Pop’s Raw Bar & Restaurant

About

Sports Bars, Live/Raw Food, Seafood

Price Range : $11-30 ($$)

  • star
    Yelp rating
    4 stars

Location

Adress: 48967 Nc 12 Hwy, Buxton, NC 27920

Phone: (252) 995-7734

Business info

  • turned_in_not
    Health Score
    A
  • list_alt
    Takes Reservations
    No
  • directions_car
    Delivery
    No
  • move_to_inbox
    Take-out
    Yes
  • credit_card
    Accepts Credit Cards
    Yes
  • thumb_up
    Good For
    Lunch, Dinner
  • local_parking
    Parking
    Private Lot
  • directions_bike
    Bike Parking
    Yes
  • accessibility
    Good for Kids
    No
  • group
    Good for Groups
    Yes
  • insert_emoticon
    Ambience
    Divey, Casual
  • volume_up
    Noise Level
    Average
  • music_note
    Good For Dancing
    No
  • local_bar
    Alcohol
    Full Bar
  • turned_in_not
    Good For Happy Hour
    Yes
  • calendar_today
    Best Nights
    Tue, Fri, Sat
  • transit_enterexit
    Outdoor Seating
    Yes
  • wifi
    Wi-Fi
    No
  • tv
    Has TV
    Yes
  • turned_in_not
    Waiter Service
    Yes
  • fastfood
    Caters
    No
  • scatter_plot
    Has Pool Table
    No

Reviews

  • Steve Tess T.

    star star star star star 30 July 2026

    Food was very good. I had catfish.  I got 2 pieces of fish, large portion of fries (which looked to me like they were made from fresh cut potatoes) and coleslaw that was just the right amount of sweet. My husband and daughter-in-law got fried shrimp. They were lightly breaded and looked amazing. My daughter got crab balls and crab soup. She said both were delicious. My son got the crab cake sandwich and he lived it. They also have steamed and broiled seafood.  The waitress stays busy. She is the only one for the whole place but she is very friendly and always moving. There are barstools only but they are padded and comfortable. If you have a large party (5 or more) plan to split up. We were able to sit at tables beside each other which worked out fine for us.

    It is not super fancy. The food is great, prices very reasonable, and it looks like a popular place with locals, which makes it my kind of joint!

  • Zena K.

    star star star_border star_border star_border 30 July 2026

    Pops Bar, instead of raw bar, would probably be a more appropriate name for this place. Its definitely a local hole in the wall. I'd be down to come drink here but the food was just not there for me.

    The ambiance is definitely a bar. Your drink comes to you in a styrofoam cup. Shots in a plastic shot glass. Plastic silverware wrapped in a napkin. They automatically bring you tartar sauce and cocktail  sauce in a cup with a lid on it before you even order which I thought was weird? We didn't touch it because we didnt order anything to eat it with, but I guess they just pass it around from table to table which also grossed me out. Who knows if someone opened it and put the lid back on...but anyway, I ordered the crab legs and they came served to me on a wet, brown plastic cafeteria tray. I instantly smelled fishy-ness which was a huge turn off. I know what you're thinking, crab is seafood, but it was honestly so overwhelming I was trying to figure out if something was wrong with them. The butter smelled off too, almost cheesy? I just could not enjoy my meal. Felt like something was spoiled the entire time whether it was the crab or the butter. I definitely would go elsewhere for seafood that's for sure.

    My husband ordered the burger and fries. The burger wasnt bad. Just like a burger from a bar, nothing super tasty. The fries tasted like burnt oil to the point that I spit it out after eating one and everyone knows I love me some fries. Perhaps I'd eat that burger if I was drunk, which a lot of the patrons seem to be. Good place to drink but it's a mehhhhh for the food in my opinion.

  • Rebecca M.

    star star star star star_border 23 July 2026

    Don't expect anything fancy here. Do however, expect some delicious seafood! This is a little hidden gem. Offing bottled beer only, and wine served in tiny Woodbridge bottles. There isn't much seating, and the AC is powered by two window units.

    The food.. is great! Not only is it fresh, the portions are huge.. and the price is unbeatable.

    We had the grouper, and the trio and I must say this was probably our favorite dinner of the whole trip.

  • Nadine C.

    star star star_border star_border star_border 10 July 2026

    We had really high expectations based on the reviews, and maybe that set us up for disappointment.
    First off, the place is pretty small and loud - not a lot of room for any group over 4. However, we totally didn't care about that if the food was good.

    The fried food was good enough. In things like the clam strips, there were just a lot of small breaded pieces that didn't have any clam. The mini crab cakes and the fried oysters were good.  
    The big disappointment was the lemon butter scallops. I know that scallops are frequently faked and made of something else, but we expected the scallops at a seafood restaurant at the beach to be real... we're pretty sure they weren't. They all looked very uniform like they were cut from a cookie cutter, plus in addition they had a really bad smell. They were nice enough to take the scallops off the bill, though, since we didn't eat them.
    Overall, it was fine I guess if you order the right thing. Don't think we'll make a trip back though.

  • Neeti S.

    star star star star star_border 7 July 2026

    Great ambience and good bar food. We ordered the grilled grouper, tuna sandwich and the blackened trigger fish. All the entrees are served with fries and the plates are fries, hushpuppies and coleslaw. The restaurant staff are very friendly and the place was hopping when we went during dinner. The grilled grouper was fresh, flaky and delicious. The star of the dinner was the flavorful trigger fish, it was cooked very well and was really good. The portions are generous and the prices are not expensive. There are some fun quotes on the walls at this place. We will be back when we come down to the island the next time.

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