Hopdoddy in The Heights

Acclaimed Austin burger joint picks hot Heights development for 4th location

The Heights' status as Houston's hottest destination for new restaurant openings shows no signs of slowing down. This year alone, new arrivals like Field & Tides, Helen in the Heights, Presidio, and Alice Blue have helped the neighborhood maintain its status as the city's richest source of new openings, and the pace looks to continue next year with more restaurants on the way.

Hopdoddy will join Dallas-based coffee shop Ascension at the Heights Waterworks development, real estate developer Braun Enterprises announced. The restaurant will occupy 4,000-square feet of space in a building that will be constructed along 19th Street. The timeline on these projects is always tricky, but Wolf estimates the restaurant will open in the fall of 2018. Frank Seely represented Hopdoddy in the transaction.

"We have been big fans of Hopdoddy since visiting them in Austin years ago," Braun leasing director Zachary Wolf tells CultureMap. "They provide a high quality product and a family-friendly atmosphere that will fit perfectly in the Heights.

Since arriving in Houston last year at River Oaks District, the Austin-based better burger joint has taken Houston by storm with two additional locations in Rice Village and Vintage Park. The restaurant's use of high-quality ingredients like Angus beef and sushi-grade tuna for burger patties that are served on in house-baked buns has proven to be a winning formula; Hopdoddy also recently became only the second restaurant in Texas to serve the Impossible Burger, a vegan-based patty that appears to "bleed" like a beef burger.

As the "hop" part of its name implies, those burgers get paired with a solid selection of craft beer, along with sodas, milkshakes, and cocktails. Fresh cut skinny fries, available with a surprisingly good queso, only further enhance the restaurant's appeal.

“We chose to open a Hopdoddy in the Heights because we received several requests from current guests to open in the area and it is such a vibrant and welcoming community," brand manager Erin Fohn tells CultureMap. "Hopdoddy is so excited to join this wonderful neighborhood.”

Hopdoddy manages its famous line in a number of ways. A dedicated server offers diners the chance to get drinks while they wait, and the kitchen sends out a constant stream of samples of both fries and shakes.

Then again, those lines could be a little shorter in the Heights. The neighborhood is already home to a number of popular burger joints and restaurants that serve good burgers, including Hubcap Grill, Becks Prime, and Down House. Recently opened Balls Out Burger, the imminent arrival of Bernie's Burger Bus, and plans for a second location of The Burger Joint will only add to the mix.

Thankfully, Houstonians appetite for burgers seems to be pretty limitless.

CultureMap also asked Wolf is he had any comment on Eater Houston's recent report on rumors that State of Grace owner Ford Fry has plans to open a Tex-Mex restaurant called Superica at the Waterworks.

"I know nothing," he replied. Count that as a rumor for now, but expect more tenant announcements soon.

Hopdoddy is bringing Terlingua burgers to the Heights.

Courtesy photo

Hopdoddy is bringing Terlingua burgers to the Heights.

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an offer he couldn't refuse

Exclusive: Killen's Barbecue will soon shutter in The Woodlands

Killen's barbecue meat platter with sides

Photo by Robert Jacob Lerma

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Fans of Killen’s Barbecue’s location in The Woodlands have a days to make one last visit. The restaurant will close this Sunday, December 7, chef-owner Ronnie Killen tells CultureMap.

Open since 2021, Killen says that he’s in final negotiations to sell the location at 8800 Six Pines Dr. to Whataburger for a new location of the iconic Texas fast food restaurant. Neither the original location of Killen’s Barbecue in Pearland nor its Cypress location are affected by the closure of The Woodlands and will remain open.

“Whataburger made me a deal I couldn’t pass up. It would take 10 years to do that kind of revenue,” Killen writes in a text, adding that the company recently made a significant payment to keep the deal’s window open through the end of the year.

He added that the costs to operate the restaurant have gone up significantly. As one example, a cord of wood cost $175 when he opened the first Killen’s Barbecue in 2013. It costs $475 now, he writes.

If the deal falls through, Killen states that he could look for a new buyer or convert the restaurant into a second location of Killen’s Burger, the retro-styled burger joint he operates in Pearland.

The restaurant’s closure had been expected since February, when Killen sold The Woodlands’ location of Killen's Steakhouse. At the time, Killen said he also planned to find a buyer for his barbecue joint in the bustling suburb. He cited the driving distance from Pearland to The Woodlands as one reason he chose to divest both locations. He still operates Killen's Steakhouse in Pearland, comfort food restaurant Killen's near the Heights, Killen's Burger, and three other locations of Killen's Barbecue.

As it approaches its 13th anniversary in the spring, Killen’s Barbecue remains a vital part of Houston’s barbecue scene. The restaurant recently earned an honorable mention from Texas Monthly and holds a Bib Gourmand designation in the Michelin Guide. In July, it opened a new location at Hobby Airport.

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