on the table | dine design
The prime location on S. Congress is where Cissi’s Wine Bar once was; there’s a fresh color scheme, but the granite bar remains the same.
The recycled aluminum bar stools are designed for comfort.
A More Perfect Union Things are hopping when burgers and beer get together By Rebecca Ann Robinson / photography by karen williams
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nside Hopdoddy Burger Bar, a chalkboard reads, “We have a passion for fresh, all-natural ingredients prepared by hand.” Down the hallway leading to a counter in the back, walls are lined with crates of beautiful ripe tomatoes and fresh potatoes, and there’s a recycling station. Here, it’s action central: hormone- and antibiotic-free Black Angus beef is being ground and pressed into patties. Ice cream is being churned. Local beer is on tap and at the ready. The smell of fresh bread wafts through the air. If your taste buds weren’t al-
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ready on high alert, they are now. The name “Hopdoddy” suggests, obliquely to the American ear, “the perfect union of burgers and beer,” explains co-founder and partner Chuck Smith. “Handcrafted beer is the ‘hop’ part and ‘doddy’ is the Scottish nickname for Black Angus cows,” he elaborates. Smith and partners Moonshine chef Larry Perdido, Larry Foles and Guy Villavaso are responsible for this new twist to Austin dining. Hopdoddy evokes a relaxed atmosphere and is a
place to meet friends and hang out, eat, have cocktails or watch a game. But what distinguishes Hopdoddy from similar venues is that it specializes in hand-crafted burgers, composed mostly of ingredients made from scratch. Warning bells might go off for diners fearful that “made from scratch” is code for “Get ready for a wait.” However, Smith, Foles and Perdido sidestepped the problem with swift, well-choreographed counter service. The burger bar opened on October 13, a quick turnaround after the trio selected the prime South Congress location that was formerly Cissi’s Wine Bar in May. There are both counter and dine-in options here: “We have a shotgun flow from the entrance to the counter in the back, where customers place their orders, then circle around
to the dining room,” says Smith. “The hallway connecting the two is like a tour of how your food is made.” The large space was already in great shape when the group leased it. The team kept the original granite bar and sanded down the concrete floor. They also left the kitchen intact. “We wanted to create a new identity without wasting what was already in place,” says Smith. The face-lift included modern metal lighting fixtures and hardware. One of
the most effective changes is the fresh color scheme— tomato red and bright lettuce green accents, which are also reflected in the Hopdoddy logo. Brick, metal and blond butcher block wood are the building blocks of the design. A distressed whitewashed brick wall flanks one side of the dining room, and above the brick is a red wall featuring photography—with a stunning portrait of Willie Nelson— by Matt Lankes. Bright green recycled aluminum bar stools line up in the dining room. Designed by BMW, they are sleek, lightweight and really comfortable, just as you would expect from a company that designs luxury automobiles.
Pine dining room tables are high and rectangular, with dark custom metal work, and comfy black leather booths are another place to alight. Two sides of the space are glass walls, perfect for people-watching. And for other viewing options, three large flat screen TVs are positioned unobtrusively so as not to overshadow the decor. Smith and his team have created both a venue and a menu that are undeniably Austin. “This is a place for mixed cravings,” he says, noting the juxtaposition of righteous offerings like fresh vegetables with the sheer bliss of a nice juicy burger. Hopdoddy is a “swift service” restaurant for adults to enjoy artisan burgers, beer and spirits, a cool, comfortable place to eat a quick lunch or spend an entire afternoon. amh Spring 2011
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