Photo by Peter McCrady
Photo by Peter McCrady
Photo by Peter McCrady
Photo by Peter McCradySouthern food, doughnuts with 'decadence'
Gourdough's burst onto Austin's food trailer scene in 2008 by serving its "big fat donuts" out of an Airstream trailer on South Lamar Boulevard.
Owners Ryan Palmer and Paula Samford added more trailers located at
1503 S. First St. and 519 E. Seventh St. The owners, both real estate agents, had wanted to open a brick-and-mortar restaurant, Head Chef Jamus Reichelt said.
It would be a place where they could combine Samford's love of Southern food with the trailer's signature menu item.
Gourdough's Public House opened on Halloween 2012. From the start, the restaurant did not serve health food.
"[How would I describe it?] Decadence. Gluttony. Pure excess, really. Those are the words I would use," Reichelt said with a laugh. "Everyone loves to indulge."
What makes a good doughnut? How it rises, Reichelt said.
"Our doughnuts have been compared to beignets for their [texture]," he said. "They need to be a bit stronger to hold the things we put on it, or they would collapse."
The public house developed its menu from Samford's family recipes and the efforts of its first head chef, Reichelt said.
Staff suggestions make up a significant portion of the menu, the head chef added.
"We had wanted to do a banana bread doughnut, and nothing was working," he said. "Finally we figured out [we should] mill doughnuts down to make doughnut flour to make the banana bread."
Palmer and Samford opened the restaurant's bar out of a love of craft beer and cocktails, Reichelt said. The bar hosts movie and trivia nights, and its happy hour takes place from 11 a.m.–6 p.m.
Gourdough's is also working on expanding its lunch menu, which includes lighter fare such as pesto chicken and half entree/half salad combinations.
"The donut is still pretty much always the carb option," Reichelt said.
Doughnut meals
Gourdough's Public House incorporates doughnuts into almost all of its Southern food-inspired dishes, Head Chef Jamus Reichelt said. Salads are served with a garlic doughnut, sandwiches and burgers use doughnuts in place of buns and the entrees are served on doughnuts.
- Dirty South—Chicken-fried steak, potato pancake, white gravy and cranberry habaero jam ($12)
- Double D's—Angus beef, bacon, egg, blue cheese, Buffalo sauce, red onion and chipotle mayonnaise ($11)
- Mother Clucker—Spicy fried chicken breasts and honey butter ($9)
- Phat Club—Oven-roasted turkey breast, bacon, ham, provolone, Muenster, cilantro, tomato and garlic mayonnaise ($10)
- Pig in the Poke—Jalapeo sausage, spicy mustard, pepper, onions and candied jalapeos ($10)
- Three Little Guidos—Brown sugar and cracked pepper–rubbed bacon, fresh basil, mozzarella, sliced tomato and balsamic reduction ($7)
Dessert doughnut options
- Big E-Z—Powdered sugar and locally harvested honey ($4)
- Black Betty—Blackberry filling, cream cheese icing, cake mix, cinnamon, sugar and honey butter ($4.75)
- Glory Daze—Glazed spiced apples, cheddar cheese and cream cheese filing ($5)
- Nutty Valentine—Nutella, cinnamon, sugar and fresh strawberries ($5.75)
- Sin-A-Bomb—Melted cinnamon butter, sugar and cream cheese icing ($4.75)
- Squealing Pig—Bacon, strawberry jalapeo jelly, cream cheese icing and candied jalapeos ($5.75)
Gourdough's Public House, 2700 S. Lamar Blvd., 512-912-9070, www.gourdoughspub.com, Hours: Mon.–Fri. 11 a.m.–midnight, Sat. 10 a.m.–1 a.m., Sun. 10 a.m.–midnight
