Berlin Has Come To Central Florida
City, State, Country
Cuisine Style: German, Bavarian
Average Price: $
Overall Rating: 1/5
Article updated: February 2020
By Sean Overpeck (CFE)
**A full article and index glossary of restaurants, wines, recipes and travel for
Wine Dine and Play are in the pages section above, or by following these links:
Restaurant Name Zomato rating:
A Taste of Berlin Owners:
Holger and Maggie Engel
German cuisine has revolutionized as more than a small and casual style dining scene. Though still centered on traditional dishes, it synthesizes trends like molecular gastronomy and modern Danish cooking while drawing on French, Spanish and East Asian influences. Some of the front runners bringing this revolution to the forefront are Chef’sTim Raue, Heiko Antoniewicz, Michael Kempf, and Harald Wohlfahrt. When you move further away from Germany, Central Europe, and move over to the United States you have Austrians like Wolfgang Puck, but most German restaurants outside of chains like Hofbräuhaus are family-owned. Tucked away in a quiet neighborhood setting is a small Restaurant attached to a strip of shops that brings Authentic German food to the people of Brandon Florida, a suburb of Tampa, Florida called A Taste of Berlin owned by Holger and Maggie Engel.
Menu:
- Starters
- Salads
- Soups
- Sandwiches
- Entrees
- Desserts
Founded in 2011 you will walk into the restaurant and feel like you are in Bavaria, where Chef Engel prepares traditional dishes in a modern atmosphere with all wood tables and chairs, American and German Flags on each table and along the walls are pictures of German cities, and street names such as Alexander Platz, Potsdamer Platz, and Friedrichstrasse. Remember that you are in Florida, not Bavaria, so there are no beautiful mountains, just humidity. I went with my father and stepmother upon their recommendations as one of their chosen local spots to go to. The staff is mainly German Americans and very friendly plus patriotic to both of there homelands.
I started with German Beer, and the Potato soup with vegetables and German Sausage, a nice starting point of what was yet to come. The other soup listing on their menu was a ‘Gulasehsuppe’ Goulash Soup of savory beef with bell pepper, potato, onions, and spices. The potato soup looked a little oily on the top, with small cubes of floating potato and sausages. Beers on their list include a Warsteiner Pils or Dark Radeberger Pils, Bitburger Pils, 1 Liter Schoefferhofer (hefeweizen), Schoefferhofer (Grapefruit), Paulaner (hefeweizen) and a Mass Beer (hefeweizen).
 |
| A Taste Of Berlin / Potato Soup |
My father and stepmother shared had the classic Jäger Schnitzel dish of two perfectly fried pork tenderloins served with Bavarian noodles and a creamy mushroom brown sauce and salad. The pork was a wonderful golden brown color, very tender and mouthwatering all at the same time.
 |
| A Taste Of Berlin / Jager Schnitzel |
I had the daily special, a Trio Platter consisting of Berliner Kohlroulade which was meat stuffed inside cabbage with bacon gravy, Bratwurst Sausage with homemade sauerkraut, and the Schweinebraten which was a Bavarian pork roast with bread dumplings and red cabbage plus mashed potatoes. The items were tasty and well seasoned though the dumplings lacked flavor in my opinion. The variety of flavors was limited, then again it is traditional German food, but the one good thing is that the level of spice was moderate and more importantly consistent from the first course to the last.
As time went by after we dined at A Taste Of Berlin my family stopped going because according to what he said, the prices went up and the food quality went way down. From there they decided to switch over to a different restaurant further of a drive away from their Brandon home to a German restaurant in Ruskin further to the south.
Dessert:
For dessert, I had some German coffee and the Berliner Apfelstrudel with whipped cream and Vanilla Ice Cream.
 |
| A Taste Of Berlin / Apfelstrudel |
Plus check out some of these wonderful selections from Wine Dine and Play:
Please see these guidelines for Tipping in Restaurants and on following proper etiquette, customs, cultures, and avoiding assumptions when you dine out.
Wine regulatory’s for the tastings in this article:
“In wine there is wisdom, in beer there is the strength, in the water there are bacteria.” - David Auerbach
United States:
California:
European Union:
Germany:
DTW: Deutscher Tafelwein
Other Noteworthy German cuisine Articles and Restaurants similar to A Taste of Berlin:
The cuisine of Germany has evolved as a national cuisine with some regions like Bavaria and neighboring Swabia, sharing dishes with Austrian and Swiss cuisine. German restaurants have become the world's second-most decorated after France.
Hausmann’s A Mixed German Bistro And Brasserie At Frankfort Airport, Frankfurt, Germany
Hofbräuhaus This classic chain German beer-hall makes its way to St. Petersburg, Florida
Josty Bistro Eatery serving German regional cuisine at the Potsdamer Platz Sony Center in Berlin, Germany
Old Castle Restaurant German specialties at a world-style tavern in Ruskin, Florida
Old Castle The second review was even better than the first visit to this German tavern in Ruskin, Florida
Restaurant Mark Brandenburg Sustainable and regional German cuisine at the Hilton in Berlin, Germany
See the whole list by visiting “The Wine Dine and Play Article Glossary”
Other Brandon restaurants, and articles on Wine Dine and Play:
|
Casual curries of North & South with Buffet
Brandon, Florida USA
|
Stylish chophouse chain with surf ’n’ turf
Brandon, Florida USA
|
Casual Floribbean and American pub chain
Brandon, Florida USA
|
A Few Florida Favorites:
|
Exploring the restaurant scene on this 7-mile long Gulf barrier island
Anna Maria Island Florida, USA
|
Organic & hormone-free steakhouse
Clearwater / Beach, Florida USA
|
An Asian-Fusion Gastro Pub
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
Final notes, review basics, observations, and more pictures:
Most reviews are subjective, depending on the writer; but they should also be responsible, and respectfully written, upholding the truth, and accurately conveying the experience to the best of the writer's knowledge, even if it includes metaphors the restaurant may not like to read about. My ratings are by the stars I award (from 0 to 5). The rating is calculated on a point accumulation of six separate factors based on individual experience. They include wine and other beverage selections, plate presentation, customer service, restaurant or café ambiance, food quality, and wow factor.
To see more details of this rating list, read this article:
Scores are detailed in the factor chart below:
Formula Factor Conclusions and Overall Ratings for A Taste OF Berlin
|
Max Points Possible:
|
Total Points Awarded:
|
Total Points deducted:
|
Ambiance
|
11
|
10
|
1
|
Food quality
|
10
|
8
|
2
|
Plate presentation
|
12
|
10
|
2
|
Customer service
|
14
|
7
|
7
|
Alcohol and other beverages
|
8
|
2
|
6
|
Total regular points awarded
|
55
|
37
|
18
|
Total percentage — less the Bonus
|
0.672727272727273
| ||
“Wow” factor BONUS
|
5
|
0
|
0
|
Total bonus percentage
|
0
| ||
Total percentage and bonus for a final star rating
|
0.672727272727273
| ||
Stars Awarded (see chart below)
|
0 - 5
|
1
|
**A full break down and explanation of the observations and point disbursement is available in the linked article above. To receive a detailed copy of your score, feel free to contact me at any time and I will provide it to you.**
***
Overall Star Rating:
|
1 of 5 Stars:
67% Rating with a 0 point “wow” bonus
An Average Dining Experience
|
A Taste of Berlin Wine rating:
|
4 of 10
Old World selections:
Austria, Germany
New World selections:
California
|
Corkage fees:
|
This Restaurant does not list any corkage fee’s however, most American restaurants charge
$25.00 per bottle
|
Restaurant-style:
|
Casual dining
|
Cuisine Style at A Taste of Berlin:
|
Bavarian, German
Allergen or dietary accommodations:
Low Carb Choices, Vegetarian Options
|
Reservations:
|
Not Required
Walk-Ins:
Accepted, but not guaranteed
|
Dress code:
|
Casual attire
It’s Florida, everybody wears flip-flops!
|
Child policy:
|
The Restaurants reviewed on this site may have a kids menu or cater to them; however, for full enjoyment of food and wine, it is recommended that kids not to be in attendance, unless they have been trained in proper etiquette.
If not then:
Hire a Babysitter!
|
A Taste of Berlin Experiences:
|
Contemporary, Modern, Rustic, Hole-in-the-wall, and a Neighborhood Gem
|
Payments:
|
Cash, Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express
|
Parking:
|
A Taste of Berlin has a public lot
|
Wifi
|
The restaurants reviewed on this site may have Wi-Fi, but do not require you to go online, because the excitement of the food and wine alone will keep you too entertained instead of checking your social media and emails.
|
Noise level:
|
Low
|
Smoking:
|
A Taste of Berlin is a nonsmoking restaurant, with a non-smoking patio
|
Patio or terrace:
|
Yes
|
Food Prices
(excludes, alcohol, taxes & 20% gratuity’s)
$£€¥ - Under 50.00 (inexpensive)
$£€¥ x 2 - 51.00- 99.00 (moderate)
$£€¥ x 3 - Over 100.00 (pricey)
$£€¥ x 4 - Over 200.00 (expensive)
$£€¥ x 5 - Over 400.00 (very expensive)
**Currencies reflect the world’s major travelers, restaurant, or wine connoisseur’s**
Currency:
|
Price
|
United States Dollar (USD)
|
$
|
Great Britain Pound Sterling (GBP)
|
£
|
Canadian Dollar (CAN)
|
$$
|
Chinese Yuan (CNY)
|
¥¥¥
|
European Union (EUR)
|
€
|
A Taste of Berlin:
526 Oakfield Dr
Brandon, Florida
Contact Information:
Restaurant website:
| |
Maître d or host:
|
+1 813-685-9392
|
Online reservations
| |
Serving hours:
Eastern Standard Time
(GMT, Zulu, or UTC - 5:00)
|
Lunch: Wed-Fri
11:30 am - 2:30 pm
Dinner: Tue-Fun
4:30 pm -8:30 pm
Saturday
4:30 pm -9:00 pm
|
Social Media
And
Accolades for A Taste of Berlin:
| |
****
The world's best restaurants is a subjective list of who is writing it and changes on a regular basis. The Wine Dine and Play best experiences are based on my highest rated stared restaurants, meaning that the visit was an outstanding or extraordinary experience. From cafés, chains, mom + pops, hole in the walls, to fine dining including a few Michelin spots. Visit the Top 100 page to see the entire list.
A few to tease you with…
|
New American, Southern Twist
St. Petersburg, Florida, USA
|
Safari + Upscale African Cuisine
Sabi Sabi, South Africa
|
Seasonal American cuisine
Asheville, North Carolina, USA
|
Other Taste of Berlin Pictures:
 |
| A Taste Of Berlin / Dining Room |
 |
| A Taste Of Berlin / Bread Selections |
 |
| A Taste Of Berlin / Bratwurst |
“Culinary perfection consists not in doing extraordinary things,
But in doing ordinary things extraordinarily well.”
-Angelique Arnauld (1591-1661)
Who is John Galt?
TTFN
