Go Go Gourmet Says Goodbye

After six years operating just north of UT campus, owner Craig Long announced the closing of Go Go Gourmet in a Facebook post today. The reasoning for the restaurant's sudden closing was briefly addressed in the post which said, “Craig is tired and old and will miss you guys every day, but you won't starve, so he will not look back.”

Part of Go Go Gourmet’s charm was the fact that it was rarely packed. The dwindling patronage is likely one of the reasons for its closing as many campus-area businesses can’t afford to simply get by without significant turnover in the high-rent area. Still, Long never seemed to mind cooking up a daily menu of hearty meals for his regulars.

A typical dining experience at Go Go Gourmet felt like eating a Thanksgiving meal at the kids' table. Service wasn’t polished and neither was the cutlery. In fact, all the meals were served on paper plates with disposable forks and knives. But what Go Go Gourmet lacked in posh, it made up for in homestyle cooking and nostalgic charm. Long ran his restaurant like a kitchen table, sliding ketchup bottles across the counter to customers and refilling sweet tea before you had a chance to ask.

His daily fresh menu of unique scratch meals was delicious and affordable, especially compared to the many chains and trendy food trucks of West Campus. My favorite part of Go Go Gourmet was the throwback to a Southern childhood I never had. With counters and walls jam-packed with nostalgic childhood toys, and a curated selection of vintage decorations, being seated and served quickly was so disappointing – until I realized I could actually play with all the toys during the meal.

The restaurant will have a rolling clean-out sale until April 30, during which time you can stop by the “GoGoMobile” for souvenirs from the restaurant including records, toys, and souvenir ladles.