Restaurant News

Check out the menu for Avondale Estate’s Velvet Hippo, from the owners of Poor Hendrix

A sandwich from the menu of Velvet Hippo in Avondale Estates / Courtesy of Velvet Hippo
A sandwich from the menu of Velvet Hippo in Avondale Estates / Courtesy of Velvet Hippo
Dec 11, 2023

Sandwich shop the Velvet Hippo, from the team behind Michelin Guide-recommended restaurant Poor Hendrix, is now open in Avondale Estates.

Located at 27 N. Avondale Road, Velvet Hippo comes from husband and wife Aaron and Jamie Russell. The 400-square-foot restaurant features a covered counter for ordering, and guests can get their orders to go or to eat on a turf-covered outdoor area with both picnic tables and smaller tables or a dog-friendly side patio.

Velvet Hippo, named for the Russell’s dog, features a small menu of five sandwiches, including Mediterranean beet; Vietnamese-style fried fish; and fried mortadella. There’s also a vegetarian soup and salad, as well as snacks and sides like smoked sweet potato hummus, chicken nuggets and Southern-style potato salad.

The Velvet Hippo in Avondale Estates features a large patio. / Courtesy of Velvet Hippo
The Velvet Hippo in Avondale Estates features a large patio. / Courtesy of Velvet Hippo

The beverage list features a variety of non-alcoholic options, wine and canned cocktails and beer, in addition to seven cocktails including the Smuggler Donn with rum, grapefruit, lime and cinnamon syrup and an apple brandy Hot Toddy.

The Russells opened Poor Hendrix in the Hosea + 2nd development in East Lake in 2016.

Before opening Poor Hendrix, the James Beard-nominated Russell worked as a pastry chef at Atlanta restaurants including Nikolai’s Roof, the Ritz-Carlton Buckhead, the Chocolate Bar and Restaurant Eugene.

Velvet Hippo’s hours are 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Thursdays-Mondays.

27 N. Avondale Road, Avondale Estates. instagram.com/thevelvethippoavondale

Scroll down to see the full menu for the Velvet Hippo:

The Velvet Hippo menu
The Velvet Hippo menu
The Velvet Hippo menu
The Velvet Hippo menu

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About the Author

Yvonne Zusel has been with the AJC since 2010. She worked on the digital news and food and dining teams before joining the arts & entertainment team.

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