The Schnitzel Shack of Rincon (via Darmstadt)
One of the first things Jürgen did when we got to Savannah was type “German Restaurant” into Google. The nearest authentic place we could find bore the tongue-twisty name of Schnitzel Shack, and was a half-hour away in a town called Rincon (rhymes with Lincoln).
So far away, we eventually forgot about it. But on a rainy Wednesday afternoon, I came home to find Jürgen dressed in his lederhosen, playing the accordion and wailing “Deustchland, deutschland über alles” with tears rolling down his cheeks. The homesickness was terminal. Nurse! I’m going to need an injection of sauerkraut STAT! Let’s roll, destination: Schnitzel Schnack! I mean Shack!
Minutes later we were seated at our table in the tiny restaurant just on the Savannah side of Rincon. Color flushed back into Jürgen’s pale face as he read the menu with growing delight. “Jägerschnitzel? Goulash?! SPÄTZLE?! Ja Ja Ja! Wunderbar!” The restaurant actually offers a selection of both German and Thai dishes, an odd combination which owes itself to the homelands of the Shack’s owners — Pao is from Thailand, and Joe is from Germany.
We soon discovered that Joe’s not just from Germany, but actually from Jürgen’s home town of Darmstadt: a small city south of Frankfurt. Once that unbelievable factoid was unearthed, the night really got going. Joe came over and swapped stories from the Heimatland. Jürgen’s mom even worked at the same company as Joe! We stayed late after eating, and talked with him and Pao while trying out some of their beers. They’re a great, super-nice couple; Joe still works a day job, and comes into the restaurant at night. The Shack is pretty popular; the tables were all full and it seems to attract a crowd of regulars.
And the food! I almost forgot. Joe told us that when a couple comes in, the man typically orders hearty German food while the woman chooses a dish from the Thai section of the menu. Well, Juergen and I are both guys, so we went with Jägerschnitzel, Cordon Bleu, Spätzle and Sauerkraut (okay, fine: and a Thai Dumpling appetizer). Gott im Himmel, was it delicious. The Shack also offers fusion dishes, such as Ginger Cashew Schnitzel and Sweet & Sour Schnitzel.
So, yeah. Somehow, there’s great German-Thai cuisine in Rincon, Georgia, served by a cool guy from Juergen’s home town. It’s unbelievable how many crazy treasures are hidden right in plain sight. If we hadn’t researched the Schnitzel Shack in advance, we’d have driven right by without ever noticing it. But now you know: there’s no excuse to miss this great little restaurant in Rincon. Make sure to say hi to Joe and Pao from us.
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January 26, 2011 at 6:18 pm
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March 13, 2011 at 7:53 amLaura
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I so wish I found your blog when you were actually in my adopted hometown of Savannah! Its so crazy that great little German place is in little old Rincon!
March 13, 2011 at 9:04 amJuergen
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Hey Laura,
did you go to the Schnitzel Shack and if what did you order? How long have you been in Savannah now?
To us 3 month sounds long but the the time in Savannah just flew by.
March 23, 2011 at 9:52 pmbeatrix webb
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THE BEST GERMAN FOOD I HAD HERE IN THE USA.THE PEOPLE ARE JUST GREAT,LOVING AND SURE KNOW WHAT THEY DO.I WILL ALWAYS GO BACK TO ENJOY EVERY MIN.THANKS YOU FOR ALL YOU 2 DO.I HOPE EVERYONE WILL COME TO EE YOU AND TRY YOUR FOOD.BEER AND YOUR KINDNESS.KEEP UP THE GREAT WORK.HUGS BEBE
June 29, 2011 at 11:10 amMeredith Ley
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Thanks to your blog and visit to the Shack, I was able to do a story on them for WSAV’s “Our Hometown” week. Joe and Pao gave me a great interview and the food is DE-LISH!!!!!
June 29, 2011 at 4:46 pmJuergen
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I wish I could go back … would love to try their Sweet/Sour Schnitzel. What did you have. It feels like such a long time a go when you interviewed us. Was such a blast!
July 25, 2011 at 12:58 pmBarrie Wilkins
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This German Restaurant is truly Wunderbar!
I had the Sweet/Sour Schnitzel and I was amazed at how well the tai seasoning and vegetables blended so well with the great taste of the Schnitzel. The blend of Tai dishes and German traditional dishes that Pao and Joe offer are quite a tasty combination in cozy, comfortable atmoshere.
We are planning on meeting there tonight with my family to enjoy more of their great Schnitzels!
November 10, 2011 at 1:24 pmjens raedisch
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today nov 10 2011 i have found out about the schnitzle shack and tomorrow i will be there to check it out,let you all know how it was later
January 2, 2012 at 4:05 amJuergen
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So how did you like it? What did you order?
January 13, 2012 at 6:33 pmIsabella Davis
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Gosh Guys I certainly wish I had known you were soooo close!I truly admire your posts,images are spectacular and the writing really strikes a cord ,love the humor,please dont hesitate to email me if you are ever back this way!All the best, IsaBella
January 14, 2012 at 3:32 amMike
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Thanks, Isabella! We’re glad you discovered our blog, even if it’s after we’ve gone. We do hope to get back to Savannah someday
For now, though, we’ve just finished up our stay in Palermo, Italy, and are moving on to Sri Lanka.