A fun pop-up restaurant for Sonic The Hedgehog fans is opening in Katy

An assortment of dishes, including the signature chili dog, at the Sonic Speed ​​Cafe. Photo by Ryan Baker

A few days before the 2023 San Diego Comic Conthe Secret Sauce Society (which also owns a Hello Kitty pop-up, several cafes and Trill Burgers), in collaboration with SEGA, introduced a pop-up restaurant dedicated to fiction’s fastest mammal, Sonic the Hedgehog. Now one is coming to Katy. Temporarily take the place of Artisan hamburger at 348 Mason, the Sonic Speed ​​Cafe specializes in the titular blue rodent’s favorite food: chili dogs. Houston Food Finder was invited to a preview of the fast food pop-up, which runs from May 4 to August 4.

If you don’t live in Katy, it may be a trek to the restaurant. However, the all-encompassing design of the space makes the ride worth it for fans of Sonic the Hedgehog. For now, the outdoor tent is relatively simple, with just a simple blue sign and a few cardboard cutouts of the main characters. But as soon as you open the doors, you’re greeted with 16-bit classics from the series. The walls are painted with murals of various popular critters, such as Sonic, Knuckles, Tails, and Amy Rose, for what appears to be the iconic Emerald Hill Zone from the Sonic 2 video game. The bar has some video game consoles so both kids and adults can play the latest Sonic games. The floor, which is completely covered in green grass carpet, brings together all aspects of the room and partly recreates the atmosphere of many of the settings from the games.

The Sonic the Hedgehog series contains a vast amount of lore. A key element that was established in the original early 1990s cartoon series, Adventures of Sonic the Hedgehog (yes, I’m a little ashamed that I had that memorized), and has been emphasized in almost every piece of media since, is that Sonic loves of chili dogs. Sonic’s classic Chili Dog is the cafe’s signature item, but there are a few other hot dog options available. The Chaotix hot dog is topped with chopped brisket, crispy onions and barbecue sauce and the Ultimate fearless hot dog with cheese, pepperoni and marinara are both exclusive to the Texas pop-up (as are niche references to the series).

Hot dogs aren’t the only things on the Sonic Speed ​​Cafe menu. Other entrees include the Knuckle Sandwich with spicy fried chicken, the Piko Piko (chicken) Quotations, vegan nuggets and cups of chili (both traditional and meatless). Include sides Quick fries And Gold rings —French fries and onion rings, both renamed as a nod to the game’s mythos. Zomom’s hunger buster fries with chopped brisket, cheddar and green onions is a more filling side dish option.

The drinks selection includes two milkshakes, Team Dark (Mocha) and Dear Amy (strawberry), two slushies — Crushing Echidna (fruit punch) and Blue blur (blueberry) – and Tail’s Spin Tea (which we can assume doesn’t have a fox flavor). In addition, Sonic Speed ​​Cafe has merchandise for sale, including shirts and stickers.

The cafe is small, but the decorations more than make up for the limited space. It’s important to know that the food is hearty, but not particularly gourmet, and a bit pricey for fast food. Prices for regular hot dogs are $8, and the chili dogs start at $12 and go up to $16 for the Chaotix (and that’s without side dishes). That said, the character-decorated food packaging and overall immersion add more than enough value for true Sonic fans.

The Sonic Speed ​​Cafe starts Saturday, May 4 and is open Monday through Thursday from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Friday to Sunday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Don’t forget, the pop-up ends on August 4, so you gotta go Fast!”

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