Hopdoddy's on Anderson Lane

[tdombrow]

So my husband wants to take me to Hopdoddy's for my birthday and I can't seem to find any information on this place on the boards. Has anyone been there? Is it worth the calories and guilt I will surely feel the next day? We like to stay up north so the location on Anderson Lane seems pretty perfect. So what do you guys think?

[danny_w]

I tried to go to Hopdoddy's today to check it out but there was a ridiculously long line out the door and I just went to Top Notch. No burger is worth that kind of wait in my book. And the best burger I have ever had at a restaurant was the Half Ass burger at Roaring Fork (Arboretum). Pricy but extremely good.

[shalom9]

I have never had the burger at Bartlett's that everyone here is raving about, but I will say that I LOVE Hopdoddy's! Their burger's are always cooked fresh to order, their buns are baked fresh daily (and are amazing) and their toppings are always fresh and delicious. I am actually not really a burger kind of person, but I will eat the ones at Hopdoddy any day.

[popvulture]

Since we're still comparing other burgers in town, I have to throw in one that's often overlooked... The Frisco. I know this place has been an Austin institution for decades, so I'm sure I'm saying stuff that some people already know, but some may not, so... I'll throw it out there.

They grind their own beef, and they pay attention to how you order it (I always go with medium rare). It's cooked on a griddle I think... what I like is that it's sort of halfway between a fancy burger and a diner burger. Classic preparation (fairly thin patty, classic bun, cheese, special sauce, lettuce), but a step ahead (great quality meat, ground, cooked to order). Their fries are great, but I always get mine with onion rings. They're SO good... hand battered and slightly greasy.

So yeah, if you live up near the Anderson Hopdoddy, The Frisco's not too far. Old school vibe, really nice people. I love the place.

[Rptrane]

If you don't mind going downtown Bar+Congress downtown has on of the best burger I've had in town. HopDoddy's isn't very good IMO. It's just average and kinda represents Austin hipster hype at its worst. I also like the burger in the bar area at Austin Land and Cattle and at the Driscoll hotel restaurant bar.

[tdombrow]

So we went there for dinner. I don't get it. It was noisy and packed at 4:45 pm, and I spent $33 on two hamburgers and a large fry. I got the primetime, which reminded me of any other burger I've had, but with onion soup mix tossed in. The weird thing is that the fries were actually tastier. I don't know, maybe I'm just not cool enough for that kind of place. I don't think we fit in with the hipster crowd. Back to 5 guys I guess.

[Rptrane]

Sorry you didn't like your burger, I had a nice burger there at lunch. It's possible they had some kind of chef change. Honestly if you didn't like that burger I doubt you would've liked Hopdoddy's much more. I do get the price difference but I recall paying at least $10 a person at Hopdoddy's too.

[SlickTheCat]

I really don't get how you are equating Hopdoddy with anything hipster...

[Rptrane]

Have you been to the original location? How is it not a hipster hang out?

[SlickTheCat]

I guess we have very different impressions of what hipster equates to...

I would equate Once Over coffee bar to hipster, Hopdoddy just seems unrelentingly popular. I see equal parts dad jeans to anything remotely hipster at Hopdoddy.

[slowcoooked]

As long as there's plenty of beards with bits of bun and mustard strewn throughout, I'll throw down the hipster label. Hopdoddy's not bad, but c'mon, the grilled patty at Bartlett's is just so much better, as are the fries.

And who said it? "there's nothing more pathetic than an aging hipster".

[amysuehere]

Personally, I think for the cost/guilt factor, Cover 3 makes a much better burger and their fries are worth every carb. Don't get me wrong - Hopdoddy's makes a fine burger, but for the price, I really think Cover 3 beats them.

[tdombrow]

Thanks amysue, I'll take a look at them

[agoodbite]

Don't forget about Bartlett's right across the parking lot. They're a little pricier than Hopdoddy (which I happen to also love), but the burger and the fries are worth the extra money. They always cook my burger to order even when I order it medium rare. The fries are always fried perfectly - shoestring w/ skin that are perfectly golden and crispy. You also get the clubhouse atmosphere and great service. I had my birthday lunch there recently and everything was just as good as it always is.

[popvulture]

I'll second that. In my opinion, very possibly the best burger in Austin.

[slowcoooked]

I'll third that opinion. The chili topped weekend version and skinny fries beats the pants off of hopdoddy.

[Rene]

We tried Hopdoddy today for lunch. It was very good and the classic cheeseburger came out medium rare as requested. The fries were delicious, as well. HOWEVER, Bartlett's still wins hands down. I don't know if they use a better quality of beef or if it's their seasoning or what but I maintain that it's the most consistently delicious burger I've had AND their fries are exactly like I like 'em. Their is a significant price delta, too, (referring to classic cheeseburger) which I think puts these two burgers in separate categories.

I must not have tried the burger at Cover 3. I remember their fries being very good, though.

*** just checked and Hopdoddy and Bartlett's both use a good quality of beef and grind in-house daily.

[cstrombe]

I think the Bartlett's difference is the hardwood grill. Hopdoddy cooks on griddle, Bartlett's over open hardwood fire (hickory I think). Same reason Dos Batos is so tasty :).

[sweet100s]

Great point cstrombe.

Had a Bartlett's burger recently; it's definitely my favorite restaurant burger. I could taste the grill effect. The bun was fresh, tasted like real bread and was nice and squishy.

Bartlett's 'small' side salads with lots of fresh add-ins and their homemade version of Ranch dressing are delicious. Their croutons even look and taste homemade.

[ampeg66]

That house salad with a combination of their Hot Bacon and Honey Mustard dressings is crave-worthy. It's our favorite combo in town.

To stay on topic, Hopdoddy is very good, but my comment has been the same every time: High-quality ingredients, very good burger...if only they'd cook it with fire. I love griddle burgers too, but meat of that quality would benefit greatly from a grill.

And that's why Bartlett's is our favorite burger in town: Ingredient quality PLUS the wood grill flavor.

The fact that they actually seem to train their wait staff (imagine that!) is just a nice bonus.

[cstrombe]

Agree, and Austin seems infatuated with the griddle burger. Very few places cook over flame. I pine for the old GM Steakhouse on Guadalupe.

Burger "experts" like George Motz swear by the griddle, but for a non-razor-thin-patty burger made from quality beef, flame-kissed is the way to go.

[sweet100s]

Hot Bacon dressing? I haven't heard of this before!

re: The fact that they actually seem to train their wait staff (imagine that!) is just a nice bonus.

YES. Since the switch from Houstons to Bartletts, I've been expecting their service to slip. Because training of wait staff given the high turnover is one area where consistency of chains brings a big advantage over locally owned chow locations with delicious food but a very uneven overall experience.

[Rene]

That hot bacon / honey mustard combo was my favorite when going to Houston's in the Dallas area in the mid-80s. It's held up well.

[LakeLBJ]

Yes, you'll enjoy it. It's your birthday for crying out loud. Life is too short to have guilt the next day after a birthday meal. Get a burger, fries, beer, and a shake.