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The Hill Country is an extension of the great eating opportunities—the amazing Tex-Mex and barbecue—of San Antonio and Austin, with the addition of heavy German influences. Fredericksburg certainly corners the market for relatively authentic German fare, but Boerne, Comfort, New Braunfels, and everywhere in between serve decent schnitzel and wurst. Barbecue bests are spread all over: the Salt Lick in Driftwood, Cooper's in Llano, and Cooper's in Mason (it's not a chain; they just happen to have the same name), and Rudy's Country Store in a number of locations between Austin and San Antonio, and in Leon Springs.
On the Hill Country backroads you're not going to get a whole lot of haute cuisine delivered by celebrity chefs, but you'd be surprised at some of the fine dining experiences you can have here. Two upscale restaurants to try in Fredericksburg are August E's and Rebecca's Table.
Most places are casual in the Hill Country. You may want to don your Sunday best for a few places, but you really don't need to. Boots and jeans are formal enough for the average restaurant, especially for men. You'll see plenty of local women wearing "country-chic" clothing, such as embroidered, tailored blazers, or swishy broomstick skirts—with boots, of course. In the summer heat you'll see many patrons wearing just about anything that keeps them cool.
Don't expect to dine too late into the evenings. With the exception of a few live-music bars and venues, most restaurants and cafés are finished serving by 9 or 10, especially during the week.
This biergarten on Main Street is always buzzing, and for good reason. Choose from a wide array of craft German beer while enjoying the live music that happens nearly nightly. The hearty fare is also delicious, whether you opt for a classic schnitzel or a juicy Reuben sandwich on toasty pumpernickel.
With its authentic German architecture, the Ausländer draws quite a crowd for lunch and dinner. For more than 20 years, it has been one of the town's most popular beer gardens, and you're bound to find a few things to your liking—perhaps the Spicy Texas Schnitzel, a bold concoction featuring a hand-breaded pork loin cutlet smothered with house-made spicy sauce and topped with crème fraîche, or a wide array of German sausage including currywurst, a German street favorite that is hard to find.
Most locals flock to this family-owned restaurant for a delicious and hearty breakfast, even though it's also open for lunch. Lacy German pancakes come with butter pats, lemon slices, and powdered sugar for sprinkling, and Holstein breakfast schnitzel (a breaded pork chop) is served with eggs, German fried potatoes, and buttermilk biscuits. Or skip straight to lunch and enjoy homestyle plates of sausage, kraut, and potato salad. If you don’t order a pastry with your meal, be sure to visit the bakery counter on your way out to get an apple strudel, prasselkuchen, or pretzel nut twist for the road.
At his bright and charming bistro, chef Henry Gutkin focuses on some of Germany’s lesser-known dishes, reimagined with creative, refreshing twists. Sauerkraut balls are served with sausage, whole grain mustard, and a dollop of crème fraîche; crispy duck schnitzel comes with red cabbage and spaetzle; and a wurst plate features house-made bratwurst, caraway sauerkraut, and homemade mustard. And while there’s plenty of beer here to keep your stein full, as well as a focus on German and Austrian wines, the exceptional cocktail menu should not go unnoticed. A fabulous brunch is served on Sundays.
Set in a 164-year-old home in downtown New Braunfels, this restaurant specializes in food from the Alps, with a focus on Germany. Schnitzel offerings reach beyond basics to include Rahm schnitzel (pork or chicken schnitzel topped with sour-cream gravy) and Zigeuner schnitzel, which is a pork or chicken version topped with spicy paprika, bell pepper, and onion gravy. Other entrées include lesser-known dishes, such as Rinderrouladen (beef roulades), thinly sliced steak stuffed with pickle, onion, bacon, and German mustard, smothered in gravy, and served alongside spaetzle, red cabbage, and freshly baked bread. Enjoy a meal in the dining room, which features area artifacts and exposed stone walls, or relax on the spacious patio surrounded by twinkle-lit trees.
Set in a historic limestone building at the end of Main Street, Der Lindenbaum started as a bakery for chef Ingrid Hohmann to showcase traditional German desserts like apple strudel and Black Forest cake, but customers quickly latched onto her savory lunch specials, and it organically grew into a full-fledged restaurant. The menu features dishes directly from the Rhineland (especially the Alsace-Lorraine region between Germany and France). Of course, they offer a variety of schnitzel, but the Kasseler Ripchen (smoked pork chop with sauerkraut) and Gulasch (spicy stewed beef) are among the favorite house specialties.
Serving a variety of homemade German-style lagers and ales, the brewery, in a historic 1890s building with an air-conditioned biergarten, is a popular nightspot for both locals and visitors. The German food is all well prepared, but the pizza and Texas-sized chicken-fried steak are no slouches either.
Driving to the end of town to try this Haufbraü-Haus-meets-Disneyland restaurant is certainly a trip; in more ways than one. Schnitzel is available in more ways than you can count on one hand, and the beer selection is impressive.
At Krause's, you can even have schnitzel for breakfast: the Bauern schnitzel comes topped with two eggs and hollandaise sauce plus home fries, hash browns, and grits. Texas-German mash-ups can be found throughout the rest of the menu, too. Order Kartoffel (potato) poppers with apple sauce and sauerkraut, or elevate your sausage game with the wild-game plate, which comes with wild boar, venison, and “jackalope” (rabbit and antelope) sausages, plus bier mustard, cheese, pickles, and crackers. Plus, there's a weekly German dessert special. Outside, in the Munich-inspired beer hall, live music lights up the stage every weekend.
At this cozy café tucked in a historic home near Cibolo Creek, chef-owner Denise Mazal specializes in central European cuisine, with selections from Hungary, Austria, and the Czech Republic and a particular focus on German fare. Try the kasseler rippchen, a smoked-in-house center-cut pork chop served with fresh horseradish sauce and toasted almonds, or the Bavarian meat loaf (half lamb, half beef) with mashed potatoes and mushroom sauce. And don’t even consider leaving without ordering a side of German potato pancakes, griddled to order and topped with braised red cabbage. You’ll also want to save room for the namesake Gretel’s apple strudel with Chantilly cream or the Hansel’s Kisses, meringue filled with coffee cream and rolled in roasted almonds.
It may not boast a German name, but don't overlook Silver Creek if you're seeking cuisine from the motherland. With an abundance of outdoor dining, regular live music, and an extensive beer selection, this place is a spring and summer favorite, for its "Tex-German" flavor. All menu items are served with a side of sweet and vinegary German potato salad, and the sausage platter is a crowd-pleaser.
