FOOD NEWS
One Of Texas' Oldest Restaurants Was Additionally A Second Home For German Immigrants
BY MATTHEW SPINA
When Germans began immigrating to Texas in the 1830s, they needed a place to gather, and one of the first spots they did so was a bar named Scholz Garten.
Scholz Garten was founded in 1866 in Austin. It has had a reputation for attracting a diverse clientele for community gatherings, debate, and politics since the 19th century.
The saloon was founded by immigrant August Scholz, a Civil War veteran who originally purchased the site to operate as a boarding house for German settlers.
By 1875, when Germans made up more than 7% of Texas's population, Scholz joined other local beer gardens to become the cultural center of German life in Austin.
After passing through the hands of Scholz's stepson and a brewery, Scholz Garden was acquired by the Austin Saengerrunde, a German singing club, in 1908.
The Saengerrunde led Scholz Garten through Prohibition and both World Wars before leasing the management of the saloon in 1962, enduring as a beloved local gathering spot.
The most recent person to lease the business is Daniel Northcutt, who took over in 2017 and moved to change the eclectic food menu to focus more on quality German cooking.