Our visits to areas SW of the Metroplex inevitably have us visiting Dublin and Old Docs Soda Shop.
The staff is always pleasant, but I have to complain about the changes in policy with regards to returnable bottles.
Several years ago I had the good fortune to stumble across a 24 pack of 10oz returnable Dr Pepper bottles at an estate sale. However, before I got the opportunity to exchange them, they were banned from producing the soda.
However, all was not lost since they offered to exchange my bottles for other sodas when they no longer bottled Dr Pepper. The first time I was given 1/2 case of XXX Rootbeer and 1/2 case of Suncrest Orange. The last exchange was for 1/2 case of Big Red and 1/2 case of Frostie rootbeer.
Today (06/15/2013) I called to confirm my exchange and was told that I could only exchange like bottles (same flavor). Since my Suncrest bottles were exchanged for Big Red, and since Big Red is no longer bottled in Dublin I am effectively stuck with useless bottles, since I need to have a full case of 24 matching bottles for an exchange.
While it was a long drive, and definitely not cost effective from a soda point of view, the charm and uniqueness of the treat made it a worthwhile trip.
I read the positive reviews here, and they just don't jibe with the experience I had at all. I wish they did!
We visited Dublin and Old Doc's Soda Shop on October 29th. It was rainy, but we'd heard a lot of good things about the Dr Pepper Museum and we were in the area. We planned to stop into Old Doc's Soda Shop for a drink and snack, dry out and relax a bit, and then visit the Museum proper.
It didn't go so well.
Maybe the staff didn't expect many people coming in on a rainy day, or they were hoping to get the day off. I don't know. I just know that when my family and I walked into Old Doc's that day, we were just kind of... stared at. It was awkward and more than a bit uncomfortable.
There were two young women at the souvenir stand, and two young men on the left ready to make sandwiches. None of them offered a "Hello" or "Welcome" or "Can I help you?" or anything; they just looked at us and said nothing until we asked whether or not they sold Dr Pepper.
They don't. I can't remember how long this has been in effect, but we were told that Old Doc's Soda Shop can't sell Dr Pepper or any drink that resembles Dr Pepper for a period of five years.
OK. Yeah, we were disappointed, but we were willing to try other products. "So, what sodas do you have?"
"Just check the cooler over there."
Uh-huh. Well, we were pretty hungry. "What kind of sandwiches do you make here?"
"Just read the sign."
If the weather had been better or we'd been anywhere else, we may have walked out right then. We were unfamiliar with Dublin, though, and driving around in circles in the rain looking for something to eat wasn't appealing. We dutifully read the menu, chose our sandwich options and sodas, and sat down to wait for our food.
I drank the Triple XXX Root Beer I had selected, and it was alright. When our orders came out, they were mostly all wrong - where two of us had ordered wheat bread instead of white bread, we all received the same white bread. The cheese would be wrong, or we'd have the wrong condiments. We were the only customers.
I assume that most of the people who visit Old Doc's Soda Shop do so because of its association with Dr Pepper. Now that Old Doc's is unable to sell Dr Pepper, I hope they pay more attention to their other products and their customer service. We came in wet, hungry, and very willing to try some new sodas and food. We left mostly frustrated. A primer on the sodas available, a smile, or even just getting our orders correct would have made for a much more positive experience.
During our visit, a father and his young son came in. They, too, were stared at until the father approached the souvenir counter, asked about something, and then left.
We didn't bother with the Museum.
My husband and I have been purchasing REAL Dr Pepper from this place for at least 6 years.  I am truly saddened by what Dr Pepper Snapple did to this distributor that made Dr Pepper the way it should taste!  Nonetheless, I no longer purchase Dr Pepper at all because of the  greed of the Dr Pepper Snapple Company but I am looking forward to trying the new items here and I will review again as to their taste.  In all honesty, they will probably be awesome since they make everything with PURE CANE SUGAR!!! Â
Take a hint Dr Pepper Snapple Company, Old Doc and Dublin Bottling Company hit the nail on the head with their exceptional product. Â Maybe rather than go after them you should take a page out of their book and make Dr Pepper the way it is suppose to be. Â And that Heritage crap that you make does not even come close to DUBLIN DR PEPPER!!!
Wonderful little soda shop beside the Dublin Dr Pepper museum. Â We enjoyed looking at all of the novelties for sale as well as a genuine Dublin Dr Pepper float made with hand dipped Blue Bell ice cream.
Just a definite must see. If you are anywhere near the metroplex, you really should make the trip to the tiny town of Dublin, where they keep their Dr Pepper true to the original 1891 recipe. Â It's the only Dr Pepper I will drink.
Thank you Bill Kloster for standing up for keeping Dr Pepper real.
Dublin Dr Pepper was owned by Bill Kloster who refused to switch from using sugar to using what most cola companies now use, HIGH FRUCTOSE CORN SYRUP, which is evil.
I found out about this place and ordered a couple cases. Â Yes, it costs a lot more than regular Dr Pepper because of the shipping costs but it is still cheaper than a bear.
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.dublindrpepper.com&s=f7eae45ddb31123bf82b285b4b953ccb57abee693ba92424de4bbc71254aa246" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.dublindrpeppe…</a>
With shipping it was about $107 for 2 cases. Â I only drink a soda once or twice a week so it should last a while.
For Dr Pepper fans. Â Old Doc's Soda Shop still makes the original Dr Pepper recipe with cane sugar instead of corn syrup! Â You can also get Caffeine-free Dr Pepper here. Â Alas, the Caffeine-free Dr Pepper is made with corn syrup. Â That's my only reason for giving them 4 stars instead of 5. Â I'd prefer real cane sugar.
We order cases of Caffeine-free Dr Pepper to keep on hand around the office. Â Since it's not imported into California, this is the only way to get it. Â We also sometimes order the original pure cane sugar version with caffeine. Â If you're a friend of mine, let me know if you want in on the orders. ;-)
On average, your per can cost with ground shipping works out to around $1, at least to California. Â Sometimes less, sometimes a little more. Â Always order an even number of cases since there's a $5 packaging charge per package. Â 2 cases per package. Â If the shipping costs end up being less than the initial quote, they'll sometimes only charge the lower amount on your credit card.
Until the business info gets updated, their website is:
<a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.olddocs.com%2F&s=d3c4bed973352414491a0ca52016c4a8836e53a8844031490d788e80f87e3bea" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://www.olddocs.com/</a>
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