Healthy Twist On An American Classic

HOPDADDY REINVENTS BURGER

Burgers and beer are two things that Denver knows how to deliver.

Hopdoddy Burger Bar outside Union Station in Downtown Denver serves up local craft brews and fresh burgers. Although this restaurant is a national chain, there is currently only one location in Colorado.

Now when foodies hear organic and fresh burger, that can be seen as a far cry from the typical burger found at the local greasy spoon, but at Hopdoddy they serve up a healthy twist on a classic American dish.

Hopdoddy grinds all the meat for each burger in-house, which limits the amount of preservatives that processed meats can contain. The restaurant only buys meat from animals that were not raised with antibiotics and that were not given growth hormones.

Their burgers also stray from the typical ground beef patty with onion, lettuce, and tomatoes. The Continental Club ($8.50) is a turkey burger with provolone cheese, pesto, mayo, arugula, onion, and topped off with apple-wood smoked bacon. All burgers come on a whole bun that is baked fresh every day. This burger may sound overloaded with flavor, but there is just enough variety to keep the palate wanting more.

There are also pescatarian and vegan-friendly options for burgers. The Ahi Tuna Burger ($12.50) is a sushi-grade tuna burger topped with teriyaki, sprouts, nori chips, white onion, honey wasabi, mayo, lettuce, and beefsteak tomato. La Bandita ($12.50) is a black bean-corn patty combined with avocado, goat cheese, white onion, arugula, chipotle mayo, cilantro pesto, and beefsteak tomato.

Fries are ordered separately and customers have the option to order a few different types. The truffle fries ($6.95) are large enough to share between two to three people and pair perfectly with a burger. The fries are covered in parmesan cheese and come with their own house-made dipping sauce. The other type of fries are Kennebec fries (small $2.75, large $5.50), hand-cut each day from Kennebec potatoes.

Besides their selection of craft brews, Hopdoddy offers a list of various flavors for milkshakes ($6) and cocktails.

For customers who are not interested in burgers, Hopdoddy has an equally delicious salad selection. The “Hail Caesar” ($7.50) blends together romaine hearts, baby romaine leaves, carrots, potato hay, and spicy fired chickpeas topped with parmesan cheese and Caesar dressing.

The atmosphere of the restaurant caters to the urban trendiness that has taken over downtown Denver. With both indoor and outdoor seating, customers can indulge in this unusually hot November weather for a just a little bit longer.

Next time a craving for a burger hits, stop by Hopdoddy for a guilt-free indulgence.