Chef Brian Montgomery believes locally sourced food doesn’t only result in better-tasting menu items, but also in better relationships. And that means a premium dining experience for patrons of Zanzenberg Tavern in Center Point.
“We’ve started a local food community out here. It’s been a very slow process, very deliberate,” he said. “We take simple things and make them extraordinary.”
Montgomery has spent his career as a chef and a culinary school instructor. He was recruited to create dishes for Zanzenberg by Ed and Joey Story, who knew him from connections through the original farmers market at the Pearl in San Antonio.
The building in which the tavern is located is the oldest in Kerr County and was a favorite watering hole of ye ol’ Texas Rangers. Later it was a mercantile and a Masonic Lodge. It’s listed in the National Register of Historic Places and won a restoration award from the San Antonio Conservation Society.
Montgomery says Zanzenberg’s location in Center Point is one of its assets.
“We’re literally centrally located,” he said. “People come from Bandera, Boerne, Fredericksburg, Comfort, Kerrville, Hunt. All these little towns are not that far away. We provide an experience that’s worth the effort to get out here.”
Montgomery has had a lot of success with specialty food events, such as a wild game dinner, pairing Broken Arrow Ranch organic meats with wine from Newsom Vineyards. He’s also done an all-outdoor woodfired themed night. September brings bourbon pairings, followed by October and Texas Wine Month. On the first Sunday of each month he does a brunch. He’s always experimenting with the menu.
“Sometimes it stays the same for a week and a half,” Montgomery said.
The menu brings international flair to Texas themes. Schnitzel, yes, but antelope schnitzel with a sauce made using ingredients from Enchanted Mushrooms in Llano. Pollo asado is another regional favorite, but Montgomery tops his with a cilantro-cream sauce he created when he was at Texas Farm to Table Café at the Pearl.
What also sets Zanzenberg apart is its craft cocktails.
“We only use premium liquors, period. We make all of our mixers. If there’s blueberry syrup, it’s ours,” Montgomery said.
He brought in his friend William Taylor to help set up the bar program, adding, “He’s an artist.”
Crystal Noah, Zanzenberg’s manager, says the cocktail menu is a blend of classics and new creations. Yes, you’ll find a mojito and an old fashioned, but also a green cucumber martini and the Pink Pistol, with habanero and pineapple-infused blanco tequila. Some cocktails even incorporate wood smoke. And most of the offerings come from Hill Country producers, including the beer on tap from Pint & Plow in Kerrville.
“We do a lot of local stuff — vodka, gin, rum. Bourbon is Treaty Oak [Distilling]. Wine — Ursa [at Branch on High], Texas Heritage [Vineyard], Bending Branch [Winery], Newsom [Vineyards]. We use Ranch Brand Wine & Spirits,” she said.
Noah has been with Zanzenberg almost since its opening in 2022, and she says she’s gotten to know her customers well.
“Half of them have my phone number. They tell me when they’re coming and what they want,” she said.
The space behind the tavern Montgomery calls the wine garden.
“We plan to do more programmed events, bring interesting entertainment out here, seasonally,” he said. “We’ll have something to differentiate us from other venues. We’re not a country-western bar.”
Reservations are not required, but they’re probably a good idea if you plan to visit on a Friday or Saturday night. You’ll be more connected to the Texas Hill Country with every sip and bite.
“It’s good, straightforward, honest ingredients,” Montgomery said.
Zanzenberg Tavern is located at 318 San Antonio Street in the heart of Center Point, and it’s open Wednesday through Sunday.
Details are available at zanzenbergtavern.com.