Scholz Garten

 

 

 

It was a super cold day in Austin. Cold beyond Texas standards. Low 20’s cold I’m talking here. The wife and I were headed to the Blanton Museum and ravenous like vultures circling the dehydrated, bloated body of an illegal alien somewhere in the Chihuahuan Desert. I spotted Scholz’s on Google Maps and decided to go there for lunch.

This is billed as the oldest restaurant in Texas- a German food hall with good beer and great food. The 20 taps include German staples like Franziskaner, Spaten and Paulaner; beyond that and two or three lite brewskies, it is all Texas: 512, Thirsty Planet, Live Oak, Real Ale, Beerworks…

Service was quick and efficient despite being real busy for lunch, and the food was great- classic German staples like a massive bratwurst and a juicy jaggerschnitzel with mushroom sauce. 10 bucks for the entrée with two fixins’… yeah! (I mean, ja!).

A surprise, and a place I would happily revisit next time I am in Austin.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Scholz has a special place in my heart as I enjoy barbecue and I like good beer, this place has both. The german potato salad, peach cobbler and nice atmosphere are bonus points. I usually sit in the front room, the bar is there the booths are comfy and I like all the history on the wall. The staff is nice and usually attentive the beer selection is nice(around 10 taps of good stuff) it's pretty much what I want in a bar as far the atmosphere and food go. I wish they had a little more craft and a little less bmc but that's ok. The food is great and not to pricey and the German potato salad is second to none.

Overall this is a solid place to go to if you want a good beer and and some good barbecue.

Right in the shadow of UT, it has been in operation since 1866 and is the oldest business in Texas. The light brick building had an arched awning above the doorway which opened onto a sea of standard restaurant tables and chairs with the lavs (Damen and Herren) on the left. The long, dark wood bar was right with an elaborate carved antique wood and mirrored back bar. Our CS host recommended that we eat here and the beef brisket put me in mind of a late 1980's Bud Light commercial. Speaking of which, entering, the aroma put me in mind of Jimmy John's Sandwiches. More seating down a flight of stairs, aft. Extensive back patio with picnic seating. Private party room to left.

Beers: 20 taps, 10 decent. 24 bottles, but overloaded on BMC.

Stopped here for a late lunch after finding out the Draught House didn't open on weekdays until 5pm.

It was a big breezy, but we found a spot outback in the sun. Outside is nothing fancy, picnic table seating. There is a stage which makes me think it would have been cool to visit at night with some music playing.

I peaked inside. Okay atmosphere, but it had a real strong smokey smell from the BBQ. If we sat inside, I think the scent would have lingered on us all day long.

The beer menu was decent, but not great. Thankfully, they did have some locals micros from Live Oak and Real Ale, as well as Shiner. I had a Live Oak Big Bark.

The food was good. You don't get too much, though, at least not for lunch. I had a smoked turkey and got 4 medium sized slices. The sides of slaw and German potato salad were really good.

Overall, okay place. Not necessarily worth seeking out, but if you end up there like us, it is fine. The waitress was good early on, but then disappeared inside as we and other patrons were looking for our checks.

From what I've read, other reviewers see the big selling points of Scholz Garten are its history and decor/ambiance. The history angle appealed to me and seemed very authentic (from the story on the back of the menu), but the ambiance of the place didn't too much for me. It was too bright, didn't seem quite "German" enough (at least compared to places like Karl Strauss and Old German Beer Hall in Milwaukee, and the reviews I'd read describing this place as a traditional beer garden seemed a bit off to me. I got more of a fun-pizza-place-for-the-whole-family-that-serves-beer kind of vibe off the place. Nonetheless, I enjoyed my visit to the place.

There was a political group in the bar when I visited on a Thursday night, watching a PBS debate of non-candidates and cheering as they spoke. Odd behavior for a bar to my mind. They were really the only other people in the place, which was largely empty.

I will add that I didn't eat there (the kitchen closes at 9pm!) but the menu looked quite solid. There were a dozen or so taps, none were too exciting, although I did have a Live Oak vienna I enjoyed. There were some nice choices in bottles though. The place doesn't provide a beer-savy feeling.

Kalt Bier Und Gut Bratwurst!

I wandered into Scholz Garten on a Saturday afternoon around 4 pm to find the place dead. Green Mesquite BBQ permeated the air. There was no music playing, and there were only 5 people in the bar including myself. OK, I wasn't expecting a big group of people to be there, but my bartender kept retreating to a table in the center of the main bar area to brush up on her studies as she had little to do. And that's alright except that she never brought me the fries I'd ordered until I was ready to leave about 45 minutes later. I ate them as I had to, because I was starving! After a run down to 6th street I stopped back and found it much more happening, although I fear it was starting to turn into 'college town' and that time, and I caught it right at the cusp of becoming overly crowded with young lunk heads. However, I can say that I found a few families and older (30's-40's) people outside. It's very kid friendly out there, and there was also a sign that read "Good Dogs On The Patio Leashed Only". There was no band or anything at the time, but it seemed like a great outdoor space. There's a bandstand, bathrooms easily accessible, heaters for when it's cold, and fans for when it's hot, but overall I thought it was kind of small.

Back to the main room, the main bar has a beautiful wooden back bar, which is probably the original. (It's marred by two huge flat screen TV's to either side, but they appear to be catering to the college crowd, and having games on TV would be a necessity). This place has a great history, and I was very entertained just reading about it. I liked the paintings of the "herren" and "damen" on the doors to the bathrooms!

The beer selection was good but not great. There are much better places to find beer, but the history of this bar kind of overshadows that.

I had fries on my first visit, and a stuffed baked potato on my second. The food was good, but not outstanding - exactly what you'd expect though. Appetizers are in the $4.25 to $12.50 range for 18 Mesquite wings. Nachos, Potato Skins, Fries, and Okra fall in between.

The kids menu is $4, which I like.

Garten Burgers are not the vegetarian garden burgers, but real beef and run $6.20 for a basic cheesburger to $8.20 for a double meat.

The BBQ smells goood, and includes four different meat plates for $10.29.

Specialties include a rocking Jambalaya (an elderly black woman told me so!) for $4.99 / $6.99.

German fare, is of course, required, and apparently well done. There are three types of schnitzel and a brat plate for $7.50 - $8.50.

And then there's the Bakers... baked potatoes with stuffing! They run $5 or $6.50, but try them stuffed with grilled, chicken, smoked turkey, chopped beef or Jambalaya.... they're almost a meal in themselves!

If you've got time, I'd say it's worth a visit. But if you're only looking for beer hit The Gingerman to be sure!

Definately an Austin and certainly a Texas Landmark. Established in 1866 by a Confederate Civil War Veteran. The beer selection is not huge compared to some other Austin pubs but it is adequate, mabe more than adequate. Several German beer selections including a couple of German Wheat Beers and a couple of real good local brews. Of course, given their close proximity to Austin's Erwin Center (home of the UT Basketball team and many other events including big name concerts, touring Broadway plays and other large shows) they also have your normal tasteless mass market beers for the non beer-enthuiast patrons dropping in after the game for a night cap. The food is pretty good, at least what I've had, sandwiches and some bar-b-que mostly. The atmosphere is laid back and resembles other establishments in and around Austin, especially those in older buildings along 6th street which may also be in 100 to 150 year old buildings. A great place for a beer and a bite if you stuck in Downtown Austin near the university.

The Scholz Garten is evidently an Austin (for that matter maybe Texas) landmark, established in 1866 and listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The makeup of the place is part German beer garden, part friendly local bar, with some German-themed decorations, old newspaper clippings, and other kooky bar decorations adorning the walls-- although it's not artificial and over-the-top a la TGI Friday's. There are two tiers of interior seating, one being at street level where the bar is, and the other section being through the first and lower down, to account for a gentle downsloping of the terrain. Past this second section is the outdoor "beer garden" section, complete with picnic tables and the like.

There are roughly a dozen beers on tap and that many in bottles, including typical macro-lager fare to placate gameday crowds (the bar being close to UT's basketball arena), and the rest of the selection is dominated by German beers. There are several wheat beers as well as choices for the pilsener and doppelbock lovers.

Scholz's menu is more-or-less full size, featuring a range of appetizers, sandwiches, bbq platters, and of course German fare such as schnitzels, German sausage, and sauerkraut. I chose to partake of the sausage and kraut option, which of course came with a slice of rye bread, and was most tasty.

Scholz Garten is a unique establishment, offers plenty of seating for busy times, and serves up good food on top of it. Don't go here looking for every beer under the sun, but you were probably going to get something German anyway, right?

I guess this place lives on reputation and history alone. I also guess you must respect tis history. This is certainly the place to be on game day due to its location, but other than that it doesn't bring much to the table. Its not overly large. It is very old. It is very run down. Maybe thats part of the charm, but not for me. Service is OK. The times I have been in there I have always seen some sketchy characters. Typically not the typical UT students. The beer selection is pretty solid and depending on how crowded you may get some table service.

Scholz Garten is an interesting blend of German restaurant, Barbecue restaurant and sports bar. Its location makes it a great place for lunch (check the specials) or dinner (no specials) if you're sightseeing just north of downtown (the Capitol, Governor's house, History museum, UT campus and museums, etc.). The menu is solid, with enough variety and the food is good. But it's probably best to avoid this place when there are sporting events at the UT facilities close by (Erwin Center arena, Texas Swim Center, football/soccer/baseball stadiums). Not only is the place much more busy, but they usually replace the full menu with their spartan "special events" menu (not much more than burgers and fries).

Now for the beer. There are some interesting taps including a few Germans and one Live Oak (usually Big Bark year-round). They also have a decent selection of imports in bottles -- again many Germans -- but not much in the way of American craft. You'll definitely find something you like, but it's a distant second to Dog & Duck (also in the area) for selection. Finally, the draught is usually good, but I get the impression some of the less popular beers don't move quickly enough. My choices haven't always been the freshest, though I've never had anything really past its prime either.

All-in-all, a good restaurant in this area with enough of a beer selection to find something you want to drink.