If your idea of dinner out doesn't include a lot of noise and a ton of kids, you might want to steer clear of The Pop Shop on Haddon Avenue.

If, however, you're family-oriented, you'll be in for tasty and creative comfort cuisine—and a rather unique dining experience that boasts family-friendly, 1950s retro appeal.  

Perhaps appearances on The Food Network and Nickelodeon (not to mention numerous local recognitions), is why The Pop Shop is mobbed on weekends. Or maybe it's the restaurant's old-fashioned soda shop feel, mixed with modern twists like black and white tiled floors, a vintage jukebox and quirky clocks.

Friday night, I was met with scores of children and families at the counter of a mirrored soda fountain, as retro-dressed servers dolled-out Bassett's hand-dipped ice cream cones, milkshakes, sundaes, and other sweet treats.

Possibly the best feature is breakfast is served all day. But the dinner menu offers burgers, sandwiches—and a grilled cheese that almost put Bobby Flay to shame.

Despite the crowd, I didn't wait long before getting a booth. While the massive menu charmingly mimicked a newspaper, there were so many selections my head spun. But our server, Andy, was gracious, telling us not to rush. It took 15 minutes to decide whether to try breakfast or dinner, another 15 to sift through options. 

But food came quickly. Pizza fries were covered in pizza sauce, oozing with melted mozzarella cheese. There wasn't an abundance of sauce, which was good because the crisp, hand-cut fries didn't get soggy as often happens with similar dishes.

The crab pretzel is a long, doughy South Philly pretzel covered in creamy crab dip, topped with melted cheddar and Jack.  It was phenomenal, with hints of old bay seasoning and chunks of crabmeat covered in a smooth cheesy topping.

The breakfast menu was huge and tempting, with the cinnamon bun French toast a new item worth trying—a sticky cinnamon bun-meets eggy French toast. Four thick pieces came in cinnamon and vanilla flavors, griddled for a toasty taste and texture. Topped in sweet butter and powdered sugar, maple syrup isn't necessary.

The only disappointment was the side of sausage. Shriveled and almost jerky-like in texture, it resembled microwavable rather than hot and fresh, juicy links. 

With 30 selections of grilled cheese, all named after streets in Collingswood, I had a tough choice to make. Going back to basics, I ordered a grilled cheese and tomato sandwich. And "The Ogden" was not disappointing. Thick, country white bread was buttered generously, lightly toasted and offered a crunchy contrast to commonly gooey renditions I've had. The dish was served with a comforting bowl of creamy tomato soup with goldfish crackers swimming in it.

The dessert menu is another chore to sift through with tons of flavored sodas, candy-centric sundaes, deluxe milkshakes and other desserts. The black cow was just as you'd expect—fizzy root bear mixed with several scoops of vanilla ice cream, topped with swirls of chocolate syrup and whipped cream. The ice cream melted into the soda, forming a velvety liquid that was easy to swallow.

The cupcake milkshake tastes exactly like a vanilla cupcake. Bits of actual cake blended with vanilla ice cream were topped with thick, pink icing from an actual cupcake, and a mountain of whipped cream. Creamy and delicious, but so sweet.

I left The Pop Shop thinking maybe the extensive menu is a good thing. It may take a few trips to master ordering in under five minutes, but the huge selection also means plenty of excuses to come back a few more times and find new favorites.