Pop out to Pop Up Society for a sugar high
Pop Up Society restaurant and bar
Address: 132 Helen Joseph (Davenport) Road, Glenwood
Hours: 11am-10pm
Phone: 031 201 5566
POP Up Society is not, and probably never will be, a model of fine dining, so if you are going there hoping for a classy culinary experience, you are likely to be disappointed.
But, to be fair, they make no pretence at attracting the discerning diner. The décor is rough and ready, the menus are designed for the young at heart and the overall feel is simply functional.
Pop Up Society is, however, a place to make a beeline for if you want a sugar high. They offer some decadent delights that will appeal to a sweet tooth – as a steady stream of very happy teenagers and pre-teens will readily attest to.
When I arrived with the mother of my two teenage children, we were immediately aware that we pushed up the average age by a good few years. We were made to feel even older when we had to sheepishly skulk out on to the veranda because the indoor birthday party of teen girls was simply too loud for our ageing eardrums.
My beer (at a very reasonable R20) was slipping down nicely and I was beginning to hear the world again when we ordered.
The food menu is simple. There are some decent looking breakfast options and a range of café-style offerings, but both of us decided “gourmet burgers” were the best bet.
I opted for a Mary Kate & Ashley (which is somewhat ironic in view of the fact that American actress Mary Kate Olsen suffered from an eating disorder and I doubt burgers are on her menu). I thought R69 was very reasonable for a chicken burger with bacon, avo and a cheese sauce.
The mother opted for a Mighty Mikey (R89) – which had me wondering if there was some deep Freudian message about our marriage buried in the fact that I ordered a set of Olsen twins and she opted for what sounded like a strong lumberjack.
Her burger was a double delight of two patties, one ostrich and one beef, with biltong shavings, bacon and an egg, all topped with a mushroom sauce.
My Mary Kate & Ashley was as good as I hoped. The chicken was tender and perfectly offset by the bacon, avo and surprisingly tasty cheese sauce.
My wife was less impressed with Mikey: “It was nice enough, okay, but not great… although there was nothing really wrong with it.” That’s what you get for ordering a big, lumbering woodsman.
We were both less than impressed with the chips. A few more minutes in the oil would have improved the soggy offerings.
She went for a coffee, while I decided I couldn’t go to a place that is famous for its milkshakes without testing the Death by Chocolate (R55). Well, I nearly died and went to heaven – firstly because a kitchen snafu meant almost a 30-minute wait for my chocolatey extravagance (although the manager handled it very well and his sincere apology removed any trace of irritation), and then because that might just be the best milkshake I have ever had.
I now know why my hormone-driven teenager takes his dates to Pop Up Society – the milkshakes are enough to melt even the hardest heart.
Ratings (out of five) Food ★★★✩
Service ★★✩
Ambience ★★★