The Velvet Hippo

This small sandwich shack in Avondale Estates is situated in the back of a parking lot. But the fenced-in, turfed patio with string lights (it’s outdoor-seating only) provides a relaxed setting to nibble on their creative sandwiches and sip heavy-handed cocktails. There are only five sandwich options, including a tasty Mediterranean beet pita pocket with a garlic-tahini sauce and a delicious bánh mì-adjacent fried catfish sandwich. All their sandwiches are great reasons to make Velvet Hippo your new casual dinner spot. But the true star is the messy Moroccan lamb burger—a thick, juicy patty on a sesame bun dripping in a creamy yogurt sauce. It’s so good it makes the heated “is a burger a sandwich” debate irrelevant.