By: Mark Hancock

Das Boot Camp is like the little brother of Royal Bavaria who moved to Norman for college and just parties a lot. In a good way.

It’s a restaurant where you can hang out with friends and watch a basketball game while enjoying some beers and sausage.

Das is decorated with German artifacts and blue curtains. Flat-screen TVs line the walls, each airing a different sports channel. The hardest part about ordering will be selecting which beer you want next.

Das serves a lot of German mainstays such as the Jäger schnitzel ($9.99) and the Oktoberfest pretzel ($6.99). But it also has a few new and interesting dishes, modified from traditional fare to fit Norman’s Main Street crowd.

We started our meal with the German shrimp cocktail ($6.99), assuming that having a nice, light appetizer would be the way to go before gorging ourselves on sausages. Like any shrimp cocktail, it was served with lemon and a cocktail sauce. While that was great, the menu indicated that the shrimp were tossed in a dill vinaigrette, which we couldn’t really taste at all.

Something that everyone should try here is the sausage sandwich ($6.99). It’s plated with your choice of any of the third-pound sausages served with sauerkraut and mustard on a pretzel hoagie and your choice of french fries or German potato salad.

Now, this sandwich is delicious, filling and contains the three essentials you want from a German restaurant: soft pretzels, sausage and sauerkraut.

By: Mark Hancock

I ordered mine with the garlic sausage and enjoyed every last bite.

Fair warning: There is nothing ladylike about eating this sandwich, and I would not suggest ordering it on a first date.

The
cheese noodles ($8.99) were far more delicious than I thought they
would be. My brain had lumped them into the category of macaroni and
cheese before they hit the table. Once they arrived, however, I couldn’t
stop shoving them in my mouth. These homemade noodles are sautéed in a
Swiss cheese sauce and topped with fried onions. They put all other
cheese and noodle dishes to shame.

Another
item that surprised me, the rotisserie chicken ($8.99), had a crispy,
fried layer of skin on the outside. It’s served with your choice of
french fries or German potato salad.

For
those in the mood for a burger, Das Boot Camp has your back. There is
the Boot Camp burger ($6.99), with a grilled bratwurst patty in place of
your typical beef. This can be served Bavarian style — with sauerkraut,
Swiss cheese and German mustard or mayonnaise; or classic — with Swiss
cheese, lettuce, tomato, German pickles, onion or German mustard or
mayonnaise.

And the
most delicious part of the meal — the dessert — was the perfect ending
to top it off. We had the cream strudel ($3.99) and licked the plate
clean. There is also an apple strudel, as well as a cheesecake.

Perhaps
the best part of a visit to Das Boot Camp is enjoying all your favorite
Royal Bavaria beers. And, in true Norman fashion, there’s a happy hour
every evening after 9 p.m., and the liter boots are just $4 each.

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