Bavarian Bier Cafe

Hold the yodel and ignore the Heidi stylings of the young, enthusiastic, easily distracted staff. That's not cow bells, that's schnapps a'clanging. Six of them, served abreast a wooden plank and frequently, it transpires, over an evening's course. This is Brisbane waterfront dining, Bavarian beer-hall style. Start with thick glass steins of Lowenbrau Original soaked up with flammenbrot. More substantial is the Munich platter of brawny kassler (salted, smoked pork) fairly mild sauerkraut, pork belly and sausages - frankfurter, thuringer, bratwurst, nunberger and cheese kransky. Continuation demands fortification against the roast-toasty likes of Hofbrau Dunkel (dark). Succour is easily found in a selection from the mains or schnitzel menu. Weiner walks out, thoroughly pummelled, and an innocuous order of pork knuckle appears, huge and daunting, snuffling a heavy sebago mash. It's all a bit much. Like the vanilla anglaise on the apple strudel. Forget the subtlety, enjoy the hearty satisfaction. And order another round.