Hasn’t it seemed like lately everywhere you go in Hoboken, it’s biergarten this, biergarten that? This week, I had to see what all of the fuss was about, so I put on comfortable walking shoes and set out on an epic trek to 15th and Grand Streets, the location of Pilsener Haus.

The building is huge, and surrounded by not much else besides a tour bus depot and a printing press. A large security guard waits for you at the door, to check your ID, even though it’s barely 6 p.m., and shouldn’t the kids be inside doing their homework anyway?

Inside, I met Dave Young, one of the managers of Pilsener Haus. He said in this first week they’ve been open, they’ve already had about 5,000 people through the doors.

“Everyone’s been really warm and welcoming,” he said of the biergarten’s opening.

“But get here early,” Young said, especially late nights and on weekends, when a line will form outside. It’s actually kind of crazy to think about Pilsener Haus reaching capacity, because it is huge, not even counting the big outdoor space.

Long wooden tables fill up the main inside space, while big industrial fans whirr behind the bar. The décor is mostly “old factory chic,” a term I just made up. Outside it’s all gravel and potted plants, a nice respite from the bridge traffic outside.

I took a seat at the bar and perused the beer menu, which spans two huge pages. And let me tell you how refreshing it is to only recognize the names of a few beers on that list! Listed next to each beer is the ABV, which is helpful if you just want to cut to the chase and get as drunk as you can.

Jeff Maiore, a barback, walked me through a few of his favorites, and I tasted the Acrobrau Zwickibier, described on the menu as an unfiltered lager, with notes of “fresh cut grass and bread,” and Kostritzer, described as having “chocolate, roasted nut and coffee flavors.” Both were very good, the Acrobrau dry and crisp, and the Kostritzer a little like a sweeter Guinness.

“There’s something for everyone,” said Patrick Laird, a bartender who spent time working at Helmer’s before coming to Pilsener Haus.

“If someone comes in and says they like Coors Light or Blue Moon, we can recommend something that tastes similar,” said Laird. But you know, at Pilsener Haus, you’re actually getting a good beer.

If you prefer your beer to come in bottle form (maybe you are scared of spilling?), Pilsener Haus offers American craft beers from brewers like Flying Fish, Victory, Troegs, Smuttynose and Brooklyn Brewery, as well as imports with descriptive names like Alvinne Podge Imperial Stout, Duchesse de Bourgogne and Harviestoun Old Engine Oil. Oh, and lambic, which always makes me feel like a fancy drunk European person.

The prices are $7 for drafts, $5 for domestic bottles and about $8-10 for imported bottles. No Happy Hour or drink specials as of yet, but in the few extra bucks you’re paying, you can try some brews that you’ve never had before (and can’t get around here, unless you go to that other biergarten in Jersey City, I guess).

The atmosphere at Pilsener Haus was just really friendly, too. The bartenders all say hi and ask you how you’re doing when you sit down, and I even got into a conversation with two other ladies at the bar about the romantic etiquette of dudes. The patrons were mostly the after-work crew, out with their buddies for a few beers to unwind.

In the end, I love Pilsener Haus, and I think it’s a fantastic addition to not only the uptown ‘hood, but for all Hobokenites. The space is beautiful, the service is friendly and the beer selection is literally unparalleled in town. I know I usually don’t comment on the food of an establishment, but a giant soft pretzel with an array of mustards did pass by me, and I may have drooled a little bit down my chin. So am I really going to give a perfect score to a bar three weeks in a row? Yes. And next week I am going to Bahama Mama’s or something to get my mean cred back.