| Location: | Pop’s Place |
| Website: | https://burger.thepopsplace.com/ |
| Address: | Cankarjevo nabrežje 3, 1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia“BBQ Spare Ribs,” French fries, two ½ Lager, a bottle of “Batch 50” Russian Imperial Stout |
| Status: | Open (last checked on 17 May 2025) |
| Eaten: | "BBQ Spare Ribs," French fries, two ½ Lager, a bottle of "Batch 50" Russian Imperial Stout |
The Pop’s place was one of the reasons for my first-ever visit to Ljubljana. A Slovenian colleague of mine had recommended Pop’s as one the best burger places ever, and I must admit he was right. The “classic” burger I had tried two days ago was unbelievable, and the “Dirty Mäc” (the restaurant’s own interpretation of Big Mac) had not been bad either. But when I saw spare ribs on the menu, I made the point of not leaving Slovenia until I tried them.
Today was a perfect opportunity. With my train’s departure still two hours away and a heavy rain ensuring that I could not walk around the city anyway, the ribs seemed to be the perfect choice. The service was super-friendly and efficient as always, and the Lager I ordered offered a perfect combination of freshness and reasonably low amount of alcohol.
Perhaps, following two exceptional burgers, my expectations had been set at too high a level, but at first, the ribs did not impress me much. To start with, they were served lukewarm. Maybe that was on purpose, but somehow I got the impression that the dish did not stay in the microwave long enough. The meat was also quite tough, evidence to having been cooked a long time ago. Finally, the six pre-cut ribs that were served to me did not appear like a lot of food.
My first impressions improved later on. As the meat turned colder, it actually became more enjoyable to eat, tasting more like an intentionally cold dish than a sloppily warmed up one. The marinade was really good, effectively eliminating any taste of pig, and the BBQ sauce was top-class. Size-wise, the ribs turned out to be sufficient as well, though perhaps by the time I finished them, my stomach was too full of the Lager. Still, at under 18 euros, the ribs were not overly expensive, so I would say, the size/price ratio was absolutely fine.
Yet, if you are in Ljubljana and decide to visit Pop’s Place (which is a must, if you ask me), go for a burger. There are better spare ribs places in the city, and while Pop’s burgers will make your Ljubljana visit unforgettable, the spare ribs won’t.