What I Ate: December 3, 2010 (Hopdoddy Burger Bar)

Dinner: Tina and I went to Hopdoddy (1400 South Congress Avenue, Austin, TX (512) 243-7505) tonight.

Orange + Vanilla Ice Cream Float - disappointing. The soda was not sweet enough and very mild in orange flavor. It wasn't any good until all the ice cream had melted in and was well blended and even then, not a good orange float. Later I realized that they serve Maine Root sodas on their fountain which explains the orange. I enjoy Maine Root's Mandarin Orange on occasion, but I really don't think it makes a good float.

Llano Poblano - Best hamburger bun we've had in Texas so far. Finally, someone who makes a non-sweet bun that has a great crumb, holds up to the burger, and isn't too doughy. The medium-rare beef was very tender, but mildly seasoned. This isn't a problem since each bite of this burger contained some bacon and poblano and the flavors blend together wonderfully.

Magic Mushroom - Strong mushroom flavor and pesto which was good because the Pure Luck Goat Cheese (must be our favorite soft cheese) was also strongly flavored and provided the saltiness the burger needed. Again, the beef (also medium-rare) was mild, but everything together made me feel like it was the perfect burger.

So, to us, these burgers are as good as Casino El Camino. In fact, we decided we'd rather eat at Hopdoddy instead because although the seasoned and loosely packed burger patties of Casino El Camino are still the best, the burgers we had, as a whole, were superior at Hopdoddy. For me, Casino El Camino is all about the beef. Hopdoddy's beef patty is good, but mild. The toppings make amazing burgers though. We wanted to get another burger, but after filling up on the float and the fries, we couldn't… so maybe we'll go back next week and the week after to try as many burgers as possible (and to check on the consistency problems that Karin and Bruce experienced).

Best burger in Austin? No… I think that's the $30-40 Bacon Cheeseburger with Foie Gras at Jeffrey's.

Fries - Good Kennebec potatoes fried decently. Not spectacular, but addictive especially with the house ketchup (lightly seasoned with chipotle). Tina and I think that Mighty Fine has the best fries (and I wrote out a mathematical explanation for why I believe that to be true once… and then misplaced it), but these are different (shoestring) while being just as addictive.

Oh, a tip for dining there - there is seating all around the bar and two 2-tops on the wall. If there's a long line and bar seating is open, just grab it and the bartender will take your order. The whole menu is available and you do get your food earlier than those standing in the line that extends from the back all the way almost to S Congress.