Bier Garten Now Open At Las Vegas' Plaza Hotel
The craft beer movement in the United States has grown by leaps and bounds over the last few years and shows no sign of losing momentum. While we are on the subject of momentum, Downtown Las Vegas is literally changing on a daily basis. The Downtown Project is turning this once questionable part of town into an exciting, vibrant district of artists, IT start-ups, quaint restaurants, and bars.
Recently, yet another new venue opened downtown in the beautifully refurbished Plaza Hotel & Casino. Plaza's new Bier Garten kicked off in grand style in early April. City of Las Vegas Mayor Carolyn G. Goodman and former Mayor Oscar B. Goodman were on hand at the official grand opening celebration to welcome Las Vegas' first outdoor beer garden that doubles as downtown's backyard getaway.
The creative team behind this downtown oasis of beer is Sam Cherry and Grant Garcia from the popular Pop-Up Pizza in partnership with the Plaza Hotel & Casino. Bier Garten's unique outdoor dining area in front of the Plaza Hotel & Casino features nearly 3,000 square feet of real grass along with specially designed wooden trellises with winding vines to create a relaxed Bavarian beer garden setting. Tables from a 1980's Munich Oktoberfest provide outdoor seating for up to 160 people. Bier Garten also boasts downtown Las Vegas' first and only living wall comprised of more than 900 plants on the façade of the Plaza.
Guests can stop in and enjoy a casual backyard atmosphere where diners can choose from two dozen handcrafted beers on tap and numerous bottled microbrews. Additionally, the beer menu offers everything from traditional IPAs, ales, lagers, and stouts to flavored beers and ciders.
It's not just about the beer here. Bier Garten pairs a delicious selection of artisan sausages with its craft brews. Jeffrey Martell, the chef of Oscar's Steakhouse and Pop-Up Pizza, also runs Bier Garten's kitchen. His menu features handmade cuisine inspired by German favorites with a touch of Las Vegas, such as the Golden Slipper, featuring Andouille sausage, crispy bacon, cream cheese and fried egg, or the Stardust, comprised of German bratwurst, caramelized onions, sauerkraut, and German sweet mustard. Sides include giant-sized German pretzels with mustard, hand-cut fries, and crispy onion strings.
For those who want a vegetarian option, try the Naked City, made with a veggie Tofurky sausage, roasted sweet peppers, chopped raw onion, Kosher relish, German sweet mustard, and Sriracha ketchup. For those looking for alternatives to sausages altogether, Bier Garten has a kitchen sink salad or pizza from Pop-Up as well.