Bite Into a Fat Ho Burger
A Supa Fly Ho with Cheese at Fat Ho Burgers.
Waco’s Baptist sensibilities aren’t keeping the flocks of people away from Fat Ho Burgers. Since opening last week, the city’s newest burger shack has received more press than even Brittney Griner. During the Monday lunch rush, a line of customers hungry for a Supa Dupa Fly Ho with Cheese snaked from the cashier to the door. A single paper menu was passed down the line from customer to customer. “You are what you eat,” the menu proclaimed proudly. Among the other available options are the Bad Mamajama, the Fat Chicken Ho, the Sloppy Ho brisket sandwich and, curiously, A Fat Ho Named Bertha. The younger (or just smaller) set can enjoy a Tiny Fat Ho off the dollar menu.
The launch of Fat Ho Burgers feels like a soft opening. A temporary sign featuring the name in bright red letters flutters above the front door. Not much has been done to spruce up the interior—the mural of a mariachi band on the wall makes it clear that the restaurant has not received a fresh coat of paint since its last life as a taqueria. Mismatched chairs are pushed up to the tables, which are covered in plastic-coated red tablecloths.
Newly minted restaurateur Lakita Evans, 24, said the joint’s provocative name came to her when she was watching Mo’Nique’s 2006 film Phat Girlz. “I was trying to make myself laugh,” she said. “I knew the name would put a smile on people’s faces, so I just did it.”
Evans, a 2005 graduate of Waco High School, studied culinary arts at community college and worked overnight shifts in the produce department at Walmart prior to striking it out on her own. “All I wanted to do is find a way in this economy,” she said. “I was just planning on opening a regular burger shack. I didn’t know it was going to be like this.” Fat Ho Burgers has been so popular that they’ve been selling out each day.
The burger joint has enjoyed both national and international media attention since opening its doors last Tuesday. There has been some handwringing over the suggestive name from local churches, and others have complained of the restaurant’s casual misogyny. But business is booming. Some glass-half-full Wacoans view any press as good press for the town. “Shout out to @fatHOburger for making Waco in the news for something other than drugs, Baylor and Branch Davidians,” Katie Beaird tweeted. A fan (perhaps hoping to piggyback on the restaurant’s buzz) has even written and recorded a theme song for the restaurant, with the chorus: “Fat Ho Burgers, juicy as they want to be/Fat Ho Burgers, one bite will set you free.”
Two Baylor freshman made the trek from campus to the restaurant after hearing about it on the news. The pair braved the lunch rush Monday, when they patiently waited over an hour for their food.
Both admitted they were intrigued by the name. “I’m sure the name was a shock to some of the people in the community,” said Thomas Gibbons, 19. “It’s smart though—it’s packed.” Native Houstonian George Strake, 19, joked about the lack of dining options in town. “It’s always exciting when there’s a new restaurant in Waco,” he said. “It’s amazing what a name can do,” Strake said of Fat Ho’s busy first week.
But while the name will get you in the door, the food won’t necessarily keep you coming back. The Supa Fly Ho with Cheese was not especially juicy—or fatty, as the restaurant’s name would suggest—and the patty itself was almost charred. Strake said while his Ho burger wasn’t amazing, he preferred it to the fare at Health Camp, Waco’s other cheekily named burger joint.
Evans’ offerings are unlikely to score her a spot on TEXAS MONTHLY’s 50 best burgers list unless her cooking catches up to her marketing acumen. In the meantime, she can cash in on the name’s shock value. Both Baylor students happily chirped that they’d buy Fat Ho T-shirts if the restaurant were to sell them.
Fat Ho Burgers. 719 S. 11th St., Waco. (254-548-9593).
Posted by Sonia Smith.
Tagged: burger joints, Fat Ho Burgers, hos, waco
KD Bogie says:
Here is the theme song
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86bNVs3uz40
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bob says:
and vitek’s has taken notice, embracing the value of shock value…they’re now called the diarrhea pit.
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Lance says:
Sonia should have spent her time at Waco’s best burger joint called Dubl R … of course having seen the burgers on Texas Monthly’s list, I’d say Dubl R would be overlooked, not unlike Black’s being left off your BBQ list.
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Paul says:
Good read,I met you in line while you were interviewing the 2 students. It’s safe to say the name is the only thing that will keep this place in business for the time being. Other than the charred burger, order mess up’s, and poor wait time I’d be interested to see how the place does in a few months.
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Party Bus VA says:
Here is Similar Story
Fat Ho Burgers is stacking up the controversy.
The slangily-named burger joint made a splash when it opened in the conservative town of Waco, Tex., down the street from Gospel Café – a volunteer-run religious cafe and bookstore.
The menu’s items include Supa Fly Ho with Cheese, Fat Chicken Ho or the Sloppy Ho Brisket. And for the younger Fat Ho customers, there’s Tiny Ho Meals.
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Fat Ho Burgers says:
Twitter: @FatHoBurgers
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Fat-Ho-Burgers/155534674506388
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Dale says:
Hey Fat Ho!!!!! Do you serve fries with that shake????
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Virginia says:
Unique name..food not so unique.
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Steve says:
8 people in line & it took 20 minutes to order. 1 hr later we still had no food, orders were fouled up, and there were still 2 orders ahead of ours.
Staff didn’t have a clue what they were doing, they were rude, and had no sense of urgency. We were so frustrated we hit the local Wataburger and left w/o even requesting a refund. I’ll be shocked if they make it to the end of the year.
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leslie says:
Ditto Steve’s comment and it is a shame that the owner can’t capitalize on the publicity and serve a better burger that would keep the doors open longer. I hate to see any business fail and we would have overlooked the, um, decor if the emphasis had been on the food but overdone burger, charred bun and underdone fries won’t bring customers back.
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Beth says:
My husband and I heard about this place when it first opened and thought we would wait for some of the hype to die down before we ate there. I read several reviews about the food that weren’t very favorable, yet we decided to try it anyway. When we arrived(late afternoon)they weren’t very busy and we thought that would be a plus, because so many customers complained about the wait time. We were so wrong. We waited in line for about 15 minutes (with only 2 people ahead of us) and then after we placed our order we sat at a table, fighting flies and waited an additional 55 minutes. Wow! I thought that with such a long wait time they were cutting and making homemade fries, but they weren’t. After our long wait we didn’t want to eat inside due to the flies! The burger was good and the fries were hot although unsalted. They had ketchup readily available, so we wouldn’t have to ask for it.They had several people going in and out of the kitchen area, which I believe may partially be the reason for the delay. One of the cashiers had on house shoes and it seemed as if the Ms Evans had a lot of friends and/or family members up there hanging out. We were so disappointed! I really wanted to be able to give her a GOOD review! I had read about how Ms Evans had sacrificed and put everything she had into this place and I was hoping that she would make it a successful business in time, but I have to agree with Steve and Leslie. At this rate she will be out of business by year end.
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Krystal says:
Just got done there and it was pretty good. The wait in line and wait for the food equaled about an hour, but the place is small with not many employees. After reading some of the comments I would have to say they must be improving. All in all it was $10 for 2 people for dinner so I wouldn’t complain you get what you pay for.
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Mona Byrd says:
My family and I had the chance of eating at Fat Ho Burgers this weekend. We all enjoyed our food. Im very proud of Lakita. She came out and introduced herself to everyone that was in line to order. Very down to earth person. She is a business oriented young lady. I admire her for the step that she is taking…even if she is closed in a year or so. She had a vision and she made it happen which is what most of aren’t giving her credit for. It doesn’t matter what the name of the her business is, it is catching and thats what most businesses want…they choose a name thats going to generate and make them stand out above the rest…I will say that I wasn’t too fond of the place but as she grows and more oppertunities come about maybe she will get something that is more pleasing to the eye. But we all have to start out somewhere….I wish her and her staff the best in all that they do…
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Wacoan Reply:
July 26th, 2011 at 6:00 pm
Yeah right!
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Betty says:
Must agree with Steve, Leslie and Beth.
Got excited and tried to take my daughter and mother. Mom wouldn’t even get out of the car because of all the bikers and drunks outside. Daughter and I tried but after waiting an hour for two burgers, I left. I did ask for a refund and was told in a very intelligent statement, “She don’t do that.”
Guess what? Neither do we anymore.
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Jersey Boy says:
I think it’s just a name. Good idea too. So what if the burgers aren’t the best thing since sliced bread. It brings a little fun to this place that is dying under the “uppity snobby I’m from Baylor Ooooo” way of thinking. It’s Waco. Not New York City. Sorry folks, Waco really can’t even take credit for the Branch Davidians, didn’t happen here. GO FAT HO! And maybe if some of you could pull your heads out, we could have some more fun with names on restaurants and businesses….Oh and if you’d like to comment about the name…THE WAR ENDED 200 YEARS AGO!
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pookie says:
you can buy the waco t-shirts on
http://www.cafepress.com/thewacodude
Its the motto of waco
“keep waco waco” shirts and accessories
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Mike says:
Fat Ho owner arrested, released on outstanding traffic warrant
By Michael W. Shapiro
Tribune-Herald staff writer
Friday June 17, 2011
Lakita Evans, who opened the provocatively named Fat Ho Burgers in March, was arrested Wednesday by Waco police.
“It was a traffic citation she got a ways back,” police spokesman Sgt. Patrick Swanton said. “It went to warrant, and the warrant officer picked her up.”
McLennan County Jail staff said Evans was released later Wednesday morning after paying her ticket.
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