Seth A.
Yelp
Wow...this is Pops...an iconic roadside restaurant/landmark/attraction right along famous Route 66 in Arcadia, Oklahoma.
To be more exact...Pops is located about 22 miles north of Oklahoma City off Interstate 35 (I-35).
For all those visiting OKC for the first time (like I was) I'd recommend stopping on by here as it's not too far away.
Pops is good for a 1/2-day trip combined with doing a portion of the Route 66 drive to get a real feel understanding for being in the heartland of the good ole USA. So...you're probably wondering why I gave this place only 3 stars???
I visited Pops back on Monday, Labor Day, 2021 and it was packed with visitors! It was virtually impossible to even move around inside! Ugh...frustrating.
Initially I thought I'd come here to relax, hang out, have lunch and enjoy the 1950's - 60's setting of an old-fashioned diner. But...the line just waiting to be sat down was impossible. Okay so...well, the real reason I came here anyways was to try out the tons of selections of soda pops. I thought the whole premise was terrific. I was very excited in anticipation.
If anyone has ever been to Atlanta and toured the World of Coca-Cola Factory Museum...and if they've appreciated Coke World...then this Pops is sort of similar in all the aspects of offering old time, under the radar mom and pop brand sodas. That's what you can expect to discover here, having a fun refreshment and purchasing some bottles to take home with you as souvenirs/gifts for yourself, family and or friends.
Since it was beyond busy...I mean, I must have been here around 2pm and even just trying to pick a 6-pack of soda to take for the road was difficult. And that's because of too many tourists.
Funny, it was like all the refrigerator shelves were being emptied. This place was so popular. Overall, it was just very difficult to not even bump into strangers when trying to find your favorite bottles to choose from. And especially during these pandemic times...no one was wearing a mask. I felt kind of guilty like a sin for sort of being surrounded by too many people. In the end, I just picked a poor day to visit. I'd certainly suggest coming here during off peak times during the week and out of season.
Some notes and details...
- Pops is open 7 days a week. Store hours are 6am - 10pm. Restaurant hours are 10:30am - 9pm. Breakfast is served Saturdays and Sundays from 7am - 10:30am.
- You can also purchase gasoline here.
- Pops is good for a midday stop no matter what you are doing.
- There's the giant-sized soda bottle situated just outside the store/restaurant. Everyone was taking a photo with this as sort of a memorable moment.
- You can buy the bottled sodas individually as many as you'd like. What most people were doing was taking a 6-pack plastic cartridge and loading up with their favorite choices. I'd say this was the most popular method.
- They also have pre-packaged 6-pack and 10-pack containers where Pops picks out their bestselling sodas and they're ready to-go without any hassles.
- I can't believe I forgot prices, but I believe a 6-pack sold for $15 ...$2.50 per bottle.
- They sell sodas from a giant refrigerator plus room temperature bottles from the store shelves.
- If you love root beer then you'll be happy to know they feature all sorts of brands. I'd definitely say root beer was their most varied selection.
- Pops is not just a restaurant/soda joint...they also sell apparel, hats, and miscellaneous souvenirs for kids and the entire family.
Although it was difficult maneuvering around the store with so many people trying to buy sodas, I decided to purchase 6 root beers for myself which was relatively easy.
My big problem was picking 6 diet sodas to bring home to my parents. Pops' choices of diet sodas were so minimal.
The selections they did have were sort of flavored diet sodas and for my parents who are basic/plain diet soda drinkers...I knew picking 6 would be a challenge. Ultimately, I had to double up on a few of my picks.
I also bought a couple of magnets and postcards. In total, with 12 bottles bought and some take-home gifts, I spent about $45. Along with snapping a couple of photos with the soda bottle outside and after getting myself organized with finding what to buy inside amid the mass hysteria of visitors, I probably spent close to 2 hours here. Crazy, but I got it done.
Finally, the taste of all my root beers were just fine. The brands were definitely unique and the outer labels were attractive, but these old-fashioned mom and pop brands tasted like your regular ole root beers, like Mug or Barq's. I guess for me, I had higher expectations for being transported back to simpler times. Lol, I never got there.
My parents hated their diet sodas. They drank 1 of the 6 bottles and the others went down the drain. I guess Pops does not specialize in diet.
Regardless of the chaos going on inside, I'm grateful to have made it here to Pop's, a classic /vintage stop along famed Route 66.