Pop’s Backdoor Pizza and Calzones

Best pizza we’ve had since leaving NYC — really up there as some of the best!!! Perfect crust, great topping options — recommended!

So much «ALMOST!»
Their pizza is great — inventive toppings, satisfying crust, great amount of red sauce. It is almost amazing, but just not enough food for what you’re paying. ($ 10 gets you a personal pan-​ish sized pie). The pizza holds up to next-​day eating excellently, as well.
The space has so much ALMOST potential. I have pined for a neighborhood bar near us just north of Hope Valley. They’ve got the bar, but the lighting is harsh, bright, and fluorescent. The only music is piped in on a cable TV station while other TVs compete for noise space and a fourth TV sits awkwardly black. They’ve got the potential for a cozy layout, but it’s not decorated with any semblance of a theme, has a strange kids corner, has whiteboards instead of what could be a great chalkboard wall, odd paint color, etc. AUGH — I really think this spot could be great. As it is, it’s very good food for okay prices that make for good takeout.
As others have mentioned, Ricky (at the cashier) is great — warm, service-​oriented, and a great reason to go visit.

Eat here immediately. Their pizzas and calzones are amazing, they have really inventive specials each day (broccoli mozzarella salad, bacon soup of some kind which sounds so good right now), and the space is really kid friendly and casual. But the main reason you should go here is that the staff are LITERALLY the nicest people in the entire world, every time. Ricky is the friendliest human you will ever meet and it is a pleasure to order pizza from him. Man! I’m in a good mood just thinking about it. Also, gluten free dough. YUM FOREVER.

I ate here today and I have to admit my food was amazing! If you’re looking for a no frills pizza shop this place is it. They had lots of gourmet options but I had the pepperoni pizza slice with the baby greens, goat cheese and candied pecans salad… perfection. My pizza was perfectly crispy and my salad was fresh and filling. This little gem is in close proximity to my workplace and I had no Idea it was so good. I’m glad I stopped by and I definitely plan to eat here again.

OMG, my daughter who takes class at the dance studio next door told us about this pizza place. Upon entering Ricky at the desk (a bubbly and helpful fellow) gave us some good suggestions with a smile. The pizza we ultimately selected was #6 off of the menu… the Pesto w/​onions and chicken (BBQ).
The pizza came to table piping hot and WOW… it was a super thin crunchy crust… that is what makes the pizza after all.
and grab your favorite flavor of a Boylan in the bottle.

Ordered a baby fields salad with candied pecans and goat cheese. Great salad if all I wanted was baby greens which I could have gotten at Harris teeter salad bar for $ 2. Nonexistent pecans and goat cheese. I basically paid $ 10 for some baby greens. Never again. You just lost any future business from me

My husband and I don’t play games when it comes to finding a great pizza place. It took many visits and failures at other pizza establishments to finally find Pop’s Pizza. As a Kentuckian, I tend to gravitate toward Chicago style pizza. Bread has always been very important to me. However, the New York style pizza they serve has converted me. My husband, who lived in Brooklyn and is originally from Massachusetts, also gives it his seal of approval.
The pizza slices are HUGE, so don’t worry about being hungry. Our favorite is the sausage and pepperoni pizza, because they are the biggest pepperoni slices that I have ever seen. If you are able, always sit outside. It’s so relaxing and beautiful with the vines everywhere.

The pizza is great even for vegans. More important the staff is so nice that makes you want to come back again and again. It takes some time for your food to come showing that it is are fresh.
Their French fries are great and help with the wait.

The pizza was great, and Ricky at the front was an absolute sweetheart. Also the shop itself is super cute. Highly recommend!

We love Pop’s. Excellent pizza, and interesting gourmet options available. Good salads. The low key, kid friendly ambiance is also worth going for if you have kids. There is a kids’ corner with books and games, which my children love. It’s the only place in Durham that I can go out to lunch or dinner with my kids and actually kick back and relax, even if it’s just myself and them. Very glad to have an option like this available!
Just to note: the Brie, Granny Smith Apple, truffle oil pizza rocks my world!

I’ve eaten at Pop’s Backdoor a few times over the years, beginning when it was actually served out of the back door of Pop’s. In my experience, they have always served terrific pizza, of the thin-​ish crust variety with a fresh ingredients and a reasonable amount of cheese. The issue for me became when they moved to a storefront location and the customer service just went out the door — I had to fight to keep the attention of the person taking my order, and I got the wrong order more than a couple of times, so I stopped going for a couple of years. In my opinion, this is still the best pizza in Durham, so my husband and I stopped in today (Sunday around 2 pm) to try again, and I am very pleased that we did. The pizza was terrific as always, and the person who took our orders, brought out our pizza, and checked in on us (Josh) could not have been more pleasant or polite, and I hope that this is able to continue, particularly during a more normal meal time.
One recommendation though — please add recycling bins!

This is the most kid friendly restaurant in Durham. They have a great kids corner with games, books and chairs, which makes the short wait for food a breeze if you’re with kids. There’s enough space to separate yourself from the kids if that’s not your thing, as well.
The food is fantastic. Their menu is based off the now defunct Pop’s that was a staple in the Brighleaf Square area of Durham for 2 decades. You can get their mussels, salads and pizzas.
I also recommend their sandwiches. We love the Chicken Parmigiana Sandwich and the meatball sandwich.

Good menu of pizzas and some pretty large calzones in a fast-​food setting. Beer is sold and they have TV’s.

Okay so this was a fist time try of this spot for lunch and the Buttermilk Fried Chicken wings were recommended. I mean who doesn’t love wings??? So I went for it and let me just say they were quite tasty. All that flavorful crispy deliciousness dipped in homemade ranch, my goodness I was in heaven. They do offer the traditional unbattered fried wing sauced to your liking but if you just want some good olé fried chicken go for the Buttermilk Fried Chicken you won’t be disappointed!
The pizza my friend ordered looked yummy also, I guess I should go back and try it!

The pizza is brick-​oven-​style with a crispy crust. Everything is fresh. My son says it’s the best pizza on earth. They have other great entrees as well, including pasta bowls.

Very casual place with creative and delicious toppings/​fillings for pizza and calzones. The #5 polpette was excellent, as was the ceasar salad. Will definitely be coming back here when in need of a good Italian fix without all the fuss of having to dress up.
If you’re dining in, as we did, it does get noisy. This seems to be a favorite place for families with young children. Next time we’ll get take out.

The food was very good. Our group started with the mussels and calamari, and I got the scallops with polenta and a green vegetable, all of which were fantastic.
I was debating between 2 stars and 3 because the service was god awful. I went with a group of about 8 and it was fairly late on a thursday so the restaurant was nearly empty. We were sitting for about 15 minutes before my friend finally flagged down the waitress to put in a drink order. The drinks took another 20 minutes to come out, the majority of which were not complicated orders. The food also came out very slow.
When it was time to pay, we asked her to split the checks. 15 minutes later she came out with 8 wrong checks. People were getting bills with other peoples drinks on them and other orders, it was a mess. We didn’t want to wait any longer so we all just paid and left.
Overall, it was great food with horrible service.

If it weren’t for their great food and convenient location, I would have only given them one star (or none).
I’ve been there numerous times since they opened a few years ago and they’ve consistently provided atrocious service. It’s *incredibly* slow, they’ve served our pizza to the wrong table on more than one occasion, and when you speak up about it, they’re apathetic at best. It’s very disappointing, as their food is really good and I’d love to continue eating there. But after the last of many bad experiences, we’ve sworn them off for good. (Plus they’re pretty pricey for what you get.)

First time here. Listen, this place is owned by a young married couple, and I would love to support their dream! The husband took our order and was super nice. He seemed genuinely interested in his customers.
The food was awesome. Went with my mom and ordered a 10 inch pizza with green olives (WIN!!!) and roasted garlic broccoli. Also got 10 wings. The wings were perfect and crispy. Sauced just right. Mom is from Buffalo so she’s really picky! Pizza could have had a little more cheese, but it was crispy and the sauce had a great flavor. We will be back!

I can count on one hand the number of times I’ve only ever ordered one thing at a restaurant on multiple visits. But the The Northerner pizza here is absolutely sublime. It has Shaved Beef, Herb Roasted Mushrooms, Gorgonzola & White Truffle Oil. This is outstanding Pop’s food in a nice casual dining room at what seems like half the price. I love being able to just bounce in, have the cashier hand me a beer, and just take a seat. No pressure, just amazing food. It’s rich, and filling, and luxurious. I’ll probably never order anything else, and can’t recommend it highly enough.
I also need to just add, their specials are also a great opportunity for classic Pop’s food at bargain prices. On our first visit he ordered crab-​stuffed shells in a pink sauce, for ONLY $ 8! It was rich and creamy and homemade, and we had some to take home. You’ve gotta check this place out if you live in South Durham.