Bitburger Restaurant & Pub: Hearty Comfort Food from Deutschland
4304-B Hwy 20, Niceville, 897-0277
By Bruce Collier January 29, 2004 Issue
3/4

Unlike some German restaurants where I’ve dined, the atmosphere at Bitburger Restaurant & Pub in Niceville is devoid of touristy knickknacks. There are knickknacks, of course, but they seem to have been carefully chosen from someone’s private collection and not some instant do-it-yourself German restaurant kit. The walls of the interior restaurant/pub are covered with framed photos, maps, heraldry, prints and paintings of Germany, Germans, and German subjects. There’s even a map on the menu. Odds and ends of brass and wood— tools, toys, and decorative objects—are tastefully arrayed on shelves. The inside restaurant and bar area is furnished in warm, dark colors, emphasizing wood and coziness. In the rear is an outside beer garden with tables, chairs, and umbrellas. It was too cold to linger long there, but I expect in summer it’s quite pleasant.

We ate at Bitburger on a chilly weeknight, the sort of evening that calls for robust fare. The bar area was full when we entered, leading me to believe that Bitburger is a popular stop for folks on the way home. Four German brews, of varying kinds, are available on draft, in two sizes. Wine and some domestic beers are also available. I drank a Diebels Altbier, a reddish beer with a rich, hoppy flavor similar to pale ale. If you’ve ever wondered about what sort of food goes best with beer, come to Bitburger Restaurant.

A basket of bread and butter was brought, and we studied the menu. Our server mentioned three specials, but only when we asked. Make sure you ask or you might miss something.

There are no appetizers, so you can head straight for the entrees, which are hearty and generously portioned. My friend chose a warm salad of pork loin, cooked with a simple pan sauce and served in strips over mixed greens and a sort of German macque-choux of corn and tomatoes. It all worked well together. She needed, and got, some help finishing it.

I love bratwurst, but seldom eat it, so I indulged. I got two sausages, long and meaty, full of rich flavor and pan-cooked in a natural sauce. They came with crisp thin-sliced pan-fried potatoes and a big pile of sauerkraut. The sauerkraut was seasoned with juniper berries and smoked pork, giving it a mellow tang. I once read that sauerkraut was probably invented by the ancient Chinese, who fed it to the workers building the Great Wall. The Germans are not exactly underachievers either; so pickled cabbage may be the secret.

Pork gets a good run on the Bitburger menu, variously served with onion sauce, pan gravies, or in various sausages. Also featured are beef with horseradish cream sauce, veal schnitzel, lightly floured and pan fried, chicken, salmon, seafood pasta, goulash, soups, salads and sandwiches at lunch. The server told me that the menu we ordered from was due for a change, so rather than list for you what might not be there, I recommend that you call or stop by the restaurant, which posts its menu, with listings in German and English, outside the door for your inspection. I’ve always liked that practice. Prospective diners get a chance to see the food and the prices before committing themselves. I wish every restaurant did it.

The menu does not list desserts, but our server told us they had apple cake that night. I suspect that dessert varies from day to day, depending on the chef’s mood. He was in a great mood that night. We each had a slice. It was more of a cross between cake and pie, served warm, with a light, sweet lattice crust and vanilla ice dream dusted with cinnamon on the side. If their other desserts are as good, make room, even if you have to box up your entree.

A possible reason for the relative scarceness of German-themed restaurants around here is the fact that German food is so pervasive in American culture that it has ceased to have that sense of otherness that usually distinguishes ethnic food. Like Americans, Germans enjoy fresh and smoked meat in generous portions, love sausages, potatoes, noodles, gravy, bread, mustard, pickles, and cheese. They also invented the apple pie and the Christmas tree. I grew up in southwestern Ohio, which is about as German as it gets in America, and eating German food has always been a soulful, but familiar experience for me. Bitburger Restaurant & Pub in Niceville seems to have cornered the local market for German cuisine. (Top)