Fat Hippo Headingley — Restaurant in Leeds

Ordered from Deliveroo and let me tell you... I have never ever felt more disappointed and hangry than I have felt today. Best way to describe the service I got today: tasteless, flavourless, unhygienic, frustrated and late AF. I thought my mood could be rescued from trying the food once it eventually got here, but unfortunately, even that fell through. After waiting about 1hr30mins for it, when the restaurant is only about 5 minutes down the road, to th3 driver confirming what my phone was telling me, that they were taking longer than they should've, to prepare the food, I rang on 2 occasions to be told that (after almost 1 hour) it just got out of the kitchen and that they were waiting for the driver, to hearing that they were really busy in the restaurant. Now, I know i could've very well walked down there to get it and see for myself, but I paid for a delivery service, as which, should've been on time as estimated. For the restaurant to be busy and miss as much as basic salt and seasoning in a Buffalo Hot Honey Burger, full of A LOT of ingredients, for me to taste LITERALLY NOTHING in said burger, was very disappointing. PLUS, the tater tots that came as a side, in a little tub, were not covered with a lid/ cling film/ foil, just anything, and to be stacked on top of each other, made me almost not want to eat them, but my unfortunate and desperately hungry self had no other choice at that point. The one star alone was honestly just for the tater tots atleast having salt in them and tasting alright. All of this to say that I understand they can be busy and I understand things can happen, but hygiene and flavouring your food, being a busy restaurant and all, should be the least of my problems as a customer, when I have waited that long for my food. And I usually don't rate things online, but with this being the second time I have ordered from here and the food having lacked an since of flavour, I'm upset to say a chance will no longer be given to them to say the least and I would recommend others to try any other place in bustling Headingley. Or, make your own at home lol, I've learnt my lesson today. Thanks to the person that answered the phone on both...

This is not a biased review, I was hoping Fat Hippo was going to be all that social media made it out to be. Unfortunately actually ordering from here was a disappointing experience to say the least.

I wanted to like the burger but it was not up to scratch. The burger looked nothing like the menu item (Swiss Tony) and was dry, overcooked, and lacked flavour - I’d call it a Ghandi’s flip-flop rather than a Swiss Tony... (See images of menu item vs what I received). The bacon was undercooked, fatty and horrible to bite into - nothing like I expected. There was only one piece of bacon in the burger and it was uncooked. Did nobody tell you that bacon in a burger should be crispy, not fatty? The ‘crispy’ onion strings were not crispy and were just soggy and greasy.

The chips were meant to be “hand cut chips” - who cut them, Mr McCain?! They were basically frozen McCain skin on fries with sauce and a tiny amount of bacon crumbles. Definitely not worth the extra £1.50 and certainly not fresh, hand cut chips. The tub they were in was tall but not very wide. This resulted in not a lot of topping, certainly not what I would consider to be dirty fries.

To sum it up, I think this takeaway has been “hyped” on social media when really they sell pretty poor quality food. Their Instagram photos are filtered and not a true representation of what you actually receive. If you’re a burger lover, I would recommend a popular burger place in Kirkstall as an alternative as the burgers and fries are on point every time - think red and white!

PS. In most negative reviews, you can see the Fat Hippo (customer service?) team ask people to get in contact with them and to provide feedback. Team - the feedback is here, if you don’t make changes people will not continue to order from here. There are many competitors who are also charging premium prices, but your food is sub-standard. Maybe the hype will keep you going for the short term, but I can’t imagine Fat Hippo will be around for much longer if you continue to operate like this. I certainly will not be ordering...

Fat Hippo in Leeds is a burger joint with a bold, indulgent menu and a lot of buzz behind it.

Located on the bustling Otley Road, it certainly benefits from passing footfall, but it’s worth noting that the location is right on the route of the infamous “Otley Run”, a popular pub crawl.

At weekends especially, the area can feel a little chaotic, making it less than ideal for a relaxed family meal.

Coupled with the lack of nearby parking, it’s not the easiest spot to access, particularly with kids in tow.

As for the food, the concept is solid, burgers, loaded fries, and towering sides, but the execution left us underwhelmed.

The onion rings, for instance, came in a batter that was overly thick and unfortunately undercooked on the inside.

A lighter, crisper coating would have gone a long way in improving this classic side.

The fries and chips had a seasoning that was very heavy on the pepper.

While some might enjoy the kick, we found it overpowering, it was too much for my daughter, and my wife felt it lingered on the palate, even affecting the taste of the burger itself.

The burger had potential, but the thickly sliced pickles and a particularly sharp pickling liquor created a level of acidity that threw the balance off.

A more delicate hand with the pickles would allow the other flavours to shine.

Despite the issues, there’s definitely promise here, the menu is fun and the vibe is energetic.

With a few refinements in the kitchen and some consideration for the experience of families and more casual diners, Fat Hippo could be a great spot.

For now, though, it’s better suited to a quick bite with friends than a family-friendly...