Over-the-Top Doughnut Shop Gourdough’s Is Closing South Lamar Restaurant

Doughnut-slinging Gourdough’s is closing its physical restaurant this weekend. Gourdough’s Public House’s last day on 2700 South Lamar Boulevard in the Zilker neighborhood will be on Sunday, November 6.

The reason the restaurant is closing, according to co-owner Ryan Palmer in a press release: “It’s a bittersweet decision but with an upcoming residential project being built in the near future at the location, coupled with two years of extreme labor shortages, inflation, increased food cost and the desire to pursue other opportunities, we felt like it was the right time to conclude business after 10 happy years of food service.”

The restaurant was known for its very decadent doughnuts and doughnut dishes both sweet and savory, such as the Squealing Pig (a doughnut with cream cheese icing, bacon, strawberry-jalapeno jelly, and candied jalapenos), the Black Out (a doughnut filled with brownie batter and iced with chocolate fudge and topped with brownies, chocolate chips, and more batter), the Big Cheez (essentially mozzarella sticks but made with doughnut dough), chicken and doughnut hole dumpling soup, and doughnut sandwiches and burgers.

Co-owners Paula Samford and Palmer opened Gourdough’s as a food truck in 2009. They opened the physical location in 2012. They opened a downtown restaurant too in 2015, but that closed in 2017. They also opened a San Antonio location in 2018, but they filed for bankruptcy protection in 2020.

Gourdough’s will keep its Bouldin Creek truck at 1503 South First Street open still. There are also plans to open more food trucks and ramp up its catering business.

Gourdough’s final weekend from Friday to Sunday will be full of specials and events, ranging from all-day brunch, $2 draft beers, and $5 drinks.