On the quest for the best bakery in town
Looking for bakeries is an easy task but looking for the best bakery is entirely another thing. I have been a resident of Kingsville, Texas, for three years now and I have yet to complete this simple task.
That is why last Thursday (June 23), I went out on what seemed to be the most important mission of my life thus far, finding the best bakery.
As far as I am aware, Kingsville has four bakeries (aside from Walmart and H-E-B). There is El Pastel on 7th street, The Donut Palace behind McDonald’s on E. King Ave. Kingsville Bakery behind Walgreens and Ares Bakery Donuts near Chicken Express on 14th Street.
For this review, I purchased a single glazed doughnut from each bakery, because a friend of mine told me that if a bakery can make a delicious, simple glazed doughnut, it is likely that its other pastries are just as tasty.
It took much longer than expected to realize what the best bakery for me was. I spent the entire morning going back and forth, taking a bite of each pastry, and contemplated over its flavor, freshness, size and texture. While this was an important mission for me, it also proved to be the most difficult.
Alas, a decision was made.
El Pastel is the closest bakery if you live near the university like I do. Its home-y feel is nothing but inviting. This place had the widest variety of baked goods to choose from for really good prices. Its glazed doughnuts were by far the biggest.
Anyone can tell how fresh these pastries are just by looking at it, and smelling and tasting it confirms it. Upon the first bite, these doughnuts melt in your mouth. Its smooth glaze is perfect for anyone with a sweet tooth, and it is not too overwhelming. These doughnuts were also the biggest in size. Personally, this is my second favorite bakery.
Kingsville Bakery is the second closest to the university. Make no mistake, these doughnuts were tasty too, but I was not as satisfied as I was when I was trying El Pastel. These doughnuts are smaller in size and thicker, but not as fresh as I thought they would be. They were a bit hard even after I heated it up, but I still enjoyed it. There was also an assortment of other baked goods, and the customer service was excellent. This bakery ranks third on my list.
The Donut Palace is near Kingsville Bakery. This bakery also has a drive through, which is extremely convenient if you just want to make a quick stop. It is worth noting that they did not have as wide a variety as the other two.
This could mean that they either do not make enough or they run out fast. If it is the latter, it shows that people really like this place.
These doughnuts were fresh but got mushy and squishy so quick, I almost dropped it because of it. Its glaze was too sweet for my liking and it cracked as soon as I picked the pastry up.
The customer service was also excellent, and the place itself has a nostalgic, old-school feel to it that makes you smile as you walk in. Unfortunately, this ranks last on my list.
If you are not a fan of driving through busy streets, Ares Bakery Donuts may be the last place you would want to go since this is the furthest location. Personally, I believe this place is worth the drive.
It can be hard to miss if you are not paying attention. Truthfully, you would not have known it was a bakery had it not been for the sign and billboard attached nearby.
Once you find it, you will be glad you did. This bakery, too, has a drive-thru, but going inside is worth it. The employees at Ares Bakery Donuts were unaware of my existence before June 23. This will quickly change, and they will soon expect me there every day.
Their glazed doughnuts were the smallest out of the four, but boy are they mouthwatering. I seemed to have arrived just in time to get a pastry from the batch that was previously in the oven.
If you looked at the word fresh in a dictionary, you would see a picture of a glazed doughnut from Ares Bakery Donuts attached to the word. These doughnuts were so good, my mouth waters as I write this. The soft texture immediately melts in your mouth.
The doughnuts are chewy but in the best way possible. The customer service was also excellent and fast. There is also a wide vari
ety to choose from. I only went for two glazed and two doughnuts with sprinkles, but the employees went out of their way to add two extra doughnuts. As if things could not get better, everyone who buys baked goods from here leaves with a free bag of a dozen doughnut holes.
What we did to deserve such generosity is beyond me, but I am not complaining at all. If you could not tell, Ares Bakery Donuts takes the number one spot for me.
This place left me satisfied, it left me with a smile on my face, and it left me with the urge to go back again the next day, and the next, and the next.