This past weekend, I had the luxury of stuffing myself to the gills.
It all started Friday evening with a trip into Philly with my boyfriend to see a newly formed Blake Schwarzenbach (Jawbreaker) band, forgetters. On the way down, we stopped at a Sonic. Now, after being taunted and teased by their commercials for YEARS without one nearby, they are slowly but surely starting to sprout up in surrounding areas. This particular Sonic is located in Bensalem, PA. Both my boyfriend and I went for the bacon cheeseburger on Texas toast, of course with a side of tots, and I washed it all down with a cherry slush. Sonic is delish, don’t get me wrong; this has now been my third trip. This was, however, the most painful trip. I had heartburn like you wouldn’t believe later that night. I definitely attribute it to the burger. But boy was it good!!
Now on to what this post is really about – The Pop Shop!
I first learned of this cheesy heaven from watching “Throwdown with Bobby Flay” on The Food Network. I’m used to watching those types of shows and not have any of the locations be nearby. This time, however, when I heard it was in Collingswood, a mere hour and a half from me, I knew visiting needed to happen. This past weekend was actually my second trip. My first trip was quite the experience on it’s own, but that’s a separate story in itself :o)
One of the greatest parts of this classic American diner-like restaurant is it’s set-up. It has the feel of an old 50’s diner, but re-vamped and up to date. You’re menu will come to you on a newspaper, which makes you really feel at home. They serve everything from super-stuffed omelettes and French toast sandwiches to regular sandwiches, salads, soups, and of course the whole reason for my trip – grilled cheese.
Now, this isn’t your every day grilled cheese. Sure, you can get it on multiple types of bread, and even different type of cheese. But that’s just the beginning. They have everything from chicken or turkey or roast beef to sliced apples or jalapeños. Serve it up with one of their many different French fry choices and wash it down with a milkshake… heaven.
As I do before all food trips, I began perusing the menu online mid-week. By Saturday morning, I had narrowed it down to two options; the “Frazer” or the “Calvert.” The “Frazer” was a gigantour of a sandwich stuffed with jack cheese, chicken breast, chipotle mayo, and a spicy jalapeño and onion mix on sourdough. 
The second, named “Calvert” was equally intimidating and included jack cheese, bacon, roasted turkey, avocado, and house dressing on a foccacia. Just to note, they named all of their grilled cheese sandwiches after streets in Collingswood, NJ. After much debate, I decided to go with the Frazer, as the mention of jalapeños sucked me in (as they always do).
Next on my to-do list was my French fry selection. I opted for the “Collingswood fries”
which were seasoned with Old Bay and topped with melted cheddar cheese and bacon. There really aren’t even words for them. Just take a gander at this picture, and I think you’ll understand.
I washed my delicious lunch down with a fountain soda; diet coke mixed with cherry and vanilla syrup. My boyfriend, on the other hand, got that milkshake – oreo cheesecake!
Needless to say, I was full for the rest of the day. Grilled cheese is a truly phenomenal meal – you can keep it simple, or turn it into something gourmet and even truly eccentric. I am definitely looking forward to spicing up my own grilled cheese concoctions in the kitchen in the near future. More importantly, however, I’m anxiously anticipating my next trip to The Pop Shop!
Foodosaurus Rex 