The Downtown dining boom has officially arrived. With the recent opening of the Container Park and the Downtown Grand casino hotel, more new and exciting restaurants have landed in the already buzzing neighborhood. Later this month, one of the most unique venues is set to debut at the Plaza.
A rendering of Bier Garten's outdoor garden space.
Bier Garten, an indoor/outdoor eatery offering German-inspired fare to complement beer from 40 different taps and at least 50 different bottles, is in the final stages of construction. Created by the same team that opened Pop Up Pizza last year at the Plaza, Bier Garten extends from the casino’s recently renovated food court inside the resort, while its garden area runs along Main Street with a view of the Fremont Street Experience.
Partner Sam Cherry says Bier Garten will be all about that outdoor space: “We want it to feel like your backyard.” If only Las Vegans had backyards as lush as this space will be, with long tables and benches on soft grass beneath an interlocking wood trellis design. Misters and heaters will control temperatures in hot and cold seasons, and a fully landscaped “living wall” will also keep things cool. “There’s not that much grass when it comes to Downtown Las Vegas,” Cherry says. “This will be something unique.”
Workers install plants on Bier Garten's outdoor "living wall."
The beer selection will be a combination of international, regional and local brews, served from 11 a.m. to 2 a.m. and possibly extending to 24 hours on the weekends. The food will be supervised by chef Jeffrey Martell, who also runs the kitchens at Pop Up Pizza and Oscar’s, and has worked at Vegas casinos including the Resort at Summerlin, the Orleans and the Excalibur. The Bier Garten menu will be minimal, authentic brats and sausages, gigantic Bavarian pretzels, hand-cut fries ... stuff that goes great with beer. That includes vegan and vegetarian options, and Cherry says Martell is talking to acclaimed local purveyor Bon Breads about creating a signature roll that will be the perfect foil for Bier Garten’s artisan sausages.
Cherry, a known Downtown developer, never planned to work on a second restaurant at the Plaza. “After seeing Pop Up Pizza, which has been really well-received, our relationship just flourished and we’re all really excited for this,” he says. “It’s really going to liven up the place for so many people driving by or walking by. And [Slotzilla, the attraction under construction across the street] is going to be an amenity for us, because those people are going to hear the music and smell the food and want to come over here.”
Bier Garten will seat 160 or more on its patio space. While it’s expected to open before the end of the year, the backyard space may not be open for an additional 30 days, and a grand opening event is being planned for March.
