Two brothers open Bixenberg Tavern, a German-inspired restaurant in Germantown
When two brothers from New Berlin saw an opportunity to own a restaurant to combine their own German heritage with the German roots in Germantown, they went for it.
Flynn and Jake Woller opened Bixenberg Tavern, N112 W21209 Mequon Road in Germantown, in September, and it has been popular since. They bought the bar in December of 2021.
Before that, it was KJ's Bar & Grill, which was open from 2004 until closing in 2020.
The brothers spent the time transforming the restaurant to have a cozy feel to it.
"Our theme is woodsy, outdoorsy, lodge-like atmosphere with German American street food type items," said Jake Woller. "We thought our German heritage would work well with the local history of the building and area."
According to the restaurant's website, the building's history included being a tavern with handcrafted cigars in the early 1900s, where German immigrants often gathered.
Not long after learning that, Woller said that the brothers from doing some research found that "Bixenberg" most likely comes from the German words "bisschen" and "berg" which translates to "smaller hill."
Woller explained that the area in Germantown is called Meeker Hill, so the name fits.
He said the menu showcases casual German American food like the hamburger, doner kebab wrap and the Flammkuchen, which is a German flatbread pizza, as well as German poutine, which is beer cheese over sliced sausage, curds, and fries.
He said they've partnered with Old Germantown, a local restaurant and brewery, to serve Old Germantown's beer.
"We feature mostly all local taps, including Foxtown, which is brewed like a mile down the road. We will also have a Bavarian Bierhaus beer on tap soon, too," said Woller.
The brothers have management, leadership and business ownership between them. Jake, when he got out of the Air Force in 2017, said he always wanted to own his business. "I've owned a couple different businesses since then: carpentry, landscaping and Christmas lighting," he said.
Flynn said that his management skills will be an asset to the business. He said he learned a lot from working his way to management at The Home Depot, which helped him learn valuable skills.
"When the opportunity to purchase this bar came along, I left Home Depot and have been dedicated to this ever since," he said.
Its hours of operation are 4 to 11 p.m. on Thursday; 4 p.m. to midnight on Friday; noon to midnight on Saturday and noon to 9 p.m. on Sunday. The kitchen is open until 9 p.m.
"We've been able to put together a great simple menu that pairs well with our German heritage," said Jake Woller.
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Cathy Kozlowicz can be reached at 262-361-9132 or cathy.kozlowicz@jrn.com. Follow her on Twitter at @kozlowicz_cathy
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This article originally appeared on Milwaukee Journal Sentinel: Bixenberg Tavern in Germantown offers German American food
