I see the discrete (not discreet) merits of Pop's, especially since it serves the good people of Menomonee Falls. p.s. the way to remember how to spell "Menomonee" is to say, "me no monee foh this wonderful custahd", in an Asian accent, and then trick people into buying custard for you. No, you're stupid.
Location: 3 out of 5
Not somewhere I would drive to from Milwaukee proper just to get my custard and burger fix, but since I was half coerced into doing some type of Aquathon out at Memonomee Park in late August, Pop's wasn't too far away. It's in the same parking complex as a diving shop, a bar, and maybe another restaurant, so parking is free and ample. They have a cute outdoor seating area as well.
Decor/Ambiance: 3.5 out of 5
America, woo hoo! I like the patriotic theme that they had going on during our visit. You know those little spinning decorations that move with the air circulation that you can hang from the ceiling? Yep, they had those. The interior itself is comprised of not so comfortable wooden seats and laquered tables/benches - for those of you with flat booties it may be beneficial to bring along some type of seat cushion if you're going to be there for awhile. (I live for the) ApplauseX2 for the small collection of reading materials and children's toys in the front corner, almost library style.
Customer Service: 3.75 out of 5
For being towards the end of the night (I rolled in at around 8:45), all of the workers seemed to be in pretty decent spirits. The gals working the cash registers were friendly in taking our orders, and were polite when asking if I needed extra condiments for my burger. They weren't as in a rush as say, the people that work at any of the Kopp's locations, so I didn't feel like they were trying to herd me in and out ASAP. I'm not such a stickler when it comes to "dirty" looking clothes; working in a custard shop, you have to expect to get some splashback/grease/toppings on you once in awhile, and black shirts tend to hide that well.
Selection of Grill Menu Items: 4.5 out of 5
A vast selection when you compare them to a place like Gille's or Kopp's. Sure, they had what you might expect: burgers, hot dogs, chicken sandwich, fish sandwich, fries, o-rings, cheese curds, etc. What they do offer that sets them apart are quasi specialty sandwiches: a giant grilled cheese, pulled pork, pizza burger, pork chop, etc.
Taste/Quality of Butter Burger + Cheese and Bacon: 3 out of 5
Ever so slightly below what I have come to expect given my experiences at Kopp's. This is not a knock or an insult, and perhaps my view is based on the fact that I'm a pretty standard person when it comes to ordering: My "go to" is a bacon cheeseburger with whatever toppings are free (expect to pay a bit for lettuce and tomato here, but onions are free), and I opted for the butter burger on the night of my visit. The meat itself wasn't overly greasy, which can be good or bad depending on what your lifestyle is. For example, those familiar with Portillo's will attest that the meat there is VERY "flavorful". The bacon, while tasty, was nothing special. With the way they cut up the strips into halves, it reminded me of what I might find at Burger King. The one thing I remember the most as being a little off was the bread to meat ratio of my burger. While I have no complaints about the size of the meat patty, the size of the bun was slightly overwhelming. However, I imagine that on the double burger, it'd be perfect. Six up, half a dozen down, right? The butter part of the burger was nicely done - the top half of my bun wasn't saturated or swimming in tasty fat, but it was obvious that well, there was butter.
Taste/Quality of "plain" Vanilla Custard: 4.5 out of 5
Yeeeeeeeboy, that's some tasty custard. My theory on custard is pretty simple - if they can make the base right (either chocolate or vanilla), they can make any variants well. And this folks - was very very good custard. In my opinion, and mine only - probably a little better than Kopp's. Creamy, rich, sweet, cold (but not brain freeze cold), decadent. All of the above.
Value: 4 out of 5
If you happen to have no money (remember, "Me no monee"), you won't be eating here. But, if you have a little bit of cash (and they take credit too, even though the sign on the wall says "We accept cash"), you can eat pretty well. Expect to pay around 10$ a person, which if you do it right, can get you "one scoop" (it's really like 2.5 scoops) of custard, a burger, and probably some fries too.
Overall: 4 out of 5
Cute place, delicious custard, extensive menu. Will return if I'm in the area. read more