Das Essen Hutte — The Eatin’ Shack — offers German favorites at mall

Charlie and Roxane Dorzweiler are the owners of the new German restaurant Das Essen Hutte — The Eatin’ Shack at Big Creek Crossing.

By CRISTINA JANNEY
Hays Post

A family who has been making German favorites for years in the Hays area has opened a restaurant at Big Creek Crossing.

Charlie, 57, and Roxane, 53, Dorzweiler dubbed their new restaurant Das Essen Hutte, which is German for The Eatin’ Shack. Both husband and wife are of German heritage. Charlie grew up near Catharine and Roxane grew up in Hays. The couple lives on a farm outside of Catherine. Roxane is working at the restaurant full time, but Charlie also works for Ellis County EMS.

The restaurant, which opened a week ago on Friday, is open 11 to 8 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays and noon to 6 p.m. Sundays.

Food is definitely a family affair. Their daughter owns JD’s Chicken, and back in the early 2000s, the couple owned the restaurant and bar, Old West Chuckwagon in Hays.

The couple who have done catering and cooked for Hays’ Oktoberfest for years, will offer items including bierocks, which Roxane makes from scratch, including the dough; bratwurst, which Charlie makes from scratch; and other homemade German favorites including green bean dumpling soup, chicken and noodles, noodles and beans, and reubens.

Das Essen Hutte is located on the south end of Big Creek Crossing around the corner from Snow Cone Express.

Charlie said the food the couples serves at the Hutte are traditional foods he ate and prepared with his father and grandparents when he was a kid.

The couple also makes fresh-baked items, including streusel, cinnamon rolls and heart cookies. New items are being added daily and will likely include spitzbuben cookies, barbecue, pork brisket, galuskies (cabbage rolls with hamburger and rice), cupcakes, cakes and homemade chicken noodle soup.

The couple thought about setting up in the mall concourse just for the holidays. However, that option gave them limited access to electricity. After talking with Big Creek Crossing, they decided to take a storefront on the south side of the mall around the corner from Snow Cone Express.

A homemade cinnamon roll, heart cookies and streusel at Das Essen Hutte at Big Creek Crossing.

The Dorzweilers had to do some modifications to their new location, including electrical work, as well as pass a restaurant inspection. The couple signed a short-term lease, but would like to build enough support for a permanent restaurant.

Although there is healthy contingent of German families in Hays, there aren’t a lot of German restaurants, and Charlie explained why.

“There is a lot of time in making it,” he said. “That is why there are not a lot of people having it.”

The restaurant has seating for about 30, but you also can carry out, including individual orders and soups and noodles by the quart and bierocks by the dozen. The couple will still cater for the holidays, including whole roasters of green bean dumpling soup.

The couples also has a produce business, Dorzweiler Produce. They sell produce, such as watermelons, cantaloupes and potatoes. They have sold out of the Orscheln’s farmer’s market in Hays and to local nursing homes, restaurants and grocery stores.