Finally, no more porta-potties: Dacha Beer Garden will reopen on Thursday at 4 p.m. with real toilets thanks to its expansion into the Chinese restaurant next door. Double bonus: that means about 30 percent more outdoor seating.
Co-owner Dmitri Chekaldin says they've completely gutted the three-story building, but the full renovations will take some time. Their new kitchen will be up and running in April. The German menu with Eastern European influences will include salads, soups, sausages, three types of schnitzel, smorgasbords of pickles and charcuterie, and German doughnuts known as berliners (plain or with cream fillings). Chekaldin promises plenty of vegetarian and gluten-free options and brunch. Until the new menu launches, guests will be able to get brats and skewers from the outdoor grill.
The first floor of the former China Express will also open in April as a coffee shop and market that sells groceries like milk, bread, and local produce plus pastries and sandwiches made in-house. Patrons will be able to place orders in advance online. The upper two floors, which will eventually be home to a bar and restaurant, will likely take a couple years to complete, Chekaldin says.
And of course, there's still plenty of beer. Dacha will have 17 beers on tap plus meads, ciders, and a limited wine selection. Happy hour will run from 3 to 7 p.m. Monday through Thursday with $5 pints and $10 boots of select drafts.
Photo by Jessica Sidman