Soda Pop's #1 — Restaurant in Oklahoma City

So many people give positive reviews about this place that I really want to like it. But after a couple of troubled visits, I just don't understand what causes people to choose to dine here. Maybe it's nostalgia. Perhaps familiarity. Could be friends or family. But given our recent experiences, I have a hard time believing it's the food.

Soda Pops was on our dining radar many years ago, but it's not a particularly handy place for us to reach. Consequently, our visits became less frequent. Eventually we stopped going at all.

After years of absence, we decided to try the place again, and now eaten here twice in three months. I must report both experiences were fairly average, and I'd like to share why. Because today's visit is fresh on my mind, I'll focus on it.

The restaurant was pretty busy with Friday dinner customers when we arrived about 6:30 pm. A lot of folks seemed interested in the weekly catfish special. I say that because we saw lots of fish coming out of the kitchen. But we didn't want fish.

Before arriving, I'd planned to order a cheeseburger, but upon learning that burgers don't include any type of side dish (e.g. fries), I changed my order to the less expensive BLT. I also added a side salad to balance the meal.

My wife selected their chicken fried steak with salad and okra as sides.

The behind-the-counter staff was pleasant and patient as I tried to settle on a selection. This was a real positive, quite honestly the highlight of our experience.

Out in the dining room our server was unable to provide adequate attention because she had sole responsibility for a table of eight, plus several other booths. Her coworker was likewise busy.

During our stay our server came by just four times: once to deliver drinks, again to drop off salads, next to bring our entrees, and finally to present our bill. Almost nothing was said, and there were no followups, no offer of refills.

Her coworker took our payment and returned with change. She explained why she'd stepped in and apologized for the confusion. We certainly understood.

We felt portions were small for the price. What's more, both of our meals had problems. Here's a breakdown, wife's meal first:

Chicken fried steak - This entree' tasted good even though it featured a type of batter not served elsewhere. I asked how it compared to others, and my wife named four local restaurants she thought offered a better product.

Okra - A particularly disappointing part of her meal. Most pieces were visibly overcooked, almost to the point of being burned. My wife referred to them as "mini-briquets." I tried a few and found them not only too done, but greasy. We would have asked for a replacement, but no one came to check our needs.

Salad - We each ordered a side salad with house-made garlic dressing. They were like budget versions of salads served at Cattleman's Cafe'. Again, we felt the portion was small for the price...especially mine, as it was purchased separately.

I forgot to ask for dressing served on the side. This was a big mistake, as both salads were drenched. We agreed the dressing was thinner and not as flavorful as Cattleman's, but I liked it better than she did as shown by the fact she didn't finish her salad.

BLT - My sandwich was pretty good but I didn't care for the overly-ripe tomato. It included a nice amount of slightly overcooked bacon. At least it wasn't a "done" as the okra.

Had this been the only mediocre experience we'd had recently, I'd write it off as a bad night. But twice in a row is the beginning of a trend, and I'm not really interested in determining if these visits were consecutive flukes, or as other reviews seem to indicate, a new direction for this widely-regarded eatery.

If you're of such a mind, I encourage you to try Soda Pops for yourself...perhaps your experience will differ.

We're going to wait a while before stopping in a third time, to see if they can work out some kinks. Until then we'll be dining elsewhere in the...

Today, I had the opportunity to dine at Soda Pops 1, and unfortunately, it did not live up to expectations. I ordered the chicken tender basket, which came with fries, Texas toast, and mashed potatoes with gravy. Sadly, the food lacked any seasoning or distinct flavors. The chicken tenders, fries, and mashed potatoes all tasted equally bland, resembling what I can only describe as nursing home food.My friend, a 20-year military veteran with overseas experience, compared it to military food and deemed it worse. This is quite a statement, considering the typically minimal expectations of military meals. We were both so disappointed that we couldn't finish our meals.The poor quality of the food was not the only issue. The cleanliness of the establishment was also concerning, with dead flies in all the windows, which is never a good sign. Unfortunately, the service did not redeem the experience, as it was lackluster and inattentive.Overall, our visit to Soda Pops 1 was disappointing, and based on this experience, I cannot recommend it. We will not...

Really disappointed in the service today. There was obviously horseplay behind the counter and I had to repeat my order twice. The order taker was also my waitress and brought my drink and salad with the wrong dressing, but I just ate it. The waitress checked on me about 3 minutes after bringing the food but I didn’t see her again. One empty tea-glass, one empty plate and one frustrated customer later I just went to the counter to pay. There were probably a dozen people eating there and 8 or 10 people behind the counter all laughing and hollering. My waitress looked at me and she had a blue sticker on her forehead.there was obviously some Tom-foolery games going on. She pulled the one check from the wall mounted holder and asked me if I had the catfish. All the workers scattered and quieted down when they probably saw my frustration. I’m all for a happy work environment but customer service should be a priority. I’ve dined at this restaurant for years and I know Virginia would not have approved of the...