We’re checking out a whole slew of totally fun new burgers (and picking up a not-so-little dessert) at Pop Century Resort’s Everything Pop!

(And for those of you who miss the All-American Picnic Burger that used to grace the menu at Sci-Fi Dine-In, you’ll want to stay tuned!)

There’s never a dull moment at the vibrant celebration of all things pop culture that is Pop Century Resort, and that’s certainly true at the resort’s food court, Everything Pop! It’s a great place to find unique themed eats like Tie-Dye Cheesecake, the King Cupcake, and the Pop Tarts Breakfast Sandwich.

Today we’re heading back to try out some recent additions to the menu. Specialty burgers have become all the rage at Everything Pop, and they’ve also added their own take on a slightly smaller version of the famous Kitchen Sink Sundae… with a “Pop” twist, of course!

Atmosphere

Now, when you refer to Everything Pop, technically you’re speaking not only of the Food Court, but also the merchandise shop.

For our DFB purposes, though, it’s typically a quick stroll past the gifts and souvenirs into the sizable food court, featuring separate ordering and serving stations offering everything from pasta and pizza to pot roast and sloppy joes (along with all sorts of traditional resort grab-and-go items).

Like everywhere else in the resort, the color scheme is bright and playful, and it continues into the huge seating area.

And no area of Pop Century is complete without some nods to the good ol’ days…

I need some serious sustenance, though, before I try to best the High Score on Space Invaders as per uszh. So, let’s order up!

Eats

Because our goal today is to show you a whole lotta BURGERS, we’re concentrating on the Burger Station today. That said, this is also the spot where you’ll find Counter Service classics like Chicken Breast Nuggets, along with some not-quite-so-standard Fish and Chips and Sloppy Joes.

In all, there are SIX Specialty Burgers from which to choose, so let’s just go down the list, starting with the Benedict Burger, the Oscar Burger and the Southwesterner Burger.

(Forgive the Disney menu pictures — these are rarely appetizing, but I wanted to give you an idea of what was available. We DID get a couple of the burgers to show you the real thing, though.)

The Benedict Burger is served with vine-ripe tomatoes, lettuce, Canadian bacon, a fried egg and hollandaise sauce (so this could totally be considered breakfast, too, right?).

Check out the Oscar Burger: it’s topped with jumbo lump crabmeat, brie cheese, and bernaise sauce served atop vine-ripe tomatoes and lettuce, all finished off with an asparagus garnish.

The Southwesterner Burger comes with pepper jack cheese, lettuce, guacamole, pico de gallo, jalapeños, sour cream and corn tortilla chips (yep, on the sandwich, not on the side).

Next up on the ever-rotating screen menu? The Italian Burger, the Uptown Burger and the Picnic Burger.

The Italian Burger is loaded with sweet bell peppers, mozzarella cheese, sundried tomatoes, pancetta, basil aioli and lettuce.

The Uptown Burger comes with vine-ripe tomatoes, lettuce, blue cheese, raspberry chutney, and pancetta. (They had me at raspberry chutney, but lost me at blue cheese… but fortunately everything here is made-to-order, so feel free to opt out of certain toppings).

The Picnic Burger is a feast that includes a grilled hot dog, cheddar cheese, sauerkraut, onions, pickles, ketchup, mustard, lettuce and vine-ripe tomatoes.

 

While we’re here, other recent additions to this counter’s menu are the Fried Chicken Sandwich and the Johnny Apple Seed (the Salmon Burger remains here as well).

I was thisclose to ordering a Johnny Apple Seed: pulled pork, tangly slaw salad, grilled granny smith apples (!!), apple butter and cheddar cheese.

But ultimately, I just had to go with a couple of those burgers. Each one is served with your choice of pasta salad or french fries. And again, each burger is made to order and prepared right in front of you, so feel free to ask about substitutions if you prefer.

So, which did I choose? It wasn’t easy, but I narrowed it down to the Picnic Burger and the Oscar Burger (and that cup that looks like it’s sticking out of the side of the Picnic Burger is just a preventative measure to keep you from losing any French Fries. Nice!)

First, it should be said: the burgers are on the pricier side, but they do come packed with specialty ingredients, and I think you’re about to see that these are easily shareable.  First case in point: the Picnic Burger, which is topped with an entire hot dog, split and grilled. The other ample components include a huge amount of sauerkraut and veggies (which all tasted pleasantly fresh).

The thing that made this one a must-order for me was the obvious chance to compare it to an old (and sadly no-longer with us) favorite: the All-American Picnic Burger that used to be served at Sci-Fi Dine-In. Now, it’s not an exact duplicate, per se… but it’s really, really close.  The Pop version is served on a brioche bun and it’s also topped with cheddar cheese.

Now, what’s the ONE THING we always said was missing from the All-American Picnic Burger at Sci-Fi? Why, yes, you’re correct… we said it was missing CHEESE! But that was it; I loved everything else about it. You may be — as we all are, initially — somewhat disgusted (and oddly simultaneously intrigued) by the whole meat-topped-meat phenomenon. And I get it — I do. But, please, give it a try (and if you’re hesitant, see if you can convince someone in your traveling party to go halfsies).

I love the flavor combo of the grilled burger with the salty hot dog (true, the burger here is a little thinner and less substantial than what we enjoyed at Sci-Fi, but when you’re looking at all this food that might not be a bad thing). Overall, this is just vacation fun on a plate, and I’m glad it’s found its way back in some form.

On the totally opposite side of the spectrum is the Oscar Burger. In case you don’t feel like scrolling back up to re-read the menu ;), this is the one topped with jumbo lump crabmeat, brie cheese, and bernaise sauce. It also includes vine-ripe tomatoes and lettuce, and is topped with an asparagus garnish. I grabbed this one with the pasta salad.

The three large spears of asparagus on top were sautéed in olive oil, and it’s an especially nice touch on a burger at a quick service restaurant.

A nice amount of crab meat is placed on top of the burger, and the mild but rich flavor of the melted brie ended up being a great choice to pair with the salt of the crab. The bernaise sauce, too, was pretty impressive.

Where the Picnic Burger is a fun and kinda wacky combo, the Oscar Burger is practically refined. The combination of the crab, brie and asparagus really make it closer to something that would typically be served at a Table Service restaurant. (The lobster-topped burger at the Grand Floridian Cafe — previously named the Grand Floridian Burger, but now called the Surf and Turf — springs to mind).

The side Pasta Salad, by the way, is a relatively simple and fresh blend with large pieces of tomatoes and cucumbers.

Okay, do you still have room? Because you’re gonna need it to try the Everything Pop Sundae! This massive dessert is served with SIX SCOOPS of ice cream and “multiple toppings.” (Does this sound similar to a certain 8-scoop monster sundae we already know and love?)

By the way, they typically carry six different flavors of ice cream at Everything Pop, so basically you get one scoop each of all the flavors available during your visit.

For me, those flavors ended up being Vanilla Bean, Chocolate, Strawberry, Mint Chocolate Chip, Butter Pecan and Cookies and Cream (feel free to ask if you prefer to double up on any in order to switch out any of the flavors). And, yes, you get to watch the Cast Members gather every single one of those FULL scoops!

Time for those “multiple toppings” (and as you’ll soon see, they aren’t kidding around…)!

TA-DA!!

Ok, sooo… those multiple toppings? Buckle in. Because we’re looking at a full banana (cut in half), M&Ms, gummy worms…

…nuts, hot fudge, brownie bites, rainbow sprinkles, chocolate chips…

… [takes a deep breath] caramel sauce, marshmallows, heath bar bits…

… a  HUGE amount of whipped cream, three maraschino cherries (one “pretty please” on top simply won’t do for this one), aaaannnd TWO Strawberry Pop Tarts!!

I never was sold on the Pop Tarts Breakfast Sandwich, but using them here? I am ALL FOR IT. Seriously, this thing could easily serve a family of four for dessert. When you consider everything involved, the $10.99 price tag is actually pretty sweet (pun intended!). It offers three-fourths of the ice cream of the Kitchen Sink for less than half the price. Along with being a bonafide sugar explosion, it’s just so much FUN… and completely in keeping with Everything Pop, where we’ve pretty much learned to expect the unexpected over the years.

Overall

Looks like Everything Pop is still coming up with no shortage of fun and creative eats! I’m loving the new array of twists on the standard burger. Then again, if a standard burger is what you want, they have that, too. Despite what we’ve shown you today, not everything item on the menu is completely over the top — you can still grab your Counter Service basics as well as soups, pasta, and the like. But if you’re looking for food served up with a side of vacation memories, it’s hard to beat Everything Pop to find it!

Which new speciality burger from Everything Pop looks best to you? And would you be up to tackling the Everything Pop Sundae? Please let us know with a comment!