German Taco

Central Texas in the Hill Country (especially the cities of Fredericksburg and New Braunfels) is known for its German influences. The exact origin of the German taco is unknown, but several festivals and restaurants in this area serve it.
 
A “German taco” is a summer sausage and melted jalapeno cheese wrapped in a flour tortilla. Oma’s Haus Restaurant (New Braunfels) began serving German tacos in 1980 and might have originated the item. (Oma’s website takes credit for the invention of “German nachos.”) Similar to the “German taco” is the “Polish taco.”
 
   
Oma’s Haus Restaurant (New Braunfels, TX)
German Nachos
Our own invention of sausage on toasted tortilla chips topped with jalapeno and cheddar cheese. “Schmeckts Gut!”
German Tacos
Thinly sliced Summer sausage and melted jalapeno cheese rolled up in a flour tortilla.
 
5 June 1980, New Braunfels (TX) Herald, “A ‘German Country Store’: Oma’s Haus Offers Sausage, Cheese,” pg. 31F, cols. 2-3:
Oma’s Sausage Haus has gained a reputation for having the best selection of sausages and cheeses in the area.
 
Smoked meats, jerky, imported candies and cookies, German beers and wines are other reasons Oma’s is a favorite to both visitors and local residents.
 
Oma’s Sausage Haus is located on River Road one half-mile north loop 337.
(...)
Totally new, but delicious, is the German Taco made with flour tortilla, summer sausage and jalapeno cheese.
     
3 July 1986, Kerrville (TX) Daily Times, pg. 2A, col. 1 ad:
Joe Sanders—Strawberry-ade, Turkey Legs & German Tacos
(4th of July Picnic—ed.)
 
25 August 1991, Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram, “Autumn leaves room for fun” by Shirley Jinkins, pg. 1:
Foods range from wurst, sauerkraut, strudel, fajitas, shish kebabs, nachos and something called German tacos.     
 
18 September 1993, Austin (TX) American-Statesman, “Texas cools off with fall festivals, ethnic celebrations,” pg. D3:
Sausage, kraut, strudel, fajitas, shish kebobs, nachos and German tacos will tempt taste buds.
     
16 March 1997, Fort Worth (TX) Star-Telegram, “A Two-Step Tour of Seven Texas Dance Halls” by Shirley Jinkins, pg. 3:
The house specialty at the snack bar is a “German taco,” actually a sausage wrapped in a flour tortilla.
 
Amarillo (TX) Globe News
Web-posted Tuesday, September 19, 2000
Fair features fried food, foods on sticks
By CHERYL BERZANSKIS
Globe-News Staff Writer
(...)
Dorsey planned to eat a German taco, which is a flour tortilla stuffed with slices of summer sausage and jalapeno cheese, then wrapped like a burrito and heated.
   
Google Groups: rec.food.cooking
Newsgroups: rec.food.cooking
From: Dan Goodman
Date: 17 Nov 2003 23:44:48 GMT
Local: Mon, Nov 17 2003 6:44 pm
Subject: German tacos Re: Mexican pizza so why not Italian taco?
 
>>Closest I’ve heard of is German tacos. Not from Germany, but from a
>>German- settled part of Texas.
 
> This is interesting.
> Would you elaborate on what a German Taco is?
 
I googled for it a while ago, and as I recall it was a taco made with summer sausage. Searching now, I found one description—in German—which basically says it’s a taco with sausage and sauerkraut. The text is a travel report on Fredericksburg, Texas.
 
Here’s the German text, and the computer translation which Google helpfully provided:
 
German Tacos waren Tacos (sehr mexikanisch) mit Sauerkraut und Wurst. Naja, gab eher so Essen, wie sich die Fredricksburger das vorstellen, wie das in Deutschland so ist. Ganz wichtig “Kraut”.

German Tacos were Tacos (very Mexican) with sauerkraut and sausage. Naja, gave meals rather in such a way, as the Fredricksburger imagines that, how in Germany like that is. Completely importantly “herb”.
 
20 May 2005, Dallas (TX) Morning News:
But this wouldn’t be Fredericksburg without German sausage, German tacos (made with sausage and sauerkraut), corny dogs, hamburgers, beer and other favorites.
     
Amarillo (TX) Globe News
Web-posted Sunday, September 24, 2006
Burgers become game-day feast
By Cheryl Berzanskis
(...)
German Tacos
This is a German sausage, grilled and wrapped in a tortilla.
 
After the sausages are grilled on each side, Bandy soaks them in a barely boiling beer bath while other sausages finish cooking and serves them all at once.
   
9 October 2006, San Antonio (TX)

, “Sunshine, falling gas prices called a boon for Oktoberfest” by Guillermo Contreras:
While many took in a variety of foods that included the “German taco”—sausage and sauerkraut in a flour tortilla—others reflected on the fabric that ... 
   
Houston (TX) Press
The One Pound Potato Chip
Thu Oct 16, 2008 at 12:10:47 PM
Oktoberfest food booths sold a lot of familiar fairground stuff, as well as some German dishes like potato pancakes, sausage wraps and German tacos (sausage slices, sauerkraut and mustard on a flour tortilla).