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Reviews & Tips

  • 0

    This is the O.G. (original garden), and it never gets old, or douchey.  Where else can you sit at a long table, drink pitchers, eat hearty fare, and play games?  Table service is a bit lackadaisacal, but small price to pay.

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  • 0

    It's a Beer Garden: A decent assortment of sausages and other snack foods, a nice range of beer, park benches, crowds, polka music, and more.  That's what I expect from a beer garden.  Is it dirt cheap?  No but the crowds keep on coming and Astoria isn't as cheap as it once was.  I had a good time here and if this is what I'm looking for, then this is the place to be.  If I'm looking for the best sausage in NYC then I'm headed elsewhere.

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  • 0

    I must be cutting again the grain because I found this place to be unimpressive. The food wasn't as tasty as the Studio Square Beer Garden in Long Island City but the prices were just as high, perhaps higher.

    Skip this one and go to Studio Square.

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  • 0

    There are a couple reasons I'm choosing to only give this place two stars. The first reason is the prices. We each ordered a form of sausage when we went around dinner time. Each order was $10. You would think you got a large portion for such a price. That would be a bad idea to assume. Authentic German sausages like kilbassa, bratwurst, or knockwurst are large I admit. However each order only contained one sausage and a slice of ride bread. My husband chose to get the additional side order of coleslaw. We ended up trading plates because we like how the other person's tasted more than our own. All of it did eventually get eaten.

    The time of day we went was one of the forms of happy hour they apparently offer. This meant that mugs I think, were five dollars a piece. A total of $10 for two beers is very acceptable in my opinion. Especially, for a legitimate beer Stein sized mug.

    The other things I found confusing about this place, which lead me to only provide two stars, were the organization of the seating area and the lack of indicators as to where waiter service was offered.

    When you first walk into the entrance, be prepared to show the person at the door your valid identification. We went on a Tuesday when it was not very busy, so the front door person may have had more opportunity to check every single person. Being a weeknight, the outdoor seating area was, for all intensive purposes, empty. There were perhaps 50 people in the open area and perhaps another two dozen in the waiter area. This section that provides waiters service was to the back left as you enter the open floor area outback. At least one television monitor was also in that area playing a sports game. To the far right of the outdoor area there was a person at a cash register next to a menu board. This is the place you make your order for food. You have to pay for your food before it is made. Once you have done this, you provide the grill chef with the order slip. They will then grill the meat in front of you. The grill is to the left of the cashier. To the left of the grill is the area with silverware and condiments.

    We chose a table which was clearly marked no smoking area and sat down to eat. As I said, we switched plates eventually, but it was tasty. I would be willing to go back and try to be Waziers service area because I believe there is a larger menu to choose from. You should be aware, if you were not seated in the wager service section, you must get up and go into the bar it's self to order and pay for your drinks.

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  • 0

    Good food and great beer.

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  • 0

    I prefer bringing a group during the week than coming on the weekend here. Some of the posters below have made note about the yuppie polo shirt crowd coming to hang out, but that seems to have decreased with more beer gardens opening up in Manhattan.

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  • 0

    Really?  What is the hype about this place?  Abysmal beer list for a BEER GARDEN.  There is nothing but benches, basic beer, and gravel.  Not worth the travel or heat stroke.

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  • 0

    We dont get here as often as we would like it, but is the original beer garden.  Great food and huge outside seating.  The beer and drinks are good.  Its just an all around great spot to spend a spring or summer afternoon!

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  • 0

    A spacious beer garden with history. More than 100 years old, this beer garden serves a nice selection of German, Czech, and American craft beers.  The food is OK, as you would expect in a beer garden, and the service is pretty good. I have been here several times, in afternoons or evenings, and have always enjoyed myself.

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  • 0

    My family lived in Astoria for decades.   We used to love this place, and although it has been overran by crowds from Manhattan looking for a piece of sausage, I do not think we will set foot in here again on a weekend.  

    One earlier poster lamented the fact they saw people with children (gasp) here.   It is a community center, and there is even a school.   You will see parents taking their little ones around, and there just might be people over 60 here hanging with their kids and grandkids, as it more of a family oriented place.   Baby strollers are welcome-  a refreshing change from any place in Manhattan and one that has kept us coming back.

    It has, however, become overran by hipsters, polo shirts, and the last time we came  on a saturday an awful band screeching so loud I could not hear the person screaming in my ear next to me.   Our conversations were limited to the 30 second breaks between songs, and when the band came back on from break quite a few tables got up and left.    we will definitely limit our visits to weekeday afternoons.

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  • 0

    I would be hard-pressed to remember a worst meal. The portobello burger was inedible, and the onion rings that looked amazing considering how starved I was were just not good... not good at all (this was a table wide consensus). I went hungry. Maybe meat eaters have better luck.

    I still love the beer garden on a beautiful night, what can I say? I'll have to eat beforehand.

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  • 0

    Everyone always tells me how great this place is.  I have been there numerous times (since it's not too far from my humble abode) but I have only arrived sober once.  Yes, this is where I finish up the evening.  I enjoy a tall stein of Deutsches bier.  Can't comment on the food but my friends have told me that it is hit or miss.

    It's a great place to catch a ball game.  I am usually there late at night so I wind up catching the late innings of a west coast based Yankee or Mets game.

    You know, just writing this makes me want to there later tonight.

    Prost!

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  • 0

    This is an awesome place to come with a group of people and hang out on a summer afternoon. It's just off the Astoria Blvd stop on the N/Q in Queens, you literally make one left turn and you're there.

    There's a small indoor area and a huuuge outside space with long picnic tables to sit at. Some of the tables have waitress service, and there's a smoking area on one side -- if you don't like smoke, avoid that corner. It does get crowded, so run for a spot if it becomes available. It's always fun to bring cards or a board game or something, and they do have a few TVs spread about (but the last time I was there, they were turned to the Confederations Cup, not the Yankees game).

    It's a Czech-themed place, so they serve beers like Hoegaarden, Pilsner Urquell and Spaten. The menu is all German and Czech food, so think sausage, potatoes, dumplings, etc. I've had the klobasa, the potato pancakes and the chicken schnitzel, and none failed to impress me (granted, I love Czech food). They do have a few standard dishes like nachos and french fries -- fries are great, nachos not so much.

    I am docking one point, because the two Saturday afternoon that I've been there, there have always been children (toddlers) running around -- one at the table behind me thought it was very funny to blow up balloons and pop them constantly. Do you really want to bring your children to a place full of people drinking beer and smoking?

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  • 0

    A bit far from where I am. I got lost coming here because I got confused about roads, street and aves in Queens. Why can't queens be made simple like Manhattan? If you think of venturing to other areas when you come here, don't. This place is a bit deserted from other bars. (**)

    The structure of this bar is a bit weird. You get the bar once you walk in and then to your right you see a lot of dining table and to your left is the garden. The garden is huge. The bathroom reminds me of junior high school, but it's clean because they have cleaning lady in the bathroom. They only had one bar outside and a food stand. There are a lot of seats. (***)

    It was a self serve place so don't expect the tables to clear quickly. Grab a seat whenever you see it empty. (**)

    The first time I came here they had a dance floor, but some reason they removed it when I came this time. I think it would be more fun with it to bring everyone together. (***)

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  • 0

    This place is a great to hang out with friends and talk while drinking beer in the outside.

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  • 0

    This is the type of place that deserves 4 stars based on the great experience and memories that have been generated. I went here on a Friday night and it was a packed house! The outdoor space is HUGE. Literally dozens of communal tables lined one after the other. This is exactly what a beer garden should feel like. Tons of people just having a great time! From the outside you would never guess, so definitely take a look inside.

    If you come here hungry, the food is not bad. The menu consist of traditional CZECH dishes (entrees / apps / dessert ) you name it! I must say it is a little pricey for what you are getting, that was my only complaint. I recommend the 'Klobasa'  (sausage) with side of creamed spinach. YUMMY!  I look forward to going back this summer. Chill low-key spot.

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  • 0

    Smaller than Studio Square and I would rather come here.  Nice evening, and there was plenty of room for my friends birthday.  Not sure what it would be like on a weekend night but I can see myself coming back here.  Beer selection was nice.

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  • 0

    It was like a huge Frat Party.  After walking though the entrance and past the bar, you then enter a 2-3 football field size outdoor area with tons of picnic tables.  The food was very good.  The folks next to us got the "pork knee" and didn't come close to finishing it; but we kept wanting to take a bite!  We got a few pitchers of good beer and a platter of delicious brats, sausages, kraut, pickles, etc.  It was really good.  The appetizers we got were onion rings (good) and some rice balls (only 6 piece for $8; not a good value and the balls were kind of small)  

    But the best part of this place was the people watching and talking with your neighbor.  You can either order from a waiter or stand in line.  We had no problem waiting for our food and beer...there was enough entertainment.

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  • 0

    $8 pints or $16 pitchers of your favorite brew. A sunny Sunday afternoon sitting  at a picnic table listening to the East River Blues Band. It doesn't get much better than that.

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  • 0

    The Bohemian Hall, in Astoria, is New York's oldest beer garden. It was established in 1910, and is not to be confused with the Bohemian National Hall on the Upper East Side.
    Whether you head to the basement restaurant room, or the outdoor beer garden (closed in winter), you'd best be prepared for dismal service if you want anything more than a pint of beer and a grilled sausage.
    There are basically two menus. Firstly, there is the beer garden grill menu: you can get a Czech klobasa or a burger. Secondly, you can go on a quest for the restaurant menu, the one that's also served indoors, and you'll see a fairly short list of Czech classics (think lots of pork and potatoes) speckled with some Americanish and Italianish staples (such as chicken wings or rice balls).
    There are also special menus for certain events, like the Czech and Slovak Festival that I wrote about a couple summers ago. Or the annual Porkfest which I'm going to talk about next, having attended in 2013.
    We started Porkfest with the barley and pork soup. I believe it also contained some pig's blood, as it tasted of iron, yet otherwise managed to be somewhat insipid.
    The head cheese was set in a highly acidic aspic, and the meat ought to have been cooked some more, to be tenderer. And seriously, who eats thick raw onion slices???
    The butcher's plate for two sounded like a whole mini porkfest on a plate: klobasa (dry, lacking the juiciness we've come to expect), blood sausage made with buckwheat (good but not tasting enough of pig's blood), rice and ground meat sausage (very good), and pork roast (also good, not too dry, and served with decent gravy). The sides of mashed potatoes and sauerkraut were just OK -- a shame for a Czech restaurant.
    The monochromatic pork goulash hardly deserved to be called a goulash, since "bland pork stew" would have been a better description. The pork wasn't cooked enough, the gravy was too thick and the meat jus bore no spice at all. The amount of bread dumpling was also disproportionate.
    For dessert, the homemade donut, made to order, was worth the wait. Although it's just fried dough with a bit of prune jam in the center, the fact that it arrived still warm made a real difference.
    Not content with this underwhelming Porkfest meal and its lackluster atmosphere (there were at most 10 people in attendance in that cheap-looking basement room, after the scheduled live entertainment got cancelled due to bad weather), we decided to go back yet again to taste the regular menu one chilly spring evening.
    The utopenec, a knockwurst pickled in vinegar with onions and spices, reminded me of the Walmart emulsion sausage that I ate at deer camp last fall -- with a key difference: back then, I was in a tent in the middle of the Adirondacks, and nobody made a secret of the provenance of the meal.
    The baked chicken palačinka was another dish glorifying supermarkets and factory farming: canned spinach, probably canned mushrooms, and cubed chicken breast topped with bland cheese. Oh, and drowned somewhere in the middle, pancakes. Not surprisingly  the taste was average at best.
    Next came the beef goulash. While the lean beef chunks were quite tender albeit lacking salt, the completely insipid sauce was best defined by its color ("brown sauce") and had the unmistakable properties of canned gravy, that molecular-gastronomy-gone-wrong texture. If I were to intimate that they dumped a piece of cheap beef in boiling water, then cut it up and topped it with canned sauce, I probably wouldn't be far from the truth.
    The roasted duck was the best of the lot. We got half a bird (or at least a leg, a thigh and a wing in one piece; I didn't see any breast meat), seasoned with caraway and roasted until fork tender. It's wise not to eat all of the skin -- most American ducks have nearly as much fat as lean meat. The pickled red cabbage on the side came from yet another can, and wasn't even drained. The dish also came with a cup of broth that tasted fine (though I'm not sure what it was), and the ubiquitous Czech dumplings, which we also got with the beef goulash. The dumplings reminded me a lot of steamed bread loaves. There was again too much of them, and I don't really know who would want to mop up the industrial sauces I had on my plates, anyway.
    Despite the considerable amount of food we had on the table, we ended up ordering a klobasa from the grill, in the hopes of finishing the meal on a more satisfactory note. At least the smoky sausage tasted very good and was just greasy enough.
    I don't enjoy writing bad reviews, but I mostly don't enjoy taking crowded bus rides to the boroughs only to be rewarded with bad food, half of it from a can. I understand why so many people go to the Bohemian Hall for the beer and the garden, but they should be aware, if they get hungry, that unless they stick to the klobasa, their meal will be eatable but scarcely enjoyable.

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  • 0

    (Note: Visited on May 31, 2013; Review is written on June 15, 2013)

    While hanging out with good friends in Queens, we had dinner here because we wanted to enjoy the nice summer weather in the evening. We sat outside in the benches, but this beer garden also has an indoor area. The crowd at this beer garden ranged from dumbass guidos, to pot-bellied old men, to students, to casual people who just got out of work. There was a constant drone of loud voices and there was nonstop cigarette smoke coming from every direction which made it difficult to breathe. (Obviously, I'm not a smoker.)

    I had their chicken schnitzel with potato salad; the plate was pretty good. (The schnitzel was the size of the plate, but it was just a-ok.) The wait-time to get a server, and the wait-time to get the food was way too long, however. From the time we placed the order, until the time we received our food, at least 35 minutes had elapsed. My two friends and I went through 2 pitchers of beer to pass the time (each pitcher was $16). The nice woman who took our orders was stretched way too thin: she was covering way too many tables all by herself. We didn't give her grief, however, because we knew that she was working her ass off and it was a Friday night.

    I can't say that I would look forward to coming back here because I really couldn't stand the smell of cigarette smoke, which is normal for outdoor beer gardens. If you don't mind inhaling second hand smoke for a few hours, then this place is for you. Otherwise, stay away -- your lungs will thank you. Also, the service here was slow, but the food was ok, the servers were polite, and the ambiance was easy-going (only by New York standards).

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  • 0

    Really BIG for Queens! I was not expecting it to be so large! This place preserves a real German feel without being intimidating. There is a decent selection of German and Craft beers. I would totally go back for Oktoberfest or an event, but when I was there it seemed more like a singles meat market/ family picnic time. Kinda weird mixed crowd for a random Saturday evening. But I definitely will have to give it another go in the fall for some beer swilling and oompa music!

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  • 0

    European style beer garden in the middle of Astoria. outdoor picnic style tables conversation with friendly strangers, fresh air and beer. respect for this Queens

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  • 0

    Great place.  Please add Bloody Mary's to your drink menu!

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  • 0

    Fun atmosphere true European style beer garden in the middle of Astoria.  Unexpected.  Very German / Czech / Slovak feeling.

    I wish they had more of a variety of rare drafts available... for example, the krusovice dark was excellent, but there were no other dark beers.  Or having more varieties of Weihenstephaner or Ayinger would be nice.  A place like this should really have 20-30 beers on draft for the hardcore beer nerds, and the old timers looking for the hard to find classics.

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  • 0

    Live and direct from my second favorite borough (Brooklyn in hot pursuit of course) is the bohemian beer hall. On a sunny summer day this place is as good as life gets. Outside seating, conversation with friendly strangers, fresh air and Tlacenka (Head Cheese w/ vinegar)- can't beat it. The service is somewhat confusing but that comes with the communal seating. Wonderful summer spot

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  • 0

    Went here with my friend recently. This place is low key with a decent beer selection, and you can get a pitcher for $16 or less. Has a smoking section that doesn't interfere with the non-smoking. Traditional Polish food doesn't disappoint. I would recommend the roasted pork in gravy.

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  • 0

    The original beer garden in Astoria. Nothing pretentious about this place. You come here with your buddies for the great selection of brewed drinks and Bavarian grilled food. The outdoor picnic style tables and benches in a spacious yard provide a great atmosphere for drinking and mingling with a large group for hours.

    It's a really casual setting. You're not going to find too many dudes and chicks wearing tight fitting club attire here. Amazingly, you also won't find too many guys out of control. You have your buddies to keep you in line and if they don't, the friendly bouncers will be happy to help you out if you can't handle your drink.

    I've been to other beer gardens and they're okay but I like how this place has remained authentic and old school after so many years. It is certainly one of my favorite drinking spots in this city. They attract folks from everywhere and during Oktoberfest, the line to get can exceed several hours.

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  • 0

    Gotta have respect for this Queens institution. The hall was built in 1910 by the Bohemian Citizens' Benevolent Society. The beer garden was added in 1919 - a year before Prohibition! While German immigration ensured that New York was originally home to hundreds of Biergartens, the Bohemian Hall was one of only three to survive Prohibition - probably due to its less boozy use as a gathering place for the huge Czech community in Astoria back then.

    The Bohemian Hall was added into the National Register as a landmark in 2001 (NYC Landmarks Commission: not yet!) for its historical and cultural significance. They even offer Czech language classes!

    Okay, enough urban planning nerding out. The reason I'm giving 3 stars to such a cool and important place is because the crowd is kind of awful. On a weekend around 11pm, it was filled with bro-y jerks with hands placed territorially around their girlfriends' waists, guffawing and cutting people in line at a whim, shooting crap into trash bins and not bothering to pick it up when, surprise surprise, their drunken aim was not true. It's a largely homogenous crowd, and that homogeny is defined by... polo shirts. Lots and lots of polo shirts.

    If you have a huge group, like a huuuuge group where you can zone out the frat party all around you, this place is great. $16 pitchers, $6 mugs of anything (a few Czech and Slovak beers, plus some basic Belgian/American), efficient bartenders. There are rows and rows of huge picnic tables, plus lots of shade from trees and umbrellas. Only one corner of the garden is for smokers, so that's good. Avoid weekends.

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  • 0

    WANT LOCAL FUN? this is the place to go. It's awesome for a nice summer night but i came on a chilly, spring night and it was still good ! it was a tuesday night so it was empty but they still had the outdoor open and their tv's were on outside. we had jackets, grabbed some beer, headed back outside and sat on a table that had an umbrella...great night actually. chilled, layed back and basketball ....why not !
    oh and cheap beeeeeer

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  • 0

    cool place with a good beer and food with outdoor seating.  Don't think I would go back unless I had too.

    tough parking.

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  • 0

    I celebrated my birthday here!

    It's a great place with good food and a fairly large assortment of well priced beers.

    I must say, come early to get better seating and bring something to entertain yourselves with. You will be spending hours here!

    I'd definitely come back.

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  • 0

    First beer garden I went to. It's hugeee-- very spacious with indoor and outdoor area. I came here during the holiday season, so they had a lit up tree outside. It was cute, the place had nice decor, and the downstairs seating area has a lot of space too.

    I was surprised how empty it was considering it was a Saturday night. Perhaps, it was too cold and most people decided to stay in?

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  • 0

    Obviously I like this place.

    The beer is good. The music is fun. It's super laid back, which I appreciate. It's a little hipstery, but less than the other beer gardens, and, frankly, a little hipsterness never hurt anyone.

    I wish the food selection was better for non-mammal eaters. But I'm probably in the minority on that.

    Also, why do people bring their babies here at night? This is a serious question. Doesn't it hurt their little ears?

    But, I digress.

    Good place for good times. Keep it up, old chum.

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  • 0

    After catching a weekday afternoon Mets game, I decided to grab dinner before catching the train to head back Upstate.  I was originally going to go into Manhattan, but then it dawned on me to check out the Bohemian beer garden that has been recommended to me for many years by friends who live down in the City.  It turns out that these friends made the right recommendation, even though they were unable to meet up with me for dinner.

    The Bohemian Hall and Beer Garden is in a rather unassuming side street in Astoria, but thanks to the power of smartphones, I didn't miss it.  I was suprised to find out that this place has been around for 100 years when I strolled in when the Bohemian opened for the day.  There was a steady stream of people who came in after me, but it was not crowded in the least.

    They have a decent beer and food menu, with some indoor seating, but it was a nice day, so I decided to dine and drink outside on one of their picnic tables.  I had some McSorley's beer in a big beer mug and ordered the pork roast along with some rice ball appetizers.  The pork roast tasted authentic, smothered in gravy and came with some warm kraut.  I enjoyed my meal here and am glad that I remembered that this place was recommended specifically to me to check out.

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  • 0

    You know, this isn't my absolute favorite place to get a good brew or some good grub, but I've had some pretty amazing experiences here, and the beer is pretty damn decent.

    There was the time, for example, where my friend and the server hatched a secret plot together wherein she would flirt with the off-duty bouncer and ask him to switch with the much angrier looking on-duty bouncer in order to let one of our friends in after he forgot his I.D. in Philadelphia.

    Then there was the time we brought a ton of boardgames to Bohemian Beer Garden and sat there with 20 people playing games for hours while guzzling delicious beer.

    Also the dance party we started on a Sunday afternoon when we felt bad for the lonely band playing up front without much of an audience.

    Recently they also started featuring an outdoor Sunday market in their garden area, which is a lot of fun to frequent while hanging out with friends over some brewskis.

    So although I prefer Sunswick for a good beer and the Strand for some good grub, I really really enjoy being here -- I think it's an incredible way to spend time with friends doing whatever it is you enjoy - wheter it's listening to live music, playing games, or just chatting.

    Viva Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden!

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  • 0

    I thoroughly enjoyed my first trip to the beer garden.
    It was a bit chilly out in the garden so we say under the "heat laps" on the side, they didn't help too much.
    We got an order or the peiroges with sour cream and sauerkraut, and they were delicious!! We also tried the fried portobellos mushroom, which was also good.
    All in all I had a great time and will going back in a few weeks when it gets a tad warmer.

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  • 0

    I like this place for many reasons, but mainly for its proximity to my home. I forget about it during the winter months. Yet something drew me here this weekend.

    There was a hint of spring in the air, and I ventured. Other people had the same idea. Too cold to sit outside, but we did for as long as we could.

    Looking at the staff prepare for better weather, I am reminded of the grilled menu that they offer, along with the family friendly environment of children dancing the Polka, in the open-air setting.

    Hurry up summer!

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  • 0

    What happened to you, Bohemian Hall?
    I used to frequent before a certain other beer garden opened up in Astoria.

    Well, what better time to revisit than during Pork Fest???
    We were not greeted at all when we arrived, save the bouncer checking IDs. Sat anywhere we wanted, service was lackadaisical but present.

    Anyway, we get the Pork Fest menus and were happy at first with the selection.

    The pork and barley soup was like a barley soup in pork broth with little square tidbits of pork. underwhelming to say the least... worst part is that of our party of three, two of us felt sick afterwards - the two who tried this soup.

    Anyway, on to the Butcher plate.. for nearly $30 bucks, you'd think they'd give a bit more than half of each sausage and a few slices of pork. Pork is the common peoples' food! I thought that's what pork fest is all about? Sausages were pretty good, roast pork was mediocre. Dumplings seemed like slices of steamed bread - am I missing something here? Maybe we should have opted for the potatoes.

    Anyway, shortly after leaving, I was feeling sick. And if you know me, you know I have an iron stomach. This was not a good sign. I noticed the B sanitation rating on the way in and chose to ignore it. After taking a look at the sanitation website now that I'm home, I see that they've been upgraded to the ubiquitous "Grade Pending" status. Let's just say they have had evidence of little intruders recently.

    Basically never coming back here. Ever.

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  • 0

    I'm including this old time Czech Bohemian style beer garden and hall on my "Little Germany in Queens" list because it is not only a popular venue among German-Americans in Queens, but also because the food, beer, entertainment and annual Oktoberfests show a marked south German influence.

    Astoria and neighboring Long Island City (L.I.C.) historically are better known for their large Italian and Greek communities. But Germans and Czechs, along with some Croatians also settled here. The "Ditmars-Steinway" neighborhood of Astoria was largely developed as a company town by the Steinway & Sons piano company, and included houses and public facilities that were also available to non-employees. Many Germans worked at the piano factory and lived in this part of Astoria at one time.

    The "Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden" is the oldest outdoor beer garden in NYC, and until a few years ago was the only beer garden left in the City. With the recent interest and revival of beer garden culture and interest in Middle European food, new beer gardens have opened in Queens and Brooklyn but "Bohemian" in my opinion is still the best. It is also great  for people of all ages, not just the twenty somethings and hipsters, but also for the old school traditionalists like myself.

    The annual "Czech and Slovak Festival" is one of the best times to go. Authentic Czech brass band music, Czech folk dance groups, and great Bohemian style beers and foods make this one fantastic ethnic festival, the only one like it in NYC. The Czechs in NYC settled not only in Astoria but also in the Yorkville section of Manhattan where at one time what was called "Bohemian Boulevard" stretched along E. 72nd Street. "Little Bohemia" was the area from E. 65th to E. 73rd Street, north of that was "Little Budapest" followed by "Germantown". That these three ethnic groups settled together in different parts of Yorkville and were neighbors just as they were in Europe is revealing. There is still a Sokol Hall and the Bohemian National Hall (both in Yorkville) and worth checking out.

    The other great party at the Bohemian Hall is Oktoberfest when local Bavarian style bands like the "Spitzbuam" play or more modern style polka bands like the "Polka Brothers" band keep the younger crowds on their feet.

    The hall and beer garden are operated by the "Bohemian Citizens' Benevolent Society of Astoria".  The Society owns and manages the Bohemian Hall & Beer Garden. In 1892, the Bohemian Citizens' Benevolent Society was formed, named after the medieval Kingdom of Bohemia. Two adjacent lots, part of a farm, were purchased and on October 1, 1910 the cornerstone of Bohemian  Hall was laid. Bohemian Hall was built in three sections. What is today the entrance was the first Hall, but it soon became obvious more space was needed.

    The Sokol Gym or Main Hall was added, and in 1919 the outside Bar and Park were finished - just in time for prohibition which banned the sale of alcoholic beverages in America for over a decade! But Bohemian Hall survived. At one time, over 800 beer gardens were in New York City - three in Astoria alone. Many were also located in the old German neighborhoods of Ridgewood, Glendale and College Point.

    Lets talk about great Czech and German draft beer. Some of the best I've had when visiting the beer garden include;

    Pilsner Urquell- Czech Lager
     
    Krusovice Imperial - Czech Light

    Hofbrau - German Seasonal
     
    Staropramen- Czech Lager
     
    Lienenkugel's - Honey/Berry Winterlager
     
    Spaten - German Oktoberfest
     
    They also offer some good Belgians and local craft beers.

    Czech Becherovka and Slivovice (Plum Brandy - 5 and 10 year) are good for a quick shot (if you are not driving!)

    Food is home style and cooked like my German Oma once cooked, heavy and with a lot of love...    Tlacenka (Head Cheese) is a good appetizer. Cold, spicy and marinated Knockwurst sausage is also good. The grilled "country style" Klobasa sausage can't be beat, try it with some Czech style potato pancakes served with sour cream and apple sauce.

    I like the their "Svickova" (similar to Bavarian Sauerbraten) which is a slow roasted marinated beef sirloin "pot roast" with a tasty gravy that comes with Bohemian style dumplings.  

    Roast Pork  served with sauerkraut and dumplings also very good.

    A little more expensive is their Roast Duck  served with dumplings and red cabbage. Chicken or Pork Schnitzel is also recommended here served with Czech style potato salad.

    Czech style apple strudel (if you can stuff just a little more in there) is great, but most of the time I can't do it....

    During the cold months you can hang out in the bar, they also have a large hall and a Czech language school for the kids here.

    If you check out only one beer garden when you are in NYC, or if you happen to live in NYC and never knew about this place, you owe it to yourself to see this little piece of Central Europe that lives on in Astoria.

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