The651.com

Being a picky eater and all, I’m not often tantalized by the whole of any particular restaurant’s menu, but Pop! Restaurant in downtown St. Paul has pretty much won me over. This review, however, is going to be somewhat hard for me to write at the moment, as I’m currently hungry and there is nothing in my immediate vicinity that can do for me what Pop! can.  And Pop! does it oh-so well.

A lunch date with a certain 651-based pal last week proved to be deliciously memorable. Despite the slushy road conditions, I braved the elements and made the cruise to Downtown Saint Paul with one goal in mind: To eat a pulled pork sandwich. Now, Pop!’s pulled pork sandwich is no ordinary pulled pork sandwich. It’s the BEST pulled pork sandwich in all the land, in my humble opinion. The “Asado” sandwich as it’s called, comes with a pile of thick, crispy seasoned fries and features a mound of succulent pulled pork liberally doused in a citrus barbecue sauce, then topped with a tangy pile of  pickled onions. The pillow-soft bun that “holds” the meaty feast together may as well be decoration, considering this monstrous delight is far from being pick-up-able. I opted to eat mine with a fork and knife (like a lady) and got less than half-way through it before giving up on finishing it (and yes, of course I had it boxed up…and yes, I did eat the rest of it in the car).

My companion opted for a slightly healthier, but still to-die-for meal in the Grilled Steak Salad, a meat-heavy bowl filled with freshly grilled chimichurri-marinated steak, springy mixed greens, crumbling blue cheese, avocado, and a splash of Sherry vinaigrette.  In other words, one hell of a salad. I was jealous, but I had my pulled pork, so there wasn’t really much time to dwell.

Pop! also boasts a festive and delectable selection of lunch items such as Ecuadorean Shrimp Ceviche with Cornuts, Chicken Posole Soup, Warm Beet Salad, a panko-breaded walleye sandwich, Swedish Meatballs, hearty burgers (both beef and Salmon), a plethora of pastas and much more. The dinner menu stays relatively the same with some additional entrees, starters and desserts. And true to its name, Pop! delivers a bubbly menu of fancy bevies such Stewart’s Key Lime Pie soda and some not-so-fancy, yet classic sips including Orange Crush. For the booze hounds among you, there’s also a full bar, so fear not!

As far as ambiance, the bright and airy space boasts a very retro-modern feel, with Warhol-inspired wall installations, modern table decor and settings, floor to ceiling windows and lots and lots of color. Pop! is somewhere you could take the kids (they even have a kid’s menu) but it’s got a just-upscale-enough vibe that could translate quite well into a cute date. Service is friendly and prompt and the prices won’t break the bank either. All in all, an unpretentious, happy joint that I’ll most definitely return to, time and time again…and yes, I’ll probably order the pulled pork sandwich every time.

Pop!, 6 West 6th Street, Downtown St. Paul, 651-228-1002
Mon-Thurs 11am-3:30pm & 5pm-9pm / Fri-Sat 11am-3:30pm & 5pm-10pm