap along (or bang your big mugs of beer on the tables) to the music — that’s what they do in Germany!

We especially like the guys with what we call the “Ricola Horns.” They’re actually called Alphorns, and honestly, where else at Disney World are you going to get to experience that? Previously, the stage area in front of the stage was open to guests to come dance. This was especially popular with children. For now though, the stage area still remains roped off to discourage gathering in front to dance.

You’ll catch a variety of German classics mixed with a bit of Disney magic here. We love hearing the traditional German Bell Ringing!

Or you might get treated to a really funky cool tune played on the Holzern G’lachter (basically, a Bavarian Xylophone!).

This place is such a blast. We seriously can’t understate how great the band here is. These guys have been making fantastic music in EPCOT for years and it’s well worth a trip just to listen to the lively tunes!

Yes, we’re here for the entertainment, but then again, we’re also here for the food, so let’s dive in.

Eats

The general layout of the restaurant is big open dining area in raised levels surrounding the stage with the buffet behind you. You’ll pass the buffet as you enter. The buffet stations are laid out by course — so you’ll find all the salads at one station, the meats at another, etc. Note that you must remain masked while up and moving around through the buffet. Masks can only be taken off when you’re stationary and eating. Sanitizer is available at the buffet as well, if you wish to use it. 

As we mentioned, this was previously a family-style all-you-can-eat meal, and we were surprised at how good the food was when we visited it last year. Yes, we lost the ability to pick and choose our foods with the setup (which, with a more unique cuisine people may not be as familiar with like German food, we thought could pose a problem for pickier eaters), but the meal offered so much comfort and space to dine that we loved the experience. But it’s now a buffet again, so that means there’s a much larger variety of food to dig into. We’re going to go ahead and say it now, though — sometimes less is more. But we’ll get to that in a bit. Pricing is as follows: $46 per adult (plus tax and gratuity) and $25 per child (plus tax and gratuity).

For drinks, there are a variety of beers available — and yes, you can get those gigantic 1-liter mugs full of beer if that’s your thing.

You can also get a variety of German Wines, as well as Schnapps and Shots. Alcoholic drinks come with an additional charge.

A variety of non-alcoholic drinks are also available, including Assorted Fountain Drinks, Coffee, Tea, and German Spezi. These are included in the price of the meal.

When it comes to food, German specialties are what’s on offer on the buffet, along with seasonal salads, sides, and assorted desserts. As buffets are being phased back in across Disney property, we’ve noticed that the online lists “Partial Listings” as offerings may vary from day to day. But these are the standard options you can expect with some other variety brought as it becomes seasonally available.

For drinks, we kept it simple and ordered Diet Coke. Then it was time to hit the buffet, masked up, to get our grub! We started with cold salads, cheeses, meats, and soups. “Salads” in this context refers more to cold veggie and noodle salads. Many are premade and you just scoop and go. This can be great, if you like that sort of thing, or a turn-off, if you don’t know exactly what you’re scooping! First up, time to grab a plate!

The Cucumber Salad is an old favorite — it was very fresh! The cucumbers were pickled and that added a nice blend of flavor with the tomatoes.

They also offer a Three Bean Salad…

…Macaroni Salad (we actually really enjoy this creamy cold mayo-based macaroni salad!)…

…a traditional German Cold Potato Salad…

…MORE cucumber salad, this time in a creamy base…

…Pickled Beet Salad (a hit or miss, depending on how much you love a good beet!)…

…a small selection of cheeses (Cheddar and Swiss Cubes)…

…butter balls…

…and a selection of cold meats.

Forewarning, there’s NOT a lot in terms of descriptions for some of these. Feel free to ask a Cast Member for a description of what you’re about to put on your plate if you’re not sure! They’re happy to help. Fortune favors the bold, right? We recommend you step out of your comfort zone and pick a few new-to-you foods to try!

You never know what new favorites you might discover!

Now, as far as actual “salad” they DO have a small selection — basically some lettuce and dressing! The salad star here is those prepared salads, so dive in and give a few a try!

Of course, no trip to this buffet is complete without a big bowl of their bonkers good Beer Cheese Soup. This is less “soup” and more like cheese dip, really. It’s THICK, rich, and decadent. A little bowl will do ya!

Our tip? Dunk it with some of the delish Pretzel Rolls on hand!

Oh, look, we’re eating cheese again — big surprise, right? The soup was very creamy and cheesy with lots of bacon in it. And we’re going to go ahead and tell you that it’s the best thing we had here this time! The Pretzel Rolls, though, are also still pretty good.

Ready for round 2? You want meat? There is a TON of meat to choose from here. You’ve got Traditional Sausages (usually Bratwurst and Bockwurst)…

…Roasted Chicken…

…Meatballs…

…(with lots of extra gravy close by!)…

…Pork Schnitzel (this is a solid pick for pickier eaters and kids in your crew — it’s a thin crispy breaded boneless piece of pork!)…

 …Pork Loin (at a carving station)…

…and Sauerbraten. For anyone not familiar with Sauerbraten, it is the German cousin to pot roast, usually served with a rich gravy. Don’t let the unique name fool ya!

…and Seasonal Fish. On our visit, it was a Salmon in a dill sauce.

Plus there are loads of sides like Spätzle (the most nummy tiny buttery pasta bites with a slight herb flavor. if you have kids, prepare for them to ask for a plate of JUST this, it’s so good!)…

…Roasted Potatoes…

…Sauerkraut…

…Green Beans…

…Warm German Potato Salad in a vinegary sauce…

…and Red Cabbage.

The Kids’ area has Sausages…

…Potato Pancakes…

…Mac & Cheese…

…and Peas and Carrots.

There are also condiments scattered around as needed. You’ll spy plenty of Ketchup, grainy Mustard, and Applesauce…

…and what would Potato Pancakes be without Applesauce and Sour Cream?!

Back at our table with round 2, we dove in. The Sauerbraten was very tender and had a nice tanginess to it — we thought it was better than the pork loin. The pork loin, which we picked up at the carving station, was simply roasted and was fine but nothing super special and we found it to be a little dry.

The Pork Schnitzel and Meatballs were probably our favorite meats. It’s hard NOT to like breaded and fried meat, and pork schnitzel is just that! Though this version did come across a little bland, it was fresh and crispy, and, with a little help from our good friend gravy, it was pretty tasty.

The Sausages were good but seemed to lack some of the flavors that we would expect. Likely a result of Disney trying to make foods more accessible to American palates. Luckily, there is sauerkraut and mustard available to help “zhuzh up” your sausages with some extra tang.

The Sauerkraut, though, was great. If you’re a sauerkraut fan, you’ll love this! And if you’re not, it might be worth trying a small bit of this option to see what you think. This is far from the canned stuff you find in the grocery store. This warm cabbage side complements the sauerbraten perfectly, and can you really have a bratwurst without sauerkraut?

We also grabbed the Potato Pancakes from the Kids’ buffet area. All’s fair game at a buffet, and we’re not above raiding the kids’ section! And we weren’t disappointed, where else would we be able to find two different starchy sides each in their own version of perfection: crispy, fried potato pancakes right next to our long-time friend, Mac and Cheese! Sadly, though Nudel Gratin was listed on the menu, but we didn’t see it during our trips to the buffet. We suspect it just wasn’t out when we visited. So, we consoled ourselves with the less-sophisticated, but still ever so cheesy dish from the kids’ section. Do you SEE the THIKK layer of cheese melted on top?

With all of the meat, and potatoes, and cheesy-noodly goodness we already had piled on our plate, we had to grab some Green Beans, you know, to balance it out. The green beans were warm and fresh but leaned a little on the undercooked side.  They also seemed to lack seasoning, so we definitely adding some salt and pepper to them.

OK, 2 plates down, one to go. Desserts included a lot of offerings here.

There’s Black Forest Cake…

…Blueberry Cobbler Cheesecake…

…Biergarten’s light, fluffy take on cheesecake (this is actually really yummy!)…

…some fresh Pineapple (cause why not!)…

…Red Berry Compote for whatever you feel like topping…

…Brownies with Pretzels…

…a selection of Cookies…

…and did we mention apple strudel? Of course, there’s apple strudel! We had to grab this classic. And as much as we wanted to love it (and have many times in the past!), it could’ve been better if it was served warm, maybe with a scoop of vanilla ice cream or a dollop of whipped cream. A Vanilla Sauce is on hand to ladle over if you want a bit of a creamy extra. Sweet apples, flaky pastry — it’s German apple pie and we’re here for it. If you’re a fan of classic and simple desserts, this one is for you!

We liked the Blueberry Cobbler Cheesecake — it had some fun spices in it. And well, you can never go wrong with cheesecake. Of all the desserts, this was probably our favorite. Everything else was good, but not mind-blowingly good. For the chocolate lover, you’ll likely really love the Brownies. They were extra chocolatey with the chocolate chips added and had that great chewy, fudgy consistency. The Black Forest Cake was full of whipped cream and cherries and was much lighter flavored than you might expect for a rich chocolate dessert.

To sum up, this is a hearty, stick-to-your-ribs kind of meal. It has lots of meat (especially pork…pork loin, pork schnitzel, pork sausages…) and classic sides like potatoes, green beans, and cheesy noodles. So don’t let the fancy German names like sauerbraten or spätzle throw you off. If you like fried meat, sausage, and noodles, you’ll like Biergarten.

Nosh Or Not…

Make reservations at Biergarten if…

• If you like meat (particularly pork) and starchy sides like potatoes and noodles! This is a meal made to FILL YOU UP.
• You want to eat authentic German food — the food here is legit, if not spectacular. But it is the only place to get German food at Disney World.
• You love beer. You can get a LOT of beer here for a pretty decent price.
• You don’t mind a lively — and noisy — atmosphere. It can get pretty loud in here at times.

Skip Biergarten if…

• You want the best food at Disney World. This is not a signature dining experience, especially now that it’s a buffet again. We think it’s good, but there’s much better food out there if a buffet of meat isn’t your thing.
• You don’t like noisy restaurants. As we previously mentioned, things can get loud in here.
• You’re vegan or on a limited diet. For some, the meat-heavy menu might bode well, but if you don’t do meat or dairy, this spot can be challenging.
• You’re looking to eat lighter with a lot of healthy options, though there is a salad bar, most of the food is heavy, rich food and it would be hard to justify the price of the buffet to just eat off of the salad bar. Plus, many of the salads are tossed in thick creamy sauces!

Overall

There are pros and cons to Biergarten returning to the buffet option. We think the quality of food was better when it was served family-style, but the options were limited and all of the food was served on the same platter. Guests who may not enjoy juice from sauerkraut or pickled beets mixing in with their spätzle and pork loin might not enjoy the family-style platter with everything piled in together. At the buffet, you have more control over what you choose, how much, and if any of your entree selections “interact.” While it was fresh when we ate here, we could still taste that difference in quality. What can we say? Buffets are returning to Disney World whether we like it or not. We thoroughly enjoyed everything we ate here, though we did enjoy some options more than others (beer cheese soup, schnitzel, and pretzel rolls — we’ll be back for you!).

If Biergarten makes your list of places to check, we think you’ll find some new favorites. This is a spot we find you can usually get a last-minute reservation. It’s not the MOST popular spot in World Showcase, but we really enjoy our visits here. If you’re in the market for German cuisine in Disney World, it’s a solid pick, but just know it’s not the BEST food you’ll likely find while in Disney World. Considering the cost, you might be better off choosing a different cuisine unless the buffet really speaks to you and your palate. If you’ll be picking at a plate of Spätzle and wondering why you picked this place since you hate all the foods, consider a different option. We will say that the service here is fantastic, and that’s something to keep in mind, too.

In our experience, we’ve taken adults and kids alike here and had great visits. There are certainly more unique German foods for the adventurous, as well as plenty of simple meats and starches. You’ll likely find plenty to please you, which is something we couldn’t necessarily say when this was family style. We do miss the “OMG, do we have this place ALL TO OURSELVES?!” vibe this place used to throw down when the family-style menu was being served though. This spot was a dark, cool respite from the heat and crowds. It still is, but the experience is different. Depending on your personal tastes, you might prefer the new way to the old or vice versa. Give it a try and see what you think!

Read Our Previous Review of Biergarten Before It Became A Buffet Again

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What do you think? Do you prefer family style or buffet? Let us know in the comments!

The post REVIEW: Disney World’s Lively German Buffet is Back, But is It Better? first appeared on the disney food blog.