King of Pops

Normally, I do my Monday post about my weekend. However, it was so miserably hot that I was mostly indoors. In addition to my weekend posts, I also cover Atlanta places/eateries on my blog from time to time, so I decided to combine these two features into one post!

It was nearly 100F outside, and was so hot and muggy, that it was hard to breathe. I needed refreshment and fast. The place I wanted to try was the King of Pops. Owned by Steven Carse, a former AIG employee who was laid off (hello, I can relate!), the King of Pops is a popsicle cart that features uniquely-flavored pops made with fresh ingredients from local farmers' markets. The flavors change daily are always written on his sign beside the cart.

While his usual location is at a gas station, it's best to follow the KOP via Twitter (@thekingofpops) so you can find out his flavors for the day, his location and hours (the pic above is from his Twitter). It brings a bit of novelty to it. Look at the flavors! They remind me of paletas I had in Mexico.

He's usually around the same gas station from 3-7:30pm and 12-7:30pm on weekends depending on weather. I suggest not to wait, because he does sell out. He's a nice, laid-back guy (I'd be grumpy in the heat) and serves with a smile. The press and events for this guy are everywhere--he's been on CNN, he recently made pops for the Vampire Diaries cast, and he's been featured on Bakerella and Daily Candy, among many others.

Popsicle #1 was the Chocolate Sea Salt. Man, it was good but started melting immediately. I loved the creaminess of the chocolate with just the slightest hint of salt.

The bestie had the strawberry balsamic. See the strawberry seeds? It was great and refreshing. We'll definitely be going back.


Price: $2.50 per pop (but sometimes he'll do a 3 for $5 deal later in the day or at events)


Location: Buddy's Gas Station 1079 North Ave Northeast Atlanta, GA 30307-1426. Look for the mural painted on the wall. He goes to events all over the city as well. Check his site/twitter.


Hours: 3-7:30 M-F; noon-7:30 weekends (weather can change hours). Again, follow him on Twitter (Twitter.com/thekingofpops) for menu, location, and hours.


Elle's Tips: While he will open the pops for you from their cellophane wrappers, napkins were not found, so bring your own. I found only the chocolate sea salt melted super fast, while the other flavors held together better (plus it was a heat index of 103F). This is one popsicle that you don't need (or want to) wait to eat! Also, he sells shirts bearing the King of Pops logo on site. The popsicles are from local markets, are fresh, vegan and organic (when possible) as well. I love how word-of-mouth has made this a popular spot and how someone was able to turn a bad situation of losing a job into a good one. Don't wait too late or you might miss the pops--this happened to me once before.

How was YOUR weekend? Have you ever had paletas before?