I came here with a groupon, no reservation, and they were very accomodating!
The beers were SO SO good, my husband and I had two different Tap beers..both were  creamy and absolutely delicious!
The potato pancakes were good...I would have liked them crisper but the flavor was nice and they came with a nice applesauce that was too small for as pancakes as there were. The bratwurst sandwich was tasty but I did not love the roll it came on...a bit dry. The hamburger was quite good and probably the highlight of this particular meal, other than the beer which was super!
The atmoshere is loud and not cozy or romantic...there are a number of big screen TV's.
I say it is a great place for beers and lite fare...I could see coming here again for a few beers and a burger and maybe to watch a game?
Avoid this place like the plague. I was given rock hard schnitzel, and upon inquiring, the chef/owner rudely stormed out of the kitchen, took the plate away and exclaimed, "you don't eat, you don't pay." No apologies, no sense of customer service. Never coming back again, and I hope you never experience such a thing if you decide to patronize them.
Review Source:AmazonLocal put me onto this spot.
The walk was QUITE FAR from Continental Avenue.
The walk back seemed even FARTHER after a fully belly.
I walked in and immediately I noticed the sign that says "Please wait to be seated".
So I waited.
And waited.
I did a twirl, peeked around the corners.
Saw no one was coming my direction.
So I waited some more.
Finally, I said eff this...
And sat myself down.
At this point I was a bit confused.
Were they open? Â
Is this service your non-Asian day?
Did I forget to shower?
Yes, Nope, and HELL NO.
Finally, the bartender who apparently was solo doloing the whole establishment hollars across the room, "I'll be right there."
Oh goody I get to eat.
The waitress was a sweetheart but that is after having to wait as she tended to the bar, other seated customers, and bringing out food.
Understaffed? Â Yeah, I's say so.
I ordered...
1) Polish Style Kielbasa served on club roll w/ Sauerkraut and potato salad (with BACON BITS !!!) on the side.
a) I love the flavor or perhaps it was the saltiness of this dog...HOTDOG. Â I was equipped with mustard on my table and I used that sucker like a super soaker.
Okay, not that much but generously yes.
It really gave a nice kick/mellowing to the meal. Â
The potato salad was amazing. Â The bacon bits gave me a bit of an oinky oink surprise with every other bite.
2) Octoberfest Bratwurst & Knockwurst w/ potato salad - the flavors were amazing is probably the only way I could think of describing it. Â A bit salty but other than that tender, well made and oh so good.
With a large selection of German beers on tap and can you can't go wrong.
Great neighborhood hangout, with consistently good food and wide selection of beers. While the staff is friendly, service is spotty and rather poor. You can stand at the front door like lost souls waiting to be seated while tables remain empty and wait staff walk back and forth ignoring your presence. Â We were a party of 4 last night at the bar when the bar tender finally came she took orders for only two of us served their drinks then finally came back a third time to take our drinks order! Â Lucky for Manor the food is good else I would never go back.
Review Source:I can't say enough good things about this place. Let's bullet-point this:
-Staff s super friendly, especially the bartenders. Very accommodating.
-Food is fantastic, maybe a bit expensive but always delicious.
-Huge and delicious beers.
-Great atmosphere.
Head over to the Manor, have a liter of beer, and let the good times roll!
What do you know about "SPAETZLE" aka German Pasta?  (<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/manor-oktoberfest-of-forest-hills-forest-hills?select=AJJS3pQMkaBWK6PBDdn46g#YLMKRzme7yIafBpSFu1XgQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>)  It is freaking delicious! Â
Ah, a slice of Deutschland exists in Fo' Hills. Â And, at Manor Oktoberfest, this is where I discovered SPAETZLE for the first time in my life. Â (Now, why on earth did I not have any of this pasta goodness when I was actually in Germany?!! SMH). Â Good thing this place exists for me to get my fix any time I sense a SPAETZLE withdrawal on the horizon.
The food seems to be authentic and typical German cuisine. Â I'm no aficionado but on the menu I did see a garden assortment of German sausages - bratwurst, knackwurst, and even Polish-style kielbasa. Â The menu is not limited to sausage links, there are burgers, steaks, ribs, salads, of course German staples such as kassler, and everyone's favorite, wiener-schnitzel. Â For appetizers, we had the "Reuben" Pierogies which was another awesome and ultimately delicious revelation, and beer-battered (I think) onion rings that were excellent as well. Â Highly recommend both! Â And my knackwurst meal was enjoyable, but not so memorable, nor as good as the appetizers or even the SPAETZLE (which was shockingly amazing).
This is a great, casual restaurant-bar for groups and families. Â The service is wonderful, and being tucked into a mostly residential area of Forest Hills, it's a local gem and certainly a place worthy of your time and tummy.
Oh, and for the drinkers out there, they have a full bar, and tons of beers on tap, in bottle form, etc. Â Can you get a DAS BOOT? Â Yes, you can!
Having been through many face lifts over the years, this location has always accommodation the food and beverage industry as tenants, even as far back as Peoples. (anyone remember that place?)
With Manor Oktoberfest as the current and hopefully long standing future resident, the small strip of storefronts along Yellowstone finally has a anchor reataurant location. Great for families, couples and with the fellas for some drink and delectable fare.
The tap beers offered at Manor Oktoberfest, will have the German and craft brew enthusiast stoked from the moment he/she opens the beer menu for a peruse. Franziskaner Weissbie on tap is my staple beer of choice, but your options are really as limited to only your palate and desire to try something new.
With my dining partner in tow, we sat for an early Saturday dinner and ordered off the specials board as the choices were so interesting. The chicken liver platter for starters is what this partial German has enjoyed for years growing up at Oma and Opa's, although we did not address them as such.
The Eggplant Tower was wonderful in presentation and flavor. Thin cut slices, deep fried and layered with vine ripe tomato and mozzarella, topped with Pesto. Presentation was a ten out of ten and taste was scored equally. The Wild Boar burger, cooked medium rare was not game-y as I had anticipated, in fact it seemed to be more vegetable in texture and flavor than a being from the animal kingdom, but I have nothing but praise for the dish.
We came here in search of a low-key German dinner a couple wkends ago and found exactly that. Â The atmosphere was more pub-like than a traditional German restaurant but I enjoyed the change of pace.
For dinner, I had pierogies and a side salad. Â The pierogies had a homemade taste and clearly weren't the frozen Mrs. T's variety--not that there's anything wrong with those though. Â Definitely a good choice but I would have liked them better with a little onion. Â After seeing the giant hot pretzels, we opted to order one for dessert and that was the delicious stand-out of the evening, particularly with the beer cheese.
While Manor Oktoberfest isn't particularly close to the subway, it's worth checking out whether to sample German cuisine or for an evening at a good bar.
A loud casual atmosphere with a friendly staff. Â We were left waiting to bit from the moment we arrived. Â We had a reservation, which based on the crowd was a good idea, but had to wait for our table to be ready. Â Also once we were seated, our beer order was taken fairly quickly, but it took awhile for our waitress to return to take out food order.
The beer selection was good and the prices were affordable. Â As for the food, we started off with potato pancakes. Â Small crispy cakes served with applesauce were completely delicious. Â I could have eaten another round of them. Â The Wienerschnitzel was a bit thicker than I would have liked, however it was on the bland and dry side. Â It was served with red cabbage, which was great, and home fries which were just OK. Â The Sauerbraten was tender and tasty without being overly sour.
All in all they do some things well and with a nice menu selection you can find something to hit the spot.
I know German/ N.European people are giants..but man, i felt like I needed a booster seat! giant tables/chairs/booths + giant portions of food. good thing I shared my sauerbraten and German potato salad. The beer selection is awesome. The bf had some HB Dunkel which went well with dinner. Next time, we're walking over and having a boot!
Review Source:Um, yes... I love this place! Â The only negative point is the location: I wish they were easily accessibly by public transportation (the beer options are premium and driving home afterwards is not an option). Â For this reason I take E/F to Continental & walk down Austin St, down Yellowstone Blvd (almost all the way to Woodhaven!) and catch a cab home.
Otherwise: the beer list 5 star. Â The bartenders are knowledgeable - they make awesome suggestions, but then again they have an awesome selection to work with. Â German beers on tap - Franziskaner, Weiss; all your seasonal options as well - cherry wheat, pumpkin ales, and local brews (Long Island IPAs).
The bar food is one step away from making this place a gastropub: pierogies, knockwurst, bratwurst, schnitzel, as well as the usual suspects of sandwiches, salads, wings and mozzerella sticks. Â
The location is spacious and modern but maintains and old German ambiance - the bar is long and the dining area accommodates picnic table style seating. Â And the venue holds events such as "strongest arm contest" - who can hold a full pitcher for the longest amount of time! Â
Unfortunately, the only thing missing from this German bar is the beer garden...
"Manor Oktoberfest of Forest Hills" is the "big brother" to the smaller "Manor Oktoberfest" located nearby at the Atlas Park Mall in Glendale which opened back in 2006.
The Forest Hills location was opened by Manor's owner Mark Gallagher in January 2010 and is much larger, having both a great sports bar area, main dining room and a very elegant separate banquet room for private parties.
This Manor location is spacious, modern and has been able to combine the best of old school German food with 21st century American influences that should satisfy both the younger and older generations who come here for good old fashioned German cooking. Â
"Manor" was named after the owners delicatessen that he has owned and operated in Woodhaven for almost 15 years now. This is one of the best deli's in Queens, and I recommend that you check it out next time you are in the area.
At a time when a number of German restaurants in Queens were closing owner Mark Gallagher decided to open his restaurant capitalizing on a recent revival of German restaurants and  beer gardens in NYC. Over 20 new German and Austrian restaurants have opened in Manhattan and Brooklyn in the past 10 years, its about time that Queens also had a few new German places to call their own.
During the Oktoberfest season this place really gets hopping, with live Bavarian style music by "Die Schlauberger" Oktoberfest Showband of Middle Village as well as by husband and wife duo Bud and Linda Gramer. Along with lots of liter sized German beers on tap and some hearty old country soul food you are guaranteed a great evening.
Check out some of these favorites of mine....
BEER is fresh and wonderful in a full liter mug. Manor offers a nice selection including such favorites as; Hofbräu Original, Spaten Oktoberfest, Radeberger Pilsner or Franziskaner Weissbier.
Have an APPETIZER: Potato Pancakes with Applesauce, Smoked Black Forest Bacon that's hot and sizzling with tomato's and onions, Pierogies or Fried Potato Pierogies with Sour Cream (nice little Polish influence here!) or Herring in Cream Sauce with bits of pickled herring blended with onion and sour cream.
Lots of good Entrees here, some of the best include; Oktoberfest Bratwurst,
Kielbasa, Black Forest Bacon Club, Kassler Rippchen, Jägerschnitzel, Wienerschnitzel, Sauerbraten, Stuffed Cabbage, Loin of Pork,
Swedish Meatballs and much more! Try the Jägerschnitzel my favorite!
Good HOT & COLD SIDES include: Manor German Potato Salad, Home Fried Potatoes , Red Cabbage, Homemade Sauerkraut, Spaetzle with Gravy, Cucumber Salad and others.
--------------------------------------------------Â-------------------------------------
R.I.P. Â - The "BIG 6" of German Restaurants in Queens:
FLESSEL'S (1872-1998) - College Point (torn down 1999)
NIEDERSTEIN'S (1845-2005) - Middle Village (torn down 2005)
DUROW'S (1935-2005) - Glendale
GEBHARDT'S - (1933-2003) - Glendale / (2003-2007) Floral Park
FIVE CORNER RESTAURANT - (1950-2009) - College Point
VON WESTERNHAGEN'S (1964-2010) - Glendale Â
The establishments listed above were the last of the "Old School" German style restaurants that served huge portions and catered mainly to the large German-American community that once lived in and around Ridgewood / Glendale and College Point. The customers who favored this kind of German restaurant were often looking for the "heavier" and  older style of German cuisine that even in Germany had long since gone out of style. It was pure nostalgia. Â
Weddings, anniversaries, birthday party's and funeral luncheons were always held in large private "banquet halls" that were  attached to these older restaurants, making all these places seem even more like large palaces dedicated  to lots of pork and beer, a little bit of Queens history that is now lost forever. Â
"KOENIG'S" in Floral Park is probably the only example left of this kind of German-Ameircan restaurant, and it's just over the Queens/Nassau line...
Definitely my type of sports bar; beers, wings and seats. The service we received was great and the bartender hooked us up with shots of something sweet and spicy, kind of reminded me of licorice. We came here to check out the Giants game with wings on our mind, a plate of 25 for 2 people. I thought the wings were delicious, crunchy and not too spicy.
Review Source:I was here for the first time last night and I must say I will be back. My grandparents are German so I grew up eating German food and I must say my grandmother would be proud, especially of the potato salad and the  Potato pancakes they were delicious.After eating I made my way over to the bar,victor was behind the bar serving drinks and and holding great conversation. Mart the owner also came by had a drink with us and I must say he a one of the nicest guys I met. I was very happy and pleased with the whole experience and I am excited to go back....oh yeh u gotta try the spickle best beer there:)
Review Source:Some good, some bad:
The bad first:
- Went for Sunday football, expecting their multitude of TVs to be showing games around the country. They only played the Jets game. On ALL tv's. :/
- The waitstaff spent more time on their hair and socializing with each other than they did coming to check on our table.
- The beer options become more expensive the larger they went in size. Shouldn't 2 beers of 16 oz cost less than one 32 oz beer? MO charges more... Easy fix: stick with the smaller orders!
The good:
- Vic, the bartender was uber-friendly. Nice to meet you Vic!
- The hot pastrami was delicious - not mind-blowing, but hardy, the way you expect hot pastrami to be.
MO might have gotten a better review had I not expected so much on a Sunday afternoon, but given the number of alternatives in the area, it might be a while before I head back. Maybe I'll save the return trip for when the real Oktoberfest rolls around.
2 stars for the service and experience. +1 star for the reasonably priced selections of good beers.
**Update: Thanks mark g. for the update on prices. Might want to share that with your staff too.**
It has been a while since I have been here. We typically come here to watch Giants games while in season, but my first profile pic on yelp was taken here while drinking  das boot during a friend's birthday.
One of my favorite things about this place is that it has the greatest wings I have ever had, hands down. These things are seriously addicting, and not too hot where they are still enjoyable. Â The skin is crispy, while the inside is tender and falls off the bone.
The service is great, the staff is amazing. the atmosphere is great, despite the Cowboy fans who seem to have gotten lost and ended up here. Â But all in all, everyone had great fun.
Cheers
A great beer selection does not a German restaurant make.
The place looks bright and cheery and welcoming from the outside, but then it falls flat as soon as you are seated. Â The tables behind the front station are just uncomfortably arranged and we always find ourselves pressed up against a pillar or too close to someone else. Â
The food is very lackluster, and I have yet to meet a German who wasn't interested in food, so an essential element is totally lacking at MO. Â While the potato pancakes are ok, and the herring is relevent to the theme of the place, the rest of the appetizers are either average or (gasp!) frozen or distinctly un-German. Â Â Â Â
For lunch, the sandwiches can be considered an ok deal, but the dinners are overpriced. Â Every time I order the fish it arrives in the same perfect isosceles triange shape with a gritty/mushy layer right under the coating, which leads me to believe it is of the frozen variety. Â If a restaurant can't be bothered to buy fresh fish, they probably shouldn't offer it. Â Â There is a selection of wursts and a schnitzel or two, but somehow it all appears to miss the mark. Â Â Â
The dinners come with a few small roasted potatoes and a few string beans or carrots, highly reminescent of your friend's wedding at Villa Chateau Whatever. Â If you want something else like spinach you have to order it separately. Â Really, the diner should be offered a choice of veggies. Â And the only thing side that appears on the plate in any abundance is the fries (frozen shoestring). Â Â Â Â Â Â Â
I guess this place is ok if you live very near, or are interested in the beer/bar, or aren't looking for a German food experience, but other than that you'd be better off finding a real German restaurant. Â I may be less critical of this place if they didn't market themselves as a German restuarant.
I can't resist $4 half-litres of German beer! Good Happy Hour, considering they have a good selection of German brews that you don't find just anywhere.
I went ahead and ordered from the lunch menu, but I wasn't so impressed with my selection. I went for the schnitzel club with potato salad, and it was just OK. The potato salad seemed to have bacon in it. If so, that's just unnecessary! Schnitzel was pretty flavorless.
Otherwise, it's a roomy place, with decent-sized booths for groups of six people.
I had been to the Manor Oktoberfest located in Atlas Park mall when it first opened and really enjoyed the food. I was pleased to see they added a second establishment really close to my house in Forest Hills. The location has had quite a few eateries go in and out of it. Gordon Ramsey tried to 'help' the last establishment on Kitchen Nightmares, which didn't help because they obviously were replaced with this GOOD eatery. Â When a Living Social deal arrived in my in box for the Manor Oktoberfest in Forest Hills, I purchased it right away knowing I'd have a good meal. I went this past weekend with my boyfriend for a semi-early Sunday night dinner. Semi-early for us being 6pm. When we arrived the restaurant was pretty empty, only 4-5 tables had patrons eating and there were several folks at the bar. We were seated promptly.
We received our menu's and knew right away we were going to get the bacon to start. It was awesome. We had one piece left over and my boyfriend decided to save it for his dinner sandwich. He had the Schnitzel Cordon Bleu, which was EXCELLENT!!! I mean how can you go wrong with pork AND ham and then the extra bacon !?!? OH MY GOODNESS! So good! I had the One Bratwurst & One Knockwurst plate with a Chicken Bratwurst. The Wursts were quite good! Warm Sauerkraut and potato salad were also good. I remember at the Oktoberfest at Atlas Park the potato salad was warm. When mine came it was cold, which was OK but I really liked the warm one I had on my first visit. Next time I will ask if there is a difference, because there WILL be a next time. I am dying to try the Jägerschnitzel , which was just too big of a plate for me on this particular evening.
Oh yes, I will be back!
Came here with my hubby for our wedding anniversary.
We were seated promtly but the table was soacking wet, no bar menu.
We patiently waited for the waiter, he seemed nice but place was busy and all waiters were hustling.
Ordered chicken liver patte, potato panckaes and steak, all food was good but nothing outstanding. Well perhaps chickel liver patte was above good but I have had better in the city. Apple struddle was good and so was cheesecake. Reason we went there because we bought LivingSocial promo, would I go back probably not. The place is bit overpriced and not enough staff.
*please read my previous review now since this is an update*
Finally tried their food on Wednesday. Â We were seated in the largest booth in the main dining room and here's what we ordered:
1. Coconut Fried Shrimp With Asian Dipping Sauce ($10)
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Fm1mE5Hf2k-yuzmFz98ufw?select=BXoX-njxVrF5jbVHotW9qQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Not really my type of appetizer, but E was not impressed. Â He felt the shrimp was of the frozen variety...
2. Fried Potato Pierogies with Sour Cream ($7)
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Fm1mE5Hf2k-yuzmFz98ufw?select=wxrFCiN3GYbEhIYd2W1LPQ">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
Decent appetizer
3. Bratwurst Served on a Club Roll with Sauerkraut With Potato Salad ($6 - $9)
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Fm1mE5Hf2k-yuzmFz98ufw?select=JPhUeAQA8anv5CA24Nnu_w">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
This was my pick. Â The sandwich was massive and I was concerned it would fall apart. Â But the club roll did its job and it was a piece of cake. Â The best part of my plate was the potato salad. Â The fact that it didn't have any mayo made it guilt-free eating. Â I loved the fresh bacon they mixed it with....TASTY~!!! Â
4. One Bratwurst & One Knockwurst Served with Manor Potato Salad and Sauerkraut ($17?)
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Fm1mE5Hf2k-yuzmFz98ufw?select=rPZB-6cAjD2k5T-qHNKV5Q">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
MO and E both ordered the same entree and they are in agreement that the knockwurst is a better sausage. Â
FYI: I tried some of their knockwurst. Â It's a good sausage and i like it as well. Â But if I had to pick one, I'd go with the bratwurst for the texture (brat is coarse like an Italian sausage while the knockwurst is fine/soft like a hot dog).
5. Fish Club: Fried Flounder on a Club Roll with Lettuce, Tomato and Tartar Sauce ($11)
<a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/Fm1mE5Hf2k-yuzmFz98ufw?select=k605NCC-jBoPqkl8FGgElg">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
CY said, "I thought it was good. Â Tasted fresh and the fish wasn't too oily or overly fried. Â Also, the fries were yummy."
We had a fairly tasty meal at Manor and the place is comfortable. Â My only gripe about the night was the vagueness of the specials. Â They had a specials board in the dining room, but who wants to get up to gawk at the board when diners are sitting right underneath it? Â A printed specials menu or chalkboard outside would go far....
Joined a friend here on that super hot summer day in 2011 when the high temperature broke 100F. Â Lots of roomy wooden booths for seating; this place is built for crowds. Â The space is a bit German beer hall-ish, casual, airy, on the darker side. Â The AC was definitely not cranked up high enough to compensate for the meltdown outside that day and it got uncomfortably warm when we got to the entrees. Â I didn't go to the bar area on the left. Â Our waitress was competent and very pleasant.
They boast of a lengthy beer list but I've probably had too much exposure to beer-centric bars so their selection seemed average. Â Just over 10 beers on tap and 40 bottled (list diluted by the inclusion of most of the tasteless American beers). Â The selection is international, primarily European. Â I picked the Belgian St. Louis Kriek, which had a powerfully sweet cherry aroma, poured a candy red color, and was a tad too sweet and simple for me but would make a great choice if you want something like that.
The menu features probably 40% German foods and 60% American bar foods, with a few specials listed on the wall blackboards. Â We started off with smoked black forest bacon; large, meaty slices on lettuce and tomato that were ok but forgettable. Â I had their bratwurst and knockwurst entree, as expected since I love German sausages. Â These were well-grilled and tasty, on a bed of brightly sour sauerkraut, and accompanied by a very good German potato salad. Â Prices are average for me, helped by the generous portions for all.
I'd say Manor Oktoberfest is worth a visit if this is the type of experience you're looking for. Â I'd return for the filling German comfort foods, had in a casual, easygoing setting with some beer.
Had a 2nd visit with Angie I. after she had a rough day at work. So rough in fact, when we passed her branch of Bank of America, she made a gun with her hand and shot it with her finger.
The waitress told us immediately the kitchen was closing and for me to place an order so they can whip it up in a hurry. Despite having dinner beforehand, the beast in me wasn't satisfied. I heard about their potato pancakes so that was a no-brainer and you're at a place with "Oktoberfest" as a name. Helloooo Bratwurst! Both were very tasty and definitely hit the spot.
To quench our thirst I ordered the Erdinger, which is a rare find. Angie I.'s grouchiness was almost immediately erased upon seeing Scrumpy Hard Cider. There's many other selections to choose from, gonna have to make another visit soon.
Came here once with Melvin W. who was hungry (for those of you that know this beast, no surprise there...) and the kitchen was about to close but our lovely waitress pushed his order in there anyway. He ordered a brat with potato pancakes---yum!
And the best part was they had Scrumpy Hard Cider (see my Ryan & Casey review regarding my love for it) and they have Franziskaner Weissbier on draft (see my Radegast review regarding my love for that as well)!!
I must go again to try the other beers...I see a blueberry beer that I need to taste....
A great evening, except that they lost our reservation.
They offer a wide and deep selection of beers, both German and micro brews. Â The appetizers are very good, but stay away from the sampler. Â You'll do much better picking two or three and sharing.
The entrees are faithful renditions of German classics, with the Jaegerschnitzel & Kassler Rippchen particular standouts.
All in all, a great callback to those great German restaurants of Glendale & Ridgewood that are no longer with us.
Oktoberfest is a spacious, clean restaurant that evokes a biergarten vibe with its German paraphernalia all around, but minus the sludge and hipsterness of the biergartens in, say, Williamsburg. Â There are no frat boys heaving giant steins while dancing on tables, no beermaids to play with your lederhosen, just warm hospitality and a casual neighborhood eatery with ample seating for large groups.
The food is good and hearty and beer is well priced, but we always forget that the entrees are on the higher end for the everyday meal ($16-mid20s?). Â However, their generously portioned sandwiches and wursts are priced just right. Â The German potato salad is also bacon-y addictive, but avoid the pickled red cabbage (you'll order it thinking it's the stuff you get in Polish/Ukranian restaurants, but will be disappointed that it's actually overly sweet and kind of soggy). Â Their fried food (fries, pierogies, potato pancakes) is also especially good because they aren't drenched in grease.
Every time I go, I like it more and more. Â Once of these days, I'll have to make it for their Wurst Wednesdays deals - wurst "at a ridiculously low price!"
Why, oh why do I so often find myself in bizarre bars that do not whatsoever feel like they're in New York? Â Sometimes it's charming, sometimes it's awful. Â This time, thankfully, it was the former. Â
Last Saturday we decided to do a little early beer drinking. Â Manor Oktoberfest was a bit of a hike from the subway but proved worth it. Â The beer selection was stand out. Â They had a dark wheat beer on tap that was excellent and a number of fantastic bottle selections. Â At one point, the bartender even gave me the last bottle of an IPA that wasn't even on the menu anymore and it turned out to be the highlight brew of the evening. Â An order of potato pancakes proved to be delicious as well. Â
Fast-forward to around 7 or 8pm and enter...
An oompah band? Â An accordion player? Â No. Â A lounge singer. Â He looked very much like Willem Defoe but had a very soft voice. Â I can't for the life of me remember his name (thanks to the beer) but he made fast friends and was taking requests from us. Â It was almost like a wedding singer type situation...Strange renditions of all sorts of different songs. Â Entertaining as heck but just made us feel like we were far, far from home. Â
The bill at the end of the evening was stellar. Â Buy-backs were plentiful and it made for an affordable and awesome night. Â I'll be back!
I was really happy to see a place like this open other than the city or astoria. The bar has a good beer selection with a good amount of choices on draft. The servers were pretty knowledgeable on the stuff they served and were ready to make suggestions when questions arose. I didn't get to try any food because I was stuffed from dinner, but they have a small menu with a lot of European flair. Although, I did see they had a hot dog special on certain weekdays. Meh.
I loved the feel and service. I would most definitely come back on my next venture to Forrest Hills.
10/365
Some friends and I came in looking for the $7.99 and we got it!
We came in around 12:30 and it was relatively quiet. Â The waitress quickly seated us in these ginormous wooden benches.
The lunch specials were quite extensive:
1. Â Oktoberfest Bratwurst or Chicken Bratwurst
served on a club roll with sauerkraut
2. The Ultimate Cheeseburger
served on a fresh-baked brioche roll with lettuce, tomato and onion
3. Schnitzel Club
breaded pork cutlet with horseradish sauce served on a club roll with lettuce and tomato
4. BBQ Pulled Pork
on fresh-baked brioche roll with red onions
5. Grilled Chicken
with lettuce, tomato, onion and mayo
6. Chicken Fingers
golden brown with bbq sauce
7. Quarter Roast Chicken
tender and juicy
8. Â Fish Club
fried flounder on a club roll with lettuce, tomato and tartar sauce
* above served with choice of french fries or potato salad
9. Â Schnitzel and French Fries
served in the traditional German style with lemon
10. House Salad
with your choice of schnitzel or crispy chicken
11. Grilled Chicken Caesar Salad
**lunch specials served Tuesday through Friday, 12 pm - 4 pm.
I ended up with item #1 Schnitzel Club -- Pork cutlet was moist, juicy, and flavorful. Â The horseradish gave it a nice kick.
My dining partners had #7 Quarter Roast Chicken, #8 Turkey Breast, and #10 House Salad with Crispy Chicken.
Everyone liked their meals and liked the warm potato salad too. Â
The service was pretty good as well and I found the waitress to be friendly.
I want to go back for Oktoberfest Bratwurst. Â My husband says he's willing to go next time. Â :)
Great beer selection. Can't argue that. Half-liters for $6, liters for $11, and two liter boots for $25. Prices don't make sense but if you want to pay an extra $3 just to drink out of the boot, g'head.
The food, on the other hand, was forgettable. My group ordered a variety of stuff and it wasn't good at all. The sausages were undercooked (they came out warm) and the sauerkraut and potato salad comes from a bucket (or tastes like it does). The sampler platter is pretty big in size but the onion rings are the best part. The wings are slimy, the fried pierogies have no flavor, and the potato pancakes are mini oil sponges. Ordered a pretzel and it came with a disgusting meat pate which tasted spoiled, and jalapeno nacho cheese. Nothing says authentic German cuisine like jalapeno nacho cheese. We had to ask for mustard.
Still, this place gets three stars for having a great selection of beer and the wait-staff was always on top of everything. Don't consider this place a viable dinner option but rather a neighborhood watering hole.
In an earlier review I was very complimentary about the beer selection and the promos. I was also very generous with my rating and stick to that rating insofar as the bar is concerned...but tonight I actually had dinner there and that, my friends, merits only one weak star at best.
Service is still quite good and I feel badly that in such a otherwise good establishment, the food can be so lame! Swedish Meatballs? The gravy tastes like its from some processed jar and the meatballs themselves taste EXACTLY (and I should know cause I've had them) like the frozen BJ's or Costco's meatballs you can buy wholesale. Shit! I've had better Swedish meatballs at home (homemade) and I'm Cuban!!
For an appetizer we went with the fried perogies and they tasted like...well, fried dough! At best, with the sour cream, they tasted like fried dough...with sour cream. Unless you just want to stuff yourself, what is the point?
The goulash (which I had earlier) was pretty meatless and the only good meals I can actually compliment are the burgers (but burgers are burgers just about anywhere) and the loin of pork with the potatoes...the potatoes were actually quite flavorful. Sorry, but for me, this place is good for drinking, beer and hanging out. Next time I want German, there's plenty of real German restaurants nearby.
Myself and some friends from work stopped in on a Wednesday after the Mets game got rained out which we had tickets for. Â The bar and restaurant are set up nice. Â Very modern looking. Â Flat screen tv's throughout. Â They even have a bakery display case with some delectable desserts in the back.
We sat at the bar and partook in their happy hour beer specials. Â Our bartender that night ranked in my top 5 bartenders of all time. Â She was awesome. Â The 4 of us shared the super sampler which consisted of pierogies, potato pancakes, mozzarella sticks, wings and onion rings. Â Everything was really good and more than enough to share for $20.
I was still a little hungry about an hour later so at the suggestion of the bartender I ordered their crab cakes. Â They were good considering it was a German place and were served with a tasty tartar sauce. Â I also tried some of my friends red cabbage and roasted potatoes. Â They were both ok.
It started out as Plan B for the night, but I rate it an A-.
Occupying the former PJ's Bar and Grill (nee PJ's Steakhouse, pre-Gordon Ramsay Kitchen Nightmare's makeover), Manor Oktoberfest brings a taste of Deutschland to Forest Hills. It's the second Manor Oktoberfest in the extended 'hood as the original can be found in Glendale in the shops at Atlas Park.
On a Saturday evening the place had a lot of local flavor, mainly families, and older men who look like they'd be old-timers if this spot had been around for awhile. If one is traveling by mass transit, the nearest subway on  71st Continental is a bit of a walk so I suspect the Manor is positioning itself as a neighborhood haunt.
The interior is quite clean, with a bar area to the left and dining room to the right. The dining room has several large wooden booths along with tables for two or more. A few steins decorate the walls along with German beer signs. Two large flat screen TV's are mounted on opposite ends of the dining room.
Service was initially disinterested but improved as the night went on. We were seated, handed menus and then waited. Waited for a waiter to take our order or just make the rounds and check if we're still living. Â It wasn't an outrageous wait but when hungry and thirsty frustrations mount.
Our appetizers, once ordered, arrived in a reasonable amount of time. The potato pancakes, four in total, were fried and oblong with a small plastic container of apple sauce. I've had much greasier fried potato pancakes so these succeeded. Next up were 8 fried potato pierogi. Manor seems to subscribe to the Henry Ford school of pierogi- you can get any flavor you want as long as it's fried and potato.
Once again, the pierogi didn't emit the battle scars of greasy frying and were relatively light. A plastic container of sour cream was available for dipping. My fiancee commented that the pierogi filling reminded her of aloo chokha. As I was raised on pierogi...they reminded me of pierogi. But the comparison of filling is on.
The main attraction was a platter of two bratwurst. This platter comes with potato salad and sauerkraut by default. I added a side of spaetzle for $3.79. I was excited to see the platter arrive but then was disappointed that my spaetzle did not join the party. I would have preferred waiting for the entree so the spaetzle could join in at the same time. Again, not a major problem but something to note.
The brats took me back to Ottawa where this past summer I highly enjoyed a lunch at a cart that served brats, kielbasa and homemade condiments manned by two Polish men. (Why can't NYC dirty water dog vendors serve up brats like those Poles?) Anyway, the brats were delicious, not at all bland and grilled to perfection. The menu includes a bratwurst sandwich that needs sampling.
The spaetzle was also tasty but reminded me of the macaroni found in Kraft macaroni and cheese. As noticed by a previous reviewer, they were tubular and uniform. Still by all means edible of course.
The potato salad had a strong vinegar flavor that was slightly off putting.
Dessert selections ran the gamut from red velvet cake to black forest cake, with creme brulee, a chocolate pyramid and cheesecake in between. The black forest cake was sliver sized and after the hearty meal was about all I could handle. The chocolate pyramid was the size of a step pyramid as opposed to the Great Pyramid of Giza.
All in all I'm quite happy to have Manor Oktoberfest in the 'hood , within walking distance, to boot! (Oh yes, boots of German beer are available)
A few minor service flaws were easily overcome by the quality of the food and comfortable interior.
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