This classic German restaurant in Fort Lauderdale has 68-ounce boots of beer, massive hunks of meat, and zero sense of irony when it comes to its kitschy dining room. Bring your parents to jog their memories of ‘80s Lauderdale, or come with a big group of friends who want to shout “próst” while clinking pilsners and enjoying the Saturday night entertainment, which, on our visit, was a DJ in head-to-toe sequins who’d occasionally grab a mic and start singing along. Old Heidelberg isn’t just a glorified Epcot pavilion, though. The food is good, especially the most famous house special: a prehistoric-size pork shank that arrives at the table with a knife stabbing into its crunchy skin.
photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer
Food RundownPancake Norway
Three perfectly fine potato pancakes with some smoked salmon. A nice appetizer, although we’re not sure it’s worth filling up on before your pork shank arrives.
photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer
Pork Shank
This is on pretty much every table for good reason. The bubbly, golden skin of the pork sounds like a snare drum when you tap it. Inside, there are a few pockets of overcooked meat, but the majority of the thing is tender, juicy pork. There’s no elegant way to take this down. Just start sawing like a lumberjack.
video credit: Ryan Pfeffer
Oktoberfest Mixed Plate
In case it wasn’t clear that this is a restaurant to consume a year’s worth of protein, order the Oktoberfest platter. There are seven different cuts of meat on this plate. Get to the smoked pork chop before anyone else realizes how good it is.
photo credit: Ryan Pfeffer