‘Gourmet bar food’ on (and off) the menu at Kettering restaurant

Co-owner: “Our menu is pretty unique. It is a lot of stuff I just made up myself”

Credit: Amelia Robinson

Credit: Amelia Robinson

You can get a burger almost anywhere, but few restaurants will put beef jerky on it.

The Jerky Burger is one of the creations the Buckin’ Donkey  in Kettering  sells.

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For now, Sean McKown, co-founder and co-owner of the restaurant and sports bar at 2866 S. Dixie Drive in Kettering, said the Jerky Burger is in its experimental phase and will be added to the restaurant's rotation of specials.

Credit: Amelia Robinson

Credit: Amelia Robinson

That said, the Buckin’ Donkey’s regular menu offers a treasure trove for those looking  for interesting spins on the typical.

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McKown said his eatery’s gourmet bar food is made to order.

“Our menu is pretty unique,” he  told this news organization. “It is a lot of stuff I just made up myself.  We do everything from scratch. We patty our own burgers, make our own wing sauces, dressings. Very little is frozen.”

Take the Buckin' Donkey's sweet and savory Porky The Pig Doughnut Burger made from beef and pork from East Dayton Meats.

A glazed doughnut is split in half to sandwich the burger, which also includes three strips of bacon and American cheese.

As chef Griffin Shields explained, the glazed side faces downward, meaning no sticky fingers.

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“We put the sticky part on the inside,” he said. “You are not going to get it all over the place.”

Among the restaurant's other creations are the Pierogie Burger (a grilled burger topped with pierogies, grilled onions and cheddar cheese) and the  El Diablo Burger (a burger mixed with sauteed peppers, topped with “Diablo” seasoning, ghost pepper jack cheese and sriracho mayo).

Burgers range from $8.99 to $12.99.

Credit: Amelia Robinson

Credit: Amelia Robinson

The weekend brunch menu includes the Frosted Flake French Toast Sandwich ($5.99), choice of meat, cheese, and an egg between two large pieces of frosted flake-coated french toast.

Other finds include Bunkin’ Donkey’s

Buffalo Fries

(hand cut fries tossed with your pick of Buffalo sauce and bleu cheese crumbles);

stuffed banana peppers

( banana peppers stuffed with chorizo and cheese);

Muchaka Spring Rolls

(shredded beef with cheese, peppers, onions and ‘Mexi Ranch’) and the

Crabby Paddy Pizza

( a pizza topped with crab, shrimp, a cream cheese mix, mozzarella and sweet chili sauce).

McKown and his brother Larry Maglicco opened Bunkin' Donkey about a year ago in the former site of Murray's Pub & Grub.

The site has also held Murray's Place and had most recently been 937 Grill & Tap Room.

>> RELATED:  Familiar favorite may re-open in old Murray’s location as early as this week

The brothers  operated Buckin' Donkey Grill at 3808 Wilmington Pike before it closed in 2015.

>> RELATED: Kettering restaurant & bar shuts down effective now

WANT TO GO?

What: The Buckin’ Donkey

Where: 2866 S. Dixie Drive, Kettering

Hours: 11 a.m. to 1 a.m. Tuesday to Sunday

Connect:  937-723-7888 |Facebook 

Credit: Amelia Robinson

Credit: Amelia Robinson

Credit: Amelia Robinson

Credit: Amelia Robinson

Credit: Amelia Robinson

Credit: Amelia Robinson

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