Tag: arkansas

Food Review: Rock N’ Java is More Than Rocks and Coffee

I have driven past this “Rock N’ Java” shop multiple times. Whether we were heading to the Buffalo River or Branson, this shop always appeared to be a regular ole’ rock shop that happened to have coffee for sale, too. No thanks.
Then, on the way home from camping at the Buffalo this weekend, I was craving some good coffee. Besides gas stations, there aren’t many options around these parts of Arkansas for any coffee, so I decided to give this place a shot. And I kicked myself all the way back to my car when I realized what I have been missing out on for so many years!

A few miles south of Marshall, Arkansas, on Hwy 65, is where you can find this gem of a coffee shop, with a great view to go with it.

While it is a rock shop, it is unlike any rock shop I have encountered. Yes, it sells tons of cool rocks, but much more than that.  There were some local artists’ fare for sale, such as clay pottery and plenty of other unique finds. AND they not only sell ligit coffee, but food as well.

The inside is super fun and eclectic. This shop reminds of a few of the family-owned shops in small mountain towns in Colorado….hippies included.

When first entering, the super friendly barista was talking to a couple other young customers about the area. She then turned her full attention to us to answer any questions we had.
She suggested a simple latte with any flavor for me and an iced pomegranate green tea with mulled fruit mixed in for Drew.
She. nailed. it.
My 12 oz white chocolate latte for $2.99 truly hit the spot. She even asked what type of milk I preferred, so I got skim. Though, I’m sure soy or almond or whatever else kind of milk you prefer is available. Anyway, it was delicious.
Drew’s iced green tea stole the show, though. Placed in a large 32 oz styrofoam cup to go, it was full of ice, mulled fruit, and a delicious, flavorful, fruity green tea. Plus, it was only $3.29…can’t beat that.

There were just a handful of food options, which I opted out of since I had just finished a freeze-dried meal for breakfast. However, omelets and hash brown casserole were available for “breakfast all day”.
There was also a lunch special of a bbq sandwich, chips, and mac’n’cheese for $5.49. Also available was a grilled cheese and tomato soup.
Finally, there was also a case full of sweets, such as cookies and other pastries. I behaved myself and abstained….but next time, I’m not sure I’ll be able to pass the food up.

Overall, I’m so glad we stopped by this place. It will definitely be a must-stop-shop from now on. Give it a try and let me know if there is anything else delicious you enjoyed there!

Review of Pop Pop Shoppe in Little Rock

Pop Pop Shoppe recently opened here in Little Rock (416 South University Ave, Suite 130) in the shopping center with Target. It was originally opened, and still remains, in Texarkana. Facebook ads of rainbow-colored popcorn brought my childhood memories back to me. Plus, their reviews online were pretty great. So, naturally, I had to drop in. Here’s the breakdown:

Environment:

So cute! While this shop is on the small side, it only sells one thing, popcorn. And it sells it well. The shop is decorated with vibrant colors, displays, and many gift options. Best of all, when you walk in, you smell fresh, hot popcorn for purchase. Getting out of this place without buying any popcorn is near impossible…heads up.

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Halloween Display/Gift Options

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Food and Service:

In this shop, these go hand-in-hand. First off, the displays do not “display” prices, but they are prominently listed on the menu at the counter.

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Menu with prices, because they aren’t marked next to the actual items.

Then, there are FREE SAMPLES of popcorn, many different flavors. The woman working today was absolutely great. She was so kind and welcoming to everyone. She gave samples (as many as some patrons wanted) without hesitation. She explained any questions, and she let me take all of these photos.

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At the counter, as seen above, you can sample many flavors of popcorn (though none of the fruity-type flavors). It is very sanitary, as the employee divvies out samples with her own tool, into individualized mini-cups. I tried the cajun popcorn, which was very tasty, as well as the vanilla popcorn. (I would feel guilty trying more than that….hint,hint other people in the shop that didn’t end up buying anything.) I am more of a salt lover than a sugar lover, but that vanilla was my favorite, so good!

Also seen above, they have hot, fresh popcorn for purchase that changes each day. Today was a combo of their cheddar pop and their caramel pop, which was called their Chicago mix. I skipped out on that one.

What I did end up purchasing was the small (about $5 after tax) bag of “confetti” corn. It was too pretty to pass up and reminded me of my childhood, so I knew I couldn’t go wrong.

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The confetti popcorn was different. It is not salty or savory in the least. It is candy-coated. If you are craving sweets, this will be perfect for you. It is full of flavors: grape, blue raspberry, blueberry, cherry, vanilla, orange, banana, strawberry, watermelon, and green apple. Though, I swear I ate a couple pieces of bubble-gum flavored, and about died. Yuck. (I hate that flavor, nothing against the popcorn). The rest are pretty tasty and have enough of a flavor difference that you can definitely do a blind-folded taste-test…which is the sort of thing I like to do for fun.  Anyway, that small bag is now gone. It was enjoyed.

Extra Info:
The Pop Pop Shoppe offers not only bags of different flavored popcorn, or hot popcorn to go. It also offers many gift options, which are super cute. I would love a gift like these (hint, hint, Drew). Even more, they offer catering services with a popcorn bar. What?! And there are even fundraising offers.

I think this place is a great addition to Little Rock! I will be buying more there. HOWEVER, get some garlic flavored pop corn, please. I mean, come on. Everyone loves garlic, right? =)