Even though I waited until the second week of Oktoberfest to visit the authentic German restaurant Old Heidelberg, the bratwurst brigade was still in full force when I walked into the lobby.

Attempting to cut through the crowd, I almost tripped over an animatronic German boy who looks like he's on vacation from the It's a Small World ride. But unlike the Disney attraction, this stiffly moving character holds a glass of beer. Finally reaching the bar, I grabbed a Kostritzer and secured a square foot of standing room near the Ukrainian dancers getting ready to perform.

Kostritzer is a black beer, but Old Heidelberg features pilsners, wheat beers, dark beers and a host of amber-gold Oktoberfest lagers. German beer enthusiasts are quite particular about their beer-to-foam ratio and the bartenders here, sporting tuxedos (sans jackets) pour perfect brews every time. Big beer steins give your arm a workout with every sip.

The bar, at 900 State Rd. 84 in Fort Lauderdale, is also stocked with German wines and a wide variety of traditional liquors. A favorite, Kleiner Feigling, is a sweet, fig-flavored vodka served in miniature bottles. The rookie move is to order one and simply swig it. The old-school, Bavarian way is to first bang the bottom of the bottle on the bar. Next, use your teeth to twist off the cap and without using your hands, lean your head back and then suck it down. Get extra points for drinking it while balancing the removed cap on your nose.

Old Heidelberg has been in business for 25 years, and Ingo has been singing and playing his accordion here for the past 20. He performs a mix of traditional German standards and schnitzelized American pop songs such as Jimmy Buffett's Margaritaville from Thursday through Sunday nights. Weekends in October, Ingo is joined by dance groups, guest singers and musicians.

Although you'll hear a bit of German at the bar, a culturally diverse group congregates here for Oktoberfest. It's really a small world, after all.

COMING UP

• Funkette plays tonight at Murphy's Law in the Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. Show starts at 8 p.m. No cover.

• At 7:30 p.m. Saturday, see Chris Cab play live at the Culture Room. Tickets are $20 at the door.

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