Orlando’s Schnitz & Giggles is Oktoberfest on wheels

Amy Drew Thompson, Orlando Sentinel
·5 min read

It’s a big month for Matthias Wagner, co-owner of what is arguably the best-named food truck in the city and a pun I am angry at myself for not coming up with first.

Schnitz & Giggles has been Orlando’s mobile source for German food since it started rolling in 2022, and in a city that’s already rather light on the bratwurst, it’s been a welcome addition to not only the food truck scene but the food scene in general, with dishes Wagner’s been developing since he caught the cooking bug in his early teens.

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The schnitzel, frikadellen (German meatballs) and more are riffs on family favorites he enjoyed growing up in the German city of Lauf, as-yet-unwritten recipes that came full circle when he and his husband, Owen Johnson, who hails from Long Island, New York, began their second careers in the culinary arts.

Wagner, a tourism industry veteran with a resume that had taken him to places like Spain and Mexico before love brought him stateside, and Johnson, who worked in the public sector, had downtime during COVID’s early days, when the New York City’s restrictions were tight, and spun up the idea for Schnitz, but took their operation south not long after.

“Working here was easier,” Wagner says, noting Orlando’s food truck-friendly nature. “Plus, there was no other German food truck around.”

“The food is pretty straightforward,” I say.

Wagner laughs. “It’s German. And yes, we are.”

So, too, is the month, to some degree. Traditionally, Oktoberfest is more of a late September affair, winding down early in the following month, “but some events fell through, so we’ve got a stronger October this year.” As such, you can catch Schnitz & Giggles at a host of upcoming celebrations around Central Florida, which has an impressive number of German expats and those of German descent.

“The food — it brings back for many people memories,” Wagner says. “I get a lot of people at the truck saying, ‘My grandmother is from Germany,’ or ‘My parents are from Germany.’ Owen’s mother is from Germany, too. So, a lot of people have ties there … and it’s very comforting food.”

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Indeed, potatoes in two forms — homemade German-style potato salad and ridiculous-crisp fries hand-cut to order on the truck — are seductive paths to a satisfying carb coma, but you’re not going to want to miss the schnitzel, which they do in both chicken and pork.

“Original Vienna schnitzel is THE schnitzel, and it is done with veal,” Wagner notes, “but in Germany and surrounding countries like the Czech Republic and other places where the dish is eaten, they went to pork because it is less expensive.”

The truck used to use pork exclusively, but Wagner realized they were leaving people out.

“Bratwurst is pork, the meatballs are beef, so at bigger events, we began bringing pork and chicken and at the smaller ones, just chicken, because there’s more crossover. This way, we have options for everyone.”

As for the brats, those come straight from Deutschland.

“You can’t really find the exact right flavor here because some spices and herbs are hard to get,” he explains.

Brats come in platter and sandwich forms, each served with sauerkraut, but the currywurst, which features two sliced-up links smothered in curry ketchup, is a rich, homey crowd-pleaser.

“There are so many histories about the curry ketchup and who invented it first,” he says, “elaborate recipes and simple ones. People do fruity ones, spicy ones … there are restaurants in Germany now that specialize in all these spice levels.”

Schnitzel, though, is the star performer. Whether on platter or sandwich wins the popularity contest depends on the day. Each offers a different experience; the platter with sides like the housemade gurkensalat (cucumber salad) and aforementioned kartoffelsalat (which you should know is made with vinegar, not mayo) is more of a stationary treat, while the sando — unique with its garlic mayo and red pepper sauce — is a whole other experience, one Wagner thinks stands out in a sea of chicken sandwich offerings.

Accouterments notwithstanding, it’s the cutlet that anchors it all. Each layer — from seasoned flour to liquid dredge to bread crumbs, which Wagner makes himself from toasted rolls — is salted precisely for maximum flavor.

It’s food like this that’s the soul of Oktoberfest, which, much like food truck events, is an active party. “In Germany, people don’t necessarily sit down. There are rides. They walk around. So, much of what we do is typical of a German imbiss, which is a little hut on the side of the road.”

‘Tis the season for such, but year-round, Wagner and Johnson see regulars return, whether Germans looking to get a hit of home or noobs hooked on food that brings the flavor. He’s happy to be the one to do it.

“You have to have the passion for it,” he says. “If you’re doing it just because you have to, it probably won’t taste the same.”

Get your schnitz on

  • Oct. 13: Celebration Monthly Food Truck Night, 5-9 p.m., 681 Sycamore St. in Celebration

  • Oct. 14: Renaissance Theater Company, 6- 10 p.m., 415 E. Princeton St. in Orlando

  • Oct. 17: Wedgefield Food Court, 4:30-7:30 p.m., 20550 Maxim Parkway in Orlando

  • Oct. 18: Windermere Brewing, 5-8 p.m., 11 W. Fifth Av.in Windermere

  • Oct. 20: Oktoberfest Altamonte Springs, Cranes Roost Park, 6-9 p.m., 274 Cranes Roost Blvd. in Altamonte Springs

  • Oct. 21: Oktoberfest, All day long, Sunset Palms Hotel and Condo, 44199 US-27 North in Davenport

  • More info: schnitzandgiggles.godaddysites.com

Find me on Facebook, TikTok, Twitter or Instagram @amydroo or on the OSFoodie Instagram account @orlando.foodie. Email: amthompson@orlandosentinel.com, For more foodie fun, join the Let’s Eat, Orlando Facebook group.