With cool weather just around the corner, the serene patio next to two popular East Aldine restaurants will soon be filled to capacity with customers.

Hippo Burger and Dulce Tentacion (Sweet Treats) are already busy with loyal clientele from a nearby apartment complex, businesses and students and staff from MacArthur High School.

The eateries are located next to each other in the strip shopping center at 2333 Aldine Mail Route Rd., just down the road from the school and the East Aldine Management District’s Town Center.

Hippo Burger, previously known as Patio Burger, features a wide variety of hefty burgers, hot dogs, french fries, onion rings and tater tots.

A sign near the door warns: “This is not the place for a diet.”

Dulce Tentacion, as the name implies, features a variety of fresh fruit-filled beverages and sweet treats ranging from crepes to brownies a la mode. There are also banana splits on the menu.

The burger joint is decorated in bright yellow and black, with a street-smart urban feel. The dessert venue is decorated with a large mural of Frido Kahlo, surrounded by butterflies and flowers and inspirational sayings.

Along with the shared patio, the very different restaurants share a common ingredient that can’t be found in a cookbook: very friendly, helpful staff who love their work and their customers. And that includes the kids from MacArthur who like to hang out on the patio or do their homework in the comfortable booths in the dessert restaurant.

“We have groups who come to study here. They find it a soothing, tranquil place to come and focus,” said Yandira Rodriguez, the evening manager of Dulce Tentacion. “We also see lots of young faces from the apartments nearby.”

“I think that’s what motivates us to give good customer service here: seeing the expressions on people’s faces,” Rodriguez added. The beautiful desserts and drinks “always put a smile on people’s faces.”

“Ever since I started working here, I’ve found that it’s aesthetically pleasing,” Rodriguez added.

Angel Vasquez, manager of Hippo Burger, also enjoys serving his East Aldine customers. (The former Patio Burger was bought out by Hippo Burger owners Aurelio Velez and Ebelio Cardenas about four months ago. The strip center is owned by East Aldine businesswoman Sylvia Leija).

“I take a lot of pride in my work, and for customers to come in here and leave happy, that makes me very happy. It’s really rewarding,” Vasquez said. “Treating customers with care and respect makes it feel more like home and family.”

Vasquez recently added Halloween decorations to the restaurant, including a massive spider web and witches’ hats.

“With this weather turning into fall, we’re going to see more casual dining out on the patio,” Vasquez said. “It’s a very beautiful setting.”

“Our burgers and our ingredients are all fresh, never frozen. Everything is made here in house, so it’s a better taste,” Vazquez said. “It’s a hot spot during the week for teachers and the Aldine industrial workers, and the high school kids who come in after school. They seem to enjoy the patio and doing their homework out there.”

The restaurant workers report, happily, that the students from MacArthur are always well-behaved and friendly.

Occasionally, Dulcetentacion manager Reyna Montoya may spot a wayward student during school hours. Her co-worker, Rodriguez, laughingly explains that Montoya will pick up a broom and go outside to sweep, asking “Que paso?” (“What’s happening?”) Montoya laughs, saying: “Con mucho amor.” (“With much love.”)

Vasquez said the most popular burger on the restaurant’s extensive menu is “The Mexican Burger,” which features jalapeño peppers instead of pickles. There also is a Mexican hot dog, featuring chili and jalapeños.

The restaurant’s extensive menu can be found online at: www.hippoburgers.com. They are open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m.

In addition to snacks and drinks, Dulcetentacion features a ligh breakfast menu that includes pancakes, waffles, crepes and croissants.

Its complete menu can be found on Facebook at Dulce.Tentacion.HTX. They are open from 8 a.m. to 9 p.m.

— By Anne Marie Kilday