Melissa Pickering
Audio By Carbonatix
Before he became an acclaimed Phoenix chef, Nicholas Hyche spent a portion of his childhood growing up in Germany. This weekend, he’ll draw on those fond memories at Oktoberfest in Tempe as he treats festivalgoers to his signature bratwurst creation.
Each year, the festival features live music acts on multiple stages, food booths with a variety of German and other international eats and many beer tents.
Last year, Hyche was invited to create a series of bratwursts for the long-running event. The chef is the creative mastermind behind Der Wurst Hot Dogs, a popular pop-up restaurant inside uptown Phoenix bar Linger Longer Lounge.
Of the four he created, social media users picked their favorite, the ‘Signature Brat.’ Due to its popularity, the brat sold out early. But this weekend, fans have another chance to get a taste.
The Signature Brat is a Kiltlifter bratwurst (a bratwurst with Four Peaks Kiltlifter beer mixed into the sausage) served on a pretzel bun, topped with cabbage, mustard and apple slaw and sprinkled with chopped bacon. This particular bratwurst comes courtesy of Denmark Foods, which carries a line of Four Peaks beer-flavored sausages.
“I wanted to find a hybrid between the American and German, so I honor the German with some cabbage and mustard, and pork is very important in Bavaria, where Munich is,” Hyche says.
A childhood favorite
Oktoberfest is perhaps Germany’s best-known festival. Its origins date back to 1810, when the crown prince of Bavaria, King Luis I, married Therese von Sachsen-Hildburghausen in Munich. The celebration lasted five days and concluded with a horse race. The festive event turned into an annual tradition.
In subsequent years, food and drink were introduced, and by the late 20th century, the annual festival grew to include parades, amusement rides, music and dancing.
Though he does not have German heritage, Hyche and his family lived in Germany for a portion of his childhood. His father was in the military and stationed in the European country.
“I did live in Germany in the late ‘80s and early ‘90s, and that bug bit me, I guess. My comfort food is homestyle German food, so sauges, potatoes, cabbage, schnitzel,” Hyche says.
Hyche eventually moved to the Valley and attended culinary school in Scottsdale. He went on to work in fine dining, but his love of German food and hot dogs was firmly ingrained.
“I’ve loved hot dogs since I was a little guy, but I’m a classically trained chef,” Hyche says.
However, he eventually tired of the corporate chef life. Following his passion for hot dogs and German food, the concept for Der Wurst Hot Dogs was born.
From fine dining to hot dogs
Der Wurst Hot Dogs, originally a hot dog cart hooked up to Hyche’s Honda Fit, opened in February 2018. While navigating the restrictions on restaurants during the pandemic, Hyche was able to open his brick-and-mortar location inside the uptown dive bar, Linger Longer Lounge, in September 2020.
For Der Wurst’s menu, everything is either made from scratch in-house or sourced locally. For instance, all of the hot dogs come from Shreiner’s Fine Sausages and the buns come from Strictly From Scratch bakery in downtown Phoenix.
“We use local ingredients, local hot dogs, local buns,” Hyche says. “I wanted to respect the hot dog and treat it with some better ideas than just mustard and onions.”
To this end, menu items include dogs topped with a plethora of toppings, some traditional and many not so much.
The quality has not gone unnoticed. In addition to receiving awards for the brats, including the 2025 Best of Phoenix award for Best Hot Dogs, Der Wurst has also received high praise for their scratch fries. These are hand-cut, par-cooked, cooled and fried to order, and lastly sprinkled with salt.
“I just treat them with respect and do it the right way,” Hyche says.
Fortunately for revelers at the Four Peaks Brewing Oktoberfest, this respect for each ingredient and its preparation garnered Hyche an invite to return.
Four Peaks Brewing Oktoberfest will take over Tempe Beach Park this weekend, kicking off at 5 p.m. on Friday and running until midnight. On Saturday, the fun runs from noon to midnight, and on Sunday, from noon to 10 p.m.
General Admission tickets are $22 bought online or $25 at the gate on Friday and Saturday, with free admission available to all on Sunday. Those age 20 and under, however, have free admission all weekend. There are also VIP packages available.
For many, the festival is all about beer. But for Hyche, this weekend is a celebration of hot dogs.
“I’m just glad to be a part of it and I love to celebrate German food and bratwursts,” Hyche says.