Hopdoddy Burger Bar — Restaurant in The Woodlands

I usually love Hopdoddy, and while I don't frequent this specific location, I've had nothing but great experiences at others—until now. I was visiting family in the area this past week. I had a deeply upsetting experience that I feel obligated to share, especially for anyone with gluten allergies or Celiac disease.

I have a medically diagnosed gluten allergy. I ordered the seasonal Wagyu burger on a gluten-free bun, and everything else with the main meal seemed fine. I even had a few fries from the table, knowing the usual cross-contamination risks. I typically don't react unless I directly ingest gluten, so I always double-check what I eat. I'm sharing these details so that others in my situation can stay safe.

The issue came when I ordered a salted caramel boozy shake with Screwball whiskey (which is gluten-free, being corn-derived). I've ordered this exact shake many times at other Hopdoddy locations with no problem. I took it to go so I could enjoy it at home. But at the bottom of the shake, I noticed pieces of pretzel sitting at the bottom. I didn't know I was ingesting them until it was too late. Later that night, I became extremely ill with an autoimmune reaction—something that happens when gluten triggers damage to the lining of my stomach and intestines. It's not a preference for some people; it's a medical condition I've lived with since age 13.

This wasn't a case of general cross-contamination. This was a physical ingredient that had absolutely no business being in a drink that doesn't list gluten-containing items. I've ordered this shake before—there were never pretzels in it. There was no warning, no notation, and no expectation that it would be different here.

What makes this harder to ignore is the context: earlier in the meal, the bartender interacted with staff behind the counter while my family and I were eating. Unfortunately, my family—who don't share my views—made some insensitive comments about Juneteenth and it was likely overheard. I tried to redirect and share the historical significance of the day, but I couldn't help but feel that maybe I was judged for being associated with them? I was polite, I tipped as much as I could afford (I'm a recent grad), and I only interacted with staff briefly and respectfully.

If this was a mistake, it was a serious one. If it wasn't, it feels disturbingly personal. But I would like to give the benefit of the doubt as it was the end of happy hour, and it was busy the later it got. However, I don't see why the bartender wouldn't have just thrown away the pretzel pieces if it were an honest mistake.

I was in town for job interviews, and this completely derailed the rest of my stay—physically and somewhat mentally. Dining out with allergies is already a stressful, expensive challenge. I had hoped I could enjoy a trusted, favorite go-to establishment without worry.

If you have a gluten allergy, DO NOT GO TO THIS LOCATION. Stick to a location where you can trust the consistency of your gluten free...

Food is just ok, and food on floor was a huge distraction for my SDiT.

Went here for lunch on my birthday, my fiancé found this place online, as we were unfamiliar. In from out of town, I was super pumped, because we don't go out to eat as much as we used to and this was a new place to us. There were many creative burgers to choose from, and I was excited to go. Tbh, the food, while pretty good, just didn't live up to the hype. The burgers were substantially smaller than they appear online, for example. Taste was nothing bad, but for the price, I want something I don't already make at home.

Cue the truffle fries!

Yummy, and the dip was divine!! But the burgers (llano problano and the magic shroom) were just ok, and smaller than we thought. After we ate, my fiancé considered getting another burger because it just wasn't enough for him. (6'4" and 235lbs). I gave him the last quarter of my burger and he ate 80% of the fries. It was enough to last until dinner, but barely.

I have a seizure alert dog (puppy, 9 months) in training, and the thing we were most disappointed about was that there was food all over the floor. She knows to "leave it" but there was so much under the table that she was extremely distracted. As I said, we were in from out of town so it was a long morning and day, but it'd be nice to not have to worry about all the dropped food under the table like there was. I was able to manage, but being my birthday, my fiancé was pretty disappointed that I had to focus so much on reinforcing her training and messing with the distraction of that, instead of just enjoying lunch, like other places we've been.

I gave it four stars but 3.75 is probably closer to accurate for my rating. The food wasn't bad, just nothing special in our experience. And combined with our unique needs with my service dog, and the headache of the food on the floor, I'm not sure it's worth the hassle for us again.

But if you do go, try the truffle fries, lol. That...

Hopdaddy is a counter-serve burger bar (and an actual bar) with a modern vibe, nice outdoor seating, a unique atmosphere, and burgers. Hopdaddy purchased Grub and replaced it with mostly the same things. For food, I focused on two key things: the burgers and the fries. The burgers were good, but not great; it seems to heavily depend on what you order, as the fair can be pretty light and healthy, like "The Classic," which by default has no cheese, bacon, or sauces, to "Mother Nature," which was a greasy, soggy mess. Your burger experience will largely depend on what you order. Three pump-yourself sauces are available: spicy catsup, a BBQ sauce, and horseradish mustard. The horseradish mustard was excellent but may not appeal to everyone, and traditional condiments were not available (that I saw). The fries were a mixture of being close to crispy and downright soggy, but the shape and size were nice; they are string fries served in a sharable bowl. The value is fair, with a burger running around $10-$12 plus sharable fries and drinks. The atmosphere is relaxing and casual, with a dark mood. In a somewhat odd twist, it is a counter-order restaurant with assigned seating; in other words, you order at a counter, and then they assign you a seat. The seats are comfortable, and there's a large selection of booth seating; unlike traditional booth-laden restaurants, this feels relatively open and airy instead of closed off. The bar is the restaurant's center, with TVs playing sports. Hard liquor and a variety of tap beers are on hand. The restaurant was spotless, and the staff was friendly and helpful, especially the bartender. Overall, I like it better than Grub; I'll go back for another burger, perhaps "The Classic" again, but understanding the menu better, I'll configure it differently (and skip...