A couple of years ago, I was making my way through Stephen Harrigan‘s terrific “Big Wonderful Thing…,” a history of Texas. Even it almost 1,000 pages, the book, by necessity, omits interesting events and facts about Texas. But on page 387, Harrigan manages to include this line, “Round Rock–currently a booming suburb of Austin whose amenities include the Lone Star Bakery, the home of the world’s great doughnuts…”
It is only one clause in a long book, but it caught my attention. How good must these doughnuts from Lone Star Bakery (aka Round Rock Donuts) be to be referred to as the “world’s greatest”?
How good must these doughnuts be for inclusion in a history of Texas, alongside the Alamo, Sam Houston, Lyndon Johnson, and Willie Nelson?
Pretty darn good, we learned. One of the Ambassadors had already tried the establishment. She interned in Austin in the spring, and lobbyists, it seems, ever eager to curry favor with legislators, use Round Rock Donuts as their go-to.
With good reason. Their items are baked fresh throughout the day, and they have extended hours for your day-long enjoyment. The eclairs melt in your mouth; the maple honey is almost worth diabetes. Their kolaches are made with real sausage. And their Texas Donut is bigger than you can eat.
We discovered this as a group yesterday (Sunday, September 25, 2023) as our take-home trip. After sampling the kolaches, apple fritters, eclairs, and honey-maple, all we can say is, “We understand Mr. Harrigan, we understand.”
Center for Law, Engagement, and Politics 