Bill and Amelis Kerlin are now serving scratch-made, savory kolaches at their newest location in Thicket Food Park, 7800 S. First St., Austin.
“We previously owned Kerlin BBQ, located in East Austin, for almost 10 years,” Bill said. “Kerlaches were our most popular menu item there. In April of 2022, we decided to open a spin-off business dedicated totally to the kerlaches. Unfortunately, a few months later, we found out that the property Kerlin BBQ occupied was going to be developed into a commercial building, and we were going to have to leave.”
Bill said at that moment, they decided to focus all their energy on Kerlaches and decided to close Kerlin BBQ permanently.
Kerlaches features in-house smoked meats and vegetables pickled from their own garden. They then stuff everything into a secret-recipe kolache dough that was developed by Amelis.
“On a road trip together through Central Texas, Amelis had her first kolache. It immediately reminded her of the Venezuelan Cachitos—a semisweet bread stuffed with meat—that she had enjoyed as a child,” Bill said. “She decided to try her hand at making a semi-sweet dough stuffed with Kerlin BBQ’s smoked meats and after a few test batches, the famous kerlache was born.”
A must-try is the brisket and cheddar kerlache, Bill said.
“It's our customers' favorite,” Bill said. “But I swear by the sausage, jalapeno and cheddar version, which features a quarter-pound of smoked sausage and house-pickled jalapenos. It's on another level compared to the cocktail wiener variety typically found in donut shops and gas stations.”
Kerlache is a combination of the Kerlins’ last name and the word kolaches. Not only can they be found at Thicket Food Park and their first location at 2205 Webberville Road, Austin, but they can also be found at several other locations around Austin, including Spokesman South, Spokesman Highland, Palomino Coffee, Flat Track Coffee, Afuga Coffee, Centro and The Violet Crown Coffee & Wine.
For more information, visit online at www.kerlaches.com or on Instagram at Kerlaches.
