Gabbi’s Burgers n Dogs

Gabbi’s Burgers n Dogs

Written by Amy Stansbury Friday, 27 June 2008

Jeff and Gabbi Korioth own a year-old burger joint, but they are not newcomers to the food business.

From selling tacos, fajitas, hamburgers and hot dogs out of a trailer at festivals, to running taco bars at local nightclubs and catering all types of events, the Korioths have cooked for thousands of Austinites over the past decade.

 

Jeff first waited tables while going to Austin Community College off and on for 13 years. He finally decided that college was not for him and went into business with a friend.

“When we had the taco trailer, it was pretty tough,” Jeff said. “The summer we started the taco trailer, it was a rainy year. We started with credit cards and got what we needed on those.”

The partnership only lasted six months before Jeff bought out his friend’s share of the business. He and his new wife, Gabbi, continued serving food at watermelon thumps and Fourth of July festivals.

“Our trailer was an old, beat-up ‘Sanford and Son’ trailer,” Jeff said. “But we always had the longest lines at the festivals because of the burgers we made.”

After successfully running taco bars at nightclubs, Jeff and Gabbi opened Party Target Catering.

“Poly Esther’s probably gave us our big break in catering,” Jeff said. “We were doing a taco bar at Poly Esther’s, and they asked us to do the year 2000 disco ball. I didn’t really know how to do a bunch of different big items, but I said, ‘Yeah sure, we can do it.’ I got some really, really good cookbooks and worked at that craft.”

Jeff and Gabbi operated Party Target Catering out of an office on McNeil Road for five years, but a couple of years ago a neighbor in the strip center wanted to expand into their space so he paid them to vacate. The Korioths’ small business lender, BiGAUSTIN, which stands for Business Investments Growth, told them about a space available in the Gracy Farms shopping center near the intersection of Burnet Road and Mopac.

“Ligia Trevino at BiGAUSTIN called me and told me about the space that was available where the Blue Cupcake [Bakery] used to be,” Jeff said. “So, we had the opportunity to have a kitchen in the back for our catering business and a restaurant in the front.”

Although Jeff and Gabbi wanted to open a restaurant that served Mexican breakfast, they did not want to compete with the Tacodeli nearby.

“We didn’t want to do anything to compete with him because he’s a good guy,” Jeff said. “We said, ‘You know what? People are suckers for good burgers.’ So, we ended up settling on burgers and dogs because that’s what we did when we were in the trailer.”

There are nine one-third-pound hamburgers ($6.95) on the menu. Each is served with lettuce, tomato, pickles and onions and a side option of shoestring potato French fries, beer battered onion rings or a salad.

I am picky about the meat I eat, and this burger was lean and cooked perfectly. The sweetness of the bun perfectly complemented the seasoned meat patty and barbecue sauce on my burger. The thin French fries were lightly salted and not heavy, and the onion rings were to die for.

“We use a special bun — a sweet sourdough bun — and we toast it,” Jeff said. “We just have so many different types of burgers, and we’re making up different ones in our minds. I stole one off ‘The Cosby Show.’ It’s called the Bacon Burger Dog.”

There are seven quarter-pound Kosher beef hot dogs ($5.95) to choose from, all served on a soft hoagie roll with a side.

Gabbi’s Burgers n Dogs offers daily specials. The Korioths plan to open the restaurant for dinner hours soon, too.

Family names

Jeff named the restaurant Gabbi’s Burgers n Dogs in honor of his wife. The couple has four children, each having a menu item named for them.

• Chief’s Dog: Chief is Jeff’s nickname for his only son, 7-year-old Jeffrey, who loves the pepperoni pizza dog.
• Mari Dog: Marianna, 10, often goes by Mari. Her namesake hot dog has chili and cheese.
• BK Dog: Brittani, 17, has the BK dog, named for her initials, with bacon and kraut.
• Livy’s Lite Plate: The youngest, 3-year-old Olivia, is represented by Livy’s Light Plate, which has lettuce, spinach, tomato and guacamole.

Hours: Mon.–Sat. 11 a.m.–3 p.m. 

Gabbi’s Burgers n Dogs, 12001 Burnet Road, Ste. J, 833-7017 or 462-2433, www.partytarget.com