Over-the-Top Dog

“Sometimes we go over the top, but mostly we like our products to be the focal point,” says co-owner of Gastros 401 Owen Doyle. “Over-the-top” is a near perfect descriptor for Owen and his business partner Travis Gervasio’s explosive sausage and charcuterie business. Scroll through the company’s Instagram (@gastros401) and you’ll find assembled boards that bring to mind images of Ancient Roman banquet tables: Gigantic blocks of gourmet cheese, mountains of thinly sliced cured meats, piles of plump grapes, broken nuts, and spills of different pickled vegetables for that bit of tang. Their sausages inspire the same air of gluttony: generously stuffed casings with gourmet filling combinations, carefully laid on a toasted bun and topped high with a plethora of condiments. Cue the Pavlovian salivation.

Like many other culinary start-ups, both Owen and Travis began their business as a passion project on a whim. Says Owen, “We were roommates and always discussed owning our own business...It actually started out as a drunken conversation.” Soon after their discussion, they began buying equipment for a hotdog cart. The pair would make hotdogs in their apartment kitchen, practicing recipes until they were just right. Eventually, Gastros 401 was selling their products faster than they could make them, and the tag-team expanded to become the pop-up and catering force it is today.

All of Gastros 401’s products are made from Heritage Berkshire pork and 7x Wagyu beef. Owen laments that the company would love to use locally sourced meats, but unfortunately, the farms here in Rhode Island cannot keep up with production. However, they do use local farms for their produce and other products at catering events. If you’re overwhelmed by what to order at Travis and Owen’s pop-up, start with their most popular creation: The Bacon Cheddar Wurst. This is a beef and pork sausage stuffed with cheese and bacon topped with braised onions. Then go back for some Spicy Chorizo, or their Famous Dog. For information about Gastros 401’s pop-up schedule, follow them on Instagram, for catering inquiries, email them at Gastros401@gmail.com