Poplar South Deli and Grille

Two updates posted, see below
Florence, Alabama - When we heard there was a new deli and grille opening downtown we had our hopes up that finally someone would open a great little sandwich shop with artesian style sandwiches.  We always give a new restaurant some time to hit their stride before going and sampling their offerings and this time was no different since they have been open for a couple weeks.

We decided to visit them at lunch time and check out their menu, one of the first things you’ll notice about Poplar South is that they are located in a small building that has housed several other restaurants in the past.  The building has been refurbished both inside and out and has a very nice “Curb Appeal.” The day we visited parking was tight in front of the building and we parked across the street.  Our first impression was “Wow, this place is busy”, however, when we went inside there were only two customers present.  So, when you visit don’t be fooled by all the cars parked outside and be scared away, because there are other businesses located nearby that utilize the same parking area.

Once inside we were greeted by the young lady behind the counter and told to take our time deciding on what we wanted to order.  I chose the Angus Burger, fries and iced tea, while my wife ordered the Castle Club with a Diet Coke.

The young lady told us she would bring our cups of ice to the table and we thought it strange since the cups were sitting on the counter and we were standing in front of them.  We went ahead and got seated and then when we saw her go from behind the counter and into a storage room on the other side of the dining room and return with cups of ice for the previous customers we understood the process.  Their ice machine is not behind the counter and is inconvenient for both the staff and the customers.  We waited patiently for our drink cups which were received after the next customer’s order had been taken.

$8.79 Cheeseburger

Our food was brought out by the same young lady at the cash register and while visual appealing it was sort of underwhelming in substance.  Sort of "all show and no go" so to speak.  My Angus Burger which on the menu is advertised as “over ¼ pound”, which is a fancy way of saying a five ounce patty, was on the thin side and served on a rather nondescript bun that was listed as being corn-meal dusted bun.  The meat patty reeked of so called “frozen premium meat patty” from US Food Service, these patties are heavily seasoned with various and sundry spices both dry and liquid injected.  Whether it was 100% Angus, Hereford or just a run of the mill cow I couldn't tell you because only the company that ground it knows for sure. 

The order of fries which was priced extra were the cheap crinkle cut fries that are the staple of a lot of restaurants, but I was again hoping for something a little more upscale.  For a two dollar order of fries I kind of had hoped for freshly fried real potatoes, but alas, no winner this time.

My wife’s sandwich which again was visually appealing but also lacked substance one you tasted it.  It

$8.95 Castle Club

was just your average food service deli styled ham and turkey that was only served with a pickle spear and it cost $8.95.

Now for some constructive criticism; If you are going to charge $7.99 for a burger, plus tack on another $.80 for a slice of cheese then by golly that burger should knock my socks off with eight (8) ounces of fresh ground beef, seasoned lightly with salt and pepper and smothered with a top shelf quality slice of cheese of my choice.  I’ve ordered and eaten $8.79 cheeseburgers before and I can tell you flat out this wasn't even in the same universe as those.  And, in most places I’ve dined, chips or fries were included in the price.  So there is lots of room for improvement in Poplar South’s burger offering. 

Having been in the restaurant business I know that food costs are very high and you have to make a profit which is totally acceptable to me, but if you charge premium prices, then deliver a premium product.  And, get some ice behind the counter so customers don’t have to wait to get their cups.

We might give Poplar South another try in the future, but with all of the food choices in Florence it may be awhile, because a mediocre $10.79 cheeseburger and fries is not an everyday event when there are places offering better values and better tasting burgers.  I do hope that Poplar South will get their act together and become a Florence success story.

UPDATE (08/22/2013)  

Poplar South posted this announcement on their Facebook Page, dated 08/21/2013:  NEW: We have been using your industry standard crinkle fries... Well, we are out of those and we're not going to replace them. We have started making our own, which is something we wanted to do from the start. Come check them out! 
This is a second step improvement  to success in The Brown Bag Review's opinion.


UPDATE (07/21/2013):  Poplar South just announced on their Facebook page that their sandwiches will now come with a choice of plain or BBQ Chips or crinkle fries.  This is a first step improvement to success in The Brown Bag Review's opinion.  

Poplar South

105 South Poplar St.

Florence, AL 35630

256.766.6197

Hours 10:30 – 6:00 Monday thru Friday

Credit Cards accepted

Please note:  The opinions expressed in this article are the honest opinion of the author who is responsible for the content of this blog.  When and if you visit an establishment we've reviewed your experience may be different and you may form a completely different opinion.  And as always “YMMV” (Your Mileage May Vary.)