The Vitals:
the spot: Hopdoddy Burger Bar tested in Austin TX, locations in California, Arizona, Colorado, Texas, Tennessee, Florida, Georgia
the eats: Sticky Belly
the bucks: $12.75
the full nelson: if a chef was challenged to make burger taste like a pork belly bao
I was recently invited to check out Hopdoddy’s Burger of the Month special for July: The Sticky Belly. It’s been a minute since I last visited Hopdoddy, like before the Pandemic. Add to that my last review was back in 2016. I was due for a visit.
The blending of the worlds of Pork Belly Bao and a hearty burger are the draw here and that comes down to the build. The idea of somehow managing to squeeze in a substantial amount of glazed slow roasted pork belly(enough for a sandwich on it’s own) and then adding a quarter pound burger patty and an omelette plus a little greens seems over the top. And what it took to pull that off was more than the long toothpick they stab in the dead center too.
Hopdoddy’s house made sesame seed buns are pretty impressive. They eat like brioche minus the copious amount of butter and offer the girth and structural integrity to keep the burger from falling apart. Years later and I still have to say, Hopdoddy makes a great burger bun. And that’s a big reason why this burger works.
Another reason why the burger works is why you go to Hopdoddy in the first place: creatively topped burgers. In an era of non stopped smashburgers, it seems forgoing a burger showcasing some variant of Thousand Island, pickles and American cheese is just what is in order. And it doesn’t get more “unsmashburger” than the Sticky Belly at Hopdoddy.
FWIW I was a guest at Hopdoddy but I’ve been a fan first. And it was initially for the price and overall value. Even though a gift card covered my meal, this burger costs just under $13 which is not bad considering you could split this if that is how you roll.
*The Sticky Belly is available at Hopdoddy until August 5th. This post is sponsored.
#hopdoddy #hopddoddypartner
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