Pop’s Dollar Food Shop

Last Friday was quiet and rainy, which makes for perfect blog reading time. After going through my usual suspects, I came across a link to an article on DNAinfo.com about a new dollar burger joint near Penn Station. As I work very close, I figured this would be a great opportunity to check it out myself with camera phone in tow.

The new place, Pop’s Dollar Food Shop, is a separate counter within the pizza & gyro place on Seventh Avenue across from Penn. I usually head in the other direction for lunch as most eateries around there are below mediocre fast food places. I made an exception for a burger that costs a dollar.

After walking past the pizza and gyro counters, I headed to the back for Pop’s. Service was cafeteria style. I started with a hot dog ($1). There were chili and onions as add-ons (50 cents extra), but I passed on that. The hot dogs were griddled with a little bit of char. They were about six inches long and the width of your index finger. Definitely not “regular” sized for a dollar. The bun was standard with few stale edges from sitting out for a little while.

There were a couple options for the burgers: plain, cheese, bacon cheese, double cheese and double bacon. Prices range from $1 to $3. I wanted to try a plain and a bacon cheeseburger, but only plain was available at that time. The guy behind the counter puts together all the burgers in an assembly line. I asked about the bacon cheeseburger, but no dice. I picked up two plain burgers. They also come with grilled onions, pickles, and a little ketchup. I doubt you could get one “naked” unless it is right as the guy is putting together the next batch.

The burger also comes with a fair amount of grease as you can see from the shine. They were slider-sized. Not a ton of flavor and could have used some more salt, but for that price complaining is not allowed. Since the burgers are wrapped in foil, they steam and continue to cook while they sit. You have been warned. If the burger has been sitting for a little while, it could end up being a small pile of mush. My burgers still had a bit of pink in the middle as it was only a short walk back to my desk.

I also tried some fries($1). There was a whole rack of them sitting when I walked in, so who knows how long since they were cooked. They made McDonald’s fries look gourmet. Although well salted, they were quite limp. Luckily, you don’t get that many per order so the suffering is quick.

All in all, $4.35 for 2 sliders, hot dog and fries is a good deal. It isn’t the best quality, but I would try it again. If you are in the Penn Station area and are looking for a quick snack, it is worth stopping in. Pop himself was working the cash register with a grin.