Restaurant review: Droolworthy, divine, and humane, HopDoddy does comfort food right

by Jenni Hanley of Try Something Different in Dallas

The satisfaction goes deeper than simple satiation.

Photo by Jenni Hanley

HopDoddy's La Bandita is a black bean-corn patty with avocado, goat cheese, arugula, cilantro pesto, and chipotle mayo.

DALLAS — After a long day of typing away into the endless abyss of the Internet, I was craving a little comfort. For some, that might mean a bubble bath and bottomless bowl of mac 'n' cheese. For me, it means beer and burgers.

More specifically, hand-crafted beer and burgers.

I found just the thing at HopDoddy, the latest restaurant to go local. Their beef comes from PGA Beef in Austin — humanely raised, with no growth hormones or antibiotics — and is ground in-house daily. Fries are hand-cut. And buns are made from scratch and baked not once but twice a day.

For the timid, the Classic Burger with bacon and cheese is the most popular menu item. For those who crave something that doesn't "moo," the turkey burger (with provolone and basil pesto on whole wheat) is wholly satisfying, as is La Bandita (black bean-corn patty, avocado, goat cheese, arugula, cilantro pesto, and chipotle mayo). As is common of black bean burgers, the patty didn't hold together very well; I ended up with some bread and a pile of black bean-corn crumbles, albeit tasty ones. Lamb, bison, and ahi tuna are also on the menu.

To wash down your burger, choose from a droolworthy selection of small-batch, Texas craft beers from breweries such as Live Oak, St. Arnold, and (512). Even better, they enthusiastically support hyper-local brewers such as Lakewood and Peticolas — just a hop's throw down the street.

As much as I enjoyed my Bandita and goblet full of Hop Trapp, I couldn't leave without trying a milkshake, made with whole dairy and churned daily. I readily admit my weakness for the divine combination of sea salt and caramel; happily, I was not disappointed.

Ultimately, your goal is probably going to be getting a satisfying meal. But the folks at HopDoddy believe that satisfaction is much deeper than simply the satiation of hunger. With that in mind, they are honest about the sourcing of every ingredient in their kitchen. If you're curious, check out their farm and ranch partnerships here.