POP Nashville

After posting the review, pop owners put me in touch with the folks who presented the dinner. They have sinned opened 51^st Kitchen. Even though much time passed they stayed in touch on their own and offered us a tasting. The experience was lovely so I’m updating review based on this awesome service.

Had the tonkutsu soup… the broth was way too salty and the texture of thepork was so hard. Asked if they can make the dish spicy… yes…the waitress brought me a spicy sauce on the side which cost me $ 2!

We came for a Russian Pop up dinner with a young Russian chef. The price was right at $ 30 a person for the five course meal. I’m always a little wary of community seating, but we were lucky to be on the end and next to a delightful couple. The service was a little spotty and some of the courses were a little off the intended temperature. There was a lot if ferrying vodka around, so maybe they just didn’t correctly anticipate server demand. The space itself is bare — I guess it’s a blank canvas for different types of meals. We’ll give it another try for the regular ramen.

First off, this review is for «Toast and Jams» Breakfast and not otaku or any other offerings.
It was very quick to get seated which was nice. I was with my friend and her boyfriend. They explained that the items were «small plates» and they would be brought out as they were made. The «small plates» varied in price from 7 – 16 $. My friend got the Bacon Marmalade — which was bacon mixed with some kind of jam. The menu didn’t have a very good description of anything. I got the French Toast. and my friend’s BF got the Shakshuka.
We ordered, and waited and waited. Another party was seated next to us –after we ordered. They ordered and they were served food before us. Again, they were first seated at their table AFTER we ordered our food, and they were given their food BEFORE us.
My friend’s BF’s Shakshuka came out first. He completed it before we got our food. The remaining two plates came out at the same time.
Mine was completely and totally burnt through and through. After a few bites I waited for the waitress to come back for a coffee top up. I told her that mine was completely and totally burnt. She took it back and had it re-​made «expedited». Mine came back after a few minutes. Not as burnt but this time undercooked. A portion of the re-​make was still burnt. It seems as though the heat on the pan was too high, and they didn’t know how to make french toast properly.
I will never return here again. I didn’t even eat mine because the replacement was so undercooked the french toast was soggy and raw. A complete and total waste of my time and money. I did eat the berries that came with the french toast though.
My friend said that her bacon marmalade was really bad, and tasted off like it was rotten. And the blue cheese wasn’t good either. The biscuit that came with hers was audibly hard and it just looked inedible. Her BF’s dish was the most palatable but still seemed just thrown together.
We all agreed never to return here. Try it for yourself –don’t take my word for it, but I sure hope you don’t have a bad experience as I did. The photos speak for themselves!
Edit:
21÷4÷15 the owner of POP reached out and said that he spoke with the T & J owner and addressed the issues I highlighted in my review. He offered to make things right by inviting me and a friend to a return visit on the house. I sincerely appreciate this kind gesture. I will not take them up on it though. Again, don’t take my word for it –at least try it for yourself. I will not be returning. The business owner is attentive and I believe sincerely wants to do what is right. The mark of a good person.

Very unique experience. Staff was friendly and food was great. We will be returning. A little pricey but the ambiance made it worth the visit. Great music!

Had another wonderful meal with the Lick The Pot Supper Club.
Food was delicious, courses were ample, price was right!
I had two glasses of white wine that ran me $ 8.
The girls behind the cooking are just so nice, approachable, good cooks, and you know they love what they’re doing.
Ticket was $ 42.
I got to introduce many of my friends to Chrissy and Johan.
Everyone is so nice.
The place was sold out.
The music was good.
I so enjoy these dinners!
Ebi was kind enough to send me home, with a container of homemade candy.

We recently attended a chef’s dinner at Pop. I was pretty excited. The space is small and uncomfortable for dinner. (Stools for multi course meals?)
The drinks weren’t good and were expensive. The service was good.
The food that we had was good but expensive for what we were served.
I want to try the ramen and also the tacos and see if these more casual options are better experiences.

Went to brunch this past Sunday with some friends. It being a holiday weekend, they weren’t slammed like I expected. The service was great and the food was even better. I got the waffles (which is a random choice for me). I would eat those waffles for the rest of my life. Can’t wait to go back for dinner.

Gosh, I went in with super low expectations and boy did they blow it out of the water. Actual Brunch has 4 menu items. With this comes an attention to detail and a mastery of their menu. The Vegan People (I added an egg) was incredible. It has been a long time since I received a plate that pretty. Presentation was everything, except it wasn’t, it tasted on point as well. The plate had cashew butter, red pepper purée, mint oil, greens, fava beans, a hash brown cake, and an egg over easy on top. Egg and preparation were by my request. If you are a vegan, do not fret, the egg wasn’t necessary at all! The jelly to my peanut butter ordered the Super Classic French Omelet. So simple! It was eggs, herbs, truffle oil, and gruyère (maybe?) with a side of arugula salad lightly dressed. The truffle oil and cheese did not overpower the dish. It all worked in harmony. We washed down our meals with two blood orange mimosas.
Because this is a popup, the décor is minimal. You walk in and it’s a cement floor, with white naked walls, and wooden furniture with small vases of fresh flowers. One door is painted with a mural but it’s tucked in a hallway around the corner from the dining area. I almost wish POP would do a rotating exhibit of local art to dress the place up. If you have been to Steve’s it is unrecognizable within the new space. The clientele is hip and I had to laugh when we walked in and they were playing Washed Out’s theme song to Portlandia. Well played Actual Brunch!
We will definitely be back. I would like to try their Waffle and the Huevos Benedictos. To read the menu, click here:
I’m also super excited to see what else POP is going to offer. So far, so good guys!

have to admit that I did a little happy dance when I heard that the old location of Steve’s Restaurant & Bar on the corner of Gallatin and Eastland was being converted into a pop-​up restaurant space. I was even more excited when I heard that it was the brainchild of local ramen master Chef Sarah Gavigan. When POP opened not too long ago, I put it on my list of places to check out. We decided to go on a night when Chef Gavigan’s Otaku South was serving up some of their acclaimed ramen.
POP is a really simple, clean space that is chic in its absence of adornment. POP is amenable for pop-​up restaurants, events and even weddings, so it really needs to be a blank slate that can fit any event. It’s easy to imagine all the cool events you and your friends could host here! Large windows on both sides of the space let in large amounts of light and filled the room with a lovely orange magic hour glow. Since the space is fairly empty and devoid of soft surfaces it can get pretty loud, and since it’s not large, you sit very close to your neighbors.
Ordering is simple. You read the menu on the wall, you order and pay at the window, and you take your ticket number to your table and wait for your food to arrive. While this sounds simple, for some reason Steve and I either didn’t take our number or didn’t receive a number, so our order got a tad bit messed up. While mistakes happen, Otaku went above and beyond to make it right. The staff kept checking on our table, apologized, and even brought us some goodies on the house to make up for the wait. That kind of customer service is reason enough to go there.
To start we ordered a hakutsuru cold draft sake and a house-​made strawberry soda. The sake was filtered, but still had a mild sweetness about it. The strawberry soda had a really rich deep flavor, but thankfully did not taste like fake sugar. I wish all sodas tasted this fresh!
To start we ordered my favorites, steamed buns with pork belly. The pork inside was very rich and heavily loaded down with the most beautiful fat. It was served with pickled seaweed inside, which enhanced the richness of the meat. The bun itself was light and fluffy like a marshmallow, but without all the sugar. If you go here and don’t order this, you are a fool.
To make up for the food mishap the waiter brought us over a pickle plate to sample. There was a potato/​egg salad, pickled potatoes, carrots, spinach and mushrooms. The potato/​egg salad was fluffy and really light. I think I would be the hit at summer parties if I could figure out how to make this. All of the vegetables tasted heavily of vinegar, which is exactly what I expect from a pickle.
Since I have eaten at Otaku South a bunch of times (read about it here), I figured I was overdue for ordering something that wasn’t their tonkotsu ramen. I chose the spicy kimchi squid rice bowl with radish and pickled ginger. The squid was nicely cooked and didn’t get chewy, but I was disappointed there were only rings and no tentacles. I LOVE TENTACLES– MORE PLEASE. The kimchi had really good flavor, but just wasn’t as spicy as I was hoping for. I like hot stuff that makes me tear up a tad bit. The fresh scallions and greens on top were a nice touch, opening up the dish.
Steve went for my favorite and ordered the tonkotsu ramen, which is made with pork broth and pork shoulder. The best part of this dish is the broth, which is very thick and tastes like pig heaven. You can taste the skill and the hours of hard work in this broth. The shoulder was nice and tender, but it’s always that golden egg that steals my heart. Otaku South’s ramen is always really impressive, hands-​down.
As another thank you from the restaurant, they brought us out some Lotus Root Chips that tasted like they were fresh out of the oil. Super thinly sliced, crisp, and seasoned like seaweed, I was surprised by how much this little bowl of «chips» impressed me.
I already knew that I love Otaku South (hence why I keep going back– and I’ll be there more often now that they have a consistent spot in my neighborhood), but I was really impressed with the whole concept of a permanent, well appointed pop-​up space. I love the idea of getting to try new food all the time from a rotating cast of chefs! You’d better believe I’ll be looking at the POP calendar for upcoming events!

Popup dinners are all the rage, and POP Nashville is a great space for just such a thing. I had the privilege of attending a dinner here recently and was very impressed with the whole setup. It’s off in East Nashville, and admittedly I drove right by it because its in a small strip mall on the top floor… with brightly colored lines leading you to the entrance (nice touch!). The inside is very simple… white walls, wooden tables and chairs, some art here and there but not much. I would be very easily decorated to whatever the event would require. It’s small, simple, but perfectly set up for a large dinner. The staff we had were wonderful, and the food delicious. I would happily come to this space again for any popup meal offered.

What a clean modern white space with colorful graffiti art that smacks of Japanamation! So cool … As much as I love barn wood, we have a lot if that décor in Nashville. The décor is only to be outdone by the delicious Otaku South ramen… And appetizers … And sake. But in all seriousness, it’s nice to have a bowl of ramen that doesn’t rely on salt as the main seasoning, but rather days of boiling the bones to get a rich, savory stock. For me, that makes the difference between this ramen place and any other Nashville ramen place. (PS … They have vegetarian ramen and gluten free noodles!) And when Otaku South isn’t serving ramen, Pop (the space) will be hosting other pop up restaurants and events… So, cheers to some delicious variety coming to Nashville!