The Early Word on 24-Hour Pop Diner in Uptown

The hype hasn't settled down yet at Pop Diner, the West Village's new round-the-clock comfort food dispensary that opened one month ago. The 24-hour diner owned by Detroit native Nik Gjonaj received early praise for its approachable late night concept, although its Michigan-style chili and pop art interior has left some locals scratching their heads. Here's the early word on Pop Diner:

The Good News: On Foursquare, a customer raves: "I am floored by the awesomeness this building owns. Karaoke!? Like. 24 hours? Love. Chicago owners with Chicago accents? Score." [Foursquare]

The Great News: An Urbanspoon reviewer is a big fan: "Food is very good, service is first class. This is a true uptown neighborhood gem. I didn't even expect the vibrant bar scene but boy did I welcome it. Totally fit for foodies, great for brunch, and a notable bar menu." [Urbanspoon]

The Bad News: A Yelper isn't satisfied: "It's a diner. Not a very good one either. Coney Burger (chili burger to the rest of us) was bland and the patties dry. Fries were limp. Not sure why so many people work here, they all seem to be doing busy-work for the most part. Oh well, can't wait to see what replaces them next time." [Yelp]

The Chili News: CraveDFW examines the bowl of red: "The chili is a bit confusing to the Texas palate. It looks very much like our bowl of red, and extremely meaty. But that texture of the gravy takes you on a scenic route through Motor City. This is not a negative in any way." [CraveDFW]

The Atmosphere News: DFW.com offers a suggestion: "The 80s theme -- Billie Jean and Take My Breath Away on the sound system and posters of Madonna and Prince on the walls -- is kind of gimmicky fun though it would be way cooler if they used at least one of the giant screen TVs to show old music videos instead of whatever game happens to be on at the time." [DFW.com]

The Service News: A Foursquare user notes: "Don't have experienced staff. Not a great dinning experience." An Urbanspoon user describes the visit: "Waiter did not write down our order which seems to be a bad trend in Dallas. Most of the order was incorrect. Took a long time for correct orders to arrive. Waiter tried to argue with us about who ordered what. They were out of the soup we ordered so the waiter brought something different w/o asking first." [Foursquare/Urbanspoon]

The Beverage News: On Yelp, a reviewer talks about the drinks: "They've got a full bar but haven't bothered creating a bar menu with specialty cocktails. The beer selection was crummy - Dos Equis, Shiner, Blue Moon & one other I hadn't heard of. Intrigued, I asked about the mysterious fourth tap. The waiter told me the name of it. I asked what kind of beer is was, and he said it was from Detroit. I googled it, and found it was a Miller Coors attempt to pass off as a microbrew." [Yelp]

The Burger News: A Yelper was less than impressed by the burger: "I orderded the Mushroom Swiss Burger and the mushrooms were canned mushrooms. I mean really? The burger was actually cooked decently, I just would hope with the prices they are charging they would put a little more effort out and not skimp." Another reviewer takes issue only with the lack of fries: "What diner doesn't serve fries with a burger ( burger was tasty but again NO fries) ?????" [Yelp]

The Filling a Niche News: A Foursquare user proclaims: "24 hour diner with full bar in uptown? And a DJ spinning 80s jams on the weekends? Yeah, this is awesome." Meanwhile, a Facebook fan says, "Came into pop diner this weekend. We are thrilled to have you. Moved from michigan two years and have gone without a naani since. Really enjoyed the food, decor, pumped to have something like this in dallas finally!" [Foursquare/Facebook]

— Ashley Mason

· Pop Diner [Official Website]
· All Pop Diner Coverage [-EDFW-]