Biergarten Style Brunch at Radegast Hall

What draws me to a restaurant at first glance, especially when it comes to brunch spots, is a great atmosphere.  The soaring ceilings, large glass windows, exposed brick walls and lots of light definitely at Radegast Hall were definitely pluses for me and drew me right into the Williamsburg biergarten for a good leisurely brunch.

When it is a good spot, it doesn’t stay empty for long and Radegast Hall was definitely pretty packed on a Sunday afternoon.  Seating is self served at the picnic wood tables and we lucked out with an opening near the middle of the well lit space.  The crowd was an interesting mix of young hipsters and families with a surprising number of strollers and toddlers.

This being a beer hall, we had to start with a soft pretzel.  Like the space itself, the pretzels at Radegast Hall were not dainty.  They were so big that they arrived on a butcher board to our table, hot and complete with Radegast mustard and pickle spears.  The pillowy yet chewy dough paired well with our beers and cocktails.  That’s right, even the bright pink Barfly that MD found himself fully embracing.

After the three of us polished off the pretzel, I moved onto the egg en cote for my main.  This might sound a little out of place at a German place but the skillet baked eggs came out beautifully.  I loved the flavorful roasted wild mushrooms and spinach bed that caught the runny yolks when I cut into the egg.

MD and TB made the more traditional choice at a beer garden and chose to visit the open grill in the back of the room serving up sausages and burgers.  We sampled the kielbasa, the weisswurst and a burger after a little bit of a wait.  All were smokey and juicy and served with crispy hot fries and tart tender sauerkraut.  Even though I was already perfectly full from my eggs, I couldn’t help but pick off bites from MD’s plate, a little bit of sausage and a little bit of fries.  Did I mention they served 5 types of mustard?  I was in heaven and could barely fit a little cupful of each on the paper trays.

Half way through our meal, the jazz trio started to play to the crowd while we enjoyed our beers.  Before we knew it, we had moved into mid afternoon and the crowd inside Radegast Hall had shifted from families to crowds of friends passing the afternoon in good company.  Delicious food, great conversation and lively music – not a bad way to spend a sunny winter Sunday afternoon.

Radegast Hall | 113 North 3rd Street, Brooklyn, NY 11211 | http://www.radegasthall.com