We had a big night ahead of us – we made the five hour-plus journey from our house in SW Arkansas to the River Oaks District in Houston. We stopped by Hopdoddy Burger Bar to fuel up before Chromeo began their set. A trio of offerings – Space CiTEA, an alcoholic drink, Hopdoddy’s storied Green Chili Queso Fries, and the luxurious Buffalo Bill cheeseburger.
We were impressed at the depth of the Space CiTEA’s flavor. Based off of a house-infused limoncello / fresh-squeed lemon base, the inclusion of a fair amount of Deep Eddy’s sweet tea vodka and raspberry puree ensured that imbibers would continually experience different twists and turns during the cocktail. The Bubbly Blonde is another solid drink at Hopdoddy; white wine is given a boost to its citrus and fruit notes by the addition of lemon and orange. A herbal note is grafted masterfully onto the cocktail through a one-two punch of basil and St. Germain.
Hopdoddy’s Buffalo Bill cheeseburger started out with a masterfully-cooked bison patty. It sounds simple enough, but you’d be surprised at how rare it is to get a rare burger done properly at a restaurant! Added onto this mass of meat, a good portion of blue cheese and Frank’s hot sauce bring the tanginess to the equation. A bit of applewood-smoked bacon pairs well with the leaner bison blend, while the Sassy sauce (a unique blend of horseradish, mayo, and honey mustard) links bun, cheese, and meats together well.
With the umami and savory side of the meal fulfilled nicely with the Buffalo Bill cheeseburger, Hopdaddy satiated our crunchy and crispy desires with their Green Chili Queso Fries. Keeping honest to their southwest/Austin roots, Hopdoddy’s Green Chili queso doled out equal amounts of heat and creamy with their freshly-made cheese sauce.
The restaurant offers a $5 happy hour from 3 to 5 during the week, a promotion which includes all craft beer drafts, Hopdoddy’s signature sips, and each of their varieties of fries. Hopdoddy supports the local craft breweries well. During our visit, they pulled glasses and popped tops of offerings from Real Ale, Platypus, Spindletop and Four Corners breweries. Before the end of your meal, we’d recommend purchasing one of Hopdoddy’s shakes. Of particular note during our visit was their Nutella & Chocolate pretzel which was able to impart salty, nutty and rich chocolate elements into the tried and true milkshake style. Hopdoddy also offers alcoholic shakes for those that want to go fully decadent with their dining experience.
Houston’s Hopdoddy is open from 11 to 10 PM during the week and is open from 11 to 11 PM on Friday and Saturday nights. The restaurant’s social media profile is a good way to learn about new plates while the main Hopdoddy domain is a repository for menu information, nutritional facts, and maps to locate the store nearest you.
We visited Hopdoddy in late April, 2018. The restaurant is introducing a number of major additions to their menu beginning on May 8th.
What were your impressions about Hopdoddy?
Hopdoddy Burger Bar / 4444 Westheimer Rd H100, Houston, TX 77027 / (713) 227-2337 / Domain / Facebook / Twitter