Put an egg on it? I guess that has become the unofficial mantra for brunch over the past few years, so it is some pretty on-point branding for Don Gume’s to name their al pastor taco topped with a fried egg the El Brunch taco ($3.50). The egg — I ordered mine over-medium, and it was delivered exactly as requested — gives minerality to the bright achiote-colored meat. Here, the pastor foregoes its regular citrus and floral notes for a savory wallop, added to by the spackle of melted cheese.
Kyle VIP, El Catrin (ground beef with avocado, cheese, lettuce and tomato) and El Brunch tacos at Don Gume’s. (Matthew Odam AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
Don Gume’s, which opened at the corner of Riverside Drive and South Congress Avenue in 2016, isn’t afraid to lean on the cheese for some populist appeal. The Kyle VIP ($3.50) slaps the twangy melted cheese across the funky crumble of chorizo, then laces that cheese-meat patty with a strip of bacon that glistens with fat through the middle and crisps slightly at the edge.
Don Gume’s is named after the late Gumercindo Duque of Matamoros, Mexico. (Matthew Odam AMERICAN-STATESMAN)
The trailer owned by Matamoros native Marco Duque and named in honor of his late father serves a roster of about 15 tacos for $3.50, with two-item breakfast tacos sold for $2.50. While the doubled-up corn tortillas are the (above average) product of a bag, the trailer, operated by Duque’s wife and daughter, makes its own flour tortillas, tender folds with grill marks and spots opaque with a sheen of grease. Don’t pay attention to the wet and mild red salsa; instead, seek out a mild jalapeño sauce with a tingle but not a kick. Spice lovers will want the burning burst of orangeish habanero. But while the metallic awnings over the picnic tables may save you from the sun, they will offer no salve from the salsa. In addition to the tacos, Don Gume’s also serves Mexican dishes like tampiquena, carne asada and sopes.
Don Gume’s. 343 S. Congress Ave. 512-804-6614, Facebook.com/DonGumesTacos/
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Don Gume’s at 343 S. Congress Ave. (Matthew Odam AMERICAN-STATESMAN)