Forest Hills Beer Garden - In-depth Review

Edge of the City contributor Mark, owner of the blog mealswithmark.com  recently wrote this review of Cobblestones Pub's new Beer Garden (formerly called the Forest Hills Biergarten), which became quite the popular local hangout this summer:

Cobblestones Pub is located at 117-18 Queens Blvd.  It’s in Forest Hills but closer to Kew Gardens. When you walk through a metal door inside the pub, you are transported into a whole new world. While I found the inside of the pub a bit drab and dreary-looking, the outdoor space is a different story entirely - beautifully decorated down to every detail. The grounds were covered in AstroTurf and feature picnic benches with white umbrellas.  The walls surrounding the beer garden are decorated with cool and quirky art all around and feature a waterfall on one wall which was coming from faux beer taps.

What also made this outdoor space super cute and unique too is it had games throughout the space, so if you are enjoying a beer or a cocktail with your friends, you can have fun too. They had a bean bag toss and in one corner a huge Jenga game (which is a fun game to play when you are drinking). If you are not a gamer, they have something for everyone.  On the tables they also featured connect four games and backgammon. On the walls with the great artwork are also big screen TVs (one was playing the Yankees game and the other, the Mets, while top music hits was playing in the background.)

We were told we could sit anywhere. We found a picnic table and our server brought us over some menus. This is a beer garden, so I recommend trying a beer they have on top. They feature an interesting selection of beers. Unfortunately, we didn’t try any, but I have an eye on a few I would like to try next time we visit. I am leaning towards either Schofferhofer Grapefruit (yes Grapefruit beer) or the Spaten Oktoberfest.

The beer comes in two sizes -- a ½ liter for $8 and a liter for $15 -- and is served in a beer stein.  We decided since they have a great $5 margarita special we went with that instead of the beer.  I had two, the first was a frozen original margarita which in my opinion was lacking flavor and was mostly ice and little alcohol.  Hey what do you expect for $5, right?  For the second one I got an original margaritas on the rocks. They redeemed themselves a bit on this one - you could actually taste the tequila and the lime. It still wasn’t great, but it was decent for the price and the atmosphere. 

We also got the chips and guacamole to start with while we continued to gander at  the menu and converse and catch up with our friend.  The chips and guacamole was a tad disappointing.  The chips were slightly stale in taste, but the guacamole was pretty good.  It was traditional guacamole, so you can’t go wrong.

The menu consisted of a mix of German and American fare and the prices were decent for what they were offering.  I went with the Philly cheese steak which was smothered in cheddar cheese and sauteed onions served on a pretzel bun.  It came with a side of fries.  The fries were quite good.  They were beer battered and fried to perfection.  The Philly cheesesteak (which was a recommendation from our server) did not disappoint.  It was packed with flavor and was delicious.  It paired well with the grilled pretzel bun.  Great food choice for the atmosphere and the drinks. 

My partner ordered the Buffalo Chicken wrap. Crispy fried chicken , lettuce, tomato, buffalo sauce, and blue cheese.  He chose German Potato Salad with his (you have the option of that or french fries).  We always split our food when we go out so we can try more things.  The wrap was delicious.  The chicken was fried on point and it had all the right amounts of filling. It was also wrapped perfectly and didn’t fall apart.  The German Potato Salad was okay, it did lack a little flavor, but if you add some salt and ketchup it’s decent enough.

Both dishes we ordered I would order again, they were both that good. I would, however, skip the German Potato Salad and the chips and guacamole.  Not worth the waste of carbs. For a side definitely go with the fries. Next time I will be trying one of their unique beers and for appetizer I will be leaning towards either their mac and cheese bites, fried pickles, or their Steak Tidbits. There are so many good and unique choices. 

I definitely highly recommend Cobblestones Pubs’ hidden gem, their Beer Garden.  The atmosphere was amazing, and it is a great time to enjoy with friends and family outdoors.  Great music, great selection of drinks (skip the frozen margaritas, go with a beer or two), and great food (definitely come with an appetite).

Check out Meals with Mark - Meals prepared with love for some great recipes and other food experiences.