Wonderful, friendly service. Water ice and ice cream very good. Very clean, owner a great man, what else can I say the place is a great place to go to and take your children. read more

A medium with peach + mango for $4 (cash only). The peach was excellent -- it had actually chunks of fruit. The mango was OK, not as good as the peach. I tried the watermelon later but the peach is still my favorite. read more

So I'm originally from Los Angeles California and we have a place in Anaheim called Joe's Italian ice, this place reminded me a lot of that. I can see now where they got the concept of this from, apparently "water ice" first originated here in Philly before making its way out to our original home town. This was definitely the second best I've ever had, but my exposure to Italian / water ice is limited. It was really great, it would be even better if they put little tiny chunks of fruit in it, but still like 8/10 rating. I would definitely come back here! read more

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Pop's Homemade Water Ice is a pillar of Philly's water ice scene and having been open for 90+ years, they're doing something right! ---- Highlights: Pop's offers ~16 flavors for water ice and the option for gelati (water ice and ice cream combo). They are fast- the water ice was scooped before I even finish paying! ---- As I came on a rainy day, there was no line and the service at the window was fast! By the time I handed over my dollar bill, the water ice and my $1 soft pretzel were already scooped and ready for me. I was thoroughly impressed by the mango water ice flavor. The texture is not icy, but rather very smooth. The flavoring was not too sweet and the portions are of good sizes! As a tip, Pop's only accepts cash. Additionally, while the $1 soft pretzel is not anything to write home about flavor/texture-wise, it is a deal! However, personally, I'd suggest that your money is better spend upgrading your water ice size! :) read more

Pop's Homemade Water Ice - Menu - Desserts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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I was in town only for a few days, traveling for work, and wanted to have as much of a South Philly experience as possible! Pop's was the number one place recommended, and it exceeded my expectations! I'm used to homemade Italian ice where I come from, in Chicago. I just figured water ice was a ridiculous oxymoron name, some wacky Philadelphia lingo (and for sure they would tell us that so many Chicago things are wacky!) but if this is the top place to go, then I'm going! The young men at the window of this to-go-only place we're super friendly, down to earth, funny, efficient, and most importantly helpful! At their recommendation, I I ordered the lemon and the double chocolate. A medium size was more than enough for one hungry person. They also gave me a little 1 oz sample of coconut and it was excellent. The lemon and double chocolate water ices were outstanding! They were so fresh, made right there on the spot. You could not taste added sugar, these water ices just tasted homemade and perhaps made that day, definitely made right there at their location. No comparison anywhere else. There were bits of lemon and in the other, little chocolate chips, adding texture to the slushie treat. By comparison, water ice is not the same as Italian Ice I'm used to in the Italian neighborhoods in Chicago where it's significantly closer to solid. I really liked the texture, feel in the mouth, and how feeling I got from it. To make a clear distinction, this is not like a lousy slushy from a gas station. Pop's is a million times better. It's also not those lousy Dippin Dots, Frozen tiny balls of artificially flavored ice. Again, this was a million times better. While I was there enjoying my dessert, I half a dozen other customers had come and gone. It seemed like everyone knew each other and they all knew what to order. You know you're at the right place when you're at the most popular place in the neighborhood. Pops is a must-eat treat. read more

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Cheap, yummy, and friendly service. I got the black cherry and personally really loved it! You can tell the water ice here is not processed with chemicals and crazy sugar. Tastes very fresh and natural. read more

No better place to get Water Ice than this South Philly Landmark Establishment. Don't be discouraged if you see a line, because there is a line most if the time, and that's because it's worth waiting in line for! You won't wait long because the friendly employees keep the line moving. If visiting South Philly for the 1st time or just running into the city for an errand make some time for Pop's! read more

Pop's Homemade Water Ice - June 2022 - Desserts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Water ice is a must-try when visiting Philadelphia. It is available in various flavors at Pop's. it is much better than snow cones; it's smooth and refreshing, great for a humid hot summer day. read more

Pop's Homemade Water Ice - Desserts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

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Stopped here after work several times this summer- was the perfect place to introduce a friend to Philly's water ice for the first time. I go for the classic mango and vanilla soft serve combo, but also enjoy some of their other flavors. Quick service, cheap and really tasty!! read more

Pop's Homemade Water Ice - Mango water ice with vanilla soft serve - Desserts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I had the best water ice of my life at Pop's. It was peach, and it was perfect. Icy cold on a hot day, I didn't mind the brain freeze because it was so good. There were little bits of fresh peach, and it was delicious. Blueberry water ice was good. Husband got a gelati for a cold blueberries-and-cream treat. A small was just $2 and was perfect on a hot afternoon. I can't believe I'd never been here until now. My plan was to try all of the water ice places around the city. But after Pop's, it's going to be hard to go anywhere else. read more

This was not good to me. Texture is smooth but flavor was a huge miss. Tastes like a chest throat lozenge. Threw the whole cup in the trash. read more

Excellent, tasty, good portions and good prices, Service was quick in light of the heat outside and the line of customers Will definitely come back with others , this is tastiest home made water ice I have enjoyed by far! read more

Three years down the road and time for a brief update. Now when I say three years, it's not that I haven't been back in three years it's just that this is the first time I've given a damn to actually check in and write something. Black Cherry - Chocolate - Peach - Watermelon I don't do chocolate anything so I don't know about that but the black cherry and the peach I sampled were as expected amazing. Full of flavor and the perfect texture of smooth with some slight chunks here and there. Parking as usual is a squirrely choice of tight residential, angled parking on Oregon Ave. or the more popular choice which is to double park in the bike lane right in front of the store. It was a weekday and the Phillies weren't home so while it wasn't busy there was a steady stream of cars pulling up to get their fix. It took maybe a minute to order, pay and get our ice with no one in front of us although the family behind us ordered over seventy dollars worth for their group. I also found it funny when driving back to 76 to pass the Rita's a few blocks down on Oregon and of course it was a ghost town. Go figure. Even on their worst day the stuff that Pop's is selling beats the big R and up where I live there is no one making their own ice with flavor this good so I have no problem stopping every summer for a reminder of what ice should taste like. read more

Not to be confused with Peps (bald guys who manage Man City), pips (things inside lemons and oranges), Peeps (insanely sweet Easter marshmallow bunny things), Pups (loveable furry babies), or Poops (what Pups do regularly), this is a place which everyone in Philly - and every visitor to Philly - should try. And tragically, almost nobody does. You can tell by the number of reviews - or lack thereof. What to get: Water Ice and Gelati. What not to get: A spot on Jerry Springer to try and find out who your Pops is. Water Ice is like the Roast Pork Sandwich and the infamous Cheesesteak. Only unlike the Cheesesteak (and much like the Pork), it's absolutely delicious. I have no idea why, of these 3 claims to food fame, it's the bland, boring one (Cheesesteak) that became internationally famous. Forget it. Come here and get yourself a water ice or a Gelati, and you'll see what I mean. Water Ice has been exported around the country now by Rita's, which is from Philly, but it's still not as famous as it should be. In South Philly you have an assortment of tiny little family-owned water ice shops, which over time will go out of business if we are unlucky. I believe Italiano's already has, or will be soon. That leaves Dati's, John's, Jimmy's, a few others that I can't remember... and my favourite: Pop's. The Lemon is good, with chunks of Lemon Rind in it. Cherry is okay. Black Cherry is excellent. Ginger Ale flavour is yum. Chocolate flavour water ice is a Philly specialty and doesn't taste great to me anywhere I get it. The Lime is sweet and good. Mango is good. Coconut is delicious. Yummy af. And it only costs 1.75 for a pretty big cup of water ice. Gelati mixes layers of frozen custard with water ice. It sounds like it might not work but it absolutely does. It's wonderful. Rita's does a version using soft serve and it works really well, but since you can get that at Rita's, skip that option, and do the Pop's original, the unique specialty for South Philly Water Ice shops... the Gelati using hand-dipped hard ice cream. Vanilla, specifically. The service is usually lovely, unless this one very tanned brunette girl is serving. She is sooooo mean. But you know what. I kind of like it. Don't tell her. With great service and a wonderful range of delicious water ice flavours, this is one of the best and most traditional dessert spots on the east coast. I hope it never goes away, but with under 50 reviews (when some of the trendy crap has 500), I fear for all of us and our history and these sorts of hidden gems, as homogenized culture takes over and ruins everything that made food and drink and dessert, great. Yes, you should visit Pop's. Very soon. One day you won't be able to anymore. And then I won't be able to rap anymore. If you lose pen TOPS and you clean with MOPS If you have mad HOPS and you're licking your CHOPS If you're hassled by COPS and they give you no PROPS The problem STOPS when you go to POP'S Your friends are SLOPS and your plans are FLOPS Your plumbing PLOPS and you work black OPS You dance to BOPS holding riding CROPS But the penny DROPS when you go to POPS So go to sweatSHOPS and shout from hillTOPS On planes (nonSTOPS) and hotels (bellHOPS) Write Fables (aeSOPS) wearing glasses (eyeDROPS) And write on deskTOPS there's no place like POP'S Whether you're a CYLOPS or triceraTOPS Whatever the backDROPS, mountaintops & rainDROPS For the Jurgen KLOPPS and the geeks on lapTOPS Forget the pawnSHOPS, let's all go to POP'S WHAT read more

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Pops Water ice or Wooderice in Philly, is a prime example of what Philadelphia water ice should taste like. It is not too sweet. It has just the right amount of flavoring. When I eat a water ice I want it to be crisp and cold. That is exactly what you get at Pops! It is easily accessible of of Oregon Avenue in South Philly right around 15th Street if I remember correctly. The staff is very professional and very courteous. I have heard of Pops for a very long time. They have been established since 1932 so they have to be doing something right. I just made it down here after all of my life living in Philadelphia. It is across the city for me but we made the trek down and I'm glad we did. Pops is a South Philly staple and they are very lucky to have such a place. read more

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Great water ice with varieties of flavor. Friendly service. You can try first. They sell ice cream, frozen banana, pretzels to dipped into the water ice. You can make gelati too. read more

Delish!! Best we've had! And perfect friendly service. A nice walk through the neighborhood while we enjoyed the dessert!

Congratulations to POPS for winning Best of Philly. No need to convince this city loving girl stuck in water ice suburgatory. The Italian ice sugary dessert was brought to south Philly by Immigrant Italians. Now there are at least 6 more flavors beyond the Lemon and Cherry of my youth. Today I had Pineapple with bits of real pineapple within. Heaven in summer! Sure there is one in the burbs but i like the excitement of pulling up to Pops, seeing the line, double parking and rushing up to get my cup of pure pleasure before being ticketed by Philly's finest. A summer city tradition for this suburbanite. And all you newbies to water ice: Eat it from the cup like a local. No spoons ever! read more

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This place is certainly better than Rita's. The water ice does not contain as much sugar and when it melts actually tastes like juice. If you ever let Rita's melt, what you get is a nasty, sticky sugar syrup like lukewarm flat soda. However, I was disappointed that the water ice at Pop's still comes off as somewhat artificial. There's food coloring added and some of the flavors still don't taste like the real thing. I was expecting my lime water ice to taste like fresh homemade limeade and the water melon to taste like fresh water melon slices but they didn't. They tasted more like diluted lime and watermelon candy. The jersey peach one was really good and actually tasted like fresh peaches. I guess my standards for "homemade" are higher! Overall the water ice here is 5x better than Rita's and I would recommend you try it. Cash only though. I spent $27 on 5 quarts and was hoping to use my card (for that cash back you know?) but nope. read more

Pop's Homemade Water Ice - Watermelon, mango, lime, black cherry, and peach. The flavors weren't as real as I had hoped food coloring added but still good. - Desserts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

I'm normally a creature of habit and when the Rita's near me closed down, I was really upset. I do enjoy the selection and the freshness of pops water ice. The staff there is very very nice and they are very very kind to my daughter. They have a huge selection to choose from and each one is better than the next. read more

My husband and son LOVE this place. It's our stop after watching the Phillies or just visiting family. Hubby loves the water ice and gelatto. He grew up eating Pops Water Ice. My son loves the ice cream on a cone. Me... eh .. not a fan but I know it's me and something I'm just not used to eating. It's just not for me. The water ice is like flavored shaved ice. Very watery that you need a spoon. I tried it a few times but I had to drink it causing a few bouts with brain freeze. The ice cream tasted really "fluffy" to me. So two out of three members of my family absolutely LOVE this place which is why I scored it a 4. We will be back for the hubs and the kid read more

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I appreciate local businesses and water ice is a very welcome seasonal treat born out of Philadelphia. However, I wasn't super impressed by my experience at Pop's. The young woman working the window was a little curt and my order was incorrect. When I realized this and went back over to the window, I was given a brand new full-size replacement, no questions asked. That was nice. The water ice itself was extra watery and the flavor was kind of bland (I had cherry and lemon). Maybe we stopped by on an off day. I'd give it another shot if I was in the area. Also, they sell soft pretzels and there's nothing like a water ice and soft pretzel combo! read more

We got the watermelon and mango ice. The flavors were so perfect together. Both are super fruity, tart and sweet. There's a small window to order at and you get yours really quickly. It's such a perfect, refreshing snack while you're walking around. They have quite a few other offerings though so I'd give them a go if you're in the area and wanna sip on something between meals! read more

As the dog days of summer come, water ice establishments open up for the the year, if they haven't already. This is a local establishment, right off the Oregon St station. Its a nice quick refreshing snack as the weather begins to warm up. read more

As far as I can tell. the lemon water ice here is the only water ice in Philly that uses actual fruit. read more

Pop's Homemade Water Ice - Pop's Water Ice Oregon Av South Philly One of, if not the best, old school water ice joints. - Desserts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Quick, efficient, just enough options to get you what you want. Loved the mix of the blue and red, and got some pretzels on the side as well! Would love to come back for the gelati, a milkshake, or frozen banana. read more

I'll make this short and sweet (literally) ..... coconut water ice mixed with pineapple water ice and a splash of rum (or more whatever makes you happy) makes for a delightfully easy summer treat read more

We ended up at Pop's because the Rita's down the street only had banana and mint water ice. But boy am I glad we ended up here. Pops has some of the best water ice I've had. GREAT flavors and prices!! read more

Best water ice ! Ice cream! Shakes around ! Come on they been here for over 75 years must tell you something!!!

Do you remember when water ice used to be served by mom and pop stands, and had chunks of real fruit in it? Do you yearn for those days, and harbor a secret hatred against Rita's for driving most of those places out of business? If so, fear not--at least in Philly, not all of the family owned homemade water ice stands have gone out of business, as I learned yesterday upon paying a visit to Pop's for a late afternoon treat. Upon stopping by, I ordered small water ices for myself and my mom, which, at $1.75 each, are a downright bargain. Although Pop's offers several different flavors, we ordered lemon because it's the standard flavor by which all water ice should be judged. Upon digging in, the water ice the perfect temperature--cold enough not to melt too quickly, but soft enough to allow for easy consumption and some melting, which is essential to the water ice eating experience. The thing that excited me the most, however, were the miniature pieces of lemon rind in the water ice--something I last encountered in the early '90's. Eating Pop's water ice transported me right back to my childhood, with the taste and texture of old school water ice before Rita's homogenized the water ice industry. Because I also had a hankering for a Philly soft pretzel, I ordered one of them as well. While it was a bargain at $0.60, it wasn't the freshest I'd ever had, and it was lighter on the salt than I think is proper. However, it wasn't totally stale, either, and it was convenient to be able to grab both Philly treats in one place, esp. since I didn't feel like driving around to find a pretzel bakery or street vendor. Despite the mediocre pretzel, I'm awarding a five star rating because of the excellence of Pop's namesake product, water ice. If you have a hankering for water ice or you're looking to try this Philly frozen delicacy, check out Pop's, because water ice doesn't get any better than they serve here. If the other flavors are as good as the lemon, you can't go wrong! read more

Pop's Homemade Water Ice - Lemon water ice--after having eaten some - Desserts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

In bed with strep and all I wanted was water-ice for din since it's hard for me to swallow. Hubs ran out to Pop's to grab me a pineapple, which is what I was craving. It was AWFUL!! It was watery and tasteless. It had a few rind pieces, but not enough to make up for the lack of flavor! It was worse than the chain that begins with an "R", if you can imagine! Thinking maybe it was that flavor, I tried the mango and banana he also bought for our girls. (Separate spoons of course) Mango was the best of the three, but still not good. Thinking also it may have just been my taste was off since I'm sick, I asked him to try all three...he was equally dissatisfied! Our girls followed suit and they agreed. "It's the worst we've ever had". (We've become South Philly water-ice snobs over the years). What a waste! I heard they had gone down hill, but didn't expect this! I mean, it's sugar and water!! How can you mess that up?! So off he went again to our go-to. The only reason we strayed was because I wanted pineapple and our regular joint didn't have it today since they make theirs fresh daily! Never again! It's a shame, because Pop's has a great reputation and is somewhat of a South Philly institution, but this was unacceptable. Just bad! I rarely give 1 star ratings and I hate wasting food, but down the drain it went, and here is my one star. There are so many incredible mom & pop water-ice joints in South Philly, don't waste your time here! The Pop's that once was is no longer. read more

I'm actually surprised they don't have more reviews up here. Well, allow me to boost them by one review at least. I'm a Pop's guy. Always have been. Mom used to take me here after Phillies games when I was a kid. It's just one of those South Philly places that got burned into my mind from an early age that I held on to as places to remember my youth. But really, it comes down to the quality of the water ice. Now, I'm a purist when it comes to Pop's. If I go to other water ice places, I want to try their flavors. I want to see what they have to offer. But when I come to Pop's, I want one thing... lemon! No one in the metropolitan Philadelphia area does lemon water ice better than Pop's. That includes the corporate Rita's. That includes the supermarket Rosati cups. I don't care where you go. In fact, there was only one place I wanted to celebrate after catching a foul ball at a Phillies game this past April. I went straight to Pop's and savored the experience with my lemon water ice. And it was a perfect ending. read more

My cousin brought me here after a night of jogging. She said her daycare use to take her here all the time. Her favorite is the Chocolate water ice with a "Pretzel rod" which is just those hard pretzel sticks. She likes to dip the rod in the water ice .. very interesting girl she is. The combo wasn't weird but chocolate water ice was a bit weird to me. I had the Pineapple water ice. I liked it. It wasn't too sweet and there were chunks of pineapple (I'm guessing) in it. We also had a Pizza Pretzel. I've never had it with cheese whiz before. I liked it! I need to come back for another one. **CASH ONLY!** read more

I've been coming here since I was a little girl and never have I been disappointed with the quality of the water ice. It's always amazing. I came here after a jog with my cousin. Pop's water ice became our motivation to continue and finish our run. I got the usual chocolate water ice and pretzel rod. Apparently that's a South Philly thing - water ice and pretzel rod. The chocolate water ice never disappoints. My cousin opted for the pineapple water ice. It was really good it had pineapple pieces in it. Tasted like I was eating a pineapple slushie. We also had a pizza pretzel as a post work out snack and it was good. I expected for them to use cheese slices but they used cheese whiz instead. Still really good. *CASH ONLY* read more

Pop's Homemade Water Ice - blueberry, chocolate, pineapple, and mango - Desserts Near Me - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Love the water ice ,but the young lady often working at the counter probably would be better off scooping the water ice rather then dealing with the costumers. She comes off as rude . I've never wrote a bad review ,but I always think twice before going there . read more

This is the real thing people! South Philly Native born & raised & i'm telling you how this is the authentic original with hunks of fruit right it. John's is a close 2nd, Rita's a distant 3rd. Marrone's in West Philly used to be great but they changed owners, not sure. read more

I've been slurping Pop's Italian Ices since I was a kid visiting my grandparents down the block. It's never changed in all those years, other than adding some new flavors. As a purist, nothing beats the lemon ice with the pieces of rind and seeds in your cup. Simply the best, nothing anywhere comes close, especially Rita's. Friendly staff, always nicest people with accents that remind me of my childhood. : ) read more

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Cash only delicious and quintessentially Philly summer cheap treat. I think that sums up Pop's. Craving the lemon water ice with bits of rind and not too sweet. read more

10/5. So refreshing. I got the watermelon water ice and the mr got the root beer water ice. Was sooo yummy and not overly sweet. I think next time we might have to just order all of the flavors and just stand there and devour them all. read more

Pops you are one of the great water ice places in the city. You have a wide selection of frozen treats, but my go to is always a vanilla and cherry water ice gelati and you do a great job. Water ice is pretty well done, but ice is a bit chunkier than Johns or Italianos who I think are in a similar classification of place. Pops does have a great proximity to a park right across the street which makes it a nice place to eat your water ice or other frozen treat. Serving size is good and pricing is fair. If you're in the area coming from a game or just walking through South Philly, would highly recommend. Support your local water ice!! read more