Poplar Perk’n

I WANT to buy coffee from local folks. These guys are also really nice, and have a pretty good East Memphis/​UofM location. They also have tasty baked goods.
Oh! and they have a DRIVE THRU!!!

Hands downs still the best coffee spot in Memphis! My favorite server left but the owner found a way to bring in other great people. The coffee is always great (I like a dark roast). Over the past few years I’ve come to enjoy some of the people I meet there on a regular basis!
LONG live Poplar Perk’n

my favorite local coffee shop.
though I’m trapped in East memphis most days, they provide an island of rrefuge loaded with excellent coffee.
The beans are roasted just right and they have many standard and exotic varieties.

This place is a cute local coffee shop located at the corner on Poplar and Perkins. I usually try every coffee shops’ frappé or smoothies. Sadly my caramel frappé was not as i had hoped. There was no caramel on my whip cream :-(The frapp was bland tasting and more-​less tastes like powdered milk. It left a weird aftertaste in my mouth.
The baristas were very friendly tho! I enjoyed the chalk board menu. I hope to be back to try something else.

What an accommodating staff! I was treated kindly and got exactly what I wanted! Going back!

I found the taste of out lattes not so sweet, so if you like your coffee strong, it’s not bad. If you like it sweeter, I suggest Starbucks. The service was good, although they can go a little faster.

I really wanted too like this place, however I had the worse iced latte I ever had!!! I will give it another shot!!!

Each time I have stopped in it has been a good experience. I always get either a vanilla latte or caramel, I have not been disappointed with either. They have a drive through for added ease as well.

In an attempt to drink more local coffee and less Starbucks, I have been going to Poplar Perk’n pretty much daily. I get my coffee black and their dark roast is very good. The atmosphere and the service is very good as well. Everyone is nice and welcoming, plus they wear Grizzlies headbands on game days and have «Grizz Fans Welcome» painted on their front door. How can you not love that?!
They have a very small area inside to sit so there is always a chance that you may not be able to come in and do work. They also have a patio area outside, but it is about to get cold.
There is a drive thru and they are pretty quick, even in the morning.
Check this place out!

For a small coffee shop, I would have thought they would be friendlier… Went in there one morning, not one smile, good morning or THANK YOU after buying a $ 5 coffee. I know it was morning but common… You’re a coffee shop. This was my second time here (want to support local), maybe the third might be the *charm*.

Writing this review provoked a brief Unilocal review philosophy crisis: does one rate on the absolute or relative quality of an establishment?
If I were grading Poplar Perk’n on an absolute scale, this would be a lower-​end three star review. It’s not bad, but nothing was particularly good. However, the only other option in East Memphis is StarCoffeeBurnBucks and it’s difficult for me not to want to root for the underdog here.
Let’s start with the coffee. They use a Millington-​based roaster and the coffee was not burned. It wasn’t particularly flavorful, but at least it didn’t taste like charcol. The Uganda roast was on the lower end of the bitterness spectrum and the Mexican one was a bit more flavorful, but neither were memorable other than an odd waxy aftertaste. The latte also didn’t have much unique flavor, but it was well-​made and the right price for the size. Snacks like muffins were also decently priced and they had a good selection.
So on the raw product score, this is a 3-​star establishment. But let’s add some context. It’s conveniently located and hasn’t been that crowded. Even the after-​school «rush» wasn’t that bad. The wifi works fine and the service was fine (it looked like the baristas all knew their regulars quite well and was neat to see).
Most importantly, if I’m anywhere East of the viaducts and get the hankering for a cup o’joe, I’ll be making a beeline here for now. That’s good enough to resolve my Unilocal philosophy crisis and happily award Poplar Perk’n 4 (unburned) stars.

Poplar Perk’n is a gem. It’s small and utilitarian, perfect for people who are more interested in getting a tasty latté than camping out for hours in front of a laptop. I have a hard time resisting a trip through the drive through on my drive to work.
The staff is speedy and polite. They ask how my day’s going and act like they actually care. Sometimes if they have an extra shot of espresso they’ll offer to put it in my latté (and of course I accept).
The prices are more reasonable than that chain coffeeshop (you know the one) and the drinks are tasty. They use Square for their point-​of-​sale so you can have your receipt emailed to you instead of printed out and stuffed in your wallet or wadded up in your car’s floorboard.
So If you’re ever in East Memphis and need a caffeine fix, you know where to go.

Finally a local coffee shop with a drive-​thru!
Granted, this place has been around forever… I just now realized that they have one. I stopped by here the other day while looking for a place to work and immediately took to this cozy little place. And was even happier when I discovered that not only does their green tea latte cost considerably less than Starbucks, but it tasted worlds better too!
Their food selection could be a bit bigger, but since they have the typical bagel and cream cheese, croissants, muffins, etc. I can roll with it.

I’ve been going to Poplar Perkin for about 2 months now. I always go in the morning on my way to work, and I prefer to go to PP because I can get in and get out faster than I can at Starbucks. The baristas are very friendly and helpful, and the coffee is always hot and the espresso drinks are well-​made.
My only complaint is that certain staff members are less than enthusiastic when greeting the customer — no smile, no greeting. Oftentimes, they just make eye contact and walk away, which is awkward, and not how I want to start my morning.
Ya’ll a re great, just start off with a «Hi!» or «Goodmorning! –then you’d be 5 stars in my book! :D

If you like a little one on one attention by the Batista’s and a small laid back environment to watch some TV or surf the web to. Poplar Perk’n is the coffee shop for you. I love it for those reasons. I like small, quiet coffee shops without the blaring music you get from some. The Batista’s are super friendly and are eager to help with any drink request. Poplar Perk’n is located in a nice niche spot in East Memphis. I just love the location and the fact that you can come there and get away from the rest of the world. Definitely a great pick for those who share my love for small independently owned coffee shops. A Triple A choice.

Poplar Perk’n is getting an additional star. Why you ask? Because I have been here now on countless occasions and always forget to give their drive-​thru a shout out. I frequent Starbucks– not necessarily because I like their coffee the best, but because they have a drive-​thru. I would love to be able to sit down in a coffee house, or park and enter the establishment. On too many occasions to count I don’t have the time or the means to do so with a 2 month old in tow. Starbucks usually wins that battle for the drive-​thru fact alone. I’ll admit it, you can shame me all you want. It’s my dirty, dark, not-​so-​secret secret.
Poplar Perkin’ now wins that battle if I am ever going to be within a 10 minute vicinity. If this coffee spot was located in Midtown they would see me every morning no doubt. But then they’d have to change their name to something not nearly as cute and quirky like Union-​Cooper. I digress. Their coffee is much better than Starbucks, much richer, darker and just a better, nuttier flavor. It’s amazing black– which is how I normally drink it and a true test of good coffee, yet still strong enough to hold up that coffee flavor in a latte or flavored coffee treat. I’m a fan.

Neighborhood coffee in a great location and with just the right flavor. I love that this place has a drive-​through and the prices are reasonable. My only recommendation would be that they offer better sweets and baked goods.
Overall I would recommend this place, especially for quick coffee. I’m also a big proponent of supporting local businesses over the corporate brands and this one is on my list of great coffee places.

Housed in a cute, compact building is a nice little coffee shop. A cute porch out front to lounge or a small interior with high bar-​like tables or a few smaller tables — a good place to relax and enjoy the Wi-​Fi
Nothing fancy, they roast and package some great-​smelling/​tasting coffee. They offer the standard coffee drinks, and while I enjoy coffee, I’m a sucker for the fruity drinks. Try their Dr. Smoothie, they come in berry, strawberry, mango, and lemonade, and they’re made with all fruit and fruit juice. No dairy! Perfect. They’re delicious in an addictive sort of way, and for about $ 3.89, they’re worth it. They carry soymilk if you’d like some added to your smoothie or your coffee, which is nice.
Also noted was a good selection of fresh-​looking bagels, brownies, and yummy danishes.

I came in to Poplar Perk’n a week or so ago in the early afternoon really, REALLY requiring some caffiene. You see, I had driven to Memphis from Atlanta the night earlier, and had woken up extra early to work out, and then spent the entire morning sight-​seeing. I’m not sure what I was thinking, but by the time 1pm hit I was crashing faster than Oceanic Flight 815. I hadn’t felt this tired/​achy since college.
I had passed several other worthy options for coffee, but Poplar Perk’n looked like a cool local joint. I walked in and received lots of stares from the hipsters relaxing in the coffee shop, as if I was totally unwelcome there. Sadly I got the same reaction from the two guys working the counter. Although I was the only person standing, wanting to order, they both stared at me impatiently and I tried to process the information from their billboard that lists their drinks.
I knew exactly what I wanted but it took me a while to find what they call it. They never offered to help or ask if I knew what type of drink I was interested in. When I finally ordered– stumbling over my words– I received a deep sigh (the one that usually comes with a roll of the eyes) as they proceed to make my Coffee Frappé.
I was completely underwhelmed by the taste of my beverage. It was nothing special at all. Knowing what I know now, I would probably pay $ 2.50 for that; instead I paid much more. I did chug that sucker, however, because of my aforementioned lack of energy.
Overall I was not impressed with the Poplar Perkin’ joint. Angry-​with-​life employees AND customers do not make my experience enjoyable, and it couldn’t be saved with the actual product. It’s really too bad, since they have a great location and a cool venue.
On the plus side, they seem to offer WiFi and a drive-​thru.

I stopped by Poplar Perk’n yesterday around 11 a.m. There were a few people hanging out in the tiny shop. Two super friendly baristas and the owner, Jimmy Widden, were behind the counter.
My vanilla latte was the right mix of sweet vanilla and coffee flavor. They’ve got all kinds of coffee and non-​coffee drinks. Next time, I think I’ll try something a bit more straight up.
Poplar Perk’n is in the old High Point Coffee building, but doesn’t feel as corporate and Starbucks-​y as its predecessor.