Hopdoddy

The time has come to begin my tour of burger joints in Austin.
because let's face it...

I love burgers.

And I had a blast eating burgers all summer in Houston.
Blogging about burgers was SUCH a great excuse to indulge.
So...
beginning with Hopdoddy...
here starts the...

Austin Burger Tour 2011-2012

But first some tailgate photos....Yes I'm sneaking these in here.
Back to Hopdoddy. Before you venture over to South Congress to eat a Hopdoddy burger, you gotta work up an appetite. Tailgating definitely did the job for Shannon, Ellen, Kari and myself. So...

1. Get hungry.

Then, when you are really hungry, head over to this beloved burger joint. Park in the garage behind the restaurant and make sure to get your parking validated. Then...

2. Anticipate a line.

The line for Hopdoddy usually wraps around the building. I wasn't kidding when I called this place beloved. But the wait is worth it. And during that extra time...

3. Bring on the hunger pains.

4. Explore your options.

Trust me. You are going to want to be hungry. Besides an array of fabulous burgers to choose from, you also have great seasoned fries and a slew of milkshake flavors to drool over. You will struggle to make a decision. But trust me, everything is good. And you want to try everything. If anything, make sure you indulge and get a milkshake. Then once you have placed your order...

5. Enjoy your VIP seating.

One of the things I love about Hopdoddy is that the servers save a table for you. Making your seating one less thing to worry about. Go back to worrying about how you are going to eat everything that you ordered ;)

Now for the photos. Go ahead and drool at your computer screen.

Continental Club

The Classic Burger

The Goodnight Burger

Janis Joplin

Hope you are still hungry, because here comes your milkshake...

happy customers

Critic Corner:

Ellen, ordered the Continental Club
           10/10. Fresh and homemade taste.
Shannon, ordered the Janis Joplin
           9/10. Every burger on the menu is a winner--beef ahi tuna, veggie, or turkey burger--you
           can't go wrong! Everything is made in house making it fresh and worth the wait! Great
           atmosphere, friendly service, and on South Congress--doesn't get better! This is the
           prime burger joint (no pun intended).
Kari, special guest critic visiting from Tennessee, ordered the Goodnight burger
           9.5/10. Excellent variety of choices, excellent sauces.
Victoria, ordered the Classic Burger
           9.5/10. This place knows what they are doing. Drawing from categories used in the
            Houston Burger tour...

Oooze Factor: √ Oh yes. Patty juice oozing out, mustard and ketchup slipping off the sandwich, the use of many napkins. Yes. Yes. And even more yes.
Herd Killer: √ This is a GOOD sized hamburger. As stated above...come hungry.
Handling: √ Several of my fellow critics used a knife and fork. I myself, tackled the burger with both hands. Either way, this burger can be mastered. Handling therefore is simple.
Bling Bling: √ As far as burger places go, Hopdoddy is a little more upscale. Think of...Beck's Prime in Houston. A basic burger costs 5.50 and other specialized burgers can fetch prices up to $12. Not a joint you wanna hit up on the daily, but definitely a great place to take your parents or to watch a game.