It wasn't exactly on my bucket list. But I guess now I'm thinking about that a little more than I was before.
In all honesty, I don't know why I'm writing this one. (I wish I could take it back!) But here we are, discussing the merits of a cheeseburger sandwiched between two doughnuts. When this article is over, you may even consider driving up to Stray Dogs in search of said absurdity. Such is life.
Lemme just tell you this ... The people behind those stacked milkshakes and the $55 giant doughnut actually do make some pretty badass burgers; the best I've had in recent memory. You should probably order one of those. But if you insist on doing this doughnut thing I must give you a word of caution. Two words actually: Share it.
Zona 78's milkshakes from left to right: The Apple Pie with a housemade candied apple, The Munchies with doughnut holes and a Rice Krispies treat, and the Donut shake with Butterfinger crumbles.
That's what we did during a recent menu-unveiling dinner, where foodie media outlets shared a room with a handpicked assortment of fashionable Tucson Instagrammers. (The dinner was actually nine hours long, so we had enough time to take pictures. 📷😜)
Back then I thought, "This isn't bad." The doughnut had been cut into four little pieces, kinda like finger sandwiches. I only had a couple bites, then sipped on my neon blue cocktail with a pop rock rim. I had a little bit of a tummyache afterwards, but it could have been the egg doughnut thing too.
The Star's video guy and I went back for lunch, and split one between the two of us. Let's see, where do I start? The whole thing is covered in some kind of sweet glaze, which mixes with the burger juice and creates a sort of soup. You have to eat it fast, because you're scared the "bun" will get soggy with all this weird stuff.
I do think the salty/sweet combination is intriguing. Like dipping your French fries in a frosty, etc. "It's like when you go to the movies and you get yourself a salted popcorn and a drink to go along with it," reasoned Stray Dogs' chef, Andres Lopez.
But this takes it a step further and adds meat to the equation — sugary meat — with Canadian bacon and melty cheese somewhere in there too. It's like eating your dinner and dessert at the same time, which isn't necessarily wrong, just a little impatient.
Lopez did not know how many calories were in the doughnut burger, $10 "It's a cheat day thing ... (the calorie count) is high. It's not healthy, but it's something so good."
The burger was on the secret menu for months, and got so popular the team made it official last month. Apparently there's also a chicken doughnut that Lopez compared to a chicken and waffles. That one sounds kinda good actually. Maybe I should go back! 😱😱😱
