The 7 Soda Shops of Rexburg Idaho
Congratulations if you’ve made it to our second post. You may be a foodie, a broke college student, a random user in India, or just someone who is hungry. We welcome you!
Here’s where it gets interesting. If you’re new to the Utah/Idaho area, you probably haven’t heard about the chokehold soda shops have on the people here. You probably think of a 50’s movie when you hear the word “soda shop.” The soda shops of today are usually small businesses in the community where locals make their local drink run not for coffee or tea, but for fountain sodas mixed with sugary syrups and creams likely paired with cookies or pretzels. Yes, it does sound like a diabetes epidemic waiting to happen, but it sure is tasty.
In all reality, outside of the LDS community (aka outside Utah and Idaho) the peppy, shiny soda shops are replaced by dozens of cafes and bars. Here in Rexburg, we have seven different soda shops businesses and three with multiple shops in more than one location. If you haven’t been to one yet, chances are that a roommate or classmate will drag you along after class or you’ll meet up with a Mutual match there on a Thursday night.
Similarly to the previous post, we’ll rate the shops by these 5 qualities:
1. Price Range
2. Food Quality/Taste
3. Restaurant Location
4. Restaurant Accommodation
5. Menu Diversity
We’ll start with the most well-known shops and work our way down. First up, Great Scotts.
Great Scotts
Great Scotts is a gas station business with mixed sodas in their convenience store called Redneck Sodas, and are the only soda shop open on Sundays.
1. Price: Their menu has listed $2.25 for a 32oz regular mixed soda and $4.25 for an energy drink mix-in of the same size. Great Scotts offers a free drink every 15 purchases and usually has a deal running on Glasscard.
2. Quality/Taste: Their trademark recipe creates soda with more intense syrup flavors, with consistent taste and quality year-round.
3. Location: There are two locations where you can find Redneck Sodas: 1 mile from campus on S 2nd W and a north Rexburg location 2.6 miles from campus. The business has two other locations, one in Eagle Idaho and the other in Garden Valley.
4. Accommodation: Drive through or walk-in customers are welcome for these stores. The south location has chairs and tables yet it is a place where most people make a quick stop.
5. Diversity: Other than mixed drinks, Great Scotts sells Reed’s Dairy Ice Cream and virtually anything else one could find in a gas station. Some fun perks about Great Scotts are that they offer their own merch t-shirts and hoodies and they come out with new soda flavors every week.
Website: https://www.greatscottsstores.com/
"Yes, it does sound like a diabetes epidemic waiting to happen, but it sure is tasty." <-- Click to Tweet
Sodavine
Sodavine is known for their great social media presence on Instagram, which reflects the social atmosphere of the restaurant.
1. Price: A regular mixed 32oz soda is sold for $2.40, while a 32oz energy drink is $3.80. Most of the soda shops have add-ins like creamers, fruit puree, and fresh fruit for extra and Sodavine is no exception. Punch cards, FHE pricing and combo deals are offered different days of the week.
2. Quality/Taste: Sodavine’s drinks have less of the intense syrupy taste but go for a more flavor blending. Sodavine offers many different add-ons to make drinks more personal, and thoroughly wipe off your cup before handing it out.
3. Location: The three locations of Sodavine are firstly one mile from campus on S 2nd W, a new drive through on the way to Walmart, and another location in St. Anthony.
4. Accommodation: The main Sodavine store is a hub for social activity in Rexburg, with its 50’s themed decorations, couches, and tables. On any given night there is a drink rush around 8-11pm.
5. Diversity: Sodavine has a spread of different drinks, but also sells cookies, pretzels, popcorn, rice crispy treats, Italian ice, and frozen custard.
Website: https://www.sodavine.com/
When you go to a soda shop, what’s your go-to flavor combo? Let us know in the comments!
Pick Me Up
Pick Me Up is newer to Rexburg, with two locations in different parts of town. The business has multiple locations all over Idaho and one in Utah.
1. Price: We have to admit that the prices get confusing. Their menu pricing lists $1.92 for a 32oz mixed drink, but when we went to try it out we informed that the $1.92 was just for soda and everything else was an add-on. We drove away paying much more than we anticipated.
2. Quality/Taste: Their trademark style includes a little lighter on the syrups and heavier on the cream. Every time that we visited, we had soda leaking over the sides.
3. Location: Out of the 12 locations, the first in Rexburg can be found 0.7 miles from campus underneath Northpoint. The second location just popped up in the old Wendy’s by Deseret Industries.
4. Accommodation: Pick Me Up has a walk-in shop as well as a drive through.
5. Diversity: The shop offers mixed sodas, hot chocolate, cookies, and popcorn.
Website: https://www.pickmeupdrinks.com/
Royal Soda
Royal Soda has been in Rexburg for a few years, but manages to stay under the radar by being located in an off street close to Dairy Queen.
1.Price: We have to admit that this shop is more pricey on the drinks by asking $3.35 for a 32oz drink. However, they have punch cards that reward you with a free drink after 5 purchases.
2. Quality/Taste: The taste quality isn’t the best. After multiple visits we concluded that some of their soda recipes clash together and don’t have a pleasant aftertaste.
3. Location: Royal Soda is located 2.2 miles from campus on E 4th N.
4. Accommodation: This business is drive thru only and regurally shares the parking lot with a taco bus.
5. Diversity: Royal Soda offers mixed sodas, hot chocolate, and cookies.
Website: http://places.singleplatform.com/royal-soda/menu?ref=google
What drink place do you think is next for Rexburg?
Barber Pop Shop
The unique selling point of this location is their combination of hair services and mixed drinks. This draws their attention to all consumers, but it’s a mix whether in a good or bad manner.
1. Price: The soda shop sells a 32oz mixed soda for $2.50.
2. Quality/Taste: This shop is probably our least favorite in taste, with an off putting clash of syrup combinations.
3. Location: Despite its negatives, Barber Pop Shop is located 0.8 miles from campus in the beautiful Heming Village.
4. Accommodation: You can order a drink before or after your appointment, or just come for the soda and sit inside.
5. Diversity: Barber Pop Shop offers mixed soda drinks and hot chocolate.
Sips
If we wrote a tagline for this business, it would be: ‘great location, low publicity.’
1. Price: Sips offers 32oz mixed sodas for $2.75 and $4.75 32oz energy mixers.
2. Quality/Taste: The quality and taste fall into the average ranking, not amazing, not bad.
3. Location: Sips is found in the Lodge lobby 0.8 miles from campus.
4. Accommodation: This shop doesn’t offer any tables and chairs but is connected to the apartment lobby that has seats and couches.
5. Diversity: Although sips only offers mixed drinks, they come out with new flavor combinations every week.
Website: https://www.sipscraftdrinks.com/
Mountain Pop Shop
As a newly founded business, Mountain Pop Shop is the hidden gem of Rexburg. This shop makes their own soda syrups, has local nature names for their sodas, and offers flavor combos with recommendations to pair it with a dark or light soda.
1. Price: This location has amazing values, asking $1.99 for a 32oz mixed drink and $4.29 for an energy mixer. They also have value combo deals if you’re hungry as well.
2. Quality/Taste: Because they make their own syrups, Mountain Pop Shop has a delicious and unique blend of flavors.
3. Location: This business is about 2.3 miles from campus, right next to the freeway ramps.
4. Accommodation: Mountain Pop Shop has a drive thru or walk up window option, with some picnic tables to sit at.
5. Diversity: They offer sodas, hot chocolate, bagels, fruit parfaits, cookies, and mini calzones.
Website: https://mountain-pop-shop.square.site/
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