Fat Hippo Newcastle seems to be one of the few restaurants in the city actually open past 9 pm, after being turned away from half a dozen restaurants nearby that either had closed early or closed due to their timetabled opening hours, I decided to visit Fat Hippo. It is located just off Grey Street, head down the steps into the main restaurant area. I was looking for this place on my Apple Maps and did have some difficulty as the sign from outside isn't too noticeable. The staff seemed friendly and explained how most of the menu could be adapted to be gluten-free - I ended up going for the American Burger, on the menu this was described as "Double patty, American cheese, pickles, ketchup + American mustard. Includes a FREE SIDE of your choice!" I would have liked to see a wider variety of burgers on the menu, perhaps with some different and more exciting sauces - only the more premium burgers seemed to come with the Fat Hippo sauce or truffle mayo. With smashed burgers being in right now, I was surprised they didn't offer them on the menu here. My food was just OK, the fries were really skinny and a little too thin for my liking, but they were still seasoned well. My burger again was average, the meat was reasonably juicy for the type of patty used, the cheese was fine, the sauces were slightly cheap and it felt like it was overloaded around the edges, and not enough in the middle. The gluten-free bun wasn't too bad - certainly not the worst I've had but also not the best either. 3* - The food was average, if you're looking for a bite later into the evening in Newcastle, this is one of the few options, so for that it's good, I would be unlikely to return if other places were open nearby though but it's nice to have a reliable choice in the city if all else fails. read more

Fat Hippo Newcastle - GF American Burger with Fries - Burgers Near Me - Newcastle upon Tyne, XTW

See all

Love this place and its food. Great service and staff. Could eat here every night. If you like burgers you will love this place.

Hidden underground, the Fat Hippo has a vast menu of different types of burgers and they cater for vegetarians and vegans too! We ordered; the Great White Buffalo Burger, The American Burger, both Dirty Waffle Fries and Regular Fries, a Mars Attack Milkshake and a Strawberry Milkshake - wow!! We would go back in a heartbeat and leave with a heart attack with the amount of food we would eat! The only drawback was the shame we felt not finishing every last mouthful... So, if you ever fancy going here, make sure you go on an empty stomach. To read our full review visit: https://www.sandlblog.com/post/our-last-escape read more

See all

Excellent casual dining. Love the burgers and fries. So tasty and satisfying. Very welcoming vibe and atmosphere.

Yummy place for burgers, fries and milkshakes. Delicious food and drinks. Must visit.

Hungry. Lost. Disoriented. We fell into this basement burger and craft beer spot for lunch. We left with smiles. The rest pretty much describes itself. I wonder if it gets crazy packed at night...but for a weekend lunch it was great. read more

Recently on a work trip to Newcastle I was looking for somewhere with some good food. There seems to be quite a Burger & Smoke houses in Newcastle town centre so I was struggling to choose. I'm so glad I came across Fat hippo, tucked down in a basement I knew I had found the correct rustic joint. With separate bar area we were taking in to the restaurant area. Grubs up, jalapeño cheese bites for starters.....ooooft they caused a little sweat! I then decided to go with the Texas. Two patties massive onion rings and tones of BBQ sauce. Tasty!! They even had their own IPA! Slightly disappointed though when I asked the drinks waiter what guest beers they stocked he looked confused and said we don't do any. It was listed on the menu. The food staff were brilliant, one of the party was GF and they say for age going through the menu until they got it right. Success. read more

Fat Hippo Newcastle - Served in tin trays - Burgers Near Me - Newcastle upon Tyne, XTW

See all

This is still my fave posh burger joint in town, despite many opening (and some closing soon after) in recent years. The burger patties just taste amazing. Dunno what's in their special seasoning but it just adds something divine to the flavour of the meat. The various options on offer on the menu are to die for too. I keep returning to the Texas though. I'm drooling just thinking about it. Their shakes are pretty awesome too. My only gripe is minor. In the past, if you went bunless you got a canny salad in place of the bun. Now, you get nowt. So, you pay the same price for less food than ya marra's who have the bun. No fair Hippo's! Sort it out. read more

The sign outside confused me a bit. I know there's a Fat Hippo in Jesmond, and this one is underground like many establishments in Newcastle, but the sign only says underground, instead of Fat Hippo. Came with a few friends, ordered the fat hippo burger: onion rings, bacon, yum! It was delicious! The portions are huge. I couldn't finish all of my fries. I appreciate how they cook the burger to your taste: medium, rare, well done, etc. It's comparable to burgers back in LA such as Stout and Grill 'em all, but hey, when in Newcastle, this is the closest to it! The staff were all nice and quick too. read more

Was passing and looking for somewhere to grab some lunch on a Saturday. This looked good so popped in. Good range of craft beer both on draft and in the fridge. Can recommend the Camden Hells. Had to wait a while for a table and to then be subsequently served once we'd sat down. Wanted to just order some snacks, and the ordering didn't start well. The two snacks (pork scratching and wasabi pop corn) were both sold out (at 2pm on a Saturday!). Ordered the potato skins and chilli nachos. Had to wait for about twenty minutes for either to be delivered but they were worth the wait. The nachos were massive!!!! All in all the food was great, but the service could be better.... read more

Fat Hippo Newcastle - Chilli Nachos - Burgers Near Me - Newcastle upon Tyne, XTW

See all

It started so well. Giving me an estimated wait of 15 mins for a table and pointing me at the bar and menus to fill that time. 10 mins later I'm being shown my table, with more apologies that they were so busy. From there on out, it wasn't so hot. Despite being given 10 minutes to peruse the menu, I had to wait another 10 for my order to be taken. I opted for the deep fried gherkins to start and the Texan burger. And a bottle of Allendale Fat Hippo IPA to wash it all down with. I'm a stickler for preferring glasses to bottles and none was provided nor did it turn up when requested, at this point the level of service had become merely perfunctory and all the welcoming friendliness was gone. When my starter arrived, I was dismayed to discover that there was only a lack of cutlery so I was forced to pilfer from an adjacent, unoccupied table. Worth noting that despite the delays and it now being about 8:15, there were a large number of vacant tables. The gherkins were greasy; I'd expected a little as they were deep fried, but not enough to pool and wilt the lettuce upon which they were served. Despite the grease, very tasty, a damnably good batter they use there. It took an age for my main to arrive. My total waking time crossed an hour at this point (another 35 minutes here). And when it arrived it wasn't on the promised brioche bun, but a grease laden bread roll a la kebab van at 3am. He burgers were cooked well done, and I consider it a shame they claim to use the best beef and hand make them that I wasn't offered a choice in how I'd like them prepared. And like my starter it seemed to come with an oil bath. The chips, in their little cup, and a good few millimetres in the bottom and on picking up the burger but overly sweet barbecue sauce and oil gushed out like a fountain. So much, that even my voracious appetite before the Great North Run couldn't persuade me to eat more than half. I was a guy, eating alone in a restaurant them at seemed to need to turn tables quickly and was in there for nearly 2 and a half hours, without dawdling over my food. The lack of wifi and mobile signal did allow a prodigious amount of my book to get read, though. I honestly don't think I'll return, but if what you want is a dirty burger at premium prices, then this is the place to go in the NE. read more

Newcastle is just full of amazing burger joints! This like burger stop offers a wide choice of incredible mouth watering burgers. So If you fancy giving your taste buds a treat and making your stomach happy I'd recommend giving the fat hippo a try! I didn't give it 5 stars for no reason! read more

It's been a year (almost) since my review, and I'm not changing the star rating, but have a few additional comments based on two further experiences here. Most of the appetizers are take-them-or-leave-them, but I like the "Dirty Skins" which are potato skins with crispy American bacon (!!) bits on them and "fat hippo sauce" and are delicious. The deep fried pickles and chicken fingers are less inspiring. The batter on the pickles is kind of weird, and they're whole pickles not slices, which is not normal. The chicken strips are like, little nuggety chunks and they're okay but not as flavorful or crispy as I like my chicken to be. The buffalo hot sauce, however, that comes with them is bomb. We asked for more of it. Tastes like Murrica. But what I'm REALLY here to say is holy crap, the Candy Man burger is unbelievable. Candied bacon, cheese, and onion jam combine to make the absolute best topping combination for a burger. In terms of meat, I've had better burgers in my life (more seasoned, more rare, etc), but the toppings elevate this to be out of this darn world. I may never order anything else here. That plus sweet potato fries made me ridiculously happy. Go light on the apps, because they're just okay and you won't have room for the Candy Man! You're welcome. read more

Thank you Yelpers. We searched 'burger' from city centre and went with it. And boy, are we happy (and full). Service was great on a Thursday. I can see how it would get challenging on a weekend as it's busy & they turn tables. Potato skin starter (split) did the trick. The non standard beers were a treat. But the burger was gorgeous. Two 4oz burgers is genius...cooked perfectly medium rare. Husband calls it the best burger he's had. Don't know what else to say. Environment is laid back & cavernous. Not a place you stay for the night. Would go back in a heartbeat (husband asked if we could go back now). Enjoy! read more

Popped in on a Saturday morning as we had heard the burgers where the best around. The place seemed alittle up itself if iam brutally honest. The chips sucked, burger was nice but not very big. I'd recommend this place for a nice burger but don't expect too much. read more

I normally don't review after one visit, but will give this a go! Long story short, very impressed! Long Story: I liked the atmosphere in the room we were in by the bar (we were a large(ish) group), but were temporarily moved to the main room when space freed up (before we ordered food, they were trying to be nice)... luckily they let us move back though, the table in the main dining area was comedically high! I'm not sure if they were all like that in the main area, but ours was almost laughable... especially given we were planning to share various dishes. We ordered quite a few starters... the chicken fingers, jalapeño poppers, and fried gherkins... the chicken fingers were the stars here, some of the best little fellas I've had this side of the pond. Initially I was a bit disappointed in that they were not coated in buffalo sauce, but they were cooked so well that it didn't matter... especially given the buffalo sauce that was served with them was mucho tasty... we all agreed that these will be ordered again. Personally I would skip the jalapeño poppers, unless you don't like the traditional kind or spicy things... it may actually be worth giving them a go then. (They're more like hush puppies with a few bits of jalapeño in them versus just jalapeño and cheese... they weren't bad, just not what any of us expected.) The fried gherkins were ok, but of the pseudo sweet variety and quite large... this may be a plus for some, but think I'll pass next time. For a burger a friend and I split the PB&J Burger, and nom! Everyone that ordered one was quite impressed... a real treat. Disclaimer... I'm an old school burger person and don't love the whole new crazy burger trend, but will make an exception for this one... it retains at dirty burger nostalgia with just enough difference versus getting lost along the way. That said, if you only like the neuvo gastro fusion type of burgers these may send you running for the hills, but hopefully that won't be the case. A few of us also split the Peanut Butter and Jack milkshake which had a great flavour, but was sadly a bit in the thin side... I queried if it could be made thicker, but was told for some reason it's the only one that always turns out thin... something to be aware of if you're looking for a good ole school milkshake with a cake, perhaps try one of the other varieties. Another every so slight miss was the pickle back shot, for us southern yanks at least... we are used to the sour pickle juice to chase the shot with, but it's a sweeter type here... would normally be expected, but as it was on the menu (versus being our odd request) we were secretly hoping it would be the type we were used to... it wasn't terrible though, and always a bit of fun. The staff were friendly and accommodating, exactly the right level of checking on you while giving a bit of peace... no complaints there. All in all, even with a few things that didn't bowl us over last night, we were already planning our next trip this morning... I guess that speaks for itself! read more

I love it here. There's a great vegetarian selection, which I was really surprised about. I just expected the bog-standard bean burger, but there was a choice of three!!! Lots of drink choice, and the chips are gorgeous. I had battered mushroom burger, it was so nice and fatty. Such a great hangover cure, but I went for lunch and I don't think I ate anything for the rest of the day. The strawberry milkshake is also highly recommended. The staff were so lovely! The only negative I have is that you come out stinking of fat. Which is fine when you're just going back to bed, but if you're lunching with the ladies it's not nice. Sort your extractor fan out and you can have 5 stars :D :D read more

Tasty burger if you order the right thing. 4x4 proved the one. No wifi and no signal. read more

My partner and I had been eyeing Hippo Burger for a while (people at my work had recommended it) so when the cravings for a good burger struck us we decided to it a try rather than our usual trip to Burger Stop. We didn't know what to expect descending the stairs but it was quite a close, homely set up of tables/rustic benches in what essentially is a cellar/basement with offshoot 'nooks' like a mini maze of tunnels which sort of made up separate seating areas. (Unfortunately didn't take pics do apologies of the description doesn't make much sense!) We arrived when the place was packed so we were led to a table in a different section by friendly staff who gave us a menu and got some drinks for us. We waited about 15mins to get a table and unfortunately the table we got was right next to the kitchen door where staff were dashing in and out, causing my partner to feel a bit uncomfortable and in the way when the door swung towards the back of his chair! We sadly couldn't swap tables as no others were really available at the time but aside from that the meals and service didn't disappoint! A fair choice of different mains, sides and drinks and all served pretty quickly. Staff also asked how you'd like your burger cooked which was nice as usually I have to make a point of asking to have June well done. Glad we didn't have a starter as mains were huge portions and I had the cheese&bacon fries which were amazing but so filling! Atmosphere was quite close and homely but due to it being so packed it was pretty noisy with everyone talking as is expected in any busy restaurant really. Overall great meal, would recommend for winter or evening meals due to the lack of windows and the closeness but will definitely be going again! read more

I had heard a lot about fat hippo before I went and all good reviews from people. I must say on the food front it lived up to the hype. I had the peanut butter and jelly burger which was right up my street ( if you like a mix of sweet and savoury which I do) the best burger I have had in ages with sweet potato fries that were delicious. My friends had other burgers and all looked equally as good and piled high, with interesting sauces and relishes different from the norm. Drinks wise nothing to right home about but they have the usual few craft beers, house wine and a few spirits. The only criticism is the decor, it's very dark and unfriendly, brick walls and school canteen tables and benches. The food is delivered on a steel tray with paper all reminiscent of school dinners. It strikes me as a good place for lunch, or a quick bite, no frills, just good food that I will frequently return for when I have a burger hankering. read more

Fat Hippo Newcastle - Peanut butter n jelly burger, sweet potato fries yummy - Burgers Near Me - Newcastle upon Tyne, XTW

The chilli burger is one of the nicest I've had and its vegan. The roll doesn't have butter or sauces on, so ideal for vegans. The sauces are brought to the table separately. Also the chips that come with the burger are really nice home cooked chips. I really recommend this place. Apart from the food being great, the service was excellent and the venue really unique. read more