Bay Street Biergarten

I’ve long been a fan of Bay Street Biergarten’s party scene. They sure know how to throw a killer brunch and trivia night. I’ve been to so many events there, and they’ve all been even more fun than the last. So when I heard they were introducing some new menu items in honor of their 5th birthday, I was excited to say the least.

The first thing(s) I sampled was the The Biergarten Experience (the full meat and haus boards served on a giant platter. Serves 8 – 10, $40). And let me tell you, it was an experience. So you’ve got smoked wings, smoked ribs, smoked kielbasa, pickled veggies, a giant soft pretzel, pimento cheese bites, freaky taters, and the BSB Spatzle. Phew. It was all delicious, so instead of doing everything individually, I’m just going to highlight my faves: the freaky taters (tater tots topped with smoked cheese sauce, demi-glace, bacon jam, green onions) are always a winner, as are the pimento cheese bites and the soft pretzel. The BSB spätzle (spätzle, sautéed spinach, mushrooms, onions, smoked cheese sauce, smoked kielbasa, pretzel breadcrumbs, asiago cheese, served with fried pita chips) was basically like spatzle mac and cheese, and it was probably my breakout favorite of the entire board.

Because we hadn’t gotten enough pretzel, we also tried the Pretzel Bombs (Haus made daily, pretzel balls stuffed with sausage and white cheddar cheese, served over smoked cheese sauce with Lusty Monk mustard, $12). These made my tastebuds so happy! They were nice and doughy and soft and I loved the smoked cheese sauce and the sharpness of the mustard.

One of their new sandwiches was really intriguing and tasty. The Beary Club (smoked turkey, bacon, avocado, swiss, blueberry jam, bibb lettuce, tomato, semolina, $14) was unexpectedly good. The blueberry jam, avocado, and swiss went really well together, and the bacon added a nice bit of crunch. This is something I’d definitely order again next time.

I’m not normally a fan, but their Reuben (smoked pastrami, kraut, pickles, swiss, Lusty Monk mustard, remy, dark rye, $14) was actually pretty addictingly tasty. I loved the combo of the spicy mustard with sharp swiss and smokiness of the pastrami.

Because we needed to balance all those carbs with some veggies, I also tried a bit of their new Summer Spinach Salad (spinach, candied walnuts, blueberries, strawberries, feta cheese, red onions, champagne vinaigrette, $13). It was definitely very summery tasting with all the fruit, and honestly refreshing after the sea of brown foods I’d just ingested.

The Nürnberger (two traditional german brats, garlic aioli, kraut, pickled onion, side of mustard, hoagie, choice of side $10) is their newest option under “brats & sausages.” Brats in general are not my favorite, and although this was definitely a good combination of flavors, a brat sandwich is just not necessarily my cup of tea. If you’re into that sort of thing, you’d probably enjoy it.

And if you’re ever there during brunch, I’d like to recommend their Chicken and Waffles (fried chicken, Belgian waffles, bacon, green tomato jam, hickory syrup, side of fresh fruit, $13). I’m normally just kinda meh about chicken and waffles, but I’m really a fan of their, especially if they’re being offered in sandwich form, which they occasionally do at their themed brunches.

So while this might not be the most authentic German cuisine you could eat, it’s pretty tasty for what it is, and you’re pretty much guaranteed a good time when you go.

Bay Street Biergarten
549 E Bay St,
Charleston, SC 29403
(843) 266-2437