Donut Burgers – For the Best of Two Worlds!

On a recent trip south to the Lake Jackson/Clute area, Suzanne and I decided to try a new restaurant. After an online investigation, we chose a restaurant named Asiel’s on Mammoth Lake. Asiel is the nickname given to the 14 foot tall Columbian mammoth fossil dug up in what is now called Mammoth Lake. The word Asiel means “created by God”. Originally a commercial sand pit, the Columbian mammoth bones were discovered in May of 2003 by workers of the sand pit. Today the lake is used primary by scuba divers to practice and get certified and by triathletes to practice their open water swimming.

While the mammoth artifacts were what first caught our attention, there was another unique feature of this restaurant that made it a must see.  The Asiel’s menu features a “Donut Burger”!

Now I’ve seen quite a few things added to burgers in my many travels across Texas including cream cheese, chili, all kinds of peppers, many types of cheese and of course bacon.  But one thing I’ve never seen added to a hamburger is dessert!  Not to mention the fact that a hot fresh donut is one of my favorite desserts. So as you can imagine, the idea of a donut bacon burger was something I could not pass up. I quickly volunteered to give the heart-stopping burger a try and off to Clute we went.

Arriving at our destination on Dixie Drive North, the first promising thing we noticed was the full parking lot. People flock to good food. We felt confident we would not be disappointed. Upon entering the restaurant, we were quickly seated in a comfortable booth. Off to one front corner were the artifacts of the mammoth dig that we came to see. Out the back, we had a good view of the lake. But all I could think about was ordering the Donut Burger. The menu described it as a 1/3 pound patty with bacon and cheese surrounded by a donut on either side. (If you are really hungry, you can get a ½ lb. patty instead). I went all in, ordered the burger and threw in some Onion Rings to boot! Suzanne opted for a less heart stopping Continental Turkey Burger.

While we waited for our food, I checked out the mammoth fossils. The pictures of the dig on the wall were just as interesting as the fossils themselves. I can’t imagine mammoths roaming the Lake Jackson area at all. The native people who killed this one must have been pretty brave and hungry.  Guess they didn’t have Donut Burgers back then!

Back at the table, as I waited eagerly for the food to arrive, I couldn’t help but wonder how someone could come up with the idea of replacing the buns on a hamburger with donuts. This restaurant loves their bacon.  They devote the entire Wednesday night menu to bacon including bacon appetizers, bacon entrees, and bacon desserts. Knowing this, I tried to imagine how they may have come up with the idea of a donut bacon burger.  I can see it now, the owner and chef sitting around one morning talking about bacon.  How could we enhance the experience of eating bacon?  Why surround it with a juicy cheese burger of course.  But how can we take it one step further, they may have mused as the enjoyed their morning coffee and hot Shipley’s donuts from the shop down the street.  Then it dawns on them, to make the bacon burger better… add donuts!

     Soon, our food arrived as described. The Donut Burger was bigger than I envisioned. This is one Texas-Size Donut! The bacon and cheese looked just as desirable.  My first bite was heavenly. The sweet donut had the texture of a fresh-made donut cooked by Shipley’s (a local mainstay donut shop in Texas). The sweetness was equally contrasted by the salty, earthy flavors of hamburger, bacon and cheese. The large Sweet Onion Rings were hot and tasty in their own right. I liked the thick, fish fry style batter coating. Coaxing Suzanne into trying a little piece of the Donut Burger and onion rings brought a surprising “thumbs up” from her. She claimed her CPR certificate to be current and that my life insurance was paid up in full. I didn’t care. I ate all the food on my plate!  Thank goodness I convinced her to try a bite, I’d hate to have to admit that I ate the entire burger by myself.

     Since I am writing this story, you know that I survived the calories and cholesterol from this meal. Suzanne and I had an enjoyable relaxing lunch. Our waitress was wonderful as was the manager who checked on me after I finish my meal. So if you are out and about near Clute (like going fishing in Freeport), stop by Asiel’s Restaurant and try their Donut Burger as you see Texas Thru My Back Door!  

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