On National Hotdog Day, we went all-American, eating an all-beef frank with Chicago-style pickle relish on top of a seven-ounce hamburger inside a house-made bun.
“You what?”
"The Great Hambino" at Hopdoddy is available through July 22. (Photo by Tony Yoken.)
I know the reaction to this unorthodox union, but stick with me. The novelty burger at Hopdoddy Burger Bar — named the Great Hambino to honor baseball legend Babe Ruth — is really good.
Ask Christopher Cook, who manages Hopdoddy in Overton Square, the first restaurant from the Austin-based chain to open in Memphis. “I love the burger,” he told us Wednesday evening. “I’ve already eaten two today.”
While I couldn’t finish my Hambino (Chris works out; I don’t), I have to agree that the spicy relish, salty dog, and beef patty — a Kobe beef combo ground fresh every day — is a trio of familiar tastes, comforting and compatible.
Like all the burgers at Hopdoddy, top-quality ingredients drive the Hambino’s success, Cook explains. “We take a lot of pride in the fact that we make everything from scratch every day,” he says. “We grind our own meat, we make our own seasonings, sauces, and dressings. We make our own buns.”
The chain also likes to push the envelope on novelty burgers. Along with the Great Hambino (available only through Sunday), the Brew Series offers a special burger every month made with one of the restaurant’s craft selections. For July, Carolina Saison from Carolina Brewing Company goes into barbecue sauce for a pork grind burger topped with slaw. For August, look for a burger inspired by an IPA.
Along with burgers, salads, cocktails, and adult shakes, the restaurant offers half-a-dozen varieties of fries, such as green chili queso or sweet potato with honey and sage. But I suggest keeping the order simple. Hopdoddy’s house fries are skin-on, skinny, and hand-cut every morning from Kennebec potatoes, a thin-skinned potato perfect for frying. At Hopdoddy, potatoes are double-fried and seasoned with salt, pepper, and fresh parsley. And they are irresistible. Typically, I try to eat the fries one at a time, but soon give up to grab three or four for every bite.
Up next: A second Hopdoddy opens Aug. 13 in the Poplar Commons center, located at the corner of Poplar and Perkins Ext. Expect a similar menu with specialty burgers that roll in and out.
Hopdoddy Burger Bar, 6 Cooper St. (901-654-5100)
