October '10

Hopdoddy

October 29th, 2010

The folks of AFDA gathered at the newest addition to South Congress in Austin. Replacing Cissi's Market, Hopdoddy, focuses on homemade burgers, beer, and specialty cocktails. When I say homemade, I mean homemade. The guys running this place (from Austin's Moonshine), put their heart and soul into any preparation. All meats are hand ground, the bread is freshly baked, and the fries are hand cut. To say you can taste the love is an understatement. I'm not sure if we've ever had so many ooohhs, and mmmmms at another dinner.

When we arrived, we sat down at a few high tables and ordered cocktails and beer. Hopdoddy also offers a good selection of reds and whites for vino lovers. Black Cherry Limeade and a ton of local brews filled the table as we look over the mouth watering menu. Burgers are the main focus, but there are veggie options, as well as, other meats and fish. A few salads are on there too for any one going green.

We placed our orders and talked about how much we liked the place so far. A Magic Mushroom (Beef, Pure Luck goat cheese, field mushrooms, and basil pesto spread) made its way to the table. Along with a Llano Poblano (Beef, pepper jack cheese, roasted poblano chiles, and apple-smoked bacon), Buffalo Bill (Bison, Maytag blue cheese, Frank's hot sauce, and apple-smoked bacon), an a Ahi Tuna Burger (Sushi-grade tuna, sunflower sprouts, teriyaki, honey wasabi, nori chips, and pickled ginger), and more. Orders of Kennebec fries made their way into many mouths as well.

I cannot say how fantastic each burger was. Absolutely delicious with such thought inspired ingredients and combinations. We all could eat here more than once a week. Perfect for a casual date, drinks with the boys, or burgers with the gals. So incredibly tasty and the rarity of such excellent staff.

Curious about the name? Apparently hop is representing the brews, and doddy is a term given to the Aberdeen Angus cattle of Scotland. The restaurant is serving them both exceptionally well. Make your way down to South Congress, and after you're done eating one of the best burgers you've had, walk it off with the Capitol in the background. Cheers!

Hopdoddy
Hopdoddy Menu
Twitter: @hopdoddy

August '10

Sandy's Hamburgers

August 26, 2010

If you've lived or been in Austin over the last 30 plus years, you've probably heard about Sandy's Hamburgers. As a kid, my brother and I would be giddy with excitement, while eating our chocolate fudge sundaes in the parking lot. This Austin institution sits on the side of Barton Springs Road with it's brightly lit sign and tiny restaurant guiding you into burger mania. For AFDA's last summer dinner, we headed to the joint for all things old school. We met at the order window, said our hellos, and began with the Thursday Special: hamburger, fries and a coke for a total of $3.69. To say this was our cheapest AFDA would be an understatement. We grabbed a picnic table at the back under the yellow lit concrete. We dove in, and talked of childhood, our love of burgers and the great city of Austin, Texas. The original plan was to head to the best sno cone place in Austin (where a few AFDA members worked during their college summers), Sno Beach, down the street but it's trailer doors were closed. We walked ourselves back to Sandy's where orders of delicious hot fudge sundaes, chocolate shakes, and swirl cones were made. The perfect way to end our 2010 summer. Stop by Sandy's (or drive thru) Thursday and Saturday for their famous specials, or any other day of the week. You'll feel like a kid again.

Top Picks: The Special, Chocolate Shake, Swirl Cone, Hot fudge Sundae

Sandy's Hamburgers on Yelp