Hopdoddy's Coming

Popular Austin-based burger joint appears headed to Houston's River Oaks District

Austin-based burger chain Hopdoddy looks poised to come to Houston in 2016.

Courtesy of Hopdoddy / Facebook

Hopdoddy, the Austin-based burger chain known for its all-natural beef patties, craft beer selection and boozy milkshakes, looks to have finally decided to come to Houston. Several sources in the real estate community confirm that the first Houston outpost will be coming to River Oaks District in the spring of 2016.

Since it began in 2010, Hopdoddy has spread from Austin to Dallas, Scottsdale, Denver and California. The restaurant's founders are Larry Foles and Guy Villavaso, who created and then later sold Eddie V's and Wildfish Seafood Grille. The concept has been incredibly successful. Half hour waits to order are common at both the Austin and Dallas locations.

Hopdoddy sets itself apart with a variety of patties — beef, bison, lamb, chicken, turkey, tuna and black bean — as well as upscale toppings like brie, arugula and truffle aioli. It's a decidedly more upscale affair than locals like Bernie's Burger Bus or Hubcap Grill. The closest local comparison might by Fielding's Wood Grill in The Woodlands, which is also looking to move into Houston.

Writing for DFW.com, CultureMap Dallas food editor Teresa Gubbins praised Hopdoddy as a standout in the crowded burger field: "The Magic Shroom ($8.50) with Angus beef was flavorful, with goat cheese and sautéed mushrooms. The patty looked hand-formed, and thick enough for a contrast between its slightly pink center and charred crust. A toasted, buttered bun, green-leaf lettuce and a large slice of tomato made for a picture-perfect experience."

Hopdoddy joins several restaurants that have already been announced for River Oaks District including Dallas-based pizza chain Thirteen Pies, Phoenix-based steakhouse Steak 44 and San Francisco-based French-Vietnamese restaurant Le Colonial.

openings burgers

NYT best dishes

Houston Mediterranean restaurant makes NY Times' best desserts list

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen/Facebook

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen is the only Houston restaurant on either list.

The New York Times included four Texas restaurants among its favorite dishes of 2025. Divided into two lists — The 23 Best Restaurant Dishes We Ate Across the U.S. in 2025 and The 14 Best Restaurant Desserts We Ate Across the U.S. in 2025 — the dishes are:

Bad Honey Bunny at Mercado Sin Nombre (Austin)
Ketan Hitam at Yeni’s Fusion (Austin)
Konafa Naama at Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen (Houston)
Picadillo Macaroni and Cheese at 2M Smokehouse (San Antonio)

Times food writer Priya Krishna, who authors the entries for all four Texas dishes, traveled to far west Houston to visit Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen. “The konafa, a signature here, arrives with a molten layer of cheese under a sticky-sweet layer of golden, nutty semolina. The craft is evident, the konafa gone in a few bites,” she writes.

Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen Konafa Naama Don't skip dessert at Sayad Mediterranean Kitchen.KSayad Mediterranean Kitchen/Facebook

In Austin, Krishna praises the rice pudding at Yeni’s Fusion. “This barely sweet version, lush with coconut milk, aromatic with pandan and as soothing as warm porridge, is the gentlest way to end a meal,” she states.

Already hailed as one of America’s best breakfast spots by Bon Appetit, Krishna singles out a honeybun at Mercado Sin Nombre. “The coiled honey bun at this semi-clandestine cafe looks almost cartoonishly perfect, and the heady scent of cardamom and honey hits you before you even take a bite. Somehow, it tastes every bit as plush and elegant as it appears,” she writes.

The picadillo mac and cheese at 2M Smokehouse showcases how the San Antonio restaurant incorporates Mexican flavors into traditional Texas barbecue. “Imagine Hamburger Helper, but spicier, punchier and even more luxuriously creamy. It’s not easy to one-up the singular, thickly spiced brisket here, but the picadillo mac and cheese — which runs as an occasional special — holds its own and then some,” Krishna writes.

The New York Times regularly shines its spotlight on Texas restaurants, In September, it named four establishments — ChòpnBlọk (Houston), Isidore (San Antonio), Lao’d Bar (Austin), and P Thai’s Khao Man Gai & Noodles (Austin) — to its list of America’s 50 Best Restaurants.

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