Company: Reunion Dins for +Stanley
As a last minute dinner plan to get together for +Stanley's visit home for his birthday weekend, he made a reservation for 6 at the Bier Markt on the Esplanade. I've always loved the Bier Markt for Friday/Saturday nights out as they have a great selection of beers and fun live entertainment to dance to. With their lunch/dinner menus however, I never really knew what to order as their selection is very limited. They don't serve your typical bar food... it has more of a German/seafood theme than anything and a bit pricier also. But despite my reluctance, it was another fun opportunity to do a blog post with my friends around giving their critiques (and not being embarrassed by me taking pics!).
We all met outside the restaurant on a warmer than usual Winter night on the lovely Esplanade. We had made a reservation for 6 but knew we were expecting 3 more later on. When we told the hostess, she said she'd see what she can do as they had many reservations that night but we were in a small secluded area in the back so it might be easier to add tables. The place was already very lively with people standing around and drinking already. The restaurant is very dim which sucked for taking pictures because I had to use the dreaded flash.
For my main dish, I decided to get the Merchant Burger which was the only burger on the menu for $25. It came on a large circle platter with the burger, fries, and 3 types of sauces. As +Brian pointed out, we didn't get very many fries. I could have definitely had more as they were very delicious, all soft (no crunchies!) and lightly salted. The patty of the burger was pretty big and grilled perfectly on the outside. The inside was nice and red, but not bloody. The patty tasted amazing, so juicy and tender, and still held together well. The bottom bun was drenched in oils from the meat though which made it very messy. It kind of reminded me of the Stn Burger from Richmond Station (my favourite burger of all time) with the quality of the beef, but that burger was actually drenched in sauces, not the oils like this one.
Our waitress was very sweet and friendly, when our other friends came we were able to pull up another table to accommodate them. There was a bit of fuss as there were empty tables all around us and we need to rearrange them but in the end it worked out. It was weird being so close to where the dance floor usually is as you feel like it's already late and you're out for the night already when actually we were just grabbing dinner. Everyone else there seemed to be pre-gaming to stay the whole night. It's a pretty classy bar though that seems to cater to the yuppy crowd telling by their menu. I love their bar scene, but not so much an fan of the restaurant side.
Food: 2.5/5 - The best meal I've had from here by far, but there's nothing else on the menu I'd want to try. Overpriced and limited menu.
Decor: 3/5 - It's a pretty big and nice bar/restaurant with a vibrant atmosphere, good for drinking.
Service: 2.5/5 - Nice waitress, but she definitely took my drink before I was finished with it!
Willingness to go back: 1/5 - I wouldn't go back there for dinner, but it's nice for summer patio drinking/casual lunch with their huge beer selection. (That doesn't include going back for a Fri/Sat night out because you'll see me there for sure!)
Overall: 2/5
Website: http://www.thebiermarkt.com/
