Wienerschnitzel returning to Houston

[Specwriter]

It was Big Frank's, both on Montrose and Kirby. The one on Montrose closed years before the one Kirby.

I miss not having any all beef wiener options any more.

I worked in an office near the Big Franks on Montrose and I know it was there as late as 1993 but then I moved to another job in the Greenway area. I don't know when I noticed that it was no longer Big Franks. Former UofH cougars may remember another very indie hot dog place on Hicksfield near the intersection of Lockwood and Munger (where the Metro Eastwood Transfer Station is today). As hot dogs go that place had some pretty good ones. I know it was open in the late 80's but, like Big Franks, I do not know when it closed.

I didn't take advantage of the 87 cent hot dogs at JCI the other day but I did go to the original JCI downtown and had the limit (6) of 5 cent Coneys when they celebrated whatever anniversary that was. My rapidly diminishing memory tells me that was the summer of 1992. I was even on the evening news. Yeah, I was really proud to watch myself downing a half dozen hot dogs when it wasn't even a contest. Seems like I was eating a lot of hot dogs in those days. In my defense that was the time I was finishing graduate school and had just entered the work force as a low-paid intern.

[crunchtastic]

It was Big Frank's, both on Montrose and Kirby. The one on Montrose closed years before the one Kirby.

I miss not having any all beef wiener options any more.

Costco snack bar! They have a great all beefer. A drink and a big weiner for a mere $1.50.

[rsb320]

And rsb, you're in Montrose. The beef wiener options are near limitless.

Perhaps, but the quality is no where near what it used to be.

[Subdude]

What has the world come to when we can get almost 30 comments in on a wiener thread and no one is willing to make the obvious joke? It's a sad day for potty humor everywhere.

Perhaps they are adults. Perhaps they were enjoying a discussion not hijacked.

[AtticaFlinch]

Perhaps they are adults. Perhaps they were enjoying a discussion for once not hijacked with inane sidebar remarks.

Far be it from me to be that lowbrow. I wasn't making a joke at all. In fact, I was referring to the all-beef kosher wieners at Katz's Deli.

Why, what were you thinking? Probably something as equally erudite, I'm sure. Only children can find genital and scatological humor amusing, and only they would take such a softball opportunity as a thread about wieners in Montrose to make a joke about... well, wieners in Montrose. Only a child would do such a horrific, immature thing.

You know I once saw the Oscar Mayer wienermobile in front of Chances. No joke attached to the statement, but it's true. I probably would have considered immature jokes at such a sight, but I was simply too engrossed in thought over important issues like the economic disparity among social classes, pondering the existence of God, contemplating the vagaries of the meaning of life and eating at Der Wienerschnitzel to have considered such crass, simplistic, boorish humor.

[readam]

Used to go to the Drag Weinerscnitzel a bunch in 1967...losers of boarding house card games would trek/ walk on down from 22nd and buy for the players...bad news on cold nights. Still go in Bryan and Austin...put the darn franchise in SugarLand

[NenaE]

As the last sentence of my post made clear, I thought. The "Der Wienerschnitzel" chain is about as German as Taco Bell is Mexican. I was just making the point that the actual dish "Wienerschnitzel" has nothing to do with sausage. They're just making a play on the common usage of "wiener" as a hot dog. This Wikipedia article has a lot of interesting information, not least of which is that "Der Wienerschnitzel" is grammatically incorrect in German and the restaurant chain dropped the "Der" in 1977.

Wikipedia article

My wife was once very upset to learn that the department store Weiner's (spelled E-I) did not sell hot dogs, nor any kind of food.

...thanks for that last line. I needed a laugh today.

One thing is for sure, we like talking about hotdog places.

[sevfiv]

Came across the Big Franks picture - it wasn't an ad but a picture of the sign in an article about Kirby being "restaurant row" or something like that (in The Texan Newspaper, November 9, 1988):

[GettaClue]

I saw an ad from Wienerschnitzel in the business section of today's Chronicle which reads "Wienerschnitzel is now offering new franchising opportunities in Houston." From what I hear, there hasn't been a Wienerschnitzel in Houston in 25-30 years.

There was one in the Bear Creek area on N. Highway 6 just a few years ago. It was co-branded with a Church's Fried Chicken, right across the road from where the Rave movie theaters are now located..

Church's is still there, but Wienerschnitzel isn;t. They were not a good fit with Church's, because chicken takes so much longer to cook. Their drive-thru and counter lines used to really tick people off who were just coming for a hot dog. I mean, you'd go there to order a Mustard Dog and a Chili Cheese Dog and you'd inevitably get behind some bozo who has ordered the 20 piece Family Pack o'Chicken with 8 side items. Your order which should have taken maybe 2 minutes tops wound up being a 30 minute frustration fest. It was ridiculous!. When JCI opened up the road in Copperfield, people started to go there instead, not because the food was better but because you didn't have to commit hours of your life to getting your hot dogs.

Anyway, I am thrilled to see them coming back! They are always a must-have anytime we go to places like San Antonio, Austin, San Marcos, Albuquerque, most of CA, Las Vegas, etc.

Edited July 31, 2010 by GettaClue

[hbcu]

I saw the ad also....but it's supposed to be pairied with some ice cream place also

I remember the Highway 6 one...lol....yes, it would take forever..

[brucesw]

Looks like Tex-Fried Chicken was at the Little Big's/Ming's location in the 1970s and at least until 1980. Not sure after that..

Wasn't that Montrose location originally (or earlier anyway) Tex-Chick?, the Puertorrican place now on Fairview?

[dbigtex56]

I remember the Der Wienerschnitzel on Westheimer (in Montrose.) It was on the site now occupied by Wendy's, and the name was changed to 9ers sometime in the early 80's. Another post referenced 9ers as well - was there a name change or buyout?

Cheap, greasy food served through a dirty greasy window, is all I remember about the place. It was demolished circa 1983.

[IronTiger]

A Wienerschnitzel was in College Station up until around 2003 (dunno when it opened, but I'm guessing early 1990s). Better yet, an "A-frame" design (in the photo above) still exists in Bryan.

[JLWM8609]

Almost 8 years after I created this thread, it looks like the first new Wienerschnitzel in the Houston area will finally open. It'll be in New Caney. 

https://www.yourconroenews.com/neighborhood/east-montgomery/news/article/Wienerschnitzel-opening-first-Houston-area-12979391.php

[Susan T]

On July 26, 2010 at 8:02 AM, Specwriter said:

It's a hot dog restaurant. Back in the day they were built as an 'A' frame building like some of the older Whataburger restaurants. I distinctly remember visiting one in Houston during January of 1968! I believe it was on Long Point Road. That neighborhood was quite a bit different than it is today. I also (sort of) remember a Wagon Wheel which was a drive up hamburger stand nearby.

My grandmother lived in Spring Branch at the time and my sister and I would spend the occasional Friday or Saturday evening with her when my parents would have an evening out (we were both in elementary school at the time). Nana was not a "cook" but she did seem to know what a couple of youngsters would like for dinner.

I'm certain of the January 1968 date because the garage at our home burned on 1/20 of that year (we think it was set as a diversion for several robberies in the neighborhood). Though the living space wasn't damaged the whole house was pretty smoky so we had dinner every night of the ensuing week at friends' homes or at fast food restaurants. My sister and I thought it was kinda fun - my parents, probably not so much.

Even though I remember going to der Wienerschnitzel I couldn't tell you now if they had good hot dogs. I was a little kid then and I think my tastes have changed. I might have enjoyed the novelty more than the food. I enjoy a James' Coney Island hot dog now and then. I also liked to visit Big Franks. There used to be one of those on Montrose just north of Westheimer.

I looked on the der Wienerschnitzel web site and the closest current restaurants are in Bryan and around Austin. A US map on the web site suggests there are some in the Houston area but I couldn't find them.

They are currently building one in New Caney off 69

[Specwriter]

21 hours ago, JLWM8609 said:

Almost 8 years after I created this thread, it looks like the first new Wienerschnitzel in the Houston area will finally open. It'll be in New Caney. 

https://www.yourconroenews.com/neighborhood/east-montgomery/news/article/Wienerschnitzel-opening-first-Houston-area-12979391.php

Yay! Now I get to find out if the hot dog I had 50 years ago was a good one. 

[Firebird65]

On 6/14/2018 at 9:51 PM, Specwriter said:

Yay! Now I get to find out if the hot dog I had 50 years ago was a good one. 

I've been to one in Corpus Christi several times over the years and for a while, my niece lived a block away from another in San Antonio. They're good, trust me. Not as good as a Nathan's, but then what is. I prefer Wienerschnitzel to James Coney Island (or whatever they call themselves now).

 

That's not meant as a swipe to James Coney Island. Both are good. I just prefer Wienerschnitzel to James Coney Island. Like I prefer gold to silver. But if you gave me a truckload of silver, you wouldn't hear me complain one bit about not getting gold. You win either way. So whether you have a Wienerschnitzel dog or a James Coney Island one in front of you, you have a pleasant experience ahead. 

 

I'm headed down to Corpus this weekend. If I can, I'm going to stop at one. I'll be thinking of you when I chow down. 

[IronTiger]

For what it's worth, according to West Houston Archives' John Williams, a hybrid Church's Chicken/Wienerschnitzel operated on Highway 6 North for a few years, with the Wienerschnitzel menu being removed around 2005.

[Gurgis]

On 7/26/2010 at 11:36 AM, Fringe said:

I used to go to the one on Hillcroft near Bissonnet. I thought they were pretty good late night snack, but then back than pretty much everything tasted good. 

 

Yeah, it was at what is now 7801 Hillcroft, at the southeast corner of Hillcroft and Pine Street. The A-frame building faced Hillcroft, with the length of it paralleling (and just south of) Pine St.

 

I remember going to it as Der Wienerschnitzel possibly as early as the late 60s, but definitely in the 70s. By the mid 80s it was Niner's Hamburgers (they still had hot dogs too). I actually worked there. The owners also had a Niner's location in Pasadena, possibly also a former Der Wienerschnitzel.

 

According to their website, there are currently 45 Texas locations:

https://www.wienerschnitzel.com/location-results/texas/?address=tx

 

The founder had an interesting and fun life:

https://www.wienerschnitzel.com/drive-thru-life-the-story-of-john-galardi-founder-of-wienerschnitzel/

Edited May 21, 2020 by Gurgis

[ChannelTwoNews]

There appear to be two of them in the area now. 

One is on Hwy 6 just north of the Westpark Tollway and the other is in New Caney along 59, just southwest of the intersection with FM 1484.

Another is planned for the Grand Parkway and Peek Road, between the Morton Ranch and Clay Road exits on the southbound side.

https://www.tdlr.texas.gov/TABS/Search/Project/TABS2024002720

https://communityimpact.com/houston/katy-south-fulshear/dining/2023/10/20/popular-hot-dog-chain-coming-soon-to-katy/