Al’s Donuts and Café Burger
Ham, Egg, and Cheese Kronut with Sugared Kronut Holes and Hash Browns
Apple Fritter
Cinnamon Crumb Cake
Sour Cream Old Fashioned
Kronut Petite – Raspberry, Chocolate and Cream, Double Chocolate, Peanuts and Chocolate, Cinnamon Swirl Raspberry
Every bit the “only in ‘merica” mash-up of Centennial’s Café Burger and UNLV stalwart Al’s Donuts that the name would imply it was just as the doors unlocked at 7:00am that I entered Tenaya Village’s newest tenant and although rather disappointed with my lone visit to Al’s Southeast Flagship I must say the expanded menu, larger floor-plan, and general cleanliness of the space is unquestionably a step up. Apparently concocted as a merger of two separate enterprises and generally keeping their goods divided aside from a bit of donut/bun fusion it was unsurprisingly to a full range of fried pastries that my early morning visit was met and although the friendly staff of two middle-age women informed me that the full-menu was in fact available I largely stuck to the carbs, a bahn mi or burger breakfast simply not my style when confronted with sweets. Beginning with the tried and true in the form of a mixed box of donuts both classics and fancy I was immediately impressed by quality of the crumb in old fashioned while the fritter proved far less greasy than I remember from the spot on Harmon, a plethora of apples folded into the crispy, cinnamon-laced dough. Moving on to things more novel it was not long before my breakfast sandwich arrived and offered at a mere $3.99 with a two sugared kronut holes plus hash browns the ham, egg, and cheese was relatively standard fare propped up by a now-softened kronut and although the concoction arrived a touch soggy after a trip to the microwave it still proved a pleasant foil to the intense sweetness of a quintet of 75-cent ‘kronut petite’ showing off admirable levels of lamination while house-made fillings delivered far better balance in this format than the full-sized versions I’d experienced from Al’s in the past.
THREE STARS: Improved in every way from the location just off the campus of UNLV Al’s Donuts and Café Burger is another solid option in the growing Centennial breakfast scene and with low prices plus sized-down fritters and the Kronut Petite anyone in the area for Waffles Café or Baby Stacks would be well served to stop by for a snack, neither the price nor the portion likely to set you back in the least.
RECOMMENDED: Kronut Petite – Raspberry filled versions in particular, Apple Fritter, Sour Cream Old Fashioned.
AVOID: Cinnamon Crumb Cake Donut was simply too dry while the breakfast sandwich would have likely fared better in texture if prepared in an oven or toaster, though the flavor itself was admittedly quite good.
TIP: Open Seven Days a week but infrequently updating the online menu suffice it to say that your best bet is to stop by early for fresh donuts and to call in advance about the burgers and sandwiches offered that day.
WHAT THE STARS MEAN: 5 World Class, 4 Excellent, 3 Good, 2 Fair, 1 Poor
http://www.cafeburgergroup.com/index.html
