Wienerschnitzel Photo Credit: Sarah Adamson

Bavarian Lodge 1800 Ogden Avenue Lisle, Illinois  60532 630.241-4701

The Scoop-Total Dining Experience ★★★ ½ out of 4

Calling All Beer Fans: Bavarian Lodge Equals Beer Heaven

Recently hailed as a top 40 beer restaurant, the lodge debuted two casks from Bavaria's G. Schnieder & Sohn Brewery November 2, 2010.

Beer fans, from the Chicagoland area know a well kept secret—that Bavarian Lodge. The restaurant, which was rated one of the top 40 best beer restaurants by RateBeer.com, not only serves flavorful authentic German food, they also boast an impressive list of imported draft beers. Another interesting facet of the restaurant is their event nights, in which beer experts are brought in to introduce the special beer that is being tapped.

We attended the Schneider Cask & Keg Night and the highlight was the tapping of two casks—the Schneider Weisen-Edel Weisse and Schneider Aventinus Weizen-Eisbock.

Owner Alan Taylor kicked off the ceremony that was held in the bar area and included a history lesson by special guest David Frost from B United International Inc., a company that specializes in distinctive beers from around the world. Frost spoke about Schneider & Sohn Brewery and its historical importance to the survival of the Bavarian Weissbier (wheat beer).

"We can all thank Georg I. Schneider for our wheat beer, as he acquired the rights to brew beer from King Ludwig II in 1872. In those days the sales of wheat beer in the royal brew houses were continuous decline. Basically, Georg I. Schneider saved wheat beer from dying out," stated Frost as he spoke to a packed house by the assistance of a microphone.

After Frost finished the first presentation around 6:10, the beer was tapped by Alan, with the help of manager Dan Anderson. Onlookers gathered around the keg and cheered when the beer began flowing. This ceremony was repeated at 7 p.m. with a similar exhibition.

Dining with a group of 'beer aficionados' does have advantages when rating the restaurant. My son, husband and father-in-law are avid special beer fans. Needless to say, they were in heaven Thursday evening.

My beer fans sampled both of the beers that were taped and others. All were in agreement, as to the 'awesome' taste of the beers that were freshly tapped. Tasting comments varied from light, crisp and clean, to robust.

Getting into the Bavarian spirit, I ordered a St. Gabriel Liebfraumilch wine and enjoyed the slightly sweeter taste, priced at $7 a glass. A new item on the menu is the Bavarian pretzel basket; everyone in our group enjoyed the soft pretzels that were accompanied by a garlic borscht cheese spread. The wurst platter appetizer was another favorite.

Bavarian Lodge serves authentic German comfort food, the main entrees' we ordered included the hunter's schnitzel, barbecue chicken sandwich, vegetable schnitzel, pork chops and the huge bone-in pork shank. All entrees include, soup or salad, potatoes and vegetables. Prices vary from $9 to $24.

We viewed groups of friends, couples and families. The crowd was lively and everyone seemed to be having a good time. The atmosphere is unique as the decor ranges from large beer steins, mounted animal heads, colorful hand painted Bavarian themed designs and a large stone roaring fire place.

Chris Nolda, 26, summed up the evening, "This is a great place to sample a large variety of new beers, eat great pretzels and have a good time, I'll definitely be back, in fact I'd like to check out the Smuttynose launch party next Thursday.

Sarah Adamson© November 2, 2010