11 Best Restaurants in The Hill Country, Texas

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 great, whether you opt for a classic schnitzel or a juicy Reuben sandwich on toasty pumpernickel.

Though it's also open for lunch, most locals flock to this family-owned restaurant for a delicious and hearty breakfast. Lacy German pancakes come with butter pats, orange slices, and powdered sugar for sprinkling. Order schnitzel with eggs 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 sleek but cozy bistro, chef Henry Gutkin focuses on some of Germany’s lesser-known dishes, reimagined with creative, refreshing twists. Bavarian Frittatensuppe (crepe soup) is brightened with herbs and rainbow carrots, while the Düsseldorfer Senfrostbraten (Dusseldorf mustard roast) is elevated with Akaushi steak and an onion-mustard-cheese crust. 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. 

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 Tex-Mex ranchero sauce and melted Monterey Jack cheese.

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 standard schnitzel, but the sauerbraten (a sweet-and-sour Rhineland version of roast beef) and Hühnerfrikassee (chicken fricassee with mushroom sauce) are among the favorite house specialties.

Serving a variety of homemade German-style brews from the large copper beer tanks accenting the far wall, the brewery is a popular nightspot for both locals and visitors. The German food is all well prepared, but the Texas-size- chicken-fried steak is no slouch 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 mashups can be found throughout the rest of the menu, too. Order Kartoffel (potato) poppers with apple sauce and sauerkraut for dipping, 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. 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. All menu items are served with a side of sweet and vinegary German potato salad.

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.