Get your Kolache fix at Dos Gatos

There’s so much to see and do in SMTX and the Hill Country that there isn’t always time for a good ole’ fashioned sit down breakfast. As much I love a 3-hour brunch with flowing blueberry mimosas at the Root Cellar, there are days when I have to focus on the more productive aspects of life. Therefore, I need something quick, filling, and mouth-wateringly delicious enough to keep me going through my day.

Ladies and gentlemen: I give you, Dos Gatos Kolache Bakery.

This funky little kolache shop is located at 700 N LBJ Drive in a shopping center on the north side of campus. Opened in 2009 by brothers Seth and Chase Katz, Dos Gatos has become staple for both college students and locals on the go. With a friendly staff and eclectic music jamming from the speakers, Dos (as we locals refer to it) embodies the diverse, laid-back yet bustling vibe that is San Marcos, Texas.

If you don’t know what a kolache is, then bless your heart. Kolaches are a traditional open-faced Czech pastry made of light, slightly sweet dough with a fruit or poppyseed filling. Texans over the years have taken the kolache and given it their own spin with meat versions such as extremely popular sausage and cheese.

The fare at Dos Gatos are divided into Czech kolaches, open faced with fruit filling and what they’ve coined as “Texas” kolaches. The Texas kolaches are stuffed with various combinations of meats, cheeses, and even sauerkraut. Dos Gatos offers a mix of traditional flavors such as prune and poppyseed with the just-as- good -as -it -sounds Philly cheesesteak.

The Katz brothers are all about the product, so much so that “Respect the Dough” can be found in bold print on the hood of the oven. Everything is handmade in house and it definitely shows. Dos likes use as many local products as possible, and the use of Opa’s Sausages from Fredericksburg an excellent and appreciated example.

For the coffee lovers, they brew three kinds of drip coffee from a Houston roaster and they are usually a light, medium and dark blend. My personal favorite is the High Octane, but you really can’t go wrong with any choice. If coffee isn’t your thing, and if that’s true please tell me your secret, the well stocked cooler offers other beverages including local teas. If your lucky you can can find some of yesterday’s kolache products at a discount in the cooler as well.

Insider tip: the most popular items are the sausage and cheese and jalapeno and cheese for the Texas while the strawberry cream cheese usually wins for the Czech. Pair any of those with a large High Octane and you will be a Dos regular before you know it. When you are feeling a bit more adventurous, ask any of the friendly staff for their recommendations and they won’t steer you wrong. Whether it’s the bacon and cheese or the Polish sausage with sauerkraut, Dos Gatos has the perfect flavor for anyone.

Address:
700 N LBJ Dr, San Marcos, TX 78666

Hours of Operation:
Monday-Friday: 6:30-2
Saturday & Sunday: 7-2