Fat Hippo
Alexander Iles
Founded in 2010, Fat Hippo began in Jesmond, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, and grew in popularity as more people discovered their fantastic food! Fat Hippo expanded to Durham in 2016, with their Saddler Street venue a short distance from Durham Castle and Cathedral and an easy walk to the River Wear. The signature burgers and flavours of Fat Hippo became much loved by the student population and visitors to the city alike, so their brand was quick to grow in size and reputation. Their motto is “good food, messy fingers, and juicy burgers” and on a trip to Fat Hippo, you are likely to get all three. Their team always strive to ensure that any customer can enjoy their trip to Fat Hippo through the self-styled ‘Burger Lab’ where the new recipes are created. From the needs of customers who have allergies, intolerances (such as gluten free) or simply prefer vegetarian and vegan burgers; Fat Hippo has created a burger for you.
The names of the burger also make the experience fun, from the Stinky Pete (blue cheese and jalapenos) through to the Great White Buffalo (buttermilk chicken, bacon and buffalo sauce) and the Vegan Oprah Sin-free (plant-based patties, vegan cheese and onion rings) there are pop culture references a plenty – or “a plant-y” if you are not a meat lover. The starters at Fat Hippo are also great twists on traditional burger favourites, such as beer battered cheese balls, dirty waffles (bacon, waffle fries and their own special sauce) and whatchos – like a nacho dish, but with waffles. Finally, the deserts are sure to finish you off, if you still have space after the amazing starters and mains. The two that stand out are the toblerone cheesecake and the cookie dough pie, both of which are likely to push you over your calorie limit for the day, but leave you incredibly satisfied. Fat hippo is the messy-fingered satisfying meal during a visit to Durham.
