Sometimes you go to a place and feel like you have been asleep your whole life, and today you just woke up. That is what it felt like to visit Hippo Cafe for the first time. I have heard high praise from locals, and at the end of the day, nothing beats a city's local diner. It is one of those places that closes by 3 pm every day and feels perfect for brunch after a Sunday church service. I came in a little after 11 am with the man who is basically the face of Hutto at his request. He has lived in Hutto for years and has countless stories of the city to share. We sat as he shared stories with my co worker and me about the history of the city. He is a wonderful man, and if he thinks Hippo Cafe is a must visit, DAMMIT, it is a must visit. The place feels ripped straight out of the 80s with artwork of musicians including Elvis and Willie Nelson, along with Alf, ET, and Gizmo. It is definitely dated, but in the best way. Looking at the menu, they have everything you would expect a diner to have. Everything is decently priced and affordable. I ordered two breakfast tacos and a tea. One was bacon, egg, and cheese. The other was chorizo, egg, and cheese. They were not winning any awards, but my god they were like an omelet on a tortilla. They were filled with eggs. With a little picante sauce, they were great and felt like a classic diner meal. The service is great. Our lady was attentive and very friendly to us. That seems to be the vibe here. There's a lot of 1 stars here, but trust the guy with the Yelp Elite badge and the essay of a review, it's not a 1 star establishment. It's more. This place feels historic and gets plenty of love from regulars in the city. You know what you are getting into when you visit, but what does that really mean? You are getting old town love. A classic meal. A feeling like you have been standing your whole life and you just sat down. That is Hippo Cafe. RIYL: Your classic cafe or painting of 80s icons (Alf) read more

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Brough my parents here for breakfast while they were in visiting. Great food with good prices and very friendly staff.

Candd Ed back in for breakfast this weekend. No wait time for table of 2. I ordered a waffle and loaded tots and my significant other had a breakfast sammy. Waiter seemed new , we aske for the sammy w egg,cheese, and tomato which he said the kitchen couldn't do- we then asked for a side of tomato to put it on ourselves.- it ended comeing w the tomato on it which is what we asked for,& the cheese was cold and just thrown on there we were hoping it was somewhat melted like any other breakfast sandwich. The waffle was the same as the free breakfast at hotels- not impressed and deff will not order again. The tots were good flavor was more of a dinner side but good none the less. I didn't see anywhere explicitly outlining this service fee they tack on but I read other reviews and was aware ahead of time . It was 7% fee if I remember correctly. Might be back but not as excited about this weekend's experience as I was my first visit. read more

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It was a pleasant environment but the visit was chaotic from start to finish. We were sat at the counter and our server came to the counter and was not prepared. He was inexperienced and we witnessed frustration from other servers that he was asking basic questions to. He asked what we wanted with no tablet or paper to write it down. Once we did order, with an experienced server stepping, the food was not good. I asked for scrambled eggs, came out like an omelet and with a burnt oil taste. The hash browns had no flavor and were almost burnt on top and undercooked below. The bacon was edible. The only saving grace was the biscuit. Fluffy and amazing, the sausage gravy was not good. The other dish was the same. When he gave us the ticket, saw the food still on both plates, he didn't even ask how it was. May try again, but definitely not for breakfast read more

OMG! This was the worst breakfast! My partner got the Huevos Rancheros. Portion size was ok,should be for $13.99! Served with 2 flat large sausage patties, sounds great until you find out they were microwaved! Came out cold and watery! Couldn't eat them! I was served biscuits and gravy, decent tasting until I bit into a piece of rubber! Almost a quarter size!! I came close to losing it right at the table! When we brought it to the servers attention she just said something like, really? I showed it to her, no apology, no nothing! No, we weren't trying to get out of paying! Needless to say. We won't be returning! Too bad because we live like 3 minutes away. AWFUL DOESN'T COVER IT! read more

We have been here so many times and we always enjoy coming here. This place is lit with local drawings, and they let you draw on the tables with crayons.The staff is super nice, and the food is very good. The place is always clean and everybody always has a big smile on their face.Food comes out.Nice and hot, highly enjoy it.I would recommend to anybody read more

Good pancakes. Picked up an order to go. Just an advice that the girl servers need to get off their phone. Stood at the counter for a minute & was never even greeted walking in or noticed I was even there. smh read more

Great Food, great vibe and my server, Shelby was Awesome! I was greeted kindly when I walked in. I was able to get a table at the window and enjoyed my breakfast. read more

Hippo Cafe - Chicken fried Steak, eggs and grits! - American Near Me - Hutto, Texas

Their Heavenly French toast is pretty much the only item I think about when I visit. It is very good and highly recommend. We've tried other things, but nothing worth mentioning. Not very impressed with their selection of drinks and hot drinks. They should offer a wide variety of tea options and a variety of coffee options. Service is friendly and nice. Ambience is cool, nicely decorated. Beware, if you have a party of more than 5, they'll sit you by the door. The problem with that is every time someone walks in or out, you feel the cold draft and that makes dining very uncomfortable. read more

Hippo Cafe - Heavenly French Toast with a side of eggs and bacon - American Near Me - Hutto, Texas

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Under new management since last time we were here. This is a weekend brunch place for us. Typical small town cafe with local art on walls and windows. We shared a carne guisada plate and were pleased with flavors and portions. List of pie options as well to finish off your meal. Will be back! read more

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Hamburger only comes as a smash burger so you cannot specify what you want on it. I wanted a burger with lettuce and pickles only. Nope. Can't do that. Makes no sense. After explaining my order over 4 times to the young waitress and she brings me a burger with everything and the smash sauce. Then asked her to do it the way I ordered and she said they can't do that. What are they premade!?! Obviously no manager working, just young kids. I said to just cancel the order. My wife had a senior burger. It's just a frozen patty. No taste. The fries were good Small Town small place run by kids Not coming ever again. read more

Great friendly service, delicious breakfast and very cute little diner setting. I really enjoyed the breakfast at this spot. I had a lovely server who took very good care of us. Coffees and waters were always full. They only had one hot tea option but that's okay. Honestly I just got a super simple breakfast of French toast, eggs, breakfast sausage and hash browns but I'm not even kidding when I say it was so delicious. The eggs in particular were amazing. The French toast comes with pecans and whipped cream. It was an unexpected treat. Loved it all. read more

My friend was looking for a breakfast place with pancakes and we came across Hippo Cafe in Hutto! Very cute, diner style place and our waiter Alex was great! We both ordered the Hippo Breakfast with choice of bacon or sausage, any style eggs, 2 pancakes, and choice of side...we both chose hash browns. Definitely a great place to stop by!. read more

Hippo Cafe - Menu - American Near Me - Hutto, Texas

The food is much improved. I went there for breakfast the week of Thanksgiving and the food was excellent. I had the skillet dish. The waitress could use more training on being attentive. read more

This was my first visit to the Hippo Cafe in Hutto. I like to support locally owned restaurants and this is a staple. We had an outstanding server who was both friendly and helpful throughout our lunch. The atmosphere is very causal with butcher paper used as "tablecloths." Great for families, easy to find and lots of parking. My buddy had Fatties Smash bacon cheese burger with fries and I had The Hippo Way, with hatch green chilies, pepper Jack cheese and a side of onion rings. All were yummy! Will be back for their signature breakfast omelettes! Definitely a repeater for me! read more

Hippo Cafe - The Hippo Way burger - American Near Me - Hutto, Texas

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My daughter and her boyfriend love this place, so when I visited we had to go. Right off the bat we couldn't talk because the music was so loud along with a loud group of people. The sandwich would have been good but the bread was so buttered my hands were dripping with oil and the cheese sadly was wrapper fake cheese. Needless to say not very good but our waitress was great. Possibly Chelsey but not sure read more

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My family and I spent a few days in the area and on our way back home, we found this gem. I first want to say that our waitress was the cutest little thing! She was so kind and patient with us. I like they they use butcher paper to cover their tables. I found myself doodling more than our kids were. HA!! This is where my son was introduced to chocolate chip pancakes. . .he absolutely loved it! My husband had an omelet that he also thoroughly enjoyed as well. If you are in the are and breakfast is a must, you have to visit this location. read more

Hippo Cafe - American Near Me - Hutto, Texas

Loved the strawberry crepe! Sweetness of the sauce was a great balance. Server was kind with us and let us try the white chocolate and chocolate sauce. I would definitely keep going to this place for the crepe. But unfortunately just for the crepe. The SW veggie burger was good but not good enough for second time. It's not the taste, the quantity of the filling and the size. And the extra $2 charged for onion ring was a complete ripoff. Server made it sound like "oh the menu just says fries but it's actually any side you want. So what side do you want?" And when I said you mean it's a typo and it's actually I choose a side. And she said YES. Umm nope, yes not! Charged extra and the quantity of side was more of a shame. Rather skip the side if you are going to serve like 7-8 onion rings. The burger and rings were a complete no for portion size and the money. Pretty laid back chilled out place otherwise and has ample private parking. Service was quick. They do charge additional dollars to every order to fit in the "locally sourced ingredients". read more

Hippo Cafe - Southwest Veggie Burger - American Near Me - Hutto, Texas

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The food was just OK. It filled us up but wasn't special. I'm not sure how they can compete with all of the other food places nearby. read more

Not a quiet place, very busy but with that our server came back four times to check on us and was very pleasant.Food was good as well!

We like to hit this place in the morning and on a weekday. The weekends are always busy (but still worth the wait). You get basic fare, simple but cooked expertly. The staff are always attentive and friendly, the tables clean. It's kinda like going back in time. Even if there's a wait, there's still no hurry. Enjoy your breakfast! read more

Yesterday I went there for the second time, I'm done I expected to wait because it was Sunday but it was not worth it, while the food was good, it was aggravating because after I ordered fried pickles the server said they had been out of Ranch dressing since the day before, The last time we went there they were out of ice, and I wondered why the manager didn't send someone to a store rather than inconvenience the customers... read more

cute little spot! Small dinner vibes. The plates were a great size and very tasty. Breakfast burrito was massive. Really hit the Sunday breakfast spot. Service was very quick no wait time. Nice and attentive server! read more

Hippo Cafe - breakfast burrito, Blue Hippo Pancakes, western omelette - American Near Me - Hutto, Texas

Hippo Cafe has a great ambiance , they were playing 70s / 80s music which I enjoyed ,hash browns were flavorless and eggs weren't the best beside that Pancakes have a good flavor , in my own opinion breakfast wasn't worth 70.00 dollars and we were charged a 6 percent admin fee .. don't know what that was about ... service wasn't the best but service wasn't horrible. I will not be coming back .. read more

Hippo Cafe - Western Omelette - American Near Me - Hutto, Texas

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Adonis was the best server ever!!! He had such great timing with everything and was so funny! Loved him and his amazing service Our food was delicious, and adonis kept us up to date with timing even though he had a full area! Go, adonis! Our cappuccino was delicious! It was perfectly sweet, and the whipped cream was fresh. The french toast had a nice crunch and wasn't too moist. Some places have it soaked in the egg mixture! My blue hippo pancakes came out a lot bigger than i expected. It was soo moist and PACKED with blueberries. I was in blueberry heaven. Add the maple syrup, and it's a party in your mouth! read more

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Food was excellent! Server was friendly! I went with a friend and my sister and we all enjoyed our food thoroughly. I look forward to going back! read more

My fiancé and I have been to The Hippo Cafe twice now, and we're officially obsessed. The food is seriously delicious--he always gets the huevos rancheros, and I've tried both the pancakes and the BLT, and everything tastes like a homemade meal in the best way. You can tell they put care into the food. The vibes are amazing, the staff is friendly, and it's one of the cleanest spots we've been to. Such a great little gem--highly recommend! read more

The food was decent. The ambiance was a Hometown feel diner and very welcoming. The waitress was attentive and helpful. read more

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$1.97 hidden admin charge on bill? I understand the price of everything is going up. But hiding fees in the bill is not acceptable. I couldn't figure out why my total plus tip didn't add up right. Then I look at the email receipt and see the admin fee in there. Just raise the menu prices so it's up front. Service was outstanding and this in no way reflects that. This is more on the owners than anything. read more

Hippo Cafe - Admin charge - American Near Me - Hutto, Texas

Awesome food! Excellent service! Our server, Amanda, was professional, sweet and friendly. Danni was also incredible! I highly recommend stopping in. The wings were the best that I've ever eaten. read more

Do yourself a favor and please go eat at Hippo Cafe! Just wow. From when you first walk in - to that first glimpse of your plate landing on the table. My mouth was watering before my first bite and the food didn't disappoint. The vibe is coffee shopish and has very cool paintings up and a little history of the fine city of Hutto. Let's not forget the Amazing staff. Very friendly and super responsive of needs and refills. This will be my breakfast/brunch spot moving forward. read more

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Came to eat for breakfast this afternoon, they seemed slow but the food was amazing and the server, Cam, was super attentive and sweet! Surprised that they weren't packed!! Definitely will be back. read more

Not a huge fan of the changes in the last year. The menu has expanded a great deal, and I wonder if they aren't spreading themselves too thin because of it. Before, what they did, they did extremely well, and we went often. It appears as though it may be a simple case of trying to grow too fast...the last 2 times we've been there it's been, well, meh. And the service hasn't been bad, but as also slipped from superb to just mediocre. We'll keep trying them, hoping it eventually gets back to it's former glory, but not as often as we used to. read more

The service was great but the food didn't taste good for me. I got a burrito and it was so gross I couldn't even finish half of it but my husband got the loaded tater tots and those were alright! read more

Service was good and friendly. Food was surely lacking though. I had biscuits and gravy along with a number 1 bacon and eggs. First, the biscuit was horrible. gritty and heavy as if the cook forgot a vital ingredient. Second, the gravy, although it had bits of sausage, was bland. McDonalds or Whataburger biscuits and gravy is much better. The bacon and eggs were good but they forgot the potatoes and only one slice of toast. (?). Come on folks. It's hard the mess up breakfast but you accomplished it. Won't be going back and would not recommend. read more

Now the city of Hutto is not exactly around the Corner from Georgetown where I reside. But from Pflugerville its a quick trip. So Sunday afternoon as I look at the small mob outside of my regular stop I make a decision. "Ride the Hippo". Last time I was here, I remember the service was ok, but the food made up for it. This visit, I was blown away. Let's start with our server, "Jagger". Very enthusiastic young man, who didn't write any thing down of our very detailed order, but got everything perfect. Checked on us often, kept us updated as the food was prepared, he just made our experience perfect. Food - Where do I start. Hippo Cafe is one of those places where the food quality is like Grand Ma is back there cooking it. The taste, the quality, the portions are just "Outstanding". I have been craving fried catfish and lucky for me they offered a Catfish combo with shrimp and hush puppies. Words do not describe the fresh taste and the flavor. Now Hush Puppies are something most smaller resturants just throw on as an after thought. Two little small balls of corn bread don't usually get a lot of culinary attention. The hush puppies here were extraordinary. I mean I could even taste the little sliver of onion inside. I'm telling you, some body's Grand Mother's recipe was put to good use. My wife had the salad, nice slices of tender chicken on a bed of fresh lettuce. Larger than she thought it would be. For that extra special touch, the tables are cover with a sheet of with paper, like the butchers would use. It gives it a nice quality look and makes for a quick clean up. Thank you again Hippo Cafe. Can't wait till I'm back again. Michael C. - Georgetown, Tx read more

Hippo Cafe - Christmas at The Hippo Cafe 12/22/19 - American Near Me - Hutto, Texas

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I've eaten at Hippo Cafe at least a dozen times in recent years (and had always enjoyed it), but they're a little bit of a drive in the opposite direction from home when I'm headed to work. I've recently taken a different position which is right near here, and I'll be coming in much more frequently. The food is reasonably priced, arrived quickly after I ordered, and was very tasty. Service was great. Paige greeted me (and all the others nearby) with a smile and a bit of friendly conversation. She kept my coffee topped off, and checked in enough to make me feel taken care of, but without being bothersome. This establishment typifies what I expect from a non-franchise, small town restaurant- welcoming, friendly staff, great food and attentive service, and leaves me looking forward to my next visit. read more

just ok. had to come here because the restaurant we wanted to go to wasn't open yet and let me tell you...the food and the service left me wishing i had a chance to go to the other place... there's other places to spend your money. read more

I threw it away before I even got home. Terrible way to spend $20 on a single item. Burnt eggs. Flavorless steak (not even salt on the steak?) also my red sauce was just salsa, and it was old and clumpy at that. Avoid not even disappointed just disrespectful to the customer. read more

Hippo Cafe - Steak and egg burrito - American Near Me - Hutto, Texas

This is the second time to visit. The first time I had the chicken fried steak breakfast... it was not fresh but I frozen beef patty. I tried to ask for a substitute for my biscuit...thinking it may be an up charge for this request... I was told by the waiter that they could not substitute (period). It was a Saturday morning so thought no problem. I came back the following Friday, and ordered meat lovers omelette with mushrooms ( should have taken a picture... it was more of a scramble and not an omelette ) ... the waiter asked after my order was that it. I had to prompt him by asking what was my choice of sides. I ordered hash browns (again frozen not fresh). The thing that makes me want to do this review was the side of gravy that they call sausage gravy... it is powdered gravy mix that in a 1/2 cup serving size with tablespoon of bland sausage on top.... Not one spot of pepper in the gravy WHAT WAS THE ADMIN CHARGE FOR? (see photo) read more

Hippo Cafe - Recipe for the mess the call home cooking - American Near Me - Hutto, Texas