Trashy browns and messy burgers were top notch when I visited this Leeds eatery
Imagine someone takes the finest way to serve a potato – then re-thinks the entire thing, turns it inside out and upside down, and it blows the original out of the water.
That’s not some weird spud fancier’s daydream, it’s what happens at Fat Hippo.
The noble hash brown, that virtually perfect breakfast item with its golden crispiness and satisfying crunch, has been elevated to legendary status.
The trash brown essentially reconstructs the original, using tiny fried potatoes and crispy onions, slathering in them in a tangy cheese sauce topped with herbs. And the best bit? That’s just a starter.
This small, select chain with outlets in the city centre and Headingley as well as across the North prides itself on serving incredible burgers. The kind that end up all over your face, your hands and your top.
And they do – it’s just that we were utterly blown away by a portion of golden potato heaven.
When we visited the inviting Boar Lane outlet, my guest and I opted to share a portion of trash browns and a portion of cheese balls as starters. It was a decent plan of action as the gooey, tangy beer-battered cheese balls with a hot honey buffalo sauce equally mesmerising.
When we’d finished, we just stared at one another for a moment then decided it was perhaps the most satisfying, moreish, downright delicious starter we’d had in many moons.
Truthfully we could have quite happily polished off another portion each, although we’d have had to downgrade the main courses to a salad if we didn’t want to end up fully wedged in our booth.
It would certainly be interesting to see if the mains lived up to the first course. My guest, something of a burger connoisseur, was impressed by the choice on offer – a full range of beef, chicken and vegan/vegetarian options that are served with a free side of fries, hand cut chips or Fat Hippo’s signature purple slaw.
He chose Born Slippy, a double patty with American cheese, garlic butter mayo, braised pork rib meat and jalapeños – a spicy, juicy meat fest that predictably ended up all over his hands and face but then that’s all part of the fun.
I opted for a vegetarian version of Five Lies, essentially a vegan patty with oodles of cheese, pickles and Cajun onion strings. There were more complicated options available – including the Sloppy Faux, winner of this year’s vegan national burger awards 2025, no less and the Harlem Fake, a Southern fried plant based chicken with cheese, pink onions and spicy mayo.
The excellent quality burger wasn’t swamped by the additions while the fries were crisp and golden – honestly, what more could you want?
The place was pleasantly full for a weekday lunchtime, staff were allergy aware – a gluten free menu is available – and under 12s can design their own burger with items from the menu.
If you’re going to concentrate on serving one item, make it good – oh and complement it with the best potato sides your customers have ever experienced.