Here's Why Wienerschnitzel Doesn't Serve Wiener Schnitzel

Have you ever been to a Wienerschnitzel location and wondered why the restaurant doesn't actually serve its namesake food? After all, the fast food chain serves up a lot of wieners, but no actual wiener schnitzel. Of course, if you only know it from the restaurant's name, you may not realize traditional wiener schnitzel is a specific dish — one that has nothing to do with hot dogs. In reality, wiener schnitzel is a veal cutlet that's usually pounded flat, breaded, and then fried.

While it's actually much closer to a chicken-fried steak than a hot dog, that doesn't entirely explain why a restaurant called Wienerschnitzel doesn't sell the dish. Then again, founder John Galardi never actually intended to sell it when he first opened Der Wienerschnitzel in 1961. In fact, the name was suggested by Martha Bell (wife of Taco Bell founder, Glen) because she saw the dish's name in a cookbook, and it included "wiener," a synonym for "frankfurter." Galardi eventually came to like the sound of Der Wienerschnitzel, thinking it would be memorable.

It's worth noting that, for a very brief time, Wienerschnitzel actually did sell wiener schnitzel, offering it for two months in 2017 as part of a short-lived promotion. If you went to a location during that time, you could choose between classic ranch schnitzel, BBQ bacon schnitzel, or blazin' bacon guacamole schnitzel (with chicken cuts for the schnitzel instead of veal).

While there's no doubt that schnitzel can be delicious, it definitely would have been a strange choice to build a fast food chain around back in the 1960s. Galardi was well aware that he wasn't selling schnitzel since wiener schnitzel had nothing to do with hot dogs. But the name stuck in his head, and that was the exact reason he chose it. It was so memorable that he figured, even if it didn't make sense, people would still remember the name, and that's exactly what any business wants.

In German, "wiener" just means "from Vienna." The word "schnitzel" literally means "slice," but it generally refers to a thin slice of meat. Put it together, and "wiener schnitzel" means a cut of meat done in the Vienna style, which is the breaded and fried dish we know. Or we should know, so long as the Wienerschnitzel chain isn't confusing any of us. The important thing to remember is that, if you're ever in Germany and ask for wienerschnitzel, you won't be getting a hot dog.

The different meanings are why the chain's 2017 experiment with schnitzel on the menu was such a fun surprise. Galardi's son, the current CEO of Wienerschnitzel, said that they would consider keeping it if it sold well. Since the promotion didn't last, we can assume people are still not ready for actual schnitzel at Wienerschnitzel.