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Categories: American (New), Breakfast & Brunch [Edit]
Neighborhood: Lower East SideDelancey-Essex Sts (F, J, M, Z)
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Pretty good!
Came here for an early dinner on a Sunday and the restaurant was fairly empty. It was still happy hour so we ordered house red wine (2 for 1). Not a bad deal and the wine wasn't bad at all.
I had the crab cake which came with delicious mac and cheese. Also really liked the squash and corn that came on the plate. Other winners were the flounder, chicken and pork chop.
Everyone liked their meals. Was reasonably priced and we all left full. Would definitely recommend!
Overpriced TV dinner food. Not kidding. The mashed potatoes tasted like they came straight out of a Hungry Man. The beer list was bad news bears, too.
Oh, and because we waited super long for a table, the bartender thought it wise to give us a free shot... of some jalapeno infused vodka. I almost puked fire.
Two words: BURGER FONDUE
And if that didn't sell you...
A few more words: ONLY THIRTEEN DOLLARS
NOM NOM NOM NOM NOM
eh, really wasn't into Fat Hippo. the music was wack (they played off soulful holiday tunes), the food and service were medicore, and the vibe of the place wasn't very intriguing. i'd skip it and go down the block to Clinton Street Bakery.
3.5 stars
I came to Fat Hippo with high hopes. Of course it's hard to avoid hearing about the burger fondue which is really what convinced me to come. Upon arriving, at first I was skeptical when I saw that it looked like a hip lounge type place. I was fearing high prices and tiny elf portions of cliche food. But the menu is a wonderfully unique twist on new american and has plenty of options that appeal to the kid in all of us.
Of course we had to go for the burger fondue, which I think should be marketed as an appetizer more than a meal. It risks being a novelty but actually is quite brilliantly done. Molecular Gastronomists would likely call it "cheeseburger deconstructed". You receive the warm cheese with sides of minced onion, pickles, and bacon. The dippers are all tiny tiny sliders with 50-cent piece sized buns, lettuce, and ketchup. Put whatever ingredients you want into the fondue, mix it up and tip. Lots of fun, and really good too! It's also served with a generous portion of fries.
For my main meal I had the duck cuban which was pretty disappointing. Standard sub roll bread that far overpowered the duck. Very little meat and not much flavor. Everyone else at my table seemed to enjoy what they got so I would be curious to return and try other things.
They also offer a brunch menu which sounds great and is an amazing deal. $12.50 for entree, drink, and brunch cocktail. Bloody Mary's, mimosas, and screwdrivers are all $4.
Way back when I was a wee child, my mama taught me the lesson that in life -you pay for what you get. I haven't found that to *always* be true - but in the case of Fat Hippo, it most certainly is.
The prices are good and for the price, the quality is great. That's about it.
Nothing is going to give you those midnight "I HAVE TO EAT THAT THIS WEEK OR ELSE" cravings....but it is solid, good comfort food at a decent price with great portion size.
Favorite menu items include:
-Hamburger sliders with fondue (burgers + cheese fondue, on this planet that couldn't go wrong-although ask for extra pickles)
-Veggie burger (homemade, solid bun, great composition)
-Pulled Pork Stuffing (it's a side - get it! It is the best thing on menu)
-Collard Greens
-Chili & Chocolate Spare Ribs
-Turkey Meatloaf
-Beer Can Chicken
Avoid:
-Sweet & Sour Calamari (I'm a fan of calamari, theirs was a bit slimey for my tastes, both times)
-Watermelon & Feta Salad
-Shrimp Ceviche
-Maryland Crab Cake
As you can tell by my amateur recommendation list - Fat Hippo excels in the comfort food and falls short w/the seafood as a general rule of thumb. Their menu seems a bit schizo with ceviche and meatloaf on the same menu and hopefully with time they'll focus simply on what they do best - southern style comforting foods....As for the fish, when you can be eating burgers smothered in cheese, why order Ceviche anyways?
Ok so you say the words "Burger Fondue" to me and i'm there. Allright i will be honest. You say the word "burger" to me and I'm there. But burger fondue? How much fun does that sound like???
Needless to say i was not disappointed by the burger fondue. The cheese was gooey and melted and the the burger was perfectly cooked to medium. I liked that i could either add or leave out the toppings so that this bacon hating girl would be ok. Plus then it leaves the whole cup of bacon for someone to add to their slider (see picture).
I actually enjoyed my meal too. I got the turkey meatloaf which had good flavor and seasonings. It came with a big pile of mashed potatoes that were absolutely delicious. I was shocked with how awesome they were. They had a great creamy buttery flavor. I give it my mashed potato stamp of approval!
I also loved the fact that i got a goose island IPA. I've never seen one outside of of Chicago! Yay for that!
Overall it was a neat place and i really enjoyed my food. I dunno if it was the novelty or what, but the burger fondue is something i'll definitely be back for.
Great mini-burger fondue. Try that and the pan fried cheese balls too. French fries are great too.
Short review since I've only been here once, but needless to say, it was a tasty, pleasant brunchy affair on a warm Saturday morning.
I had the American eggs Benedict: pulled pork on a buttermilk biscuit with poached eggs and a BBQ hollandaise sauce. It was out-of-this-world good. Paired with some excellent coffee and a cheap mimosa, my friends and I had a great time; we sat for some time after the meal and the servers were friendly and accommodating. I'd go back and do that meal all over again.
Ive been a couple of times now and I can say that for the price the food is good. does it blow you away .. no but it's better than diner food at only slightly higher prices. The service isn't great though which does detract.
What i have had was the duck cuban which I thought was good and tasty maybe needed a bit more of the lime mustard. The chicken sampler was also good although the greens were a bit roughly cut and tough. My fiancee had the burger fondue which she loved and the pork chop which was also good, as a side to that was the pulled pork stuffing which is fabulous.
I was catching up with a girlfriend and we decided on this place because of all the hype. To say it was amazing and a must stop, is an overstatement - but I did enjoy my meal. The spicy margarita was the best drink on the menu. We shared the fish tacos which were light and delicate, could have used more guacamole however. My girlfriend got the fondu and enjoyed it. Her only complaint was the fondu was runny and sort of greasy. I ordered a pesto chicken something or other and it was definitely good, but didn't leave me with the 'wow that was delicious' feeling. If you have no place else in mind, I would say stop by - but only on a night that you have nothing better to do.
two words - espresso martini. get it. they are freakin amazing...until 4 hours and 3 bathroom trips later, and you still can't go to sleep ha. that's why i'm sitting here like a crackhead at 3 AM writing this review ha ha ha. despite that, they are yummers!! the staff is very friendly, and the service was good. we ordered the pan fried cheese balls to start. they were really yummy, but they were so small! i liked them because they were made w fresh mozzarella.
for dinner i got the crab cake sandwich, which was tender, squishy, and delicious! i scarfed that thing down in about 5 minutes. it comes with fries, but i asked them to give me the mac n cheese, which is what the crab cakes come with. the mac n cheese is a grown up version from my kraft macaroni days. it's made from twirly pasta and 3 different kinds of cheese: cheddar, blue cheese (i think), and topped with baked parmesan.
my friends got the fondue burgers, which are so cute! they're mini sliders, arranged to look like bowling pins on a plate, and come with a small pot of cheese fondue with bacon bits. the food was great, and we had a good time. only thing is they need to get a multi disc cd player. they played the same cd on repeat the whole night. it was good music, but we heard each song like 3 times lol. the waitress charged us 18% gratuity, which is usually done to parties of 6 or more, even though we only had 5. i would have to double check their menu, though, to verify if this was boo boo. she was nice anyway, so i guess it's not a big deal...
Funny how I ended up eating here after moving out of the LES. Well, the trip to LES was worthwhile thanks to the "Burger Fondue". You get five mini burgers and delicious, hearty fries with toppings of bacon, pickles and onions in silver mini sauce cups which you throw into the fondue. As a burger and fondue lover, I was sold on the idea of dipping the fries and the sliders into the cheese fondue. The meat was done to perfection and while there's only one type of cheese(could have been swiss), it was quite tasty.
For $12, this order was a steal, plus with the Buy 1 Get 1 Free Drink HH from 5-7pm, let's just say my girlfriend and I were happy campers with satisfied bellies.
Lots of different comfort food staples with a twist. All the dishes are really well-executed. The Cheeseburger Fondue sliders were perfectly pink in the center despite being mini. The Lobster Pot Pie, Crab Cake, and Sole with brussels sprouts were all delicious. I highly recommend the Duck Cuban. Great drinks and atmosphere too.
Generally, I find negative reviews to be somewhat unhelpful because they say little to the already cynical New Yorker, besides what s/he already knows: the place you are considering ^probably^ sucks. Though I'm merely reinforcing that presumption going into Fat Hippo (i.e., yeah, it sucks) I feel dutibound to share how and to what degree it sucks.
We got there for an early-ish brunch. There was no one there, which is generally a bad sign. Two waitresses were gabbing with the bartender, and the service was lacking.
Now, any restauranteur who's taken Brunch 101 knows you *need* to offer coffee and one of OJ/alcohol. Your brunch at Fat Hippo, however, only gets you one of those things. I got coffee, which the inattentive waitress never refilled (again: Brunch 101, REFILL COFFEE).
I had the chocolate chip pancakes, which looked great on paper. Shame the menu neglected to mention that rather than soft, fluffy buttermilk, the pancakes were of the surplus Soviet buckwheat variety, rendering the pancakes on my plate tough, bland, and almost atextural. A handful of cut strawberries and bananas were an afterthought.
My companion had the omelet with spinach and goat cheese. This thing might as well have been called "Chef's First Omelet," because it looked and tasted like a line cook's first attempt at an omelet. The spinach was not cut, rough, and the omelet was so unremarkable that I've already said way too much. It just ... was ... plain. But at least the menu was right.
Waitress was slow to refill drinks, slow to bring extra syrup, slow to bring the check. Inexcusable, particularly when the place was EMPTY. Music was too loud, a couple of tourists sauntered in. Yeah, it's that kind of place. Don't waste a trip down here, and if you're already in the area, give this place a pass. Let it die so that something with more than a funky name take its place.
Oh - and, it's CASH ONLY. Quaint.
Love the HIPPO. Its one of my favorite places in the city. Happy hour 2fers, and the staff is the best. The owner Jordan and his conglomerate did a great job turning it into a chic laid back fun spot to go. Its a bit small but the people more than make the experience. Great looking staff, good music and unique well done food. Burger Fondue, Fish Tacos, Long Board beer and Im sold.
*** 4.5 stars ***
My sister brought me and my friends here for dinner during a visit to New York. I loved it here. It's small, but wasn't crowded when we arrived, so there was just a short wait for a table to seat all six of us. I liked the simple, yet modern decor.
The service was great; everyone was really friendly to us. The food was delicious. I got the Duck Cuban with yucca chips on the side. The Cuban was tasty, with a very subtle flavor, and the lightly salted chips were addicting.
Two of my friends got burgers, which they both seemed satisfied with. Two others got the burger sliders, one of which I tried; they were fun and delicious. Both of these dishes come with fries, cooked to perfection. My friends also tried a couple of their appetizers- a salad and a salmon dish, which both looked yummy.
This place is super affordable, even for a college student with a low-paying summer internship. Can't wait to eat here again sometime!
I have been dying to go here ever since I first heard about it.
My friend was running late so I took a seat at the bar. The bartender, Alicia, was soooo friendly. I had a Strawberry Flip and while I'm not a huge fan of gin, this has become my new favorite alcoholic beverage. I definitely recommend it to anyone who likes fruity drinks. It's not overly sweet and is the perfect amount of creamy (actually foamy, since it's blended egg white). SO GOOD!!!
The food was AMAZING. We started with the calamari, which isn't fried with breading so is much healthier and instead of marinara, it was served with some sort of lime concoction. I enjoyed it but my friend was expecting something like a sweet chilli sauce since it had that asian fusion feel to it. I had the flounder which was cooked to perfection. The brussel sprouts were delicious!! My friend had the Steak Frites, which was equally delicious - tons of flavor, cooked to the perfect medium rare - and the fries were crispy and seasoned really well. He also got a side of corn bread, which was the only thing I found disappointing, but that could be because I prefer it sweet, like Boston Market's! Yum!
Overall I was really pleased with everything and am taking another friend there tonight!!
My boyfriend and I were part of Jason P.'s party of 9 for brunch last Sunday (see prior review). Half of our group got stuck in traffic and arrived late, but the waitresses were friendly and we had no issues with service. However, the restaurant was surprisingly empty the entire time we were there - maybe two other small tables were occupied. I'm surprised that more people don't know about this place yet. If you are sick and tired of over-hip, overpriced and overcrowded brunch joints, Fat Hippo is a very refreshing (and welcome) change.
The decor is modern and stylish (white leather banquettes) and the vibe is cool and relaxed. The brunch menu's reasonably low price point was a big plus - most items on the brunch menu are $11.95, with a few special entrees that cost an extra $2-3. Coffee is included, and the waitress came around several times to refill our mugs. I ordered the poached eggs on crab cakes (additional $3) and my boyfriend ordered the steak and eggs (additional $2) with a side of pulled pork hash. The extra charge was well worth it -- both of our dishes were tasty and delightful.
My final two cents: if you're in the Lower East Side for brunch and don't wait to wait an hour to eat at Essex or up to two hours for Clinton Street Baking, run over to Fat Hippo and everyone will leave with happy tummies :)
Dude - two words. Burger Fondue.
I've never seen anything like this. Little mini burgers smaller than sliders stabbed with pick-swords that you dip in a pot of creamy fondue cheese, sprinkle with finely-minced pickle and bacon, and eat in one full bite. Simply amazing for ten bucks.
Otherwise, menu is composed of very eclectic options from fish tacos to beer-butt spicy southern chicken with collards. Unique beer selection too. Add to that a chill, modern setting and you've got a great new find in the lower east side.
Love it love it love it! Came here on Sunday night for first time, and walked into the best hip-hop live DJ session I've encountered in NYC yet! Come to find out that the same DJ spins here every sunday night, and combine it with great food, this becomes a pretty badass place to beat!
We ordered fish tacos (very fresh ingredients and tender fish), cheeseburger fondue (beef dunked in melted cheese, nuff said!), turkey meatloaf (savory sauce and perfectly cooked spinach, butterwhipped potato mash), mac'n cheese (omg, to die for! this rivals S'Mac in east village), brussel sprouts, and sangria. Everything was delicious and came in timely manner. Everyone was in such a great mood, including our waitress, needless to say, our service was awesome as well!
For the price you pay, don't think you can get a better meal AND hotter jams to bob your head to while you eat! I'm a Fat Hippo fan!
great food, great environment, great music.
I love their spins on different comfort food. There's something wonderful about being able to order beer can chicken and burger fondue at the same place. I love the thai spin on calamari.
Great place to either start or end the night. I'll certainly be back often.
Oh yes. I am a big fan. Went on a semi-cold evening while all the foodies and hipsters were still hibernating.
The place is not exactly central, but that's the appeal. Not only is it void of an overly crowded hipster scene (as is most of the LES) but the prices were to die for! A bottle of wine was ordered for the table. We started with the Beet and Olive Tart followed by the Free Range Turkey Meatloaf and two orders of the Maryland Crab Cake. The meal ended with a satisfying chocolate dessert.
Now, the menu isn't exactly innovative and I probably could try everything on the menu in two or three visits, easy (I have a big appetite), but in NYC, a good meal with a bottle of wine for under $30 per person is considered a steal.
I came here after getting shot down at Clinton St. Baking Company for brunch with a 2 hour wait, and my party ran out of balls and couldn't hack the wait.
This place is pretty small, probably about the size of a 3 car garage, but with smart/modern decor and cool/good looking staff. You can't beat the deal, its was about $12 for a choice of coffee/tea and a dish. Also decent bloody mary's, mimosas, etc. were available for another $4.
The menu was interesting but it really came down to just two must haves and I was able to get a taste of both. The Eggs American which was a pulled pork eggs benedict over biscuits (pork and biscuits were both pretty dry and overall bland) and then the Chocolate Chip Pancakes with caramelized bananas and peanut butter whip cream (pretty tasty... but how could it not be).
Worth a shot, but inconsistent execution on the menu.
Finally they open an easy place like this on Clinton. The inside was smaller than I thought it would be but cozy, I especially like the little side room.
I thought the menu was diverse and different. We all shared the calamari and chili & chocolate ribs. These were both pretty good. Then of course I wanted to try the burger fondue which was tiny little burgers where you dip in cheese fondue. I thought the cheese tasted kinda funny and not great in quality. The green bean casserole and corn bread were great sides though.
Overall I liked the place but I really liked the low prices!
Planning for rain on a Saturday and seeing sunshine out the window instead is one of the best feelings, especially when winter has been dragging on forrrrrrrr-eh-vah!
The boy and I put on some fresh spring attire and wandered out of our West Village neighborhood and into the LES....we ended up wandering past Fat Hippo and sat down for an impromptu brunch. $11.95 gets you coffee or tea, hash browns and your choice of a list of brunch items. The boy went for the pulled pork, poached eggs and bbq hollandaise on a fresh biscuit. I got the Eggs Norwegian, salmon, dill, poached eggs and hollandaise on an english muffin. We didn't speak for a good ten minutes while we MmmmMed our way through our dishes. (who am I kidding, we both inhaled our food in closer to 5min)
The service was great. The place wasn't crowded...no wait. It was perfect.
Oh and how could I forget the $4 mimosas, blood marys and vodka/OJ?
I know it's tough to pick this place when Clinton St. Baking Company is right down the street, but if you don't feel like waiting over an hour to eat, this place is worth a visit. While you're in the area check out the insanity that is Economy Candy and poke your head into Szeki down the street...she has a small space with lots of character.
I agree with Mr. Michigan's review. The food was good. It was good ol' fashion comfort food with the stylings of a nice nyc restaurant. It's the type of food you would imagine a cartoon fat hippo eating at a decent restaurant - burgers with fondue cheese, crab cakes, mini burger fondue, mac n' cheese, etc. Even their corn bread was cut up into a slice as if it were a cake.
My only gripes were that they did not seat us because we were missing 2 people from our party, despite the restaurant being completely empty at the time. We ended up standing around for about 30 minutes. They also they did not have their credit card machine set up; The latter will be fixed sometime soon, they said.
Though on the plus, they did have good service while we were eating. The waitress even entertained our inane questions like whether one of the pictures was a foot or a hand, and actually asked the manager!
In sum: good food, good times, good service, going back with all parties ready to sit.
our meal wasn't that expensive either. It should be anywhere from $16 - $24 with tax and tip (sans drinks).
The service is cute but it sucks.
I must preface my review with the fact that this place has only been open two weeks so they are still in the feeling out stage of things. Went here on a tuesday night and the place was busy, about a 35-45min wait for a table. My cousin and I got a seat at the bar because frankly we didn't want to wait for a table.
I like the inside of this place, you can tell a good deal of thought went into the design, unfortunately I think they kind of missed the boat on the allocated space for the bar area, but we shall see how things are once they get their liquor license in a week.
The whole culinary vibe of the place is sorta hearty southern food with things like burgers, mac & cheese, corn bread. There are also some dishes like the calamari which have a very thai/asian flavour profile to them.
For apps we ordered the calamari, and the green bean casserole. Which wasn't really like casserole but still tasted good.
The calamari wasn't your traditional calamari in that it wasn't fried and it had more of an asian influence to it. It also came with some grilled bread that was very badly burned. My problem wasn't with the calamari itself but rather the whole dish conceptually. While the sauce was very good, it didn't vibe with the rest of the dish. The calamari didn't soak up any of the other flavors on the plate so you felt like you weren't eating a cohesive app. I think if the bread had been softer/not burnt then I would have been more capable of enjoying the broth like sauce.
The green bean casserole was more mushrooms and some noodles with some green beans tossed in. I'm from the south and it wasn't casserole. The dish would have been just as good without the green beans.
For main courses my cousin ordered the crab cake and I got the fat hippo burger.
He seemed to enjoy his crab cake and it tasted pretty good. Believe it came with mac and cheese(which we had to remind the waittress about) which also seemed decent.
Ordered my burger mediun-rare and it came out more well done. It wasn't hockey puck burnt, but it was still pretty overcooked, def should have ordered it straight up rare.
So now that I've analyzed the various dishes I want to put out the stuff that really bothered me.
I know it's always hard when you first open a restaurant but my tolerance for bad service in a city like nyc is very low. Having worked in restaurants before I know how things flow and when it helps to have real experience. Fat Hippo could really benefit from throwing a posting on craigslist for a single server position and weed through the 200 od people that are bound to apply for the job. In this economy there are so many people looking for jobs and just no excuse for inexperience like I witnessed.
First of all, between the time we ordered and the time the main courses had gone by, over an 1 hr and 15mins had passed. I'm sorry but it's not like we ordered filot mignon cooked to perfection.
Second, they need to add at least one more person on staff or define their roles/responsibilities better. While the space is not that big, there were only three front of the house staff running around with their heads cut off. Instead of taking two little things of ketchup and two little things of mayo to the table at once, the waittress took two trips. Its not that it makes a huge deal, but its why everything takes that much longer. It's the little things that add up.
Third, condiments should not be dispensed at the bar in front of all the patrons. I don't know what their kitchen space is like, but no one wants to see you stick a spoon into a giant mayo tub and put it into little cups right in front of the area they are eating. Again, not a deal breaker but a little thing that experience would have prevented.
So I've ragged on this place a fair amount but I think it has the potential to be a cool spot. I would def give it at least a month or so to work out the kinks in the service and hopefully the food. On the plus side it's really cheap. Our entire meal with two entrees and two apps was only 31 bucks.
For now I'm going to give it 2.5 stars, but I plan on a review update once they get into a routine.
I had a very memorable meal at 71 Clinton Fresh Food which used to occupy this space, so I was quite excited to try The Fat Hippo.
Went with a group of 8 and was not disappointed. The atmosphere was attractive, hip and comfortable, but not at all pretentious. And the food was very satisfying. The duck cuban was very good, the fried mozzarella was as well, a co-diner raved about the burger fondue which has a great presentation, the turkey meatloaf was well liked, the mac and cheese was solid, and the trailer park chicken was flavorful, though a bit dry. Everyone left happy.
Service was good as well. Our waitress would never be described as over-eager, but she was attentive and aware, instantly producing a new napkin when she noticed one of our diners had dropped his.
Perhaps most pleasing were the prices. We averaged about $20 per person for food. Comforting food in a nice setting at reasonable prices = success.
They were still BYOB when we went, though that will be changing soon. Similarly, they hadn't set-up their credit card processor (something I found mortifying as my table can attest to) but I was told this would be addressed within a few days as well. Reservations for parties of 6+ is the current policy.
Highly recommend.
So this is my first five star review, and my companion Chloe was a little skeptical that I should heap that kind of praise on this restaurant, but I'm sticking with it.
It's been open less than a week, so they still aren't serving alcohol or accepting credit cards, but both will probably be remedied by the time you read this. And there was a decent little wine store around the block so we just bought a nice Rioja and drank that with dinner. Two appetizers, entrees, and a dessert was like $50, so prices are fair.
The decor was pleasant, with good lighting, and it looked bigger than it was. Some of the tables have little sofa-benches, and ours had a throw pillow decorated with 50's pin up girls. I like that kind of stuff, despite Chloe saying I was a little gay for noticing. Details matter, so gay it is. Service was excellent. Music was excellent too, and I would have said a bit too loud (not club loud, just bar loud), but I liked it. The menu is small but interesting (my favorite kind) and offers things like a crabcake accompanied by mac and cheese as well as something called a Trailer Park Chicken Sampler. Awesome.
We had the grapefruit, feta and pecan salad and a spicy hot and sour calamari appetizer that were both good, and the calamari was really delicious. Served with little crusts of bread that you could dip in the sauce, very nice. The waitress suggested the steak and eggs for dinner, so Chloe took that one, and I ordered the pork chop, which I rarely do, but who can pass up a freaking maple-jalapeno mustard sauce? Not me.
Both were excellent. The steak was cooked perfectly, served with two small pieces of toast with an egg centered in each one, and accompanied by a green tomato gratin. The tang of the green tomatoes really helped bring it all together, it was yummy. The pork chop, served with the aforementioned sauce and pulled pork stuffing(!) with bacon(!) and sauteed brussel sprouts was just perfect, really. Grilled expertly, the meat was good all by itself, and the stuffing and sauce were exactly what they needed to be. Even the brussel sprouts were great. I've never had a better pork chop in my life.
Dessert was a chocolate bread pudding, very good but not necessarily memorable.
So why five stars? There simply wasn't anything I didn't like about the place, it was a cool environment, and it has been added to my list as serving the best X ever, X being a pork chop in this case. So five stars it is.
The food is pretty good. It's just good old fashion food with a little something extra. For example, veggie burger was served on homemade rosemary bread and the brussell sprouts were roasted with a little lemon. That being said, the food wasn't that exciting. Presentation was cute and everything sounded great, but it all missed the mark in execution. The fries were a bit undercooked and soft. The bun for my burger was a bit overcooked, and the mac and cheese was creamy but bland and forgettable. This is coming from someone who loves almost all mac and cheese!
And I agree with William B. The service is hipster cute, but not that good. Haha.
Prices are affordable, and they are new. So I would come back to give it another try.
Note: They don't have their liquor license yet, so it's BYOB and cash only for the time being.
Fat Hippo is a really cute spot with innovative items on the menu, it's decently priced and they have a great happy hour.
I ordered the burger fondue which was off the hook, and my friends had the ceviche, mac and cheese, and feta salad; all of which were extremely delicious. We had about 4 drinks, but it was happy hour and even though they were really cheap, they were definitely NOT watered down. I should've taken a picture of the burger fondue because it was so cute. The service was good, but one of the waitresses seemed kinda pissy. Maybe it was because we got pretty wasted and stayed for two hours, but I think we just livened up the place. She was also a stickler for making us wait for the rest of our party to come in order to see us, even though the place was literally empty, and then when the three of us sat and a fourth joined, she seemed extra annoyed (even though there was enough room at our table).
For 4 people the check came out to about $60 and I would definitely come back.
Affordable and very cute! Fat Hippo just opened last week and already they are attracting a lot of people with the dark, classy decor (with exposed brick walls) and very affordable menu (everything is under $15 dollars).
I'm not sure what theme the food follows, but it seems like very down to earth, slightly Southern, home cooking that is spruced up a bit for the NY crowd. The menu is currently limited, with about 6 appetizers and 6 entrees and BYO until next week when they get their license.
The house-cured salmon as decent, but made better with a tart fennel salad and warm potato latke's. It was a good combo. My boyfriend got the pork chop, which seems like a favorite among the meat crazy. It was good very well with a nice spicy mustard sauce, but the star were the brussel sprouts! Reminds me a bit of momofuko's sprouts, with the bacon flavor. The crabcakes were definitely full of crab and the side that it came with, a garlic succotash was made of very fresh, crunchy veggies. The much-touted mac and cheese that it came with was the most mediocre part of the dish - the sauce was kind of runny and the pasta on top was baked dry.
All in all, a great deal with down to earth food that is fresh and well made. I think this place will do well. Good enough for me to want to go back and try some of the other dishes (like the burger sliders and the chocolate spare ribs).
Edit: I take back a star because they are no longer BYO. And always crowded.
I would give 2.5 stars if I could. Ate dinner here tonight with my husband. We arrived around 8:45 and were happy to be seated immediately, less so when we realized we were at a small two-top sandwiched between a party of loud girls on the left and two obnoxious douchey guys on the right. Service was SLOOOOOOOW. One waitress for the whole room and let's just say she was not a Type A personality. We had let ourselves get too hungry and weren't really in the mood to wait 15 minutes for anyone to so much as acknowledge us and fill our water glasses. As soon as she made it to our table we ordered rapid-fire: calamari app, duck cuban sandwich & glass of prosecco for me, steak frites & a beer for him. We waited another 10 minutes for the drinks, getting crankier by the second. He was given the wrong beer (ordered the Long Board and received the Land Shark) but didn't feel like dealing with a correction and further wait so just drank it. Meanwhile the douchey guys next to us were sending their burgers back and claiming they were raw inside. I couldn't see but I assume it must have been bad if they were sending stuff back.
The calamari was not at all what I expected and I wouldn't recommend it. It's basically Tom Yum soup (or whichever Thai soup is the cream-based one) with squid rings instead of chicken/shrimp and a hefty dose of celery -- I hate celery. No coating on the squid. To their credit it really wasn't rubbery. The dish also came with two big pieces of buttered grilled bread for dipping. Our bread was a little burnt but the concept is good.
My duck cuban was tasty, although the bread-to-filling ratio was off -- a LOT of bread and less duck than I would have liked. The yucca chips were OK, I felt like I was on Jet Blue. Hubby's steak frites was pretty successful. I didn't try the steak but he said it was well prepared and juicy. I tried a few fries and they were good -- a nice rich color, golden crispy on the outside, tender on the inside.
We hailed the waitress and asked for our check at some point that she happened to be in our neck of the woods -- we were still eating but terrified she wouldn't be back for half an hour if we didn't get the check right then and there. Luckily were able to pay in cash without needing change, which probably shaved at least 10 minutes off the overall experience -- a good thing as the volume level was only going up and I was more than ready to walk off some of that bread. The prices were OK -- the total for the meals above and two each of those drinks came to $70 with a 15% tip.
Overall, I'll probably give it one more try if I'm on the LES because the food was tasty enough and I think the room is cute. But if the service is that slow again next time, I doubt I will be back a third time.
I went here on the places second night of operation. Prices were great and the place was cool, but the quality of food was uneven.
Highlights-
Grapefruit and pecan salad at five dollars a great deal.
Porkchop- super tasty with an awesome stuffing side.
trailer park chicken sampler was good as well.
Low lights
Burger fondue- such a promising idea, but really didnt deliver. The sliders are tiny and not all that tasty. The cheese sauce they give with it tasted eerily like the cheese from craft mac and cheese.
Mozzarella balls- good but cold
Additionally I made a reservation for 930 and we werent seated untill 1030.
The place does have some promise. Some things on the menu were really good, others were decidely below par. It really teeters between 2 and 3 stars for me but Im giving 3 to give them the benefit of the doubt since it just opened. Im not sure if I will go back.
***4.5 stars***
I knew I was destined to eat here when I first heard that a restaurant called Fat Hippo had recently opened up on the LES. Not yet a fat hippo in a literal sense, I'm certainly a hungry hungry hippo. I have been 3 times over the last few months and I cannot sing Fat Hippo's praises enough. Each time I've brought more and more people who have enjoyed it just as much as I have.
The bottom line here is that the comfort food is upscale in quality, clever in presentation, superior in freshness, affordable in cost, spectacular in service and trendy in decor. The priciest entree is $15.
The Burger Fondue ($12) was the impetus for my first visit. The presentation is adorable - see local photo (containing two orders of slider fondue). You can tell the mini slider buns are hand pressed with a cookie cutter tool of some sort because there are small imperfections on each. I'm a slider snob and few come far to tasting as good as the sliders at Morton's happy hour. The slider patties are seasoned which is key. Then they are cooked to perfection at medium rare. (Tip for the squeamish: the wait staff doesn't ask since they know that medium rare is the best way to have a burger, so make sure that you need yours cooked almost to charcoal since the sight of redness makes you ill and therefore you can't possibly know how to enjoy meat). The cheese is a mixture of fontina, gruyere and white cheddar so it's mild. Bacon bits, pickle bits and onion bits come in individual tins so you can pour and mix into the cheese. I thought this dish would be all about the novelty without much substance but it's been consistently tasty the two times I've had it. It comes with yummy seasoned fries.
I did stray from the slider fondue once and had the Trailer Park Chicken sampler ($15). Chicken is my least favorite of meats but the chicken made three ways with its clever name was enticing. Beer can roasted chicken breast, southern fried drumstick and smoked thigh meat served with a side of collard greens and corn bread. There wasn't anything remarkable about this dish besides the corn bread. I didn't care much for the raisin sauce or the white meat parts.
Other dishes that my dining partners have enjoyed:
Fat Hippo Burger
Grilled Marinated Pork Chop
Duck Cuban
Side of Mac n Cheese
Came here for my friend's birthday brunch with reservations at 11am on a Sunday. We informed the waitress that only 3 of us had arrived for our party of 9, but the waitress gladly seated us early (~10:45am) without the whole party being there. Situated in this small establishment are ~10 tables varying with cloth chairs and white cushion booth seats. On the right was the full bar with about 5-6 stools. Despite the small size, this place was cozy and seating was well-laid out so that no one really sat on top of each other.
Service was great despite all the other Yelp reviews I have read. As we waited, the waitress served us coffee and drinks. Our party slowly trickled in up until 11:45 am, and the waitress was courteous and never rushed us to order. For the most part, we and a party of 3-4 were the only patrons in the restaurant, so I figured it wasn't such a big deal, but duly noted. When our entire party had finally arrived, the waitress came by to take our orders. Throughout our meal, the waitress came by several times to refill our cups of coffee and to check if we needed anything else, never being too obtrusive.
After we put our orders in, we were served complimentary cornbread that was moist and delicious.. Mmmm. For my brunch entree, I ordered the Steak & Eggs ($13.95) which was grilled hanger steak, 2 eggs any style, and home fries. Coffee was included with brunch, but I also ordered a Screwdriver ($4 during brunch), which was a perfect balance of vodka and orange juice. Thumbs up! Our brunch entrees only took about 15 minutes to be served, everything was nice & hot, despite us having a large party. A definite plus, because some dishes can be room temperature when cooking for large parties. My hanger steak was perfectly cooked to order, medium-rare, and was delicious!!! Tender, juicy, and flavorful!! Yum!! My two eggs, sunny-side up, were also perfectly cooked and seasoned with some sort of black pepper. The bottom was ever so slightly crisp and yolk still runny, just the way I like it. And those home fries complimented with grilled julienned peppers/onions were a tad salty for those of the most sensitive taste buds, but potatoes slices were crisp on the outside and moist on the inside. Almost like a french fry but better (far from greasy).
There are also two bathrooms located in the front, two unmarked doors. The one facing the front of the restaurant is closet-sized, so if you're claustrophobic, aim to go to the opposite facing bathroom which could probably accommodate a wheelchair.
I really enjoyed my brunch as well everyone else. Service was good, ambiance was good, and I loved the music which played reggae throughout our meal. My only gripe is that Fat Hippo should go the norm, where brunch would include an alcoholic drink (mimosa, screwdriver, bloody mary, etc.) rather than just coffee/tea. For that, I can only give Fat Hippo 4 stars. Add the alcoholic drink and I'll definitely bump Fat Hippo to 5 stars. For the additional $2, I would definitely recommend straying away from the sub-standard $11.95 brunch entrees, and venture towards one of the more appetizing $13.95 brunch entrees. I would definitely come back again, but then there were so many other restaurants in the neighborhood that I'd also like to try out, so I'll definitely keep this place on the backup list.
So good! Great food, cute restaurant, and prices that are shockingly cheap for the quality and NYC.
I am a pretty big fan of this place. Great spot to start out your evening in E. Village or LES. Good value and everything on the menu is both interesting and solidly good. The mac and cheese is particularly delicious. Can't beat $18 bottle of wine. Nice interior. Strange heating apparatus in the bathroom.
DON'T GO!
I ate here for brunch today and worst dining experience of my life. The food was mediocre and most items on the menu are additional, however the large problem was our waitress. I went here with my mother and thought the ambiance was nice. Our waitress (African American woman with straight hair) messed up everything we ordered, was inattentive and rude! Our drinks were incorrect after repeating our order 4 times, amongst every other detail of our order. When we finally got her attention to receive our bill, she charged us incorrectly. I finally got her attention again (not busy while we were dining), and she stated that we ordered the items we were charged for! She was combative and unwilling to listen. We then decided to just pay up and get out and did not tip after the dreadful experience. As we were walking down the street, she was screaming at us as we walked away about not tiping. Excuse me, but for such bad service, a tip is not deserved.
I have never not tipped in my entire life, this was warranted 100%. This place is just not worth it.
Free coffee or tea!
Neighborhood: Fashion District
Happy Hour Daily 2-8PM!
Neighborhood: East Village
apparently i don't go above 14th street much. huh.…
