Hot Dog Expert Frank Takes Over Scholz’s Garten

Scholz Garten, the historic beer garden in downtown Austin, is getting a menu makeover with the help of hot dog-obsessed restaurant Frank. The new food lineup will launch on Thursday, June 1. It replaces Green Mesquite as the beer garden’s food vendor, which held the position for the past 20 years.

Frank’s updates will pay homage to the “extensive history of Scholz,” the hot dog restaurant’s co-owner Daniel Northcutt told Eater, with plenty of “German nods.” They want to “pay attention to the history of longevity of the place.” Frank plans on trimming and adding dishes, aiming to “complement the German fare” and “add our own little twist to it,” bringing more Texas and Austin flavors. These changes will roll out slowly.

Scholz’s current food menu is a mix of dishes from Green Mesquite, like barbecue plates and its signature smoked chicken wings, along with German dishes like a variety of schnitzel and bratwurst and the usual pub fare (burgers, sandwiches, pies, peach cobbler, baked potatoes). It’s all to be washed down with beers from the wide-ranging list from local names to German breweries.

Scholz Garten put out the call for new food vendors in early 2015, whittling down the list of 30 potential merchants to one. The historic beer garden and bowling alley opened in 1866 by August Scholz. The entire address is owned by Austin-German organization Austin Saengerrunde. It became known as the go-to spot for politicians and UT tailgates.

Frank currently has two locations: the original Austin one, which opened in 2009, and another out in San Antonio.

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