Bierkeller Brewing Company

Tucked along the scenic banks of the Congaree River in Columbia, SC, Bierkeller Brewing Company is an absolute gem if you’re looking for a quiet, relaxing brewery experience with great beer, food, and service. The brewery sits right by the Three Rivers Greenway, offering stunning riverside views and a huge, well-designed outdoor biergarten that feels peaceful and open, even on busy days. It’s dog-friendly, family-friendly, and has plenty of shade and seating—perfect for everything from a solo afternoon beer to a group gathering. The beer is excellent—crisp, clean German-style lagers brewed with serious attention to tradition. Every pour tastes fresh and balanced, and the variety is enough to keep both casual drinkers and beer lovers happy. The food pairs beautifully with the beer: soft pretzels, bratwurst, schnitzel sandwiches, and rotating specials that keep the menu interesting without being overwhelming. Service is friendly, fast, and laid-back. The bartenders and servers are knowledgeable and happy to talk through the beer selection or offer samples. Best of all, the vibe here is calm. Even with live music or trivia nights, the volume stays manageable, and you never feel rushed or crowded. Bierkeller has become a go-to spot for relaxing by the river with a great pint in hand. Highly recommend!

My wife and I came here a few weeks ago; the food and staff were amazing! We liked that we had the option to have chicken schnitzel instead of pork. The view was great as well, can’t wait to come back!!

A very come-as-you-are, good vibes kind of place. Of course the beers are great. That’s what we come for, then stay for everything else: - The authentic-tasting German-inspired food. Whenever a new special is posted, the kitchen always nails it. - The friendly, familiar staff running things efficiently. - The new beer releases, food specials, live jazz, live bands, festivals. The place is always evolving. Their Tuesday all-day happy hour/token night is a great deal and very chill. Thursday trivia night is a fun vibe too. Great place to watch the sunset, bring out-of-towners, cool off in the summer since it’s by the canal and shady. Outdoor fire pits and indoor bier hall make it cozy in the winter. It’s great seeing all kinds - families, friends, kids, dogs, students, couples, networking groups, biking/walking/running groups, religious groups, people I haven’t seen in weeks or years - all hanging around having a good time. The origin story of this place is pretty cool too. Hubs and I jumped in at their first Oktoberfest pop-up in 2016 and have been following ever since. Been coming about once or twice a week since they opened this location. Columbia needed this. So glad it’s here.

Beautiful riverside views and polite service. However, the food did have solid room for improvement. The spätzle wasn’t cooked properly / well and the schnitzel was not a very thin slice( almost chicken nugget thickness). The pretzel was drenched in salt. The bratwurst was pretty good! I would come here for a beer and the view, not for the food.

These folks have really got it together! Great beer, good food in a very nice setting. Today's band was fantastic too. Everyone was quite courteous, all the doggies were well-behaved. We had a wonderful time! 4/19/24 update: another fun band, two new beers, and great food. The Jaegerschnitzel with spaetzle was nicely prepared and delicious, quite authentic. The menu is good and getting bigger. Update 3/15/2025: Still great beer, the menu is supplemented by daily specials.

What a great addition to Columbia. I followed the progress as this place was coming together and am glad I finally got to try it today. Atmosphere — 5 stars. Definitely a gathering place. It’s loud if you eat inside though, FYI. Food — 4 stars. The schnitzel special was overcooked and dry. The bratwurst, Brussels sprouts and spaetzle were perfect. Beer — 5 stars. Staff — 5 stars for friendliness. But service is slow. Not a problem if you’re enjoying the gathering space atmosphere. Just something to know about service. I really am glad this place is here!

This is a cafeteria style establishment. It’s tucked into canal side community in downtown Columbia. The restaurant sits along the reservoir and so it’s got beautiful scenery and they have nice outdoor seating. They are pretty generous with the beer and have a decent selection on tap. The food leaves a whole lot to be desired. We ordered the pretzel with cheese dip and it comes with a mustard dip. The pretzel came out cold, which we broke into it, and I decided to go back and asked him if they could warm it up for me. They said because I had already broke into it they could not. I ordered kasespazle and my boyfriend order spazle. Mine was very bland, even after four or five packets of salt and pepper. I still couldn’t spice it up. I finally just gave up and decided it wasn’t worth the calories. Not sure about any of the other entrées. My bf said his spazle wasn’t very good either. It’s a really nice location and a nice little restaurant. I think if they could do better with the food, it would be a big improvement but it looks like they have no slowdown of people that come here so maybe it’s just my opinion or maybe we caught them on a bad day. I’m not sure. I just know I’ve gone to a lot of restaurants and we did actually just leave Helen Georgia a few weeks ago and had some really great German food so I guess our tastebuds are biased.

The currywust was delicious!! It tasted like I was back in Germany! The pretzel and warm beer cheese was also fantastic. The schnitzel was quit over cooked. I know Bavarian style schnitzel is supposed to be crunchy but it was SO crunchy we could barely cut it. That being said, the Jager sauce and spaetzle was ok

What an amazing find. The owner had lived in Germany and myself having spent a summer there a couple years back, I find myself searching for quality German food. I found it here. Alles in ordnung here when it comes to the food and beer. It's nice to see a speciality brewer stick to the styles you'd find back in Germany and having tried each of them, they're all very correct - and delicious! Good schnitzel. Good spatzle. Good beer. Good potato salad. Good currywurst.

The beer was good. Stop there. I ordered the pulled pork special. I was visiting South Carolina. A state known for barbecue. I had expectations. They were not met. The pork was so salty I couldn't eat it. No smoke. No bbq sauce. Just sad. If the weather is nice maybe just sit in the outdoor area with the locals and drink beer. Or order sausage?!?

They have good German beers the food is fantastic. I love the outside area and we can even take our puppy. My wife walks down the river walk. I grew up only 1.5 miles from here. It used to be a huge prison. I'm glad it turned into something positive.

If I could do no stars I would. I stopped here for dinner and a beer last week and the server that brought to a nearby table was seen by myself and others in my party with his hands down his pants scratching his ass before grabbing our plates . We promptly left.

Will not be returning. Food was overpriced and mediocre at best. Schnitzel straight from the freezer to the plate by way of a raging fire apparently. Burned!! Service worse.

The beer is great although there isn't a huge selection, the food is meh, and the space is incredible! Which evens out to a 4 star review for me. I love the proximity of this place to the riverwalk, easy parking, and large venue. When the weather is nice, you'll find people of all ages and all kinds of different furry friends hanging outside of Bierkeller. They had an awesome Octoberfest set up, too! I don't feel like I can really comment on service, as I had minimal interaction with staff (you walk up to order then find a seat wherever is open without a host dictating where you go).

I'm very happy I found this place and there is free parking in a small parking garage just down the block. If you park on the street don't park where the curb is red you will get a ticket! The beer is great especially the winter flavor right now! The food is limited. I tried the sausage kale dish which was good but very very salty to me. They chalked it down the generous amount of bacon in the dish. Also, on the weekends the have a small outdoor market with various vendors selling crafts and non-alcoholic drinks like coffee and hot cocoa. The venue is dog friendly and there is plenty of outdoor seating.

Bratwurst event had been cancelled but decided to come here any way for lunch. We both had the curry wurst with the wheat bear. Quite yummy food and beer. Would we go again - oh yes, its a great place to visit.

We came in town for the Bierkeller Christmas Market and enjoyed lunch outside. They were not serving their full menu but all the menu items being served were absolutely delicious. My daughter and husband both enjoyed the hot cocoa while I enjoyed the mulled wine. They were using window service today and it was pretty quick considering how long the line was. The weather was perfect for outdoor dining, just chilly enough to enjoy the warm beverages.

Best beer I've had in a long time. Brewed on site by the owner. The staff were super nice! The outside seating allowed me to bring my dog too! Took a walk down the canal after.

Went here for the first time yesterday for lunch. Really a nice place to sit outside on a good fall day. Was looking forward to having a Weiss beer and schnitzel but unfortunately they didn't have any Weiss beer...only two choices for beer. We ordered a Jaegerschnitzel to split. Came with Spatzle and gravy. At first I thought the spatzle was mashed potatoes...it was pretty much all melded together. We'd never had any like this. My wife didn't care of it at all and I thought it really needed salt. She thought the Jaegerscnitzel was dry (but she didn't eat any of the gravy with it). It did look like it was cooked a bit long as the crust was darker than normal. We both were expecting a hot pretzel...not cold. The beer cheese was good but I've had much better at two Irish pubs in town (which had hot pretzels). The mustard went well with the pretzel. Overall we weren't impressed with the food. I will go back and try a bratwurst and hopefully a Weiss beer to give them another try. In the meantime I can't give a great review based on what we hae.

Nice spot, and very ideal for this area. I went with my run crew after our night run in the area. Bierkeller is bigger than I thought it would be, and very bright inside. That's a good thing. They had a bunch of college basketball games on, and the mood I side was light...people were in their own little pockets, which is nice too. I wouldn't say it's intimate here, but depending on when you go it could be. There wasn't much of anything on the menu for me as a vegetarian, but I was really there to sample the beer anyway. I only had one, the house Kolsch, which was light without being 'lite'. My friend who also had one described it as a light-ish Heinikein, which is always good. My crew mostly ate, and I must say the food looked very good. While mostly fried stuff, it didn't look heavy or greasy, so I assume the cook is good. I didn't realize they had deserts, made in-house no less, and the tart that one of the fellas had looked very tasty. I kinda regretted not ordering that, but then that gives me incentive to return, which I will.

Who does not love German beer? I love some traditional brewed German beers. this place is surely the place to get your fixed for that. I wish that the pretzels had additional options for mustard to dip into versus a possible beer cheese. However, I cannot significantly complain about anything at all. The staff was absolutely friendly and made me feel so welcome!

Food was amazing and big enough to share! Perfect environment for relaxing or for a get together with friends (and kids).

Another fabulous addition to Columbia's restaurant and beer scene. We been here twice recently mainly for the beer but stayed for the German cuisine. The menu has been evolving and getting dialed in for the different times of the day or rather the brunch service. The venue is beautiful with plenty of space.

Let me start by saying, the staff at the restaurant were all very nice but that is where it ends. I ordered the Weisswuurst breakfast special. I was thinking that it may be too much to eat but curious about it. I also ordered a soda, warm, no ice because the ice machine was broken. Finally, the food came after a long wait. I went to ask if it was going to come out soon. Finally, the food came and I was shocked. Two sausages and a very stale, slightly warm, not hot, no salt, pretzel. That was it. For $16 I certainly expected a little more. My husband also ordered a pretzel, same, just awful. I did complain and was given a refund for the pretzels. That was good but I guess if you are a beer drinker, this might be an ok place but certainly not if you are hungry and want some good food.

Any kitchen can have an off night. The Jagerschnitzel was so incredibly dry and appeared to have been fried a little too long to the point of being hard and chewy, more like jerky. The mushroom gravy was passable but only had about three mushrooms that looked like they were from a can. The spatzle were more like tiny pieces of noodles, each piece about the size of a small pea. My first meal here during a Christmas market was perfect, close to the level of authentic German food I experienced when I was stationed with the Army in Berlin and Wurzburg. The best part of the meal was the smoky wheat beer, perfectly brewed. I'll go back and try a brat meal sometime, but this meal was a bit of a letdown. The service and ambiance were good. This would be a great place to watch the Euro Cup.

Nice location and friendly staff/service. The food was a little disappointing. We started with pretzels, which were served cold (would have been much better warmed) and then tried the schnitzel with spaetzle. The schnitzel was heavily breaded and overcooked. The spaetzle was bland. The beer was okay.

My 1st generation German-American friend couldn't believe this existed in Columbia! Excellent ratings on authenticity! We love the beer and you can't beat the food prices! He bought a T-shirt and stein to spread the word. You should too.

I went during the soft opening week, so I did take that into account for the review. Pros: selection of bratwurst, cool venue, great view Cons: (soft opening) limited selection of food - more for snacking or a light meal, limited indoor seating, loud inside, confusing check-out area I ordered Bretz'n (pretzel) with bier cheese, kasekrainer (sausage stuffed with Wisconsin cheese), Currywurst plate (curried sausage on fries covered with curried ketchup), and Weissbier (Bavarian hazy wheat beer). The Weissbier was a bit light for my taste, so we're interested in trying some of the other selections next time! The Currywurst plate was the most interesting - the curried ketchup didn't sound appealing to me at first, but I actually enjoyed the light amount of curry and sweetness to it. My favorite is the käsekrainer though - can't go wrong with cheese-stuffed sausage! The pretzel was a bit stiffer than it looked, and its taste mixed with the bier cheese was a bit salty at first but complimented the currywurst plate well. Because it was their soft opening week, we didn't expect it to be perfect, but the place was popping. The check-out carts were a little confusing because they kind of blended into the background, but the buusers did a great job cleaning up quickly as tables opened. TL;DR - would recommend for the experience.

We visited Bierkeller on a Saturday around 12:30. Walking along the outdoor area we found people sitting outside eating and having beer. When you approach the restaurant, you first arrive at the bar for outdoor service with cold brews on tap and a limited menu. They brew the beer themselves! There is also an area out front with water. That's a much needed addition for the heat in August! We opted to go indoors where the air was cool. As you enter, to the left is a cafe style line where you can order beer and then proceed further down to order food. I chose the weisswurst and a pretzel. My husband had the schnitzel sandwich that is served with fries. We enjoy hefeweizen, so we chose that. It's a lighter hefeweizen than what we have in Germany, but the flavor was great! The sound is a little loud in the dining area, but we were told they are already looking into a way to help that. Plenty of seating was available and the staff was friendly and helpful. The weisswurst was DELICIOUS! I loved having weisswurst when we visited Germany, so I was glad to see it was available. My husband said the schnitzel was ok, but it was too dry to be served on a pretzel roll without some type of sauce. He prefers his schnitzel with a sauce or gravy. The interior is decorated nicely and we loved that there is plenty of spots to grab a beer and view the Columbia Canal. All around, there is great potential here as they iron out the usual hiccups of opening a new restaurant. It's worth giving them a try! We look forward to returning when the heat breaks! Prost!

Went here for trivia. Food id say is not my favorite and would not come here for food. It has a feel of a cafeteria almost with how big and echoey it is. The beers however are great which is why I'm rating it so high since it is a brewery. Service was fine.

They've gotten better since they opened FYI!! The beer is delicious and seasonal. I recommend taking home one of their reusable bottles

I really wanted to like this place. Went for dinner with the family, ordered their flagship beer which I was informed was about to kick the keg, went to order food and realized they were out of the majority of items the family wanted. Drank the beer (while the family drank the smallest glasses of water) and went to enjoy Mexican elsewhere. Bad first impression and doubt we'll be back

Awesome beers and selection. Good food. If the weather is good it is great to sit outside. You order and they will bring it to you. Dog friendly outside.

Absolutely love the location first off! Beautiful views, nice outdoor seating by the river. The inside of the beer hall is so unique and you really feel like you have transported to Germany. We tried the kellerbier and the weissbier and both were tasty. The food....ehhhh I wouldn't eat here again. Als

Great Kölsch beer! The schnitzel sandwich is as big as your head. I'm still trying to get there when they are serving Schweinehaxe.

I went during their soft opening and beer varieties were understandably limited. The 2 types on tap were solid as ever and I am looking forward to future brews. The Bierkeller has an astonishing food menu with many Southern German specialities that were praised all around me. (I did not eat during that visit.) The place is in a modern building but feels homey and has plenty of outdoor seating, as well. There was a lot of staff - also a lot of customers - and every single one was cheerful and friendly. I definitely recommend going! Bring your kids, your dogs and park in the nearby garage that has plenty of spaces reserved for the brewery.

You advertising it as a brunch spot and don't even have anything to eat, not even hot coffee! Just few beers and pretzels! False advertising and not good!

Mediocre beer. Food not very good. Spaetzle was terrible. Bratwurst was okay. Service is terrible. Chaos to find which line to enter. Out of potato salad at 3:00 on the afternoon and other items dwindling. The market was not worth the time. Very few vendors and nothing of decent quality or value.

They have Great beer. The food is fantastic also. There new brick and mortar is on the canal and lots of outdoor seating that is pet friendly. Parking is available in the parking garage and on the street. We love it!!

My family, including a 2 and 6 year old spent the evening here last night. We all loved the unique beautiful setting overlooking the river, drinks and the German food. We were greeted by the manager, Britany, who explained their system which is self serve. We ordered the schnitzel with fries and spatzel, which was very good,. The kids had room to run and play while we sat and enjoyed our beer and wine. I highly recommend a visit to experience this new addition to Columbia's downtown Canal Side area. There is designated BierKeller parking in the parking garage.

We had the rotisserie chicken, chicken tenders and a schnitzel sandwich whichwas all just mid in my opinion My main complaint is that almost all the tables are reserved so you basically can't sit anywhere, we had to stand to eat our food and there were not that many people there. I don't understand a bewery that isn't first come first served. They only had one beer ready to serve, which is insane if your touting yourself to be a brewery but it was good. When we walked in the atmosphere gave me cafeteria vibes so I was not impressed at all. This will be the one one and only time we patron this establishment. With all that being said I hope they do well but also take some of these observations into consideration.

We came here once for the German Market at Christmas time, then for New Year's Eve. Both times, the food was outstanding. We tried beers that the restaurant brews, and YUM! I had a wonderful time for New Year's, so much food for the price.... my only complaint is that the seats and tables could be a little bigger. They seemed small compared to other restaurants.

I know they just opened, but the beer was great as well as the food. Plenty of room inside and out. Really great venue and I'm looking forward to picking up beer there to take home. Prost!

I've never been to Germany, but I like to think I have now that I've enjoyed Bierkeller's authentic beer garden. Outside ambiance is relaxing, everyone is there for a good time. It's right on the canal and the sunsets are to be savored like the freshly brewed beer. Inside is a little loud, but I hear they're going to install some kind of acoustic panels or something to deaden the echo. Beer is their specialty, but the food items I've had so far are delicious. Service was surprisingly fast given that they're in a soft opening. All staff have been very friendly, even while sorting things out during the opening. Prices are surprisingly low! Check it out - it's a great addition to Columbia dining and a unique experience.

Bierkeller is the best! It's been a long-awaited addition to Columbia. The beer is great... they're only serving two right now as they're just ramping up business, but I've tried the other ones they've had at the river over the past few years and they're going to be worth the wait! I've been several times and haven't tried anything to eat that I haven't liked. The venue is awesome and it's evident they have gone to great lengths to provide as authentic of a German experience as is possible in South Carolina!

First of all there is no view of the canal from the restaurant even if you are sitting outside. This is a cafeteria style restaurant. The bratwurst was mediocre at best and cold. At 3 pm, they had no more German potato salad. The service was terrible. Let me give you an example: there were two long lines outside and entering into this restaurant (one was longer than the other, so naturally we chose the shorter one). After waiting after a half hour we found out that we were in the "drink only line". There was also a "food only line". When we ordered our drinks, we were told we would have to wait in another line for the food! That same waiting line was also the line for "food only!" There was only one person taking orders!! What miscommunication and confusion that this was. People were complaining (many leaving). So the manager came out hearing people complain and handed the "food only line" some coins for free drinks. You would think at that point the manager would have posted signs outside to make people aware. The menu is very limited and the spaetzel was terrible. If you like hot dogs and sauerkraut that don't taste better than Sonic and you don't know much about what German food should taste like, then this is the place for you!