Your guide to New Braunfels’ German food and beer with 8 great Texas Hill Country restaurants, bars, bakeries and more
NEW BRAUNFELS — As home of the rollicking Wurstfest, the oldest German bakery in Texas and countless businesses with the word “haus” in their name, no place in Texas continues to honor its German heritage quite like New Braunfels.
The town was founded in 1845 by Prince Carl of Solms-Braunfels, who envisioned a colony that could one day become a “New Germany.” That legacy can be found in numerous restaurants, breweries and meat markets across the city, where German food traditions live on.
If you’re ready to step into your lederhosen and fire up a polka playlist, we have your guide to eight great spots in New Braunfels to get German food and beer.
Alpine Haus Restaurant
With the sound of polka music or a waltz played by a lederhosen-clad accordionist carrying outside beyond the front the door, you’ll feel transported to the old country before you even walk into this cozy restaurant. The 150-year-old historic home houses a warren of small dining rooms bedecked in beer steins and alpine imagery — the perfect backdrop for its menu of classic German cookery.
This is old-school, rib-sticking fare designed for the chilly climate of the Alpine region of Germany, Austria and Switzerland. Schnitzels, made with thinly pounded pork, chicken or veal, are king here, coming in five different varieties.
But don’t miss out on German classics such as the sweet and tangy sauerbraten or the beefy rinder rouladen stuffed with pickle, bacon and mustard. The spätzle are a particularly delightful side dish, featuring rustic, doughy noodles fried just enough to develop a few crispy edges.
Alpine Haus Restaurant, 251 S. Seguin Ave., 830-214-0205, alpine-haus.com, Facebook: @thealpinehaus
Paul Stephen / Staff
Faust Hotel and Brewpub
While the Faust Brewing Co. brewery is closed to the public because of the pandemic, its excellent beers are still available inside the allegedly haunted Faust Hotel. Fortunately, there’s nothing spooky about the hotel’s bar, where throngs of pubgoers can be found watching a game and occasionally breaking out in German folk songs.
Two brews in particular pay tribute to the German heritage in New Braunfels. Start with the crisp and easy-sipping Alex Meixner Polka Pilsner — Meixner is the Grammy-winning king of polka and a fixture at Wurstfest — then move on to the Altered States, a dark, caramel brew made in the German altbier style.
The bar’s pub grub also has a German flair, with pretzel bites, nachos topped with bratwurst, sauerkraut and beer cheese and the Faust Wellington featuring a bratwurst baked in puffed pastry.
Faust Hotel and Brewpub, 240 S. Seguin Ave., 830-625-7791, fausthotel.com, Facebook: @faustbrewingcompany
Paul Stephen /Staff
Granzin’s Meat Market
There’s no better spot in New Braunfels for fresh and cured sausages than this bustling meat market. The nicely spiced and seasoned weisswursts are a hard-to-find standout. If you’re firing up the grill, don’t pass up the snappy bratwursts or meaty wieners.
Granzin’s also serves as a small grocery store, and it’s well stocked with prepared foods, fresh produce and household items in addition to its dizzying 153-foot display case stuffed with fresh cuts of beef, pork, poultry, seafood and more.
Granzin’s Meat Market, 1644 McQueeney Road, 830-625-3510, granzins.com, Facebook: @GranzinsMarket
Paul Stephen / Staff
Guadalupe Brewing Co.
Perhaps the most relaxed place in New Braunfels to sit and sip a beer, this sprawling indoor and outdoor complex is the perfect spot to spend a lazy weekend. Expect low-key groups of friends, families and more than a few beer aficionados to be settled in at picnic tables or circled around a fire pit.
And the beers are good, too. Four German-inspired sips stand out. The Solms Pilsner is a light, bright and refreshing lager, while the Dunkel is a more round, malty beer with a gorgeous ruddy color.
If you prefer your beers on the tart side, then steer towards the Raspberry Lime Berliner Weiss or Watermelon Lemonade Berliner Weiss, both of which are sure to tame the effects of scorching Texas summers.
Guadalupe Brewing Co., 1586 Wald Road, 512-878-9214, guadalupebrew.com, Facebook: @guadalupebrewingcompany
Kin Man Hui /Staff photographer file photo
Krause’s Cafe
This downtown institution is probably the best spot in New Braunfels to get into a German party spirit. Occupying the better part of a city block, the restaurant features a massive biergarten where polka musicians regularly perform for a festive crowd. And you can expect a lot more of that music as famed polka musician Alex Meixner as partnered with Krause’s to perform and book acts.
Krause’s menu leans largely German with a few nods to Texas and Mexico. The jägerschnitzel is a heavy hitter, with a perfect, hand-breaded crust over a wafer-thin pork cutlet dressed with a deep and earthy mushroom-spiked gravy. The Wild Game Sausage Sampler is also worth a try, with uncommonly good links made from wild boar, venison, rabbit and antelope.
Krause’s Cafe, 148 S. Castell Ave., 830-625-2807, krausescafe.com, Facebook: @KrausesCafeNB
Paul Stephen /Staff
Naegelin’s Bakery
This institution, the oldest operating bakery in Texas, opened its doors in 1868 and hasn’t slowed down since. There’s always a large crowd and a long line, but Naegelin’s German-inspired treats are worth the wait.
On the sweet side you have traditional cookies and pastries such as the gingerbreadlike lebkuchen, powdered sugar-coated pfeffernüsse and springerle, a type of biscuit embossed with images. Delightfully flaky strudels come in apple, peach and cherry varieties. You’ll also find spectacular loaves of German rye bread and pumpernickel — the latter a style of bread very few bakeries attempt.
Naegelin’s Bakery, 129 S. Seguin Ave., 830-625-5722, naegelins.com, Facebook: @NaegelinsBakery
Paul Stephen /Staff
Uwe’s Bakery & Deli
Don’t be fooled by the unassuming exterior of this business housed in a strip mall next to a Little Caesars pizza. Once you step inside, you’ll be greeted by the wafting aromas of freshly baked bread and steaming bratwursts, and probably hear at least a customer or two chatting in German.
Come to Uwe’s to stock up on baked goods, but stick around for lunch as well. Uwe’s bratwursts come in two styles: mild white brats and the more robustly spiced Thüringer brats, redolent of caraway, marjoram and garlic.
f you like meatloaf, you must try the fleischkäse. It’s a uniquely German take on meatloaf with a deeply savory flavor that tastes more of pork than beef, and it is served on a roll with grainy mustard.
Uwe’s Bakery & Deli, 1024 W. San Antonio St., 830-632-6585, uwesbakerydeli.com, Facebook: @uwesbakerydeli
Paul Stephen / Staff
Wurst in Gruene
This food trailer can be found just outside New Braunfels proper in the idyllic village of Gruene. The business anchors a corner of the sprawling outdoor venue The Gruene Grove, which also houses two bars, an ice cream stand, live music stage and more.
As the name suggests, sausages are the star at Wurst in Gruene. They’re dressed up in several variations, but start with the German. It features a juicy bratwurst tucked into a pretzel bun and dressed with bacon-spiked sauerkraut, sauteed onions and a generous drizzle of curry ketchup — a widely popular condiment in Germany. Order it with a side of tangy German potato salad and a cold pilsner before you kick back and enjoy the band.
Wurst in Gruene, 1263 Gruene Road, Gruene, wurstingruene.com, Facebook: Wurst in Gruene
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