Walburg German Restaurant & Biergarten

According to the Texas State Cemetery website, about 3 million Texans considered themselves at least partially German in 1990. That's not the timeliest statistic, but drive around the state for a bit and you'll undoubtedly come across some remnants of German culture. Germans started immigrating to Texas all the way back in 1830, and many German bars, restaurants, and towns dot the map, especially in the central region.

One of those is @walburgrestaurant, a historic establishment found on a quiet road in Williamson County. The restaurant shares the same name with the town it resides in, Walburg, which was founded by German immigrant and businessman Hy Doering. He was born in Walburg, Germany, and upon arriving in Texas, built the Walburg Bank, his home, and several barns. He also built the Walburg Mercantile building in 1882, which is today the Walburg German Restaurant.

These days, Randy Tippelt and Randy Light own the restaurant. Tippelt also hails from Germany—Munich to be precise. Maybe that's why this place is in great shape. Save for an obvious White Claw neon sign (honestly, they should scrap it), there's barely anything here that'll tip you off that the place isn't located in Milwaukee or Frankfurt.

There’s also tons of room. Rows of seats inside, and a sizable beer garden with outdoor stage in back too. A private dining room upstairs will squeeze in 50 or so. All told, I read that the property can fit 800 people.

I especially like the collection of beer steins, many of which date back to the '80s. And the painted artwork on the walls, which makes the space look like something out of a Wes Anderson movie.

I can imagine this place filled to the brim on a crisp October night—patrons swinging their steins, plates of saurekraut flying out of the kitchen, and an accordion-wielding yodeler performing like he's auditioning for Def Leppard. Dancing aplenty and kegs running dry. Now that's a party.