Pop's Beef - Now in Lyons

Pop's Italian Beef and Sausage
8001 Ogden Ave, Lyons

I had spotted the new Lyons location about a week ago and it appeared that they were about to open. Well I wasn't far off as the soft opening was on Tuesday and Wednesday was their grand opening. Stopping by there were loaded for bear. Perhaps 20 employees behind the counter and a gent waiting for customers in the drive-thru to take their orders via a headset radio (ala: Portillo's).



In the middle of the afternoon the place was quiet. A few customers seated, eating and no one in line so I was able to order right away.

Having visited the Homewood location several times the menu was familiar including the 10 soups of the day.



My order taken and it being generally slow I learned that several of the employees were from the Homewood location for the startup.

Ordered a Combo with sweet and a bowl of Beef Barley. Took only a few minutes for my order to be prepared.



The soup was hot, rich and flavorful. Didn't exactly have the taste of homemade but it was pretty good. The combo seemed a little short in length but it was well filled.



Good beefy flavor with the gravy (on the order of Mr Beef) but the beef flavor was just a touch weak. Perhaps the gravy need a little while to simmer down. The beef was sliced thin and tasted very fresh with just a hint of pink. The sausage was soft (like it had been soaking in the gravy) with some grill marks. Not a real strong flavor and not much spiciness. The bread was about half soaked (I didn't specify wet or dry). The sweet peppers had a good pepper flavor and were soft as well.

I would have to say that Brando's might have the edge for the moment but we will see how things develop as they are past the opening stage and things simmer down and break in.

Couldn't resist doing a taste comparison between the new Pop's and Berwyn's Brando's.

Brando's does have the edge.



A gravy with more spice and a bit of heat. Also a much better sausage and the sweet peppers had more body.

A nod would have to go to Pop's for having a touch more beef on the combo.

Brando's Beef
6838 Windsor Ave, Berwyn

I tried a Pop's beef (wet, with their hot mix) in Lyons a couple weeks ago for the first time and was blown away...I thought it was awesome. Went again this weekend and it wasn't as good this time - less bite to the gravy.

I really enjoy their hot mix - an interesting alternative, though it's hardly spicy at all. I'm sure I'll try one more time before writing it off.

edwardbass wrote:I tried a Pop's beef (wet, with their hot mix) in Lyons a couple weeks ago for the first time and was blown away...I thought it was awesome. Went again this weekend and it wasn't as good this time - less bite to the gravy.

I really enjoy their hot mix - an interesting alternative, though it's hardly spicy at all. I'm sure I'll try one more time before writing it off.

Time to write it off. I tried a beef with hot last night. There wasn't much taste except for the very mild hot mix which was mostly jalapenos and celery. I pulled some of the stray beef off to see if it had any flavor - dissapointed.

I did have the beef barley soup. It was decent. clearly, not homemade. It was the highlight of the meal.

My son (10yo) and I made a somewhat special trip to Pops. (He is a fan of Check Please and this web site.) Being there are a dozen or alternative between La Grange and Lyons. Probably not worth the trip. It seems to me that Pops is trying to be Portillos. But the burger and Itl. beef we had were not worth the extra milage. I like Portillos and Bueno Beef much better. Even the franchized Al's Beef in countryside was better. In case you dont know the franchized Al's are a step or two below the original.
I liked the idea of all the soups at Pops, but will have to wait to winter to sample them. Soup is a seasonal food to me.
Probably only a place to go when really hungry, in the area, and not willing to drive any further.

lhbeetle wrote:My son (10yo) and I made a somewhat special trip to Pops. (He is a fan of Check Please and this web site.) Being there are a dozen or alternative between La Grange and Lyons. Probably not worth the trip. It seems to me that Pops is trying to be Portillos. But the burger and Itl. beef we had were not worth the extra milage. I like Portillos and Bueno Beef much better. Even the franchized Al's Beef in countryside was better. In case you dont know the franchized Al's are a step or two below the original.
I liked the idea of all the soups at Pops, but will have to wait to winter to sample them. Soup is a seasonal food to me.
Probably only a place to go when really hungry, in the area, and not willing to drive any further.

I love that your son is into LTH AND baseball!!! A well-rounded young man to be sure

Quick data point -

I'm a fan of Luke / Torre's beef. I don't know if the owners are the same, but I like the location on Rand Rd in palatine or arlington heights, and I like the one on western / diversey / elston. The beef is not oversalted, and does not become a salt bomb when hot giardiniera is added. That being said, I tried the Pop's on Ogden today, for the free gyros. Got a "baby beef" with hot giardiniera as a fallback in case the gyros was horrible. I really liked this beef. A LOT. The beef was shaved extra thin, not oversalted, and the alternative style giardiniera was pretty flamin today. The giardiniera is basically ithin sliced fresh jalapeno strips, and celery with a little dressing. The heat level will assuredly vary from time to time. Today's batch was not blow your top off hot, but it had a really decent kick. For those folks who kinda dig Luke / Tore's or Tore's, you might dig on this joint. I know when I throw Tore's out there whenever a "best beef" question pops up, there are a few who really like it, and others who say it's just ok. Those who really like it might dig on Pop's, although Pop's giardiniera might not always be flamin hot since it appears they just slice up some peppers and make their own.

As for the free gyros, it was worth it.
It was the really salty, meaty, rugged, version - for those who know their gyros meat.

Pop's Italian Beef & Sausage, which has more than a dozen outlets in the southern suburbs, as well as one in the city limits at 10337 S. Kedzie Ave. in Mount Greenwood, has committed to move into Old Town. Pop's already has a sign up at 157 W. North Ave. in the building formerly occupied by My Fit Foods. It expects to open by mid-August.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017052 ... north-side

Dave148 wrote:

Pop's Italian Beef & Sausage, which has more than a dozen outlets in the southern suburbs, as well as one in the city limits at 10337 S. Kedzie Ave. in Mount Greenwood, has committed to move into Old Town. Pop's already has a sign up at 157 W. North Ave. in the building formerly occupied by My Fit Foods. It expects to open by mid-August.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017052 ... north-side

Another italian beef stand opening at an address previously hosting a "good-for-you" salad | vegetarian | vegan shop [c.v.: the Al's Beef @ 1300 N. Milwaukee].
I love it.

One Day Only May 22nd

Celebrate $2.99 Beef Day with Pop's! 6" Italian Beef on Wednesday, May 22nd

We are celebrating National Beef Day, with this special offer for our customers. Limit 2.

Artie wrote::D One Day Only May 22nd

Celebrate $2.99 Beef Day with Pop's! 6" Italian Beef on Wednesday, May 22nd

We are celebrating National Beef Day, with this special offer for our customers. Limit 2.

Also half price at all Buona Beef locations on Saturday, May 25th

Dave148 wrote:

Pop's Italian Beef & Sausage, which has more than a dozen outlets in the southern suburbs, as well as one in the city limits at 10337 S. Kedzie Ave. in Mount Greenwood, has committed to move into Old Town. Pop's already has a sign up at 157 W. North Ave. in the building formerly occupied by My Fit Foods. It expects to open by mid-August.

https://www.dnainfo.com/chicago/2017052 ... north-side

Well that is good news, hasn't been a beef/hot dog place in Old Town since Terry's closed!

Pops lasted in Old Town about 6 months. There was a sign on their door they had a disagreement with their landlord that they would re-open in a few days. A few days later, there was an eviction notice on the door. A yelper got to the bottom of it, apparently the dispute was about paying rent. It was a nice looking restaurant. They tore the building down recently.

Artie wrote::D One Day Only May 22nd

Celebrate $2.99 Beef Day with Pop's! 6" Italian Beef on Wednesday, May 22nd

We are celebrating National Beef Day, with this special offer for our customers. Limit 2.

... and it was good!


What’s up with the receipt though...

Ha, that's funny! Runza is a fast food chain in Nebraska that serves a local specialty called a runza that has it's origins in Eastern Europe. Also known as a bierock - it's a yeast dough bread pocket usually with beef, cabbage, onions, and other spices. I guess Pop's got some of their receipt paper rolls and decided (strangely) to use them. Very weird.

... and what’s up with this from Portillo’s...

... a reminder, this offer is only available from and valid at Arizona, California, Florida, Indiana, Minnesota, Wisconsin, Champaign, Normal and Peoria restaurant locations; not available or valid at all other Illinois restaurant locations.

Excluding their home city?

2 beefs for $10 wasn’t that great of a deal anyway.

https://www.portillos.com/national-ital ... week-2019/

I’ll be going to Buona.

Ram4 wrote:Ha, that's funny! Runza is a fast food chain in Nebraska that serves a local specialty called a runza that has it's origins in Eastern Europe. Also known as a bierock - it's a yeast dough bread pocket usually with beef, cabbage, onions, and other spices. I guess Pop's got some of their receipt paper rolls and decided (strangely) to use them. Very weird.

It was printed on their printer, maybe a borrowed POS system?


I thought it was funny too.

Panther in the Den wrote:

Artie wrote::D One Day Only May 22nd

Celebrate $2.99 Beef Day with Pop's! 6" Italian Beef on Wednesday, May 22nd

We are celebrating National Beef Day, with this special offer for our customers. Limit 2.

Also half price at all Buona Beef locations on Saturday, May 25th

Pop’s had extended their offer to 5/25 and today, Memorial Day to military families. There was no crowds during either visit on Wednesday. Probably have a lot left over.

We also visited...

Buona
6745 Roosevelt Rd, Berwyn

... for another round.


They were offering a limit of 5 per person at 1/2 price ($2.50). We grabbed 4 apiece.

The ones at Pop’s had a nice hit of garlic and Buona a nice Italian spice flavor with a little heat.

Both had a nice strong at jus.

At Buona they were busy but they often are. No lines out the door like in the past.

If they want to pack people in maybe drop the price a notch for next year?