Best overall restaurant in Andover. Thursday evening rib night is a must. I have also tried Loafers, hamburger steak, wingdings, and pizza. Service is awesome, prices are great.
(5)
Brad S.
While Poplar was on my radar for while, I didn't really consider it a priority until the foofarah from Picasso started last month. Then one boring Saturday afternoon I was sitting around contemplating possible dinner options and saw the proprietors were from Buffalo. If there's one thing Buffalo, NY knows, it's wings. If there's another thing, it might be pizza. I jumped in my car and drove out of town. The biggest thing you should know is that image that you have in your head when you think pizza and wings restaurant? Forget it. The population that packed the place even on a Saturday night was largely older folks and families. And no one was eating pizza nor wings. Rather, they seemed focused on the fried chicken. Okay, it's still chicken and it's still fried, so we're still in wings territory, so I ordered ten of THE HOTTEST WINGS THEY HAVE. Also, a slice of pizza. Given the crowd, I wasn't expecting the wings to be particularly hot even at their maximum, and it turned out to be a good guess, amounting to a flavor that is overall very consistent with traditional buffalo sauce. It paired well with the big, whole wings, which at ten pieces was enough to serve as a meal. Rest assured, the Buffalo (place) continues to live through those buffalo (wings). Buffalo buffalo Bufallo buffalo. Less impressive was the pizza, which - though the dough was made fresh, the sauce was blahdy blah - a style best categorized as 'generic', and not really worth my time. I noticed Poplar offered 'Texas toothpicks' on the menu, which is a dead giveaway of their reliance on Sysco products - so much so that I was not the first person to actually bring it up in my party. Still, it's not like I expect Poplar to go out and slaughter the chickens themselves, so it's not a particularly big deal depending on what's ordered. What's more important is that, despite their heritage, they're a restaurant frequented by Andoverans who are looking more for comfort food than anything else.
(3)
Philip L.
We really enjoyed poplar as we were traveling. Thanks to the other reviewers we gave it a shot. Pizza was great and kids enjoyed food too! Give it a try!!!
(4)
Jenny J.
We stopped by for a break from our long road trip from SD to TX and we are so glad we did! I looked on yelp and since it had a fairly good rating, we decided to try it out. My husband and I split 20 medium buffalo wings, our two sons had a hamburger and pizza kids meals, plus we had to try the fried pickles. Everything was so, so good! My 7yo son--who is picky about everything and basically only eats a hamburger, chicken strips, or Alfredo pizza for every meal, wanted to try a chicken wing. We warned him that they were a little spicy, but he wanted to try them. He said that if he could give a thousand thumbs up, he would! Now THAT'S an endorsement . My favorite thing about the medium heat was that it gave all that delicious hot wing flavor without the excessive heat, plus they were crispy! The fried pickles were generously portioned and wonderful--some of the best I've had. The kids both ordered milk with their meals and were served a 16 ounce cup worth! Overall, we'll be back again as we travel this route about once a year--and I can't wait!
(5)
Grant C.
So Poplar, why do you spell your name like that? Does it really have to do with trees that are used for pulp? Do I really care, does it really matter? No and No. Because what really matters here is the food, a dang near 5 star experience. From their menu you'll find a very wide variety of selections. Subs, burgers, seafood, steaks, wings, pizza, fried chicken, "loafers", salads, burritos.. the list goes on but what I came for was the much raved about pizza. And the hype was worth it for me. A tasty, sweet and chewy crust topped a little too lightly with a mild- not too tomato sauce, then a mozzarella cheese burned to gooey perfection, decently covered with flavorful pepperonis. But what really pushed me over the edge was their wings. Two words for ya, CHAR BQ. Wow. Those were beautiful, my tongue rejoiced, they tasted better than something my dad would grill up on the Fourth of July... if he was still good in the kitchen that is. A sweet BBQ sauce was applied, wings were grilled- which equaled some greeeeeat chewy char, and then tossed again in sauce. Without a doubt, I will be back for another go around. Unfortunately, thus far Ive found one very common compliant about Poplar that I even experienced. Wait Time. With a call ahead order I still waited 30minutes longer than my predicted pickup time. Locals, there to pickup or sit down had also been waiting for awhile and from the sound of things, this is a common occurrence. Poplar, get some more kitchen crew or motivate someone already in there and you'll reap the benefits of more customers through your doors.
(5)
Debbie S.
I would give them a 5 star but one of the waitresses was having a bad day and took it out on me. I only asked her what was the special and that we were ready to order. She rolled her eyes at me like I had ruined her day. Talked to the manager and he said she is normally really nice..go figure? Anywho had the burrito and it was really yummy!!
(4)
Travis S.
The white pizza is great. Service has really improved since the last time we were there.
(4)
Jason R.
Excellent service, great pizza and wings. The hot wings are very hot.
(4)
Michael R.
A hidden gem in Andover. Great Wings. Great pizza. Chicken fried steak is awesome. Very reasonable prices and healthy portions... Love it...
(5)
D M.
Food was yummy and in big portions. Had great beer prices. The staff was very friendly. We were just passing through and this was a great place to have dinner, it had a nice small town feel!!!
(4)
Scott T.
Great Pizza, Great Prices. You gotta try it. Don't like pizza? They have a ton of other things on the menu as well.
(5)
Christine C.
Since the last time I reviewed Poplar they now have a full bar. The outdoor patio area is going to be available this spring/summer. Last night I had the Chicken Club Sub.. breaded fried chicken, with bacon, lettuce, tomato & onion. I got mayo on the side. It was absolutely delicious! As a side I had their Fresh Fried Potato Chips served with a Sour Cream Onion Dip... oh my!!!! Those were sooooo good! Yum!
(5)
Gina R.
We ate dinner here tonight and everyone with me ordered a variety of different things of the menu. Hubby had catfish, I had pizza, one daughter had spaghetti and another had chicken wings. The food was great and the atmosphere is laid back and down to earth which makes it very relaxing. They had a bunch of different things on the menu. I love variety. Our waitress was really nice and service was good. It wasnt that busy in the restaurant so I was a bit shocked that it took so long to get our food and drinks but I still gotta give this place a ood review. Check it out!
(4)
Marie M.
I too went to Poplar when they first opened and it was swamped with people wanting to try the new restaurant. We decided to stay, and it was well worth the wait. True, it took a while to get our order that first time, but the wait is comparable to other busy restaurants. The menu is awesome and the prices are right! Our family loves the pizza and wings, but anything we have ever tried there has been delicious. This is our kids favorite restaurant. We had good service, and we appreciate a non-smoking restaurant.
(5)
Dustin K.
Great place in Andover to take family and friends for a good meal. We go maybe once a month or so. Recommend any of the the pizzas offerings, charbq wings, ribs (when on special), but the absolute must try is the fried chicken dinner which is just like homemade - similar to Strouds pan fried.
(4)
J Steve W.
Great pizza, good fried chicken, service is fine and they stay very busy at times. Their so called pizza delivery is pretty much non existent. A shame cause I'd order from them more but about 8 out of 10 times they "don't have a driver" they shouldn't advertise deliver in my opinion. The pizza is the best in Andover I just wish their delivery was consistent.
(4)
Shaye S.
The waitress was rude, and refused to service with a smile. She waited 20mins to bring us extra sauce for our bread and lemons for our water. And she said and I quote "I only service people who are going to tip me." Obviously referring to the fact we are teenagers, and most likely don't have money to tip her... But after her comment we made sure to leave her with a tip that's hopefully her last. Not that hard to do your job... If you can't I'm sure a teenage would more then happily take your job, which you most likely stole from one in the first place. But the calzones are great!
(2)
Derek K.
Food was alright, the wait to get to the table on a Saturday night wasn't too bad. However, we had waited over an hour to receive our food after ordering. We even saw two couples come in after us leave before us and one family of 7 receive there food before we did.
(2)
Robert B.
You arrive at the Poplar Restaurant after having driven way out of town, far from any other restaurant. Should this not work out, you're left pretty high and dry. After some confusion you figured out that it's on the backside of a beer store. You walk in, you can't believe you drove here for this. Everything in this place is aesthetically unappealing, from the lighting to the "decor" to the tshirts the servers wear to the, well, even to the clientele. This is worth your time? You may ask yourself, a la David Byrne, My God, what have I done? Then you order some char bq wings, a pepperoni pizza, and an Italian "Loafer." Maybe you get some fried chicken. The Loafer (TM)--come on, it's a stromboli (you wanna trademark that? You godda be kidding) is by far the most beautiful thing you will see in this restaurant. And it tastes as good as it looks. The pizza is arguably the best in town now that Bartelli's is closed and Picasso's can't make a decent crust (yes, it's better than Knolla's). Most of the wings are run of the mill, but the char bq wings, those are great. Let's leave it at this--you've now ordered pretty much the only things on the absurdly hulking menu that they make freshly. And those four or five things are so beautiful that the rest of the experience is worth the trouble, visual or otherwise.
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : Yes Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : Yes
Pizza is a famous Italian dish savored around the world. The entire credit for the popularity of Pizza in the United States goes to the chain of pizzerias all over the country. While the base and the texture of Pizza remains same across the globe, it's the toppings that differs from country to country. In the United States, you will find the top pizzerias serving pizzas with the toppings of mainly beef, bacon, chicken, ham, and sausage for the non-vegetarians. Other than these famous meat options, Pizzas with veg toppings such as mushrooms, pepperonis, garlic, tomatoes, spinach, etc. are also famous in most restaurants in the United States.
Irrespective of your locality, you will find a variety of different restaurants in your cities offering pizzas of all different types. Pizza is hot favorite among people of all ages in the United States. A large size pizza is enough to feed a family of 3 or 4 at large. Pizza is also the most preferred food whenever a group of friends is hanging out together. Pizza gained popularity in the United States after the American soldiers stationed in Italy returned from World War II.
Over the years, different pizzerias in the United States have developed their own respective regional variations. Pizza gained popularity as the iconic dish in the United States in the second half of the 20th century. Whether you prefer thin or thick crust pizza, you can find a pizza of your preference at the best pizza restaurants in your city.
Ryun F.
Best overall restaurant in Andover. Thursday evening rib night is a must. I have also tried Loafers, hamburger steak, wingdings, and pizza. Service is awesome, prices are great.
(5)Brad S.
While Poplar was on my radar for while, I didn't really consider it a priority until the foofarah from Picasso started last month. Then one boring Saturday afternoon I was sitting around contemplating possible dinner options and saw the proprietors were from Buffalo. If there's one thing Buffalo, NY knows, it's wings. If there's another thing, it might be pizza. I jumped in my car and drove out of town. The biggest thing you should know is that image that you have in your head when you think pizza and wings restaurant? Forget it. The population that packed the place even on a Saturday night was largely older folks and families. And no one was eating pizza nor wings. Rather, they seemed focused on the fried chicken. Okay, it's still chicken and it's still fried, so we're still in wings territory, so I ordered ten of THE HOTTEST WINGS THEY HAVE. Also, a slice of pizza. Given the crowd, I wasn't expecting the wings to be particularly hot even at their maximum, and it turned out to be a good guess, amounting to a flavor that is overall very consistent with traditional buffalo sauce. It paired well with the big, whole wings, which at ten pieces was enough to serve as a meal. Rest assured, the Buffalo (place) continues to live through those buffalo (wings). Buffalo buffalo Bufallo buffalo. Less impressive was the pizza, which - though the dough was made fresh, the sauce was blahdy blah - a style best categorized as 'generic', and not really worth my time. I noticed Poplar offered 'Texas toothpicks' on the menu, which is a dead giveaway of their reliance on Sysco products - so much so that I was not the first person to actually bring it up in my party. Still, it's not like I expect Poplar to go out and slaughter the chickens themselves, so it's not a particularly big deal depending on what's ordered. What's more important is that, despite their heritage, they're a restaurant frequented by Andoverans who are looking more for comfort food than anything else.
(3)Philip L.
We really enjoyed poplar as we were traveling. Thanks to the other reviewers we gave it a shot. Pizza was great and kids enjoyed food too! Give it a try!!!
(4)Jenny J.
We stopped by for a break from our long road trip from SD to TX and we are so glad we did! I looked on yelp and since it had a fairly good rating, we decided to try it out. My husband and I split 20 medium buffalo wings, our two sons had a hamburger and pizza kids meals, plus we had to try the fried pickles. Everything was so, so good! My 7yo son--who is picky about everything and basically only eats a hamburger, chicken strips, or Alfredo pizza for every meal, wanted to try a chicken wing. We warned him that they were a little spicy, but he wanted to try them. He said that if he could give a thousand thumbs up, he would! Now THAT'S an endorsement . My favorite thing about the medium heat was that it gave all that delicious hot wing flavor without the excessive heat, plus they were crispy! The fried pickles were generously portioned and wonderful--some of the best I've had. The kids both ordered milk with their meals and were served a 16 ounce cup worth! Overall, we'll be back again as we travel this route about once a year--and I can't wait!
(5)Grant C.
So Poplar, why do you spell your name like that? Does it really have to do with trees that are used for pulp? Do I really care, does it really matter? No and No. Because what really matters here is the food, a dang near 5 star experience. From their menu you'll find a very wide variety of selections. Subs, burgers, seafood, steaks, wings, pizza, fried chicken, "loafers", salads, burritos.. the list goes on but what I came for was the much raved about pizza. And the hype was worth it for me. A tasty, sweet and chewy crust topped a little too lightly with a mild- not too tomato sauce, then a mozzarella cheese burned to gooey perfection, decently covered with flavorful pepperonis. But what really pushed me over the edge was their wings. Two words for ya, CHAR BQ. Wow. Those were beautiful, my tongue rejoiced, they tasted better than something my dad would grill up on the Fourth of July... if he was still good in the kitchen that is. A sweet BBQ sauce was applied, wings were grilled- which equaled some greeeeeat chewy char, and then tossed again in sauce. Without a doubt, I will be back for another go around. Unfortunately, thus far Ive found one very common compliant about Poplar that I even experienced. Wait Time. With a call ahead order I still waited 30minutes longer than my predicted pickup time. Locals, there to pickup or sit down had also been waiting for awhile and from the sound of things, this is a common occurrence. Poplar, get some more kitchen crew or motivate someone already in there and you'll reap the benefits of more customers through your doors.
(5)Debbie S.
I would give them a 5 star but one of the waitresses was having a bad day and took it out on me. I only asked her what was the special and that we were ready to order. She rolled her eyes at me like I had ruined her day. Talked to the manager and he said she is normally really nice..go figure? Anywho had the burrito and it was really yummy!!
(4)Travis S.
The white pizza is great. Service has really improved since the last time we were there.
(4)Jason R.
Excellent service, great pizza and wings. The hot wings are very hot.
(4)Michael R.
A hidden gem in Andover. Great Wings. Great pizza. Chicken fried steak is awesome. Very reasonable prices and healthy portions... Love it...
(5)D M.
Food was yummy and in big portions. Had great beer prices. The staff was very friendly. We were just passing through and this was a great place to have dinner, it had a nice small town feel!!!
(4)Scott T.
Great Pizza, Great Prices. You gotta try it. Don't like pizza? They have a ton of other things on the menu as well.
(5)Christine C.
Since the last time I reviewed Poplar they now have a full bar. The outdoor patio area is going to be available this spring/summer. Last night I had the Chicken Club Sub.. breaded fried chicken, with bacon, lettuce, tomato & onion. I got mayo on the side. It was absolutely delicious! As a side I had their Fresh Fried Potato Chips served with a Sour Cream Onion Dip... oh my!!!! Those were sooooo good! Yum!
(5)Gina R.
We ate dinner here tonight and everyone with me ordered a variety of different things of the menu. Hubby had catfish, I had pizza, one daughter had spaghetti and another had chicken wings. The food was great and the atmosphere is laid back and down to earth which makes it very relaxing. They had a bunch of different things on the menu. I love variety. Our waitress was really nice and service was good. It wasnt that busy in the restaurant so I was a bit shocked that it took so long to get our food and drinks but I still gotta give this place a ood review. Check it out!
(4)Marie M.
I too went to Poplar when they first opened and it was swamped with people wanting to try the new restaurant. We decided to stay, and it was well worth the wait. True, it took a while to get our order that first time, but the wait is comparable to other busy restaurants. The menu is awesome and the prices are right! Our family loves the pizza and wings, but anything we have ever tried there has been delicious. This is our kids favorite restaurant. We had good service, and we appreciate a non-smoking restaurant.
(5)Dustin K.
Great place in Andover to take family and friends for a good meal. We go maybe once a month or so. Recommend any of the the pizzas offerings, charbq wings, ribs (when on special), but the absolute must try is the fried chicken dinner which is just like homemade - similar to Strouds pan fried.
(4)J Steve W.
Great pizza, good fried chicken, service is fine and they stay very busy at times. Their so called pizza delivery is pretty much non existent. A shame cause I'd order from them more but about 8 out of 10 times they "don't have a driver" they shouldn't advertise deliver in my opinion. The pizza is the best in Andover I just wish their delivery was consistent.
(4)Shaye S.
The waitress was rude, and refused to service with a smile. She waited 20mins to bring us extra sauce for our bread and lemons for our water. And she said and I quote "I only service people who are going to tip me." Obviously referring to the fact we are teenagers, and most likely don't have money to tip her... But after her comment we made sure to leave her with a tip that's hopefully her last. Not that hard to do your job... If you can't I'm sure a teenage would more then happily take your job, which you most likely stole from one in the first place. But the calzones are great!
(2)Derek K.
Food was alright, the wait to get to the table on a Saturday night wasn't too bad. However, we had waited over an hour to receive our food after ordering. We even saw two couples come in after us leave before us and one family of 7 receive there food before we did.
(2)Robert B.
You arrive at the Poplar Restaurant after having driven way out of town, far from any other restaurant. Should this not work out, you're left pretty high and dry. After some confusion you figured out that it's on the backside of a beer store. You walk in, you can't believe you drove here for this. Everything in this place is aesthetically unappealing, from the lighting to the "decor" to the tshirts the servers wear to the, well, even to the clientele. This is worth your time? You may ask yourself, a la David Byrne, My God, what have I done? Then you order some char bq wings, a pepperoni pizza, and an Italian "Loafer." Maybe you get some fried chicken. The Loafer (TM)--come on, it's a stromboli (you wanna trademark that? You godda be kidding) is by far the most beautiful thing you will see in this restaurant. And it tastes as good as it looks. The pizza is arguably the best in town now that Bartelli's is closed and Picasso's can't make a decent crust (yes, it's better than Knolla's). Most of the wings are run of the mill, but the char bq wings, those are great. Let's leave it at this--you've now ordered pretty much the only things on the absurdly hulking menu that they make freshly. And those four or five things are so beautiful that the rest of the experience is worth the trouble, visual or otherwise.
(4)