Founded in 1866, this is the oldest beer garden in Texas. I like to picture good ole August Scholz coming home from the Civil War, and, disgruntled at having been drafted as a confederate soldier, deciding to open up a place where he could drink beer all day long. I don't know if that's what actually happened, but it seems likely enough. I've been to Schulz's numerous times for group events and have always enjoyed myself. Fabulous outdoor patio with ample seating. Spacious interior. A well-stocked bar and plenty of large tables for groups. Occasional live music. Scholz's is most popular for watching the UT games or for a low-key night on the town with friends. At past events, they've served buffet-style make-your-own fajitas that are absolutely delicious. Top-notch queso. Not bad for a German place that serves Tex-Mex. Ha. They also serve German bratwurst (they have to stick to their roots somehow...). Prices are moderate and parking can be a challenge, but a biergarten with a fun history (see their website) and a lively atmosphere is not a bad way to spend a Saturday night. Stop by Scholz's. read more

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What a great find! My boyfriend researched this place first and since we wanted to watch college sports, in particular the MSU vs. U of Who game, he found this place. It's right in the heart of the UT campus and was established in 1866. It is the oldest business in Texas without having ever been closed down and/or re-opened. This place is as authentic as it gets. We walked around the back because of all the Texas Longhorn tailgate festivities. They had tents set up everywhere with all kinds of vendors, music, and alcohol. They had the local sports radio station, 104.9 the Horn, broadcasting the pre-game show. The place was PACKED with Longhorns fans! It's really cool to be in that kind of environment. I miss my college days...... They have a huge outdoor patio with picnic tables and a long bar serving drinks along the side. The inside has a back area with windows where you can see outside to the patio with several tables where you can order food and drinks. Then you take a small step up into the main bar area where they have 4 tv's that they have all of the different games to watch. The prices are a little steep, $7 for a 24 oz. bud light / coors light / miller lite can. I guess not too bad for an awesome college game day experience! The bartenders were super nice and always spot on when you need a refill. I will absolutely be coming back here to watch more college football in the very near future. Yay oldest business in Texas! read more

Scholz Garten - German Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Love the outside seating and the great music. Terrific food. Plenty of self service water. Cooling fans everywhere. Friendly dogs and people. I'm looking forward to returning. read more

We stopped by to rest our feet on a Friday afternoon. The employees were friendly and full of recommendations based on the menu. The radler alone was worth the trip. The pretzel is HUGE and definitely sized to share. We had the beef tips and jagerschnitzel. The mushroom gravy was a bit heavy with pepper but that would have been our only complaint. Due to COVID, they are using paper menus so one of the workers came to our table and asked if we'd like to hear the history. A definite must stop when in Austin. read more

Had a Young Workers Meet Up here. The food provided, mini pork sliders, pretzel bites with cheese and a veggie plate with ranch we're all very good. The spice of the BBQ sauce was unexpected and for someone that usually doesn't like spicy sauce, it was very good. I loved that they basically only serve Texas beer and ciders so you really got a good taste of Texas. I had the Ausin Pinapple cider, which was great. Sometimes the pineapple can be too sweet in a cider, but it was a perfect blend. Overall this is clearly a college hangout and it was a great choice for us. read more

Mediocre food, service is just OK. I sometimes drop by to pick up some sides as being a Vegetarian i do not get many options here !!! Atmosphere is great, an old, sort of Historic place in Austin, usually very busy during the lunch hours. read more

I've lived in Austin for over 50 years. This place is a hometown classic. Such a shame to see it go down hill. My wife & I stopped in while waiting for an event at UT. We ordered a beer and a Russian Tea. The bottled beer was luke warm and we were told they had no frosted mugs. It's a beer garden! A Russian Tea is simply a glass of iced tea with a shot of vodka. I can understand a bit of confusion if you are not familiar with it, but once you explain what it is, getting a large glass of luke warm tea with 6 ice cubes floating in it, and a shot of vodka on the side is disappointing. On the second round, I again said, fill the glass with ice, throw in a shot of vodka, and fill it with iced tea. Same thing arrived for round two. When I requested a glass of ice to add to the tea, I got 8 ice cubes! I guess there is a shortage of ice at Schultz's. read more

So glad you made it through the plague! At least a few things I've loved about Austin over the years are still around. Went early, after work b/c it's around the corner from the State offices. Server basically had most of the room so the service was a little slow, but the food service was fast. Had my BBQ sandwich with the best sauerkraut I've ever eaten. The vodka based Cherry Limeade was the perfect compliment. Will definitely be back next time I'm in town! read more

We went in to check the progress on the new ownership. I will leave my review the same. The current menu is very limited to a burger and some sausages. It is obvious that the prices have and probably will, be significantly higher. We were told that the menu will continue to expand over the next few months with the addition of authentic German cuisine. The addition of a German restaurant to the Austin scene is quite exciting. read more

The aesthetic of this place and location is close to everything is def a pro. Also, I enjoyed the giant sweet tea on a hot day. I don't know if I would come back for a meal but def stop by at the bar or hangout on their outdoor patio. read more

The food is amazing. If you are a fan of Reubens or Giant Pretzel then you will love this place.

I visit Austin regularly for work. I drive for coach USA and mega bus so I'm always on the go. I've ordered a few items from the establishment on numerous occasions. It's spot on every single time. It's a little pricey but I'm the type of person who is willing to spend money on quality. Their food is worth every penny. I got this German monstrosity burger I have no idea what it's called. But it was absolutely delicious. read more

An Austin classic! Such a great spot to hit before a football game or event by UT. It will no doubt be busy at those times so get ready! Great food options and tons of beers. read more

Extremely disappointed in their reuben sandwich. I called ahead to ask if they used a house-cured corned beef or a Boar's Head type lunchmeat. Looks like lunchmeat in photos. It's great when it's sliced thin like that but around here it's a usually a dead giveaway that they're using cheap grocery store lunchmeat. The Sholz employee I spoke with over the phone assured me it was a house-cured product. I used a Door Dash special to try the sandwich on a pick up order. YUCK. First they made it wrong with the thousand island dressing I specifically requested be left off. They remade the sandwich but CLEARLY dumped the old, cold fries from the first order on top of the remade sandwich. Ok, gross fries are a potential hazard anywhere. You don't except it at a place like $$ Scholz. I finally tried the sandwich and YEP, it's Boar's Head. Bland, salty, and gross. No way it's a house-cured product. I've been eating good corned beef from Jewish delis like Guggenheim's, Kenny & Ziggy's, Manny Hatton's, Carnegie, Cindy's, Bagelstein's, etc. for over FORTY years. I know grocery store lunchmeat from a quality, house-cured product. This was the latter. The worst part is the TERRIBLE aftertaste I'm still trying to shake hours later. It's like the nasty aftertaste from diet sodas but with meat. Diet meat? I'm sure it's the additives they use to preserve the product and get away with using the cheapest meat available in volume. THAT'S WHY I CALLED AND ASKED AHEAD. I HATE that kind of corned beef and it really grosses me out. I don't know if the person on the phone lied to "sell" a product or truly didn't know about the corned beef they use. Maybe they're located too close to the center of Texas politics for their own good. I'm furious that door dash won't give me a refund and keeps trying to kick it back to Scholz. I thought the whole point of using third-party food apps was that they guarantee the food will be what's it's supposed to be. Please give Scholz a chance, but maybe skip the corned beef unless you like paying $$$ for $8/lb. Boar's Head. read more

I was able to eat here for the first time this weekend. I have to say it was absolutely delicious. I spent two years in west Germany and tried many different German dishes while I was in Germany. Scholz Garden food as authentic as the German food I had any years ago in Germany. I was able to reminisce in the garden area and remember the fun time I had while serving in the U S Army In Aschaffenburg W Germany. The wait staff at Scholz Garten was very friendly service was fantastic. My server Andrew did a fantastic job. I highly recommend coming here especially when I have live bands. Wunderbar ( German for wonderful) place to dine read more

It been a while and I haven't reviewed here. Nothing has changed and everything the same, this is a good thing. You havta get a big pretzel, oh my love it! Big Paulander Heffee and jagersnitzel. Yum. My girl got a peppered sausage and fries. Very solid. Don't go changing ! read more

Went here for the first time. The atmosphere was very cool. As for the food, the pretzel was amazing and the cheese that came with it was also amazing. As for the bratwurst it was lukewarm ok flavor, the waffle fries tasted as if they been sitting out all day, cold and dry. Over all, pretzel was great, the rest of the food not so good, beer was good! I had a higher expectation given their long history. read more

Stopped in here this weekend while waiting for some people to finish up the MS150 and this place was right along the path to the finish line. The location was good and there was plenty of places in the back to toss a bike, which was very nice considering. Lots of seating, inside and out. Food wise it was good but nothing amazing. I've always been clear that I hold Austin food places up to a higher standard because they're all so dang good, but this chicken fried chicken wasn't anything I couldn't get in Houston. Liked the peach cobbler with my meal. Queso was weird and a little too spicy. Nice waitstaff though, very attentive and helpful. I wouldn't bother to make a trip for this place, but I'd eat here again if I happened to be right here. Feel like I'm being a little harsh here, but maybe there are some better dishes to stick my fork in. read more

Scholz Garten - Corn on the cob - German Near Me - Austin, Texas

My husband and I enjoyed a delicious lunch here today. Chicken Sammy and Reuben Sammy. Our server, Gavin was very courteous and made us feel safe in this COVID-19 era we're in. They have a large outdoor seating area with large shade trees and fans for a nice breeze. I would recommend this place for good music, food, drinks and social distancing. read more

My boyfriend and I think that this might be the best Jaeger Schnitzel that we have ever had. The sauce was thick and packed with flavor. He ordered sauerkraut and said that it was a perfect combination of flavors. The beer selection is pretty decent as well. Of course there are lots of German style beers as well as the mainstream brands. I tried a few beers that I had not had before and I loved them. One was a craft lager from Dripping Springs, TX. The only thing that I thought could be improved was the atmosphere. It seemed a little empty and not a whole lot of German type decorations. Also, they should work on sprucing up their outdoor seating. It could be so much nicer than it currently is. read more

FYI: This is a food & patio review Wow, amazing food and COVID & social distancing guidelines. We walked in around 7 on a Saturday night, party of 6 and chose to sit in the outdoor patio area. The fans were spraying a cool mist and the band was playing Journey songs! I had the jagerschnitzel. It was super moist and the mushroom gravy on top was amazingly full of flavor. My hubbs and our friends each ordered the brat platter and my kiddos got the chicken strip dinner (the strips were pretty long and fat, all white meat). Everyone loved their orders, did I mention I got a vodka rocks for $6! Super family friendly night, that night but I'm assuming thats because its Covid and there are no games happening for anyone to tailgate. The customer service was friendly and attentive as well. BTW, this is NOT their first pandemic. They have been open since 1866! It's also the oldest beer garten in THE UNITED STATES. If you are wanting to try German get your butt in the car and give this place a whirl. read more

Great service! Great STRUDEL!! that ice cream though... Our server was very patient and attentive, even though they were prepping for an event. The food was delivered promptly and without any faults. I will recommend this place to my friends and family. read more

Scholz Garten - Strudel!!! - German Near Me - Austin, Texas

UPDATE: Upon my boss revising his end of year credit card bills with his receipts he noticed that the waitress added a $4 tip to our tab when we were there 8 months ago. It's been to long to bring this up, she probably doesn't even work there now. Be warned: This place is shady. It's been 10 years since I've gone to Scholz's. And I fear it has fallen from grace. The menu has been reduced to a sheet of 15 German Inspire bar food items. No smoked things anymore. Inattentive food servers. I can only assume this has dissolved into a college bar in the evenings were the drinking comes first. I had the Cobb salad. The lettuce was fresh and a step above ice burg. It was perfectly fine. My colleague had a bratwurst without a bun and German Potato salad. He rates the bratwurst as perfectly fine and the potato salad as good. However, when all of this came to the table we didn't have silverware. Another food server brought the food, turned around before we could ask. A man refilled our water and finally brought some after we asked. Not to mention, we sat there for quite some time before someone initially came to the table. The great irony is that our food server had on a tank top with a plunging neck line that said "God knows when you don't tip". Perhaps he also knows when you're not being attentive. I think it would be a wise choice to require those working to wear the standard Scholtz T-shirts so they can be easier to spot and have a more professional look. All of this could be overlooked, but when the restaurant is basically empty at lunch, you just expect a bit more. The best food in the world is overlooked when the service lacks. read more

And so my tour of oldest bars in each state continues....this is the oldest bar and restaurant in Texas. It's a pretty typical German club restaurant/beer garden. The ambience is pretty good...though it isn't the Rathskeller in Indianapolis (designed by Vonnegut's grandpa!). The beer is.... good. I mean, it's what you expect at a German restaurant. The food... well.... I just had a pretzel. But it was kind of stale and the garlic butter was kind of off.... I'd give the food another try and go for a schnitzel next time... read more

Scholz Garten - Beer list - German Near Me - Austin, Texas

Good casual place located near the University of Texas campus and the Stat Capitol. I had the German Bratwurst and a pretzel. The brat was decent and the pretzel was delicious and definitely "Texas" size! The atmosphere was laid back and relaxing. We ate in the bar area which was dimly lit and very relaxing. Overall, I liked this place and would come back again. read more

Scholz Garten - Huge "Texas-sized" pretzel! - German Near Me - Austin, Texas

Yea, I'm a fan because Scholz is an iconic ATX venue and is a must visit at least once. Expect excellent service, a great inside bar, and their famous outside beer garden. On a Friday evening they were busy, as you would expect, but service was top notch. There was a good selection of Octoberfest style beer and excellent local offerings on draft as well. The only issue we, 5 of us, had were with their sausages. You would think that they would be the stars here, sadly not so. We all ordered different saugies and some just lacked flavor liked they were boiled or cooked previously. Other were MEH at best. Three cheers for the huge hot pretzel and the dipping sauces. But the saugies were disappointing. read more

A landmark in Austin. The beer fests here are a lot of fun. Live music, booths of course beer it's a piece of Texas/Germany in the heart of Austin. Pro tip, you get complimentary taste coupons with your entry ticket. If you would like more you can buy them near the gate don't be shy :-) read more

I have been here many times unfortunately. Friday was particularly an unsettling experience. The bartender server, "Am B" was irritated from the start and condescending for absolutely no reason. Instead of a warm greeting I got "do u know what u want?" She obviously was in a very you know what mood and aggressively pointed at my menu when I asked about a price of an item and tried to convince me to buy something I had no interest in getting. I should have just walked out but ordered some mediocre sauerkraut balls and a nasty pretzel instead. I will never be back again. Thanks "Am B!" read more

So glad I came in today for the Sunday BBQ brunch. They had so much to choose from and it was just what I needed. They also have over 20 taps of craft beer and traditional German beer. Couldn't be happier. Plus they even had the Astros game on!! read more

Scholz Garten - German Near Me - Austin, Texas

Definitely would recommend this place to anyone! Tiffany was the best bartender there!-I attended the Michigan basketball game. Best bartender in the place hands down!!!!!! She was Fast and efficient! Great chop beef sandwich. I am in the customer service insisted as well and really appreciate great service when I receive it! you guys have a gem working there...hope she's there the next time I attend an event and more! Thanks Tiffany! read more

Visited today to have a nice german sausage, but find they are out of 3 of their 4 sausages. Disappointing out of most that is not common in Germany they sure miss German quality. Lunch was not so good. Who ever heard of frying a pretzel or brotchen. We will never visit them again. read more

We came here on a Saturday and ordered a few beers. We also ordered their pretzel which was the BEST German pretzel I've ever had!! The beer cheese and mustard that can't with it was delicious. Huge outdoor patio with stage for music. We will be back simply for the pretzel! read more

Scholz Garten - German Near Me - Austin, Texas

Staff still great after transition to new lease/restaurant owner. Food OK. Tries wings twice didn't finish order either time... It's an unorganized zoo before and after UT home basketball games. Between the home fans and visitor's fans, the place is pretty crowded before and after the games. Last few times NO TABLE SERVICE.... Stand in long lines, food is cold sometimes if you even can get an order in before game time (and ee get there 1 1-1/2 hrs before tipoff)... kitchen closed after the games... whiskey-tango-foxtrot?!?! For the 1st time in more than 26+ yrs. (as long as I have had season tickets) we actually have gone someplace else before/after the games ... spoken to quite a few regulars and same thoughts/actions... kind of disappointing... Hope "FRANK" figures it out before baseball season... Can't imagine the scene before last season's football games.... Pretty easy to look up home schedules and make sure enough staff and supplies on hand... just saying Miss Green Mequite's team that ran Scholz for a long time... I hope "Frank" figures it out soon, really like going Scholz ... read more

When I was a grad student in engineering at UT many years ago my colleagues and I spent a lot of Friday afternoons at Scholz's. Many complex problems were solved over beers and some of the solutions were even correct. I moved to Minnesota where I became an Engineering Professor at the University of Minnesota but I have always had a real soft spot in my heart for Scholz's. I was in Austin recently after a very long absence and decided I had to get back to Scholz's. I did and found some things had changed and some things remained the same. The interior looks just as I remembered. The exterior, particularly the surroundings have changed enormously. Large buildings and busy streets on all sides and difficult parking but I guess that is a good description of 21st century Austin. Anyway the feeling of being in a country beer garden was diminished. Austin Isn't the small town I used to know and love. Anyway I had the sausage platter which consisted of three sausages with 4 kinds of mustard, pretzel bread, and small bowls of sauerkraut and red cabbage. It was excellent - much better fare than I remember. I sat outside which was very pleasant considering I had just arrived from Minnesota in February. The service was friendly. Returning to Scholz's was a trip down memory lane for me and I hope to return again. read more

Love the inside of this place as it makes a good retreat from the outside world. It has a quaint, saloon feel to it. They had several specials that day and I went with the pork chop with two sides for $6.50. The pork chop was big, juicy, and tasty. The german potato salad and cajun rice were the perfect complement to it and just enough food. Our server was warm and attentive. I will be back to try one of their meat plates. read more

Perfect place to bring friends from Boston including one who'd recently returned from Germany. The staff were so sincere and kind when I asked to accommodate my mother's needs and they gave us a very suitable table for the seven of us! My parents had been here 65 years ago when students at UT. It was just really special. I appreciated great recommendations for the lighter lagers that I love. Our German traveler said the curry wurst was WAY spicier than what he'd been eating in Berlin. No doubt it has come under a central Texas influence over the years. Watch out! read more

Ridiculously overpriced food, but I guess that's how pub food usually is. Place advertises itself as very authentic German food, but calling it German food at all would be extremely generous. Service was also shoddy, as our waitress seemed extremely disinterested and rushed even though business was relatively slow. Also, when it was time to pay on the little electronic check, she automatically clicked on a high tip amount for me even though I don't think she deserved it. The bratwurst that I did order though was very very good, although still not worth $10 for such a tiny portion. Also, they have happy hour from 4-7 pm on Fridays and getting a nice pint of local draft for $4 was appreciated. Still, there are other great restaurants/pubs in town (both German and not German) that are much better than this one. read more

Wanted German food and found Scholz Garten after reading about Octoberfest happenings in Texas Monthly. This place has history and great food! Outside of Prague where we enjoyed real pretzels, their giant soft pretzel was baked to order, piping hot and delicious! For entrees, we had the schnitzel and sausage with traditional spaetzle. No room for dessert but next time! It was a quiet evening in dining room but lots of patrons enjoying the outdoor seating and cool evening. Bartender was helpful in recommending a drink besides ale or beer...a black cherry mead....yummy! read more

Worst wurst service!! Took over 45 min for a brat and fries!! Not busy at all, no lunch rush, no excuses

Amazing! From the moment you walk in the door, until you leave, it's all great! The man who greeted us at the door, the friendly and outgoing server and then the food! I had the Monday pork chop lunch special...It was so tender and flavorful! The mashed potatoes are real, the potato salad is phenomenal! My husband ordered the brisket and bratwurst and he was very impressed with the flavors! As an unneeded bonus, they have Heinz ketchup on the table! The portions are very generous and the prices are very reasonable. You won't go wrong eating here! If we lived in or near Austin, we would definitely be regulars here :) read more

Scholz Garten - Portion sizes for the lunch menu are huge! - German Near Me - Austin, Texas