We stopped in at Pops Diner and ordered a spread that really showed off their menu. The chicken wings--both BBQ and mild--were crispy, flavorful, and absolutely delicious. The cheeseburger was cooked well, juicy, and satisfying, paired perfectly with the sweet potato fries that had just the right crunch. Classic fries were golden and crispy, while the onion rings were thick, well-battered, and tasty. Service was another highlight: our server was friendly, polite, and attentive throughout the meal. The only drawback was the automatic 20% gratuity added for our party of five, which felt a bit unexpected. The atmosphere brought an old-time diner feel, with a nostalgic charm that made the experience memorable. Overall, Pops Diner delivered on food quality and service, with just one small caveat on the gratuity policy. read more

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We were surprised by our level of disappointed with this establishment. The ambiance was a cool 50's diner and the service staff was delightful. The food...it was all somewhere between meh and awful except for the potato salad; it was all grossly overpriced. I had $28.50 crab cakes that came out burnt. So sad. My husband had $27 grilled shrimp, and his fries had so much pepper they were barely edible. Our meal with tip came to over $70. Food comes in a plastic basket, drinks come in styrofoam. Nowhere on earth was this a $70 experience. Don't tell me "oh it's all that pricey at the coast. Nonsense. For comparison, we ate at SeaWitch and had perfectly cooked mahi sandwich and a rocking angus burger with sides for $45 and we look forward to going there again. POP's is a deep fryer restaurant - if you like almost everything plunged into a deep fryer, this might be the place for you. We wanted to like it because the ambiance was fun, but it's a solid nope for us. It gets two stars for the darling staff. That's the only thing that saved it from a one start review read more

Adorable place right near the boardwalk in Carolina Beach! It was after 1:00 when we got there so we're not too hungry and shared a half basket of fries (more than enough for two) and I had grilled cheese (3 cheeses) and bacon and Hubby had a single burger. Both very delicious. Only complaint was way too much ice in my cherry coke and we did not have enough room to have dessert. Also, not open for breakfast so no eggs on the menu. Told Hubby this is a 50's diner and not a Jersey Diner so no all day breakfast read more

Pop's Diner - Grilled cheese and basket of fries - American Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

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Where to start with this restaurant? First off, the location is in a great spot and the interior took me back to the early days of diners. I loved it. We were seated very quickly and Angela was very friendly and attentive to us. It was 4 of us, so we ended up sharing a few things just because everything sounded good and we couldn't make up our minds. We started with wings and they were good, just on the smaller side; if they were just bigger, it would be perfect. We also got the mac and cheese bites and they were a hit; not a single one survived. As for our main meal, we got a Philly cheesesteak, a chicken Philly cheesesteak, and a blackened chicken sandwich. Now the reason I put them all together is because they all tasted great, good flavor and everything, but their downfall was the bread; if they would have toasted the bread on them, it would be one of the best Philly in the area. And now for the Cuban sandwich, it was built right and the bread was toasted on a ciabatta bread that was just right, but they used their BBQ pulled pork for the pork, which is what it should be, but not with the BBQ flavor. Other than that, it would have been a great sandwich. Overall, the meal had potential, but a few tweaks could elevate it to the next level. I would definitely return to try more items from the menu, especially if they improve the bread situation. The atmosphere was lively, making it a perfect spot for a casual night out with friends. I left feeling satisfied but also curious about what else they might offer that could surprise me. read more

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I was excited to hear about Pop Steiner. It's located on the main strip in Carolina Beach. It looked like an old school 50 diners from the outside. When you walk inside, they had nice comfy booths and there seem to be a lot of room. It's not what you think from the outside thinking that it's going to be tight. I brought my youngest with me at the time and we ordered some burgers, a milkshake and sweet tea. The food was average. It wasn't anything to write home about. I was kind of disappointed thinking that I found maybe one of the old school type diners that you would find up north. But it was suitable for where it was. It is at the beach frankly so I shouldn't expect anything more or less lol. It is decorated as if it's a 50s diner they didn't have the typical things you'd be used to like the music and all that good stuff the waitress was nice. The staff was nice. The people that were local eating. There were nice. My little one ironically, did not even like the milkshake which I found to be really ironic! But it could've been his mood more so than the taste! The burgers I don't know I've had better, but it was edible lol read more

Pop's Diner - Shake - American Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

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My mom and I had a great time at Pop's Diner! Fun setting inside with great food and service. Angela was our server and she was delightful. I had their bang bang shrimp tacos and shrimp bisque; both were fantastic! Looking forward to returning here soon! read more

Pop's Diner - Bang bang shrimp tacos - American Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Pop's Diner was a highlight of my trip to Carolina Beach. The restaurant just has street parking and not a dedicated lot. I could walk from my nearby hoteI so that made it easier. When I saw there was a diner in Carolina Beach I needed I couldn't pass that up. Pop's Diner has a 50s decor. Service was friendly and I was given plenty of time to look through the large menu. I was planning to go with a burger but ended up with the flounder basket. I was expecting it to be similar to fish and chips but it was more like chicken tenders (but with flounder) The portion was very generous as I though I had one more piece and found three more at the bottom of the basket. A sauce was provided but I preferred the fish without the sauce. I had the sweet potato fries and corn on the cob too. The sweet potato fries were not a favorite but the corn was delicious. The hush puppies were also included. I did not have room for dessert so that will need to wait for another trip. :-) read more

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I love diners and there vibes and this one was great for the vibes, was able to take a party of 10 without reservation pretty easily. I ordered the scrimp BLT with spicy mayo on the side and the spicy mayo had hair in it so I asked for a new one and she walked to the back and then came back out and handed me the same bowl with the same hair in it like I wouldn't notice. I lost my appetite after that so I couldn't even try the sandwich read more

Pop's Diner - Spicey mayo - American Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

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We'll start with the rude waitress...throwing hand motions to hurry up while one guy in our party was trying to figure out what he wanted. It took forever to get our food. My daughter asked for no mayo on her club sandwich. It came out with mayo so she sent it back. Came back out with all the lettuce, tomato and most of the turkey gone with new top bun. So they basically raked off anything that had mayo and stuck a new top bun on it without replacing anything that got raked into the trash. It went back again to replace missing toppings and turkey as we were told by the rude waitress it is the owner in the kitchen that did it. Everyone in our party was well over half way finished eating by the time another person in our crew ever got his food. The bill was wrong and had to be redone as we were charged for items that were supposed to be included per the descriptions on the menu. To beat it all, I was forced into a 20% tip because of our party size even though the food was mediocre at best and service was awful. We are locals that live just over the bridge and I can assure you that it will be our last time patronizing this local business and/or recommending it to the folks that visit us. read more

Love this retro diner and its diner food. This is where you come for comfort food. It's like you're transported back in time or you feel like you're in an episode of Riverdale when you sit in the dining area. We tried the sweet potato fries, fry dip sandwich, grilled cheese sandwich, chili, chicken and pastry, and corn chowder. Everything was overall good, but my favorites were the fry dip and chicken and pastry. The sweet potato fries were seasoned with cinnamon and sugar so it was like a dessert. They were fried just a little bit too long. Fry dip- you really can't beat the combination of french fries with shredded tender beef and cheese in a sandwich. And then top it off with a salty au jus. Heaven! The grilled cheese sandwich was big, on Texas toast, about 1.5 inches thick and 4.25 inches long. If I could change anything about it, it would be to add a little bit more cheese. But it was still filling and the buttered toast was delicious. The soups were served with oyster crackers. I could eat the chicken and pastry soup all day long. It hit the spot on the coldest day of the week. The chili was like any typical chili. The corn chowder was creamy and sweet from the corn. Our server was nice and checked on us throughout the meal. High chairs and kids menu are available. There is parking right in front of the restaurant. Parking rules are always changing, but currently for December 2023, it's free parking 5 PM and after. read more

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Food was delicious! We come here every time we come to the Carolina beach. Always wonderful and friendly service. We love the old diner feel and the vibe is always great! read more

Pop's Diner - My combo meal and my friends fried scrimp meal - American Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

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Loved this place! Classic American diner with great food and awesome service. The sweet potato fries are so good - but be prepared for the sugar and cinnamon! We had burgers, a Dip sandwich, and a BLT and ate every bite. They also have real Coke (a rare find in the Pepsi state of North Carolina. The place looks amazing - real diner booths, great classic artwork and diner signs, album covers and retro ads on all the walls. Might have been the best meal we had in our week at Carolina Beach. read more

The food is great and the service is also!! Love the relaxed environment!! Very friendly and welcoming staff!! Always a pleasant dining experience when we visit Carolina Beach!! read more

First time here. Ordered food to go. Was told they have one of the best burgers so that's what I went with. I ordered a cheeseburger with tomato, grilled onion and mustard and added a side of onion rings. The burger was SUPER dry. It had nice flavor but was so dry I couldn't enjoy it. Also the amount of mustard that was on it was insane! There was so much it was dripping off the burger so most of the bites I took tasted mainly like mustard. The bun wasn't toasted which is a must on burgers because otherwise you end up with a soggy bun that's falling apart. The onion rings were also over cooked and dried out. This meal was not enjoyable and I wouldn't order either of these items from here again. Service was fast and friendly. I might try again for dessert but not a place where I'd want to get a meal from. read more

Please... PLEASE add this diner to the list of places to eat. I ordered a shrimp BLT. Let's just say I had to take the other half home. The food is stick to your bones good grub. Shout out to Char and Caymenn... They are the real MVP's!!!!! read more

I come to Pops Diner every time I'm in Carolina Beach. The service is always friendly and accommodating even when they are super busy. The food is good every time I go. We got the Philly and the pork and hush puppies, so good. read more

Pop's Diner - American Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Location was excellent. Food was delicious. The menu was a little pricey but about what you would expect with inflated prices at the beach. Service was slow but there was only one waitress working at the time. Would recommend. read more

Let me start by saying the atmosphere is charming--there's a nostalgic 1950s vibe that transports you back in time. Unfortunately, what the place gains in ambiance is quickly lost in nearly every other aspect. We visited late at night after walking the boardwalk, intrigued by the positive reviews and the retro diner appeal. The service started off rocky. Our server seemed overwhelmed and frazzled, despite the restaurant being far from busy. She didn't appear to know the menu well, and though we watched her write everything down, our order still came out wrong. We ordered a little bit of everything to get the full experience, and the total came to around $67, which would have been fine if the food and service matched the price. Unfortunately, they didn't. Two hot dogs with charged toppings never made it to the kitchen--even though we clearly saw her note them. No explanation was provided, and when we called afterward, we were simply told they were never put in and there was nothing they could do. We also ordered boom boom shrimp tacos with no slaw. Again, we saw her write it down, but they came out with slaw. This was chalked up to a "kitchen error," and while they did remake them, the damage was done. Most of the fried food was either overcooked to the point of being hard and dry or undercooked and greasy--no middle ground. Quality and execution were both seriously lacking. To top it all off, there's an automatic 10% gratuity on to-go orders. I generally have no problem tipping, but in this case, I don't believe the $5-6 added was warranted, especially when the server failed to enter items correctly and the food was subpar. After nearly 20 years in the restaurant industry and dining up and down the East Coast, I can honestly say this was one of the worst meals I've had. I won't be returning to Pop's Diner, and I don't recommend it to others looking for a reliable late-night spot. read more

This place is super cute and fun! Good music, good ambiance, clean. The servers were nice and tended us effectively. The food was good and not overpriced! I got the triple decker club and it came with two sandwiches with three layer bread and all the meats and veggies listed on it. A good amount of good food for a good price. Good frickles, pebble ice, my partner got a fry dip and it was good. read more

Pop's Diner - American Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

This is our first night here at the beach, Our great find is POP's Diner. Driving we had to maneuver to get in here buts worth the twisting and turning. The Diners parking is small, if you are not looking carefully you could pass it. Once inside you are graciously greeted and seated. The diner reminds me of the 50's but the food is definitely up to date, I love their Arnold Palmer Iced teas. This is a great excursion from the hot heat and 90° weather. read more

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Food was alright had a burger, chilli cheese fries and wings. Service was horrible, waited atleast 45 minutes to an hour for our food and our waiter "FORGOT" we were there. She did say she was sorry and that they had new staff in the kitchen. read more

Pop's Diner - American Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

The food was delicious we came late and got truly exceptional service ! Real old school food

Some of these reviews are very disappointing so just to clarify- For those complaining about the 20% gratuity, it is clearly listed on the menu and on the hostess stand, as well as the credit card charge. If you aren't planning on tipping 20% on a party or 5 or more why go out to eat? Parking has nothing to do with the restaurant-it is all owned by the town and the parking lot behind it is privately owned. This restaurant takes such pride in their food and their customer service. Those girls and boys work their tails off to provide the best service they can! I am an island local and can't believe the things some people say! So, definitely add pops to your to do list while in town! They now also have homemade soups as well as daily specials coming soon. Also, they have the cleanest restaurant and bathrooms on the island, unless a customer dumps their bathing suit out in the floor which is bound to happen, since we are on an island and all, and the servers are focused on superb customer service. read more

Pop's Diner - American Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

No way am I coming back. Took a really long time to take our order, took twice as long to get the food, and then it was wrong. With the amount of time it took it shouldn't have been wrong. Not only that, but we had to go up to the entrance to get our receipt & pay because they took forever to bring. When we got up there our waitress had a wad of food in her mouth. Please go on break for that. The food itself is fine, however, I personally don't like how much pepper is on the fries. read more

Loved this place! Classic American diner with great food and awesome service. The sweet potato fries are so good - but be prepared for the sugar and cinnamon! We had burgers, a Dip sandwich, and a BLT and ate every bite. They also have real Coke (a rare find in the Pepsi state of North Carolina. The place looks amazing - real diner booths, great classic artwork and diner signs, album covers and retro ads on all the walls. Might have been the best meal we had in our week at Carolina Beach. read more

Please find somewhere else to go. This place USED TO BE AWESOME, but now they just want to charge you out of the , well ya know, for nothing.....for someone who's eaten here for four years every week, I'll NEVER CONE AGAIN. The food is not the same as it was nor is the staff. Please go somewhere else to eat and enjoy your experience, bc you won't here read more

My friend and I got the footlong hot dog, Rueben, and a basket of onion rings to split. The hot dog was probably the best one I've ever eaten (and I LOVE hot dogs). The onion rings were also to die for. The waitress also brought us French fries to try. They had special seasoning on them and they were so delicious. we didn't care a lot for the Reuben, it was okay, but not the best one I've ever eaten. The waitress was so very friendly and very good at taking care of us. The rest was so cute!! 50s themed!! I will always eat here when I visit the beach. It was very affordable too. Probably my favorite place we ate the entire trip! read more

This is such a cute diner and it is open late. We were looking for something quick to eat and this place was open. The inside looks like an old style diner from the 1950s. The servers were super kind and had seated us right away. The food was great and not bad for something late a night. read more

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Wow. This is a must stop in Carolina Beach! Our waitress Tess was outstanding, super attentive, and sweet as pie. Where the ambience is lacking, she makes up for it and then some. We had the Boom Boom Shrimp Tacos, The Reuben, and The Supreme Brownie Sundae dessert and loved every single bite of it all!! read more

Visited this night time spot on the main strip in Carolina Beach. We ordered our food to-go which took approximately 25-minutes to cook(made to order). We were shorted a cheeseburger however, they fixed it promptly, and we ate our food at the house. The food was amazing. The servers were phenomenal with it being our first visit - they were very patient with me as I navigated through the menu. Still close to the heart of the boardwalk. read more

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My wife, and I, decided to give this restaurant a shot, and we could not be happier with our decision. We were greeted politely, and promptly seated. The nostalgic decor is great. Our waitress was just terrific. She shared her insight of the menu helping us make our choices. I got the double burger, shown in the picture. I could not believe that they also offered a triple, and even a quad. We were so happy, we went back today to try the seafood. We had the shrimp (scrimp on the menu), and the flounder baskets. So much food, and so very good. If you are looking for good atmosphere, great service, and outstanding food, this is a perfect place to try. read more

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I had so many hopes for this place. I took one bite of the food and left!! I ordered the steak and cheese Philly and my husband ordered the over seasoned chicken Philly. The only thing that was edible was the fries. Sug bread was beyond soggy and chicken Philly was just chicken tenders seasoned with too much seasoning. I am trying but I can't find too many googling things to say/. I paid the $30 ..well at least the trash can got it! BEWARE read more

Pop's Diner - American Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina

Absolutely delicious food! Amazing service! Great place to relax and listen to oldies after walking and shopping.

DELICIOUS! Cute little unassuming restaurant with incredible comfort food. Must order the fried options. It is the crispiest and most flavorful breading ever. The fried shrimp appetizer and hush puppies are a MUST-TRY! Best we've ever had! read more

Pop's Diner had an amazing and classic vibe that drew me in. The food was absolutely delicious, made quickly, and super hot & fresh. Our server was also very friendly and attentive to all of our needs/questions. read more

Love this place, never had a bad meal here. I don't care what you order the food is always good and cooked to perfection. Service is always on time and always attentive to all the guests that are sitting no matter where they are. Best burger around always happy when you're full of good food and great service, I highly recommend Pops Dinner and I forgot to mention the music that is always playing. Always leave a good tip because they deserve it. read more

Food was pretty pricey and not really worth it. Staff was nice though. It's right by the boardwalk so maybe that's why the price was so high but the quality of food could be better. The philly cheese steak wasn't that good and my cousin didn't even want to take it to go because it made her stomach hurt. The burgers were average. Food don't hit the spot sadly. read more

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WOW! So we ordered last year Togo and it was good.... But eating it in person, was EVEN BETTER!!! So delicious. Burger was perfect sized, cooked perfectly. The shrimp basket.... So good. The breading was soft enough that it didn't hurt to eat it but still super crunchy. Came at noon on a Wednesday and no wait. Will definitely come here again. read more

Food was great! I had the steak and cheese with load tater tot's and cherry coke to drink. All was delicious. True diner atmosphere, server was friendly, helpful, and made sure we left with a drink refill for the hot summer day. read more

Service was kind of slow the boom boom shrimp was bussin like fr i should of ordered 3 orders of that! The hush puppies were kinda dry not moist like i was expecting. The outside of the crab cakes looked burnt but they were good and meaty in the inside. read more

Pop's Diner - American Near Me - Carolina Beach, North Carolina