I came across this place by accident, I was supposed to meetup with some coworkers in the downtown area. Instead I ditched them for about an hour to grab dinner here. As I walked through the door I couldn't help but notice all the memorabilia on the wall and the smell of smoked meat. The service was great! The girl at the counter answered all my questions and made good suggestions. The food was amazing! I ordered a smoked brisket Philly and it was on point. Overall Pop's BBQ was on point and I highly recommend it! read more

See all

Quick down and dirty...it's no Whatcha Smokin, but it's a nice bbq option in Iowa City. Very friendly staff. My wife says the brisket sandwich was really good. My son said the wings were awesome. The pork tenderloin was big, good. The cheese curds were a bit overcooked and didn't have much cheese inside. Probably would not get those again. Prices seem reasonable with exception of the having to order fries as a side with most sandwiches. And $4 or so for the fries was a bit extreme. They were good fries but not $4 good fries. read more

See all

We were in Iowa City for a Hawkeyes Football game and were looking for BBQ. Found Pop's while searching on my phone and it did not disappoint. Got there on Friday evening at 6PM with a line about 10 deep and had a short wait. We found a table easily and got our food quickly. Sandwich was incredible! The BBQ Cuban is a combination of brisket and pulled pork with Dijon and pickles. Meat was tender, juicy and you could taste the smoke. Curds were solid and the cornbread was a big surprise. It had a cinnamon sugar topping that really made it stand out! Can't wait to go back!!! read more

See all

Amazing Q at a reasonable price. The meats and sauces are all excellent. I particularly loved the burnt ends.

the Dr. Pepper baby was good and nice doo doo doo but the rest of the food Eeee-Yuck !!!

Was pleasantly surprised overall with the BBQ. I got the brisket sandwich with beans and mac n cheese. Brisket was tender, had great bark but not a lot of flavor. The beans and mac n cheese were excellent! The BBQ sauce (root beer and honey bourbon) was not my favorite and the wait was a little long, but I would go back. A lot of choices. read more

See all

You truly can't go wrong with Pop's Bar-B-Que. Since my last review, I've only gotten more impressed with both its selection and quality. Reasons I'd recommend getting your rear end over to this IC staple: 1- The sauces are the chef's kiss. The classic and spicy bbq are probably my fav. But You can't go wrong with the blackberry habanero, bourrbon honey, root beer bbq or carolina mustard, either. 2- Daily specials! Peep their website. 3- Location, location, location. So this spot is in downtown IC but off the beaten path a bit more, boasting bother a rad patio but ample (free) parking. 4- I adore their hand cut fries as well as their made in house pickles. 5- Available via CHOMP Delivery. I've gotten many things on the menu. The consensus of my family is that you must order the: pulled pork sandwich (topped with coleslaw), house salad, fries, corn bread, chicken fingers and rib tips. Make sure you have plenty of sauces. Pop on over to Pop's today. (Open daily.) read more

See all

This is THE BEST BBQ in the Iowa city area. There is no question. I love all the food and the staff is wonderful as well.

Food and services were great! Will come back for sure! I was pleasantly surprised how cute the place was in the inside as well. Great atmosphere. read more

Pop's Bar-B-Que - Mamá 1/2 rack ribs and potato salad - Barbeque Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

It's a bbq place and I order a bbq sandwich and some cheese curds. I'm sitting here for over 30 minutes and inquire. The guy at the counter says the cook doesn't know how to cook and gave me my money back. I'm sitting here drinking a beer speechless. Hungry but speechless read more

Delicious barbeque ribs with friendly service. They come with side sauce, but the smoky rib flavor stands alone without a sauce. Only complaint is that some carryout items come in styrofoam containers. read more

Service is great! Every time I order at the counter, the person has always been kind. The food is excellent, especially the BBQ sauce with vide varieties like spicy BBQ and even root beer flavored bbq sauce this is quick place for fast BBQ read more

Pop's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

Must miss! Any positive previous reviews must have been from customers that have never eaten real smoked meats. The ribs had a smoke line but tasted like they were boiled or steamed and had no smoke flavor. Makes me wonder if these were old and reheated. Service was friendly but extremely slow. I was the only one there except a table already served and waited almost 30 minutes for what should be a short order. Smoked meats are already cooked. French fries take only a few minutes. Mac and cheese shouldn't be a problem. Now my biggest concern was cleanliness and worker hygiene training. Wow! Floors were very dirty and this was the beginning of the shift. Workers were filling dressings from a 5 gallon bucket into cups. Maybe not a big deal except for the unwashed hands that were repeatedly touching the floor, garbage cans, dirty rags, counters, etc. this was over many minutes and at no time was there any hand washing. I don't want to think about what the kitchen may have been like. read more

Everything was awesome. Forget Jethro's, head downtown Iowa City for the best BBQ. The ribs and brisket was tender with good smoke flavor. Fries are hand cut and delicious. Definitely recommend and will definitely be back. read more

Pop's Bar-B-Que - Ribs and Brisket French Dip - Barbeque Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

We stopped in here for dinner one night with my parents. My dad and I got the ribs but were super thrilled with them. The dipping sauces are pretty good but the ribs didn't fall off the bone. The Mac and cheese is 5/5, easy. The soda also tasted very watered down outta the machine. read more

I wasn't impressed with this restaurant. The food was cold and there was no reason for it to be so as there was only 3 other tables totaling 4 people besides my husband and I. We both had the brisket sandwich and it was very bland. I didn't even finish mine. My brisket sandwich was $9.79. My husband had the platter with fries and Brussels sprouts for $20.47. The fries were various sizes and he left most of the Brussels sprouts which is just not like him at all ... he never leaves food behind. The BBQ sauce was bland as well. read more

Pop's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

See all

Stopped by while looking for a quick bite downtown. Got the taco basket. Sauces were deletable. Fries were well cooked (not burnt). Dropping a star because the pulled pork was dry and lacking flavor. Other than that, not a bad lunch for $10! read more

Hands down the best BBQ in Iowa City. The indoor space is cozy and the patio is fun in the summer.

Was hopeful when we came as we were pretty hungry, but ended up pretty disappointed with the food. Brisket was very very salty, bbq sauce was overpoweringly sweet, chicken wings had no seasoning or flavor at all, cheese curds were stale and flavorless and tasted like fryer oil more than cheese. The potato salad was great though. The patio was nice and had a good seating with a great overhang. Service was great too, as well as fast given how busy it was. Would be open to trying again if recipes changed. read more

Amazing bbq, stopped by on my drive across America. Would be a regular customer if this was in my neighborhood. Everything was delicious!

First time visit here has us wanting to come back for more! I ordered the special of the day, a brisket French dip sandwich and I subbed onion rings for the French fries. The au jus is not a typical beef broth, but rather a broth that is infused with rosemary and other spices. It was very aromatic and VERY delicious. I used the root beer bbq sauce (Amazing!) and the apple bbq sauce (equally amazing). My husband ordered the rib tips and fries platter. The rib tips were smoky goodness, but a little tough. It was nice to find an authentic, simple bbq restaurant that serves delicious food in a fun retro vibe setting. We will be back to try the burnt ends and additional yummies! read more

POPS.IS.AMAZING.PERIOD. We were in the mood for ribs, and these definitely did not disappoint. So juicy and fall off the bone. We also had chicken fingers, fries, coleslaw, and Mac n cheese. The Mac N Cheese stole the show; So creamy and delicious. The handwritten note touched my heart and I am happy to always support this establishment. :) read more

See all

Terrific service & food. Recommend the Brussels sprouts & brisket. The cornbread & Mac & cheese were also excellent. read more

Pop's Bar-B-Que - Amazing brisket sandwich, cornbread & Brussels sprouts (2/3 gone already). - Barbeque Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

Still in love w/ Pops!! Grabbed a to-go order of pulled pork sandwiches, the Mac&cheese, and a side of smoked jalapeño corn! All delicious, per usual, and the order included a sweet note from Harper I can't stress how comforting it is for a southern transplant to the Midwest to find such excellent BBQ in IC. All staff wearing masks and being as friendly as always. I noticed they're also selling jars of their BBQ sauce, I'll load up on the Mill Stream Root Beer and Blackberry Habanero next time. read more

Pop's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

Pop's is a great treat ... the deck is perfect spot to drink a Brew, relax and munch awesome BBQ when weather is nice. You will love it ... fun, casual, friendly ... you will want to come back ... read more

See all

Really, really great and affordable bbq in Iowa City! The ribs were cooked to perfection and the home made spicy bbq sauce is some of the best I've ever had. Don't skip out on the garlic herb fries, either. The staff also leaves very sweet notes with your takeout which is a great reminder to keep supporting small businesses. Excited to take my family here when they visit! read more

Pop's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

Very good smokey flavor on rib tips! Friendly staff and great food! Only complaint is it's too close to downtown for my preference. Hope they open up another spot on the strip. Meat did not need any bbq sauce at all, however the sauces were really good and found myself eating with and without sauce. read more

Pop's Bar-B-Que - Split 1# rib tips - Barbeque Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

The service was great and greeted you when you entered. The food was good and the sauces had great flavor and spicy was truly spicy. The rib meat fell off the bone and the jalapeno poppers were flavorful. No complaints. Welcoming and Not fancy, but bbq shouldn't be. read more

Great service from Jaden! I love a place that splits your food onto two plates when they know you are sharing! Sandwich and fries were excellent! Great sauce too! read more

This place effing rocks. I was in town (visiting from KS) and am somewhat of a KC BBQ elitist, so I had hesitated coming in. Pop's has earned my respect. Had the bbq Cuban and practically inhaled it. The blackberry habanero sauce is a must try. The host was super charismatic and I am upset at myself for waiting until the end of my trip to come in. Customers ranged from college kids, to business men, to small families, so they are equipped for a wide variety of audiences. A must try while in Iowa City. read more

While driving through Iowa I jumped on Yelp to find a BBQ place not far from the highway. Pop's popped up so we decided to give it a try. They had several things to pick from on the menu. I settled on the pulled pork, potato salad and baked beans. My husband had the beef brisket and these amazing jalapeño poppers. OMG all I can say is I wish we had one of these in Indiana. The food was absolutely delicious and the Customer Service was extremely good. The only bad part is after eating we had to get back in the car and drive 6 hours. With food that good you need a nap! read more

See all

We happened into Pop's for lunch after a whirlwind of failed other suggestions and being added to a waitlist elsewhere. We actually strolled past last weekend on our way to Linn Street Dive so when my dad said he'd spotted it on his way to meet us this afternoon, it was a no brainer. Walking in the door, we were greeted with a delicious smoke scent. Always a good sign. Our stomachs got the best of us and we split several items for the table. For mains: full rack of ribs, half a chicken, and a pulled pork sandwich. The ribs were ridiculously tender and slid off the bone. The pulled pork was also very food, but I was a little put off by the buttered and toasted bun. My least fave was the chicken. It was a little lacking in flavor, but otherwise cooked well. For sides: two cornbread, two herb garlic fries, and fried pickles. The cornbread was sweet and moist and way softer than you'd expect. The fries were oily and not super flavorful. The pickles were easily the table favorite - spears are the best type of fried pickles. Between the three of us, we tried all six of their sauce offerings. The blackberry habanero wasn't spicy at all, but the spicy and extra spicy were kickin'. The root beer was definitely different but I enjoyed it. The dining area was empty when we arrived, but there were several to go customers while we ate. The waitress was helpful, attentive, and very friendly. The restaurant is cozy and clean. I really liked the booths and the decor. My dad and fiancé particularly liked the bikes over the bathrooms. We were all surprised they weren't busier. We'd definitely visit again and since I've now read the other Yelp reviews, I'll be trying that tenderloin and some sweet potato fries. read more

See all

look at the so called one pond Rib tips. Is it shortchanging? No forks and napkins for takeout and prolonged wait time. Disappointed. read more

Pop's Bar-B-Que - look at the so called one pond Rib tips. Is it shortchanging? - Barbeque Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

See all

Omg if I could give them a thousand stars I would . Lol the chefs know how to do they jobbb and the cashier is very nice and helpful read more

Good stuff!! Be like me and get creative with the menu. Mama ribs, brisket poppers, jalapeño corn and funnel cake. Just do it

I ordered from Chomp last night. They only had a few things left on the menu, including Rib Tips. These rib tips. In the photo. These five rib tips. "You are kidding me," you say. "Just five, getting ready to close, just throw them in the container, he's probably too wasted to care, rib tips?" Those rib tips. Now, I will tell you a secret. Most small businesses use a company to handle their social media. So, most likely, this review will be read by a 22 year old in Austin, TX (love Austin, BTW) who, pretending to be Dear Old Pops, will say sorry, and we'll try better next time. Doesn't matter; bye-bye Pops! read more

Pop's Bar-B-Que - Barbeque Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

This place is f***ing fantastic. Really high quality food. I got the pulled pork sandwich with extra meat. Highly recommend extra meat. They give you a lot and it's really good. This place really is Iowa city's best. Come hungry and come often. read more

10/25/20: I ordered 2 chicken sandwiches- $7 per sandwich and Brussels sprouts- $5. I chose the blackberry habanero sauce, which is the hottest sauce I think, and the sandwiches were delicious. This is my GO TO order. The Brussels sprouts were over cooked, burnt and salty. I probably will try them again in a couple months, once the burnt taste leaves my mouth. read more

Pop's Bar-B-Que - Chicken sandwiches- $7x 2= $14 + Brussels sprouts- $5 - Barbeque Near Me - Iowa City, Iowa

Amazing best BBQ in Iowa City. I will never eat at any other BBQ restaurant while in Iowa City!

Such a fun place. The people were really nice and got our food out so quickly. They always asked if we needed refills and were so great. It's a tiny place but I loved the atmosphere! read more