GOT BRAT?
By Ellen "EJ" Sackett
We were on a hunt for brat--that is, bratwurst. The destination? Muenster, Texas, a small community west of Gainesville best known for its annual Germanfest which draws crowds from all over the Dallas/Fort Worth metroplex.
The otherwise sleepy, dusty town seems permanently stuck in the 70s, at least from the looks of it along Hwy 82. Although we knew of its reputation for having the best German food in the region, we were clueless as to how to find it.
A quick Google search with the help of my iPhone led us to Rohmer's. It was easy to find the stone-covered building on the north side of Hwy 82. Several cars and a row of motorcycles were in the parking lot, even at 1:30 in the afternoon, which we took as a good sign. According to the blog, "Regular Joe's Guide", Rohmer's makes Weiner schnitzel the way it's supposed to be: "crispy and lightly seasoned" and it said the sausages were "wonderful". Based on this recommendation, we gave Rohmer's a go.
While we weren't exactly expecting buxom blondes in dirndls with fist-fulls of beer steins to greet us at the door, we surely weren't expecting a Denny's-style sign directing us to seat ourselves either. The place could've passed for a typical small-town coffee joint, a place where you don't go for the atmosphere.
The German menu is limited and only makes up a small portion of Rohmer's offerings: four dinner plates with chicken or pork schnitzel and bratwurst and sausage, or the same thing made into sandwiches--but well worth the drive. I opted for Regular Joe's recommendation, the traditional pork Weiner schnitzel, although I was tempted by the grilled reuben sandwich. My companion opted for the bratwurst. Both plates came with a good-sized helping of sauerkraut and German Potato salad, which gave me the urge to yodel. The rough-skined biker boys (and girls) in their leathers at a nearby table made me think better of it. Because there was no apple streudel on the menu, we didn't have any; otherwise, we would have.
Since we came for authentic German food, we weren't even a little tempted by the rest of the restaurant's many choices, however delicious they might be. The selections included hamburgers, several cuts of steaks, fish fillets and breaded shrimp, chicken fried steak, fried chicken and a marinated Hawaiian chicken with grilled pineapple, barbecue pork ribs and beef brisket, and Mexican quesadillas and enchiladas. Sides some with some meals and not others. A basic soup and salad bar is also available.
On the way out, we chatted with daughter of Rohmer's founder, Dina Sicking, a friendly woman, determined to carry on what her father started. She and her husband now run Rohmer's Restaurant, which opened its doors in 1953 in a quaint stone building which has since been knocked down and replaced with the current structure. A replica sits on a counter behind the cash register. While the newer building hasn't the charm of the old, it better serves the needs of the restaurant. According to Sicking, the old was dilapidated beyond repair. To strangers' eyes, the building was nothing special, but to her, it represents progress.
Before we left, I took a photograph of the retro Rohmer's sign that announces the restaurant to roadside travelers. I had to smile. While the town may be slow to move with the times, and the restaurant owners don't seem to be all that interested in capitalizing on its German roots, we still found what we were looking for. The
genuine article. No more, no less. Das ist alles, und alle ist genug.
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Rohmer's Restaurant and Catering
217 East Division Street ~ Muenster, TX
940-759-2973
Open Monday through Saturday for Breakfast, Lunch and Dinner
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Sounds like a really neat little place. How was the Weiner schnitzel anyway?
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