The Top Sweet Shops in South Austin

I rarely met a dessert I didn't like!  Here are my picks for best dessert shops in South Central Austin. Updated February 2022.

Dolce Neve, 1713 South First Street (also on E. 5th Street)

A crazy-good Italian gelateria run by Italians! They've embraced South Austin culture, and "do it" in

front of everyone. Lots of traditional (chocolate, salted caramel) and unique flavors (roasted pistachio,

lemon creme).

La Patisserie, 602 West Annie Street (also on Burnet Road)

French pastries like croissants, eclairs and a rainbow array of macarons. The morning bun is a favorite, especially slightly warmed in the toaster oven so the sugar caramelizes.

Sugar Mama's Bakeshop, 1905 South First Street

Not just cupcakes, but cakes, pies, muffins, bars... sugar heaven! Also, owned by good, socially

conscious people.

Thoroughbread, 1709 Bluebonnet

Probably best known for their sourdough bread (which is delicious), but I love their giant cookies!

Confituras, 2129 Goodrich

Comfort food: fresh, warm biscuits and house made jams.

Haleycakes and Cookies, 1700 South Lamar, #316

The most adorable decorated cookies in a ton of designs. They ship anywhere too!

The Salty Donut, 2000 South Congress

Your eyes will glaze (get it?) over upon entering the shop and seeing the stair stepper of holy donut offerings. The over the top ones like dragon + passion fruit were delicious, but I am exceedingly content with the brown butter glazed cake donut or the Texas chocolate sheetcake. 

Vivian’s Boulangerie, online 

Killer almond + chocolate croissants, tiger paws, and more. All online, order delivery or pick up with is a South Austin secret location. As of January 2022, owner Kendall Melton says she's hanging up her apron, but keep an eye on her hilarious social media for any updates.

Other spots of note: 

-- Teal House Bakery at 2304 South Congress Avenue for cinnamon rolls + kolaches

-- Word of Mouth Bakery at 1506 South First Street for cakes, baked goods and light lunches

-- Manolis trailer at 603 West Live Oak for frozen treats

-- Easy Tiger at 3508 South Lamar for bread, pretzels + baked goods

This should hold your sweet tooth for a minute!

Check out the AFBA website for MORE city guides! #ATXbesteats 

Gourdough's Public House

Donuts and......beer? What's not to like? Well, that's what the folks behind the Gourdough's Donut trailer have come up with in their new brick and mortar venture, Gourdough's Public House, in the old Kerbey Lane spot on South Lamar. But don't fret, the big, fat, donut trailer is still alive and well on South First Street and Monroe!

Some friends and I met for happy hour on a recent weeknight. Public House has daily specials, which so far, they seem to be very good at publicizing on their Facebook page. Drinks in hand, we sampled a number of items from the menu, most of which have highly entertaining names.

The Big Cheese -- mozzarella wrapped in donut dough and fried. They were good, but a bit too doughy for my taste, but the garlic sauce with it was yummy!

Dizzy Porker -- fried pork ribs with a hard cider bbq sauce that I really liked. On the greasy side (shocking, I know), but decent flavor, and fairly tender. Good reheated (and blotted) the following day.

Popeye's Roids -- a spinach salad with cranberries, walnuts, roasted red peppers, blue cheese and a balsamic vinaigrette. With a garlic donut, that was delicious! You know the (faux) butter dipping sauce that comes (or used to) with Papa John's pizzas? The donuts taste like that! AND, the donut was great the next day reheated in the toaster oven, because it got kind of crispy on the outside.

Even the Public House Salad, at $5 is a great deal! (This is probably the one item on the menu that does not have a catchy name!)

Three Little Guidos -- think caprese salad with balsamic on a donut, topped with potato chips. I did not try this one, but the person who ordered it was quite pleased.

The Country Clucker -- not for the faint of heart! Bring your appetite! A donut, topped with a potato pancake, fried chicken breast, cream corn, and candied jalapenos. As gorgeous as it was tasty! I had a couple bites of this, and it was FINE! The potato pancake kind of gets lost in the mix, but at $11, it's a great value, because it's pretty much two meals. And probably a hangover cure for some.

Salty Balls -- donut holes with cream cheese frosting, salted caramel sauce and peanuts. I had heard about these from someone else, and finally got a chance to try! I love sweet and salty mixes, so this was perfect, and the ideal dish to share with others. Generous on the peanuts, love it!

The Southern Belle -- a donut topped with pecan pie filling, cream cheese frosting, and candied pecans. While I originally cringed at the thought, this was actually quite tasty! Most of the donuts even from the Gourdough's trailer are waaay too much, especially for one person to handle. This belle wasn't too sweet, though it was a sticky mess.

The interior of Public House is fairly rustic, and not long after we got there, they dimmed the lights even more. It's sort of a contrast to the restroom, which was very modern and light-filled. Our waiter was very attentive, good at answering questions, and the food came out fast. Overall, I thought prices were quite reasonable, and again, a variety of happy hour specials each night, both on drinks and some food picks. While I don't know if I would dine here frequently, I would certainly go back. Actually the Popeye's Roids had me fairly excited! They didn't skimp on the salad toppings. But apart from the salads, Public House is a place to go to have a drink and SHARE some food!