Featured Photo: A cheeseburger from Gullo’s Fresh Produce and Classic Bake Shop.
Gullo’s Fresh Produce and Classic Bake Shop, a farm stand and eatery located at 724 E. Flournoy Lucas Road in Shreveport, reopened to the public on Saturday, Feb. 13, 2016. The small, family-owned restaurant had been closed for renovations following a fire in 2015. To say that the new incarnation of Gullo’s is as good as the previous version wouldn’t be entirely accurate – somehow, this place is even better than it was before. The addition of a dining room is an improvement (previously, diners sat on the patio or at picnic tables in the pecan grove next to the restaurant), and the updated interior is bright and welcoming. But what surprised me most on my recent visit was the fact that the folks at Gullo’s have found ways to improve their cheeseburger, which was already commonly listed among the best in Shreveport and the State of Louisiana.
The cheeseburgers at Gullo’s have always been like an old college friend that never stopped partying: They’re big, unruly, and kind of a mess, and in your heart, you know that you probably shouldn’t hang out with ’em very often. But life’s about living, and if you’re going to eat a cheeseburger, you may as well go all-in. The Gullo’s version is a handmade patty on a sourdough bun topped with a thick slab of tomato, crisp shredded lettuce, loud red onions, melted American cheese, pickles, mayo and mustard. The packaging may seem kind of ornate for first-timers – the burger is wrapped in aluminum foil, packed into a Styrofoam container and wrapped again in a brown paper bag. That’s a deliberate choice – they know the cheese is in there getting all gooey, and they want it to stay that way until unwrapped.
Like the burger, the fries at Gullo’s are over-the-top in a way that seems deliberate. They’re rough-cut and fried hard – deep brown, extra crispy and dusted with seasoning salt. A cheeseburger and fries will set you back $8.95. The menu advertises homemade milkshakes designed to accompany the cheeseburger and fries combo, but I haven’t gone there yet. A man has to have limits.
Gullo’s Fresh Produce and Classic Bake Shop is open seven days a week, with lunch served 10 a.m.-3 p.m. daily. The farm stand attached to the restaurant, which also serves grab-and-go food, is open Monday through Saturday, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m.
I’ve heard talk that Gullo’s may begin experimenting with the occasional dinner service or steak night – like their Facebook page to keep up with those possibilities.
New Orleans-based food podcast Louisiana Eats! with Poppy Tooker has also featured a story on Gullo’s, which you can stream online.
