JB3 DoughJoe Bread, Coffee, Love. A small but mighty bakery
My Tampa history colleague and fellow foodie Andy Huse recommended JB3 DoughJoe, an unassuming bakery along Nebraska Avenue close to Ybor City, for some chow. It’s a small block building tucked between two residential-looking properties. Also known as Jamison B. Breadhouse, it was named the best bread shop in Florida by Food and Wine in 2022. It is owned and run by former Bern’s Steakhouse executive pastry chef Jason Laukhuf and his wife, Blue.
It’s tiny. Customers pretty much need to walk single file through the shop. There’s a funny sign on the door saying as much, that only 10 folks can enter at a time, and when full, don’t come in until someone leaves. As you enter on the left, items like Lindley Mills brands flour (for making your own), frozen bread for shipping, Lusty Monk brand mustard, and bulk coffee from Eastlick Coffee and Buddy Brew, both from Tampa - just some of the items- are there. (Of course, they have coffee; it’s the Joe part of DoughJoe). On the right, loaves of a variety of fresh-baked bread, each one sounding more mouthwatering than the last, beckon my tastebuds. Sourdough is their best seller. They wisely do not sell Cuban bread with La Segunda blocks away.
DoughJoe offers a premade sandwich every day. Today, it was a Maple Turkey, Pesto, Brie, Sammy, an over a foot-long what looked like a stack of bakery goodness. The bread was fantastically fresh. The maple turkey was perfectly sliced, and there was an ample amount of bacon to go around, all topped by a delicious basil almond garlic olive oil pesto. Sadly, my sandwich was missing the Brie, which would’ve added a creamy, cheesy delight. Without it, the sandwich falls flat. By the time I got to where I would eat, it was too far to go back, and there was no phone number on their website. I was disappointed. It happens.
For lunch, they also offer a warm menu including Pizzattas (small pizzas). On my visit, they had Lasagna, Vegan Eggplant Parmesan, and Tidy Joe (Harissa Sloppy Joe mix) Pizattas on the menu. When I go back, I’m getting one of those!
Their pastries are what one would expect from such a highly acclaimed chef. Standards like their Big Ole Cinnamon Roll, and Pan Au Chocolat (chocolate croissant) are available along with specialties like Twice Baked Panettone (a fluffy pastry with white chocolate, macadamia nut panettone, and vanilla cream with blueberries), or Honey Glazed Baked Apple (Granny Smith apples inside honey glazed Buttercup pastry). Wow! They even have what they claim to be the BestDamn Vegan ChocoChip Cookie. I just bet it is.
Each week, the bakery puts out a menu of breads, pastries, and specialties, which is available on their website. DoughJoe is only open three days a week, Thursday and Friday from 11 to 6, and Saturday from 11 to 3. The person who checked me out says it’s because the rest of the week, their ovens are busy supplying bread to several local restaurants. There’s plenty of parking in the vacant lot next door. There’s no place to sit and eat here, so goodies must be taken to-go.
© Chip Weiner. All Rights Reserved. Reviews on Photogfoodie.com are uncompensated. We eat anonymously, and management is not informed of our visit.