KRATZMC

Ever since I moved to Hill Country, folks have been recommending I go to the German Restaurant in Walburg, Texas. Reports of entertainment, good food and an outdoor Beer Garden were enticing but no one could give me the name, except for the German restaurant in Walburg. Of course, I put it on my list of Hill Country places to eat. Coincidentally, ride partner Bob Head’s Birthday was in the chute so his mom wanted to have a celebratory lunch there. Time to kill two birds with one stone…Pay homage to my aging friend and RTE.

Now, how to make a 16 mile trip as the Crow flies into an interesting ride to eat. First, I tried to find the exact name of the restaurant to pin point its location for navigation purposes. Well this was easy enough, as Walburg is a small town, small town, small town. Did I mention Walburg was a small town? Anyway, Google revealed the restaurant was named the “Walburg Restaurant”. With a visit to the website, I got a preview of the menu, a few trivial facts and its location. I learned they have a lunch Buffet, which is the best way to sample as much of the menu as you can, in just one shot.

I left the ranch allowing about an hour to make the 1200 hr lunch rendezvous with Bob, his mom and friends, Alma and Eric. Alma and Eric thought it a bit hot for a ride and since Bob had his mom, they would be arriving in cages. For those not familiar with Motorcyclist jargon, “Cages” are a Moto term for an enclosed automobile. Riding solo, I stretched out the short ride by making a counter clockwise loop to Walburg and later back home.

The route, a 64 mile loop, clear, sunny and a cool 98 degrees

I first headed the opposite way on Hwy 195 into Florence hitting CR 2843. As all the roads in this area on the weekends, traffic was non-existent. The roads wind gently and undulate beneath you as you pass ranches, farms and unique properties. Other than the solitude and pleasant views, nothing unusual happened as I completed my first leg and crossed interstate 35. Taking the County roads towards Walburg, I made several pleasant discoveries.

First, I encountered the town of Schwertner. Located at the intersection of FM-2115 and 1105, it was pretty much shut down on Sunday. West of the intersection which I guess you would call down town Schwertner, were some stone buildings with character, abandoned, vacant and it seemed like such a waste. I looked in all directions of the compass and literally didn’t see another single sole. I paused at the corner store which looks like a great place to take a break, grab a snack or cold drink.

Schwertner, Texas N/E corner of FM-2115 and 1115.

FM-1115. I tried to heed the sign but I had the whole road to myself.

Working my way to Walburg, I continued south on FM-1115. There is debate over the meaning of FM as it pertains to roads. I think it either means “Farm Maintenance” but my friend Bob insists it means “Farmers Market”, a route used by Farmers to get their goods to market. Either way, they both sound good.

A few miles down the road, you come to an interesting town called “New Corn Hill”. Referred to as a Ghost Town, it is very interesting but I found it errie. There is a huge and beautiful church and cemetery worth visiting. I have no idea why I didn’t take a picture of the church but click on the mini church picture to learn more about this area.

The Church in New Corn Hill, Texas

Road to Walburg

Without much ado, I reached Walburg at 1150 hrs. I took some pics of the restaurant while waiting for Bob. I gave it about 15 minutes and called Bob, to learn he hadn’t even left the house yet. I hate it when people are late. Miffed as I worked to be punctual, I decided to get on my bike a ride for the next 30 minutes instead of waiting in the hot parking lot.

The restaurant and pretty much the whole town.

Interior of the inside dinning area. The Biergarten is located outside and is where the entertaining is done during the evenings and has a separate menu.

When I arrived back at the restaurant, Bob his mom, Eric and Alma were standing in line at the buffet. I quickly joined them and picked my way through the line. There are many native German selections but I most enjoyed the roasted potatoes and the Jaeger Schnitzel. Jaeger means Hunter in German and Schnitzel pretty much means a meat cutlet, so you can figure out the translation. Jaeger Schnitzel is a boneless pork cutlet pounded flat, breaded, pan fried and covered in a dark mushroom based gravy.

Das Jaeger Schnitzel

I ate until I was stuffed making two trips through the buffet line. I polished it all off with an Apple Strudel and coffee. The food here is great and I recommend you make reservations if coming in the evening but lunch or brunch doesn’t seem to be a problem. Bob’s mom Angie, paid for the lunch so it was one of the best food values I’ve had in a while.

With a full belly and satisfied with another successful RTE, I quickly made my way home and was soon napping my Schnitzel away.

I will have to fall in line with the others and recommend this as a food destination if you find yourself in the Georgetown area. The food is authentic, good and reasonably priced. I will have to make a return trip when I am not riding to see what the Biergarten is about. I will be in Munich or Munchen for the Octoberfest next month, so I will have a benchmark to make any final comparisons.

For more information about Walburg Restaurant, click on the link in the second paragraph.

Auf Wiedersehen!

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