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Gourdough's Public House

4.6 671 votes

2700 S Lamar

(512) 912-9070

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Angela Hall Last updated on Jun 15, 2023 by

 

Gourdough's on South Lamar has Closed.  You can find the same great donut burgers at their south 1st street location here.

Did you say, "Hamburger with a DOUGHNUT for a bun?" Yesirree! And you're saying it actually tastes good? You bet your sweet buns!

While the Gourdough's concept may sound like the strange late-night imaginings of a college kid with the munchies, the reality of it is actually a well thought out, deeply flavorful, gourmet treat. Is the whole donut hamburger idea a little gimmicky? Sure. Is it worth checking out and even worth waiting for? Definitely.

The El Camino Burger

We first found Gourdough's Big. Fat. Donuts. years ago as an unassuming food truck stationed outside Gibson Bar on South Lamar and decided to order these strange burger concoctions because they sounded really interesting. And, if I'm honest, because we were at Gibson drinking and really needed some food. It was absolutely love at first bite. Everything about Gourdough's says fun, clever, and totally worthy of a good time out, a special occasion, or just a well-deserved carb-load. If you're a fan of puns, and YES I AM, the fun starts as soon as you start reading the menu. Just go ahead and order the Bacon Me Crazy doughnut sandwich ($9.99) and the Mother Clucker fried chicken entrée ($10.99) because you know you want to.

Goudough's Public House is the even better brick and mortar version of the same fantastic fare. With guests in town and a sunny afternoon perfect for patio brunch/lunch birthday celebration, we took to the Public House on South Lamar recently and found it to be every bit as delicious and thoughtful as its original. Gourdough's Public House is warm and inviting with large oak wood community style dining tables and bar as well as smaller individual tables and a great patio for food, Jenga, cocktails, and general merry memory making. 

The opinion of our group was that the food was rich (of course) but more sophisticated and layered with "grown-up" flavors than we anticipated for a restaurant boasting a giant donut-man statue outside a la "Kip's Big Boy." The craft beers were plentiful, the atmosphere right on target, and the price was right. As for downsides, we waited a looong time to be seated. We were quoted 30-45 mins and ended up waiting more like an hour and fifteen. It wasn't at all surprising given the crowd size, some covid limitations, and the fact that it was prime Sunday brunch hours. But no worries, we enjoyed a few draft beers while we waited. As a mom with a new baby in tow, I began to worry that I might not have prepared properly for such a long outing. However, once seated, the food came quickly and our entire party agreed it was well worth the wait.

I even did something crazy in a bid to scupper the new baby-weight waistline, and ordered a salad. Wha?? At Gourdough's, you say? Yes, your annoyance is warranted. But, after the Wiz Kale-Leafa artichoke dip appetizer (delicious) and the Popeye's Roids salad, covered with enough blue cheese crumbles and walnuts to stop a freight train, I was stuffed, satisfied, and very pleased with the buttery garlic donut served on the side. See, you CAN order healthy and still enjoy a donut at Gourdough's! 

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