Hopdoody joined the Houston food scene a few months ago and I finally got a chance to stop by! I visited Hopdoddy during an Austin trip last year and grabbed a burger to go due to the long line. I blogged about that trip here, but since Hop Doddy is now in Houston, it is worth sharing about the Houston location. On this occasion, we were looking for a spot in the River Oaks district to fill up on some real food before we indulged on gelato over at Amorino. We figured Hopdoddy’s burgers and fries would do the trick!
Location/Setup:
This place is so beautiful!
Hopdoddy is also located in the River Oaks district and just a tip it is guaranteed to have a line! Some say the burgers being SO good keeps the line forming. I say the funky hybrid setup which includes part casual dining part table service accounts for some of the time you spend waiting. For this location, you wait in the line that generally snakes outside. While in line a host will ask you how many folks are in your party. The host then goes to ensure there is a table available after you order. You then make your way to the ONE cashier who is taking orders. You provide your entire order BUT don’t pay here! This I do not understand and the process takes some time, but by the time you order there should be a table ready for you. We then made our way to our table and were greeted by our waitress. She then brought our drinks, food and eventually the check.
As far as the actual restaurant, this location is smaller than the Austin locations which also accounts for the lines. The restaurant is anchored by a large bar in the center with seating all around. There are also large tables on the patio outside. Due to the small space, the designers really stuck tables in wherever they could. For example there are a couple of tables a little too close to the bathroom. There are also small booths along the bar area. This makes for a traffic jam because patrons waiting to order are here standing in line and then it is right next to the bathroom. Despite all of that, the restaurant is bright green and fun like the Austin locations with colored menu chalkboards all around.
Drinks:
While we waited in line we could not help but notice the large sign displaying “Bootleg Koolaid.” Now, anyone who drank Kool-Aid as a kid knows that this is almost like the potato salad at the barbecue. You didn’t just drink ANYBODY’S Kool-Aid because some folks made it like liquid diabetes while others gave you colored water. Keeping this in mind, I asked the cashier for the ingredient run down before ordering. She said it included Raspberry Hibiscus Tea, Pomegranate Grenadine, Lime Juice and Lemon Lime Soda. She added in Moonshine at the end and I was sold! The lime hits you and the moonshine is hidden in the mix which is always a dangerous thing. If I wasn’t going for ice cream afterwards I would have ordered another round.
Bootleg Koolaid
Hop Doddy is definitley a family atmosphere, but their bar is rather impressive. Besides the Koolaid, they seem to be a go to spot for Craft Beers. So take the kiddos and have yourself a cocktail while you are at it.
Food:
If you have been following this blog for awhile then you know I keeps it pretty plain when it comes to my food. Hop Doddy has many inventive burgers that an adventurous eater would be super excited over. Me on the other hand? I went for the classic burger with bacon and cheese. Despite it’s simplicity it did not disappoint! I break burger spots into two categories, ones that put the flavor in the meat and the ones that expect the toppings to provide the punch. Hop Doddy is the latter, but with their signature sassy sauce they are winning in this category! I have no clue what is in this magic sauce, just know you will not regret ordering your burger with it!
A close up of the Classic Burger
Then… the fries. I could honestly just go to Hopdoddy and eat the parmesan truffle fries and walk away feeling blessed. Every fries was perfection with equal parts truffle oil and parmesan! Do not go to Hopdoddy and not order fries, you will regret that decision let me tell ya!
Overall:
Hopdoddy is a great casual restaurant for a good burger and EXCELLENT fries. To top it off you have some great cocktail and beer choices! Despite the line, after eating I was pretty satisfied. So if you have the time and patience, give it a try!
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