The $32 Schnitzel That Conquered San Francisco Sundays
Inside the joy-first formula behind the city's hottest pop-up sensation
From Asian pastries to Swedish hot dogs, there's no shortage of pop-ups in San Francisco. But few sell out as quickly—or make for social media content as viral—as Garrett Schlichte's Schnitzel Party at Casements Bar in the Mission. With his instantly recognizable curly mane and cartoon character-level exuberance, Schlichte, a former contestant on the Amazon Prime reality TV series "America's Test Kitchen: The Next Generation," is a local star who colors outside of the lines.
Garrett Schlichte
"Schnitzel is fun and just a little ridiculous," says Schlichte of his chosen Trojan horse into massive recognition. Currently a private chef, he has had a dazzling number of career pivots for a 34-year-old, from working in university administration offices to being a dating columnist, to working for an audio erotica company, to running the dinner series Virgo Supperclub with his friend Lara Ortiz-Luis. After his TV stint, Schlichte signed with an agent and is currently working on an essay collection.
In a scene where many pop-ups thrive and fail, Schlichte has already positioned himself as bulletproof. No wonder—throughout his winding career path, he's been "nose to the ground just doing my best to figure out what it means to be alive." Right now, for Schlichte, this means "trying to squeeze as much joy out of everything as I can," which also happens to be the reason why the Schnitzel Party has been so well-received. "It's just fried chicken and potatoes, not the fanciest menu," he says. "But I'm really excited about it all, and hopefully people can feel it."
The idea for a stand-out pop-up was born after a video Schlichte posted on Instagram about a schnitzel party he threw for friends in September 2024 got over 100K likes. But of course, enthusiasm alone won't do—it's also the fact that Schlichte aims to keep it accessible. For $32, attendees to the ticketed pop-up receive a large plate with a massive, crispy chicken schnitzel, Caesar salad, Schlichte's signature "party potatoes" (another Instagram recipe gone viral), pickles with lemon aioli, complete with DJ sets and a drag show.
While Schlichte loves "quote-unquote tweezer food" and has a background in fine dining, he knows how exclusionary these dining experiences can be. "At the end of the day, people just want to have a good time," he says, "and be a part of something." Having said that, he likes to think that he brings "a certain level of precision" from his fine dining background. "As well as lots of big, bold flavors. There's nuance, balance, and spice," he says.
Another secret to success? Hosting an event with late-night elements—a drag show with a DJ—on a Sunday afternoon to give people entertainment opportunities without pulling by the club at 11 PM. Why combine the European classic dish with drag? Why not, really. "A lot of local establishments misunderstand the relationships between things being good and fun," Schlichte says. He wants both—delicious food that feels comforting and thought-out, a casual atmosphere, and a playful vibe. Unlike high-investment restaurants, pop-ups, he adds, provide chefs with an opportunity to "try new things with fewer restrictions."
Plus, Schlichte says, local diners have become more savvy, and the bar is high regarding return on investment. "They know they could pay $75 for a chicken finger that has caviar on it and need to go get a burrito when they're done, or they could pay thirty bucks for something warm and delicious somewhere else," he says. "I think people understand that fancy doesn't necessarily mean better and more expensive doesn't mean good."
Schlichte believes that the local pop-up community, which the Schnitzel Party is a part of, can and should offer diners just that: a satisfying combo of price and quality. "I hope there are more pop-ups in the future of the city!" he says, name-checking fellow pop-ups like The Mushroom, Sol Bakery, and My Friend Fernando as inspirations freshening up the scene with creative takes on vegan food, pastries, and Chicano cuisine, respectively. Overall, Schlichte wants to see "more people on both the cooking and eating side engaged in the culinary scene." As for his own pop-up, the third installment of the Schnitzel Party is in the works. "I'm always exhausted for two days," he says. "But I just love it."