Guzzling 40s and watching “Beerfest” for the dozenth time doesn't count as celebrating Oktoberfest. So what if high airfares and non-beer-related obligations (whatever those might be) are preventing you from making the trip to Munich for this year’s landmark 175th Oktoberfest (officially running from Sept. 20 to Oct. 5)? There are plenty of worthy celebrations right here in NYC, and plenty of seasonal beers that’ll be gone before you can say “spaetzle.” So don your favorite dirndl, raise your mass (liter) of beer, and prepare to forget the next week-and-a-half—German-style!
Loreley
7 Rivington St. (Chrystie & Bowery Sts.)
Lower East Side 212.253.7077
The Lower East Side was shaped early on by German immigrants and the culture (not to mention the beers) they brought with them, so it’s only fitting that Loreley should keep the tradition going. During Oktoberfest, the already all-German, all-the-time food and drinks at this charming bierhaus are complemented by seasonal brews (including Hofbräu Oktoberfest and Schneider Wiesen Edelweiss) and extra-enthusiastic beer consumption by the locals. Loreley is also the perfect place to cap off the
German-American Walking Tour (Sept. 27, $30).
Lederhosen
39 Grove St. (Bedford & Bleecker Sts.)
West Village 212.206.7691
Lederhosen doesn’t mess around—it’s about as authentic a German gastropub as you’ll find in the city, and the mostly German clientele can attest to that. Tap beers like the DinkelAcker Pils, Weihenstephaner Hefeweiss, and Koestritzer Black Lager are typically ordered by the liter, but this is Oktoberfest! Go for the boot, which measures a full two liters and costs $22 to fill up—just keep a good grip, or risk paying the $40 “breakage fee.” You can try to show up early to snag a table in the back room, where panoramic murals and picnic-style tables recreate the feeling of a beer garden indoors. But if past years are any indication, you’ll find yourself standing during the entirety of Oktoberfest—all the better to do the chicken dance once the band starts oom-pah-ing.
Heidelberg
1648 2nd Ave. (85th & 86th Sts.)
Upper East Side 212.628.2332
You might ask how a restaurant that replicates the Oktoberfest experience year-round, with lederhosen-clad servers and live German music every Saturday night, can up the ante when it comes time for the real thing. But Heidelberg, the Upper East Side home of all things sausage-and-beer-related since 1936, has it covered, offering live music and a special festive menu during its Oktoberfest celebration. Boots of beer will be filled and carefully consumed (observe someone who’s done it before to avoid the embarrassing splashback caused by the boot’s unusual shape), and a good time will be had by all who can manage to stay conscious.
Schnitzel Haus
7319 5th Ave. (@ 73rd St.)
Bay Ridge 718.836.5600
Oktoberfest enthusiasts based in Downtown Brooklyn needn’t cross the bridge for their festival fix. Just take the R down to Bay Ridge, where Schnitzel Haus offers the authentic German experience without the Manhattan prices. You can spend Oktoberfest sampling from their 10 drafts ($5-$6) and 33 bottled beers ($4-$12), all excellent and most of them German, like Weihenstephan. And of course, you won’t want to leave without trying the signature dish—with seven kinds of schnitzel to try, from the pork Jaegerschnitzel ($8) to the classic veal Wienerschnitzel ($10), you can’t go wrong.
Bohemian Beer Hall & Garden
29-19 24th Ave. (nr. 29th Ave.)
Astoria 718. 274.4925
An Oktoberfest bar tour without a stop at the Bohemian Beer Hall & Garden would be like a ditschi (funny-shaped hat) without a gamsbart (traditional hat adornment)—improper and unfortunate. This jewel of Astoria is a summertime classic, beloved not least for its mix of Czech and Slovak regulars (many of them members of the bar’s social club and language classes) and thirsty youngsters fresh from the latest exhibit at P.S.1. This weekend (Sept. 27-28), the Beer Garden is throwing its annual Oktoberfest fête from noon onward, with music by the Pilsner Brass Band and the Galanecka band, as well as plenty of greasy meats to keep you on your feet between mugs of Staropramen and Brouczech. Tickets are $10 ($5 for members), and children get in free—no mention if they’ll pay for the kids’ therapy afterward.
Radegast Hall & Biergarten
113 N. 3rd St. (Berry St. & Wythe Ave.)
Williamsburg 718.963.3973
If you plan on extending your own personal beerfest into the wee hours, you might want to make Williamsburg’s Radegast Hall & Biergarten your final destination since it’s open later than most other bierhauses (until 4am every night). True, it is technically an Austro-Hungarian beer hall, but that doesn’t stop their trendy clientele from partying like it’s Munich when late September rolls around. The dirndl-clad barmaids do their best St. Pauli girl impression as they hoist steins of Spaten Oktoberfest and Gaffel Kölsch to the massive wooden tables in the beer garden, which has a retractable awning and heating so that neither rain nor sleet nor gloom of night should stop the noble pursuit of intoxication.
~ Laura Kennicutt
