My mom wanted to try this new restaurant in an old place, and I was a bit curious, too. The only thing that I knew about it was the previous review about the rule regarding no tattoos above the shoulders (I was not particularly fond of the rule, as a tattooed productive member of society).
When we arrived, the parking lot was very full, and we had to park behind the building. My parents have handicapped placards, but we did not realize there was handicapped parking on the east side of the building. There are two spaces reserved for current or former military (nice), and a spot reserved for the owner (I can't recall seeing this in Lubbock before and it feels a bit douchey to me) on the west side.
We looked over the menu board and ordered ($12 for The Bier Haus Burger with fries, $3 more if you want grass-fed beef, plus a drink) at the window. The girl at the window asked if I wanted my burger cooked 'pink in the middle or all the way through' but could not tell me if they grind their own meat when I asked in response. The dining room on the first floor seemed very...empty despite several square tables & chairs, and a fireplace (?!). The focus was definitely on the patio, which was crowded and looked nice, if beer and a place to meet up with friends was all you were looking for. We sat down at a table and waited for our food, which took a bit...maybe 15-20 minutes. Well, my dad's fried chicken took about 5-10 minutes longer to come out. The food was good, but nothing special, IMO. My mom did not want fries, but there did not seem to be any substitutions available from the menu board, so it was just a burger that was more than $10 (she opted for grass-fed beef).
As far as the whole experience, I would say some kind of shade or filter on the windows to tame down the sun when it is directly on the tables would be nice. Also, a bit more guidance on guests with dogs. While my parents and I are dog-lovers, a guest in the dining room had a small dog on a retractable leash that she was just not really paying attention to, which can be dangerous when staff need to be taking orders out to their respective guests. I did not make my way up to the loft, so I cannot comment on that space.
The high price of the average food, the reserved parking spot for the owner, and the distasteful rule regarding individuals with tattoos above the shoulders all mean that it will probably be quite a while before I will be returning to this place. However, all three of those things can easily change. I have included a pic of the sign with said distasteful rule, as well as The Bier Haus's response regarding it via Facebook...a Facebook account which has since been either deactivated or deleted, perhaps due to a large volume of comments regarding this rule. ETA: The owner has apologized through KCBD News and removed the sign pictured! 5/16 10:00pm read more