So the friend who gave my the tip about the Big-A** Burger at Roaring Fork, recently informed me about another burger joint here in Austin – Hopdoddy Burger Bar.  For a burger blogger, I sure am horrible about keeping up with these burger joints around town.  I blame it on the fact that I live right outside of Austin in a town called Round Rock, and all the happening stuff is in downtown Austin which is a bit of a drive for me.  But no excuses – I’m gonna try my best to hit all the noteworthy joints and then some.  Thankfully, Hopdoddy opened a location up north.

Hopdoddy opened its doors in 2010 with their passion being to provide their customers with the freshest available, all-natural ingredients.  Daily they grind their hormone/antibiotic free black Angus beef, bake their own buns from scratch and cut their own Kennebec fries (source).  Have I piqued your interest yet?  No??  Well keep reading…  or how about a picture…

I had some trouble deciding what to get as all 12 of the burgers on their menu sounded worthy of being devoured.  I somehow managed to narrow my options down to four, but that’s when the real challenge began.  The four contenders:  1) The Goodnight – Angus beef, Tillamook cheddar, hickory BBQ sauce, caramelized onions, sliced jalapeños and sassy sauce (a mixture of mustard, mayo and horseradish from what I hear)  2) Llano Poblano – Angus beef, pepper jack cheese, roasted poblano chiles, apple-smoked bacon, and chipotle mayo  3) The Classic Cheeseburger – Angus beef, red leaf lettuce, white onion, ripe beef steak tomato, sassy sauce, and Tillamook cheddar  4) Primetime – Texas Akaushi Beef, Brie cheese, truffle aioli, arugula, caramelized onions, and steak sauce.  For fear of getting stuck in a line that is commonly known to extend out the door, I quickly decided on The Classic Cheeseburger.  I figured I needed to know how they do the classic before trying anything else.

Classic Cheeseburger, Kennebec Fries, and SoCo Sweet Tea

Upon taking my first bite, I knew I was in for something special.  The meat was seasoned just how I like it and cooked just how I like it (medium rare at places I trust).  And the horseradish in their sassy sauce added a nice punch that kept the burger from getting too heavy in the mouth.  The only negative that I can comment on is the fact that I nearly lost my bottom bun due to the juices of the patty and tomatoes.  But are juicy meat and toppings (or bottomings in this case) really a bad thing??  The bun (while intact) had a nice bite and density to it.  The fries were well-cooked and well-seasoned, thus pairing quite nicely with the burger.  The Kennebec fries had a light, mild potato flavor.  Although I didn’t indulge in one the artisanal beers they had on tap, I thought it was worth noting that they offer beverages from a dozen or so local breweries.  In addition, they have salad bowls on the menu, but are you really here reading my blog to learn about salad bowl offerings??  I didn’t think so.

I truly admire how they support the local farmers and ranchers when possible and try to provide their customers with the best possible ingredients.  Unfortunately, I just don’t feel that my words are doing Hopdoddy any justice, so I’ll leave it at this – they make one darn good burger.  I’m pretty sure I’ll be returning to Hopdoddy…and soon!  I’ve got at least 3 more burgers to try…