Day Trips: Krause’s Cafe, New Braunfels

Krause's Biergarten and Cafe in New Braunfels is back after a 20-year hiatus with a redesigned version of the historic German food eatery that opened earlier this year.

Ron Snider, the new owner, has retained the traditional German menu items like Vienna schnitzel and Jägerschnitzel. The menu expands from there with a cassoulet that comes with a giant turkey leg covering the white beans, sauerkraut, and a bratwurst.

Speaking of sausages, the cafe's three styles of delicious tube steak will spark an argument about which is best. Most of the food is more pub grub than fine dining. There is a nice mix of burgers, sandwiches, and salads on the menu.

While the main dining room is bright and airy, it is the new bierhalle in the back that is really a beauty to behold. The glass and steel hall is modeled after the flag-draped bierhalles of Europe. The bar's 80 beer taps make the rows of long tables a perfect place to relax after shopping at the Saturday morning farmers' market next door.

Krause's Cafe began in 1938 when Eugene Krause purchased a small lunch counter and beer joint off the main square. The cafe closed in 2004, for what at the time was called a temporary rest.

Krause's Biergarten and Cafe is at 148 S. Castell, just a couple of blocks southeast of the traffic circle in downtown New Braunfels. To call ahead dial 830/625-2807 or go to www.krausescafe.com.

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