If the extent of your experience with German culture includes drinking a hefeweizen and chowing down on a soft pretzel, you’ve been seriously missing out.
Luckily, Waldhorn Restaurant just kicked off their 2018 Oktoberfest dinners and it’s a sensory feast like no other.
I attended the opening night to see what it was all about and wasn’t disappointed. I’m still thinking about some of the food I ate tbh.
If you’re down for some authentic German food, beer and a few grown men rocking lederhosen, this is the event for you.
Here’s everything you need to know.
Gita and Thomas Maier, the Waldhorn owners, know German food in and out. They are both chefs from Germany. Enough said.
Waldhorn co-owner, Gita Maier
This year is their 20th year doing the Oktoberfest event.
Gita said, “The first year we did Oktoberfest we did it inside and it was so crazy we decided we had to move it outside.”
Every weekend the Oktoberfest dinners bring 2500+ guests. They even have visitors come from out of town just for a taste of their made-from-scratch cuisine.
The food
During their Oktoberfest event, you can experience food two different ways – inside the restaurant with an expanded menu or outside in the tents with a selection of Waldhorn favorites.
Don’t worry, they have pretzels.
I stuck to the outside options and, since I’m a German food newbie, I asked Gita and Thomas what they recommended that I try.
The Bauernbrat
- What it is: Basically a German version of a hot dog, served with sauerkraut.
- Cost: $7
- My take: This is an approachable, tasty menu option. I added mustard and ketchup and LOVED it with the sauerkraut. There were two types of brats and Thomas told me to get the Bauernbrat. Definitely recommend.
Waldhorn ‘Bauernbrat’
Wienerschnitzel
- What it is: Breaded pork cutlets with Spätzle and red cabbage.
- Cost: $17
- My take: This. Dish. Was. So. Good. I will admit I was very apprehensive to try this and it was hands down my favorite thing. The Spätzle is insane and red cabbage had amazing flavor. The dish is also served with a brown gravy that ties everything together.
- Pro tip: If you don’t want to spring for the Wienerschnitzel, at least get a side of Spätzel. It’s a soft egg noodle served with brown gravy and it is BOMB.
Side of Spätzel
Apfelstrudel
- What it is: Exactly what it sounds like – apple strudel.
- Cost: $6
- My take: This was the perfect dessert. It tasted homemade. The apples were fresh. It wasn’t too sweet. I will dream about this tonight.
The beer
In the outside tent, they offer three different German beers:
- Spaten Oktoberfest
- Spaten Lager
- Franziskeiner Hefeweizen
I tried the Spaten Oktoberfest. It’s an easy-to-drink fall beer and it was a refreshing compliment to my food.
For $10, you can get a plastic Waldhorn beer stein to take home as a souvenir.
Wine and other non-alcoholic drinks are also offered outside. You can find more beer and drink options inside at the restaurant bar.
The music
Don’t expect anything other than authentic German music. They have different bands playing live each weekend.
- September 28 & 29 – Jay Fox & the Jammin’ German
- October 5 & 6 – Euro Express Band
- October 12 & 13 – The Alpen Echos
The band that played the night I went was called the Continentals. I thoroughly enjoyed watching people dance and even recognized one song – Edelweiss from The Sound of Music.
If you’re dining inside, don’t worry about missing the music. There’s a lederhosen wearing accordion player who walks around the tables.
The details
Want to try some German food for yourself? They still have more weekends to get in on the action.
The dates
September 28 & 29
October 5 & 6
October 12 & 13
The hours
The Oktoberfest tent is open from 5pm – Midnight.
Admission
It’s $4 (cash only) to get into the outside tent or if you eat inside, you’ll get free admission outside. All of the outside food and beer are also cash only.
Location
12101 Lancaster Highway
Pineville, NC
Parking
The parking lot gets packed out so try these lots, if there are no spots.
- James K. Polk Memorial Home Site
- Haverty’s Home Furnishings
- Stickley Audi Furniture
- Ashley Furniture
My takeaways
Y’all, I have been SLEEPING on German food.
Everything I tried was seriously amazing. The event itself is very family-friendly, for anyone wanting to bring kids.
I will definitely be going back and, next time, I’m wearing stretchy pants and trying the German potato salad.
