Built in 1894, the ornate red brick building located on Main Street in Schulenburg, Texas, was once part of the vibrant, commercial railroad town. The cast-iron Corinthian columns, pressed tin ceiling and original pine leaf dance floor at Sengelmann Hall echo the celebration of patrons past, who frequented the impressive dance hall and saloon. Built by brothers Charles and Gustav Sengelmann, the hall was the cultural hub of a tiny Texas town nestled in the rolling hills of Fayette County.
In 2009, Sengelmann Hall reopened its doors, inviting Houstonians and visitors from all over the world to step back in time, listen to legendary performers and taste true Czech-German recipes with a Euro-Texas twist. The award-winning dance hall has featured musical acts, including Crystal Gayle, Joan Osborne, Hays Carll and James Hand. The culinary team, led by Executive Chef Eric Bardini, serves an assortment of menu items every weekend, offering folks cultural dishes such as Chicken Schnitzel; Texas cuisine, such as Chicken Fried Steak; and for those more daring approach to food, Chef Bardini features rotating weekend specials like, slow cooked Ox Tail on a mound of garlic mashed potatoes, sweet onions and carrots.
The bar is a sensational masterpiece, replicated from the original out of mahogany and adorned with elaborate detail. The staff offer that small-town, genuine, friendly service and the bartenders know how to mix made-from-scratch pre-prohibition cocktails, including, the Mint Julep, which is made with homemade simple syrup and The Last Word, which is prepared with a premium, gin, homemade Maraschino Liqueur, and fresh-squeezed lime juice.
Upstairs is a sight to see, too! After you step off the elevator, head left to the dance hall to witness the original stain glass windows, original bar enveloped with chicken wire (they said it was used to protect the bartenders, booze and guns inside the coats!) and original pine leaf dance floor. There is a reconstructed balcony off the dance hall that overlooks Main Street.
