Friedhelm's Bavarian Restaurant – Fredericksburg, Texas

I am no expert on authentic German food, but Friedhelm’s in Fredericksburg must be close to the mark. This large, pink hotel/restaurant located on the west end of Fredericksburg, is a popular dining destination for many tourists that come through this pleasant little South Texas town. Whether their food is spot on German or not, it is excellent, although expensive.

We were greeted immediately at the door, and shown to a table. Our server appeared as we were sitting and promptly took drink orders. She served drinks along with various breads and butter. A cup of tasty cabbage soup soon followed, and then a fresh garden salad, nicely served on a chilled pewter plate. That may seem like a small detail, but attention to detail makes for happy customers, and I was very happy.

 

Well, mostly happy. I admit that I had forgotten how expensive this place is. Unless you order a hamburger, you’re going to spend anywhere from $16 to about $25 for each entrée. My son wanted to order prime rib, but at $40 a plate, I had to tell him no. It was a little unsettling to realize that for five of us, the bill would be over $100. I had another piece of bread and told myself to forget about the money; my family was excited to eat here again, and I didn’t want to make a big deal of the price.

After the soup and salad, I sat gazing out the window at the traffic flying past less than 30 feet from where I sat. It suddenly occurred to me there was absolutely no sound coming from outside. I watched 18-wheelers roars past, along with other cars and trucks – all without a whisper coming through the window. I don’t know what kind of glass they used, but they sure were thinking of the customer dining experience when they installed it. The silence - or more accurately, the absence of annoying road noise – added nicely to the pleasant atmosphere, and contributed nicely to a pleasant dinner.

I ordered Schweinerippchen, a double cut pork loin, perfectly grilled, and served with pan-fried potatoes. There was no skimping on this piece of pork, and I barely had room to finish it. Everyone was happy with their food, and we left full and satisfied.

Larry Manch is an author, teacher, guitar player, freelance writer, and columnist. His books include: 'Twisted Logic: 50 Edgy Flash Fiction Stories', 'The Toughest Hundred Dollars & Other Rock & Roll Stories', 'A Sports Junkie', 'The Avery Appointment', 'Between the Fuzzy Parts'. His books are available in paperback and e-book.

He also writes about sports for Season Tickets, food and travel on Miles & Meals, and music/guitars on The Backbeat.

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