Old Doc's Soda Shop

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 took the long way home so I could stop here. They brought back all the old flavors and I wanted them. A single flavor case is $20 and a mixed flavor case is $24. I got vanilla cream, orange cream, retro crème, and grape. They are SO GOOD! Next road trip, I'm going back for more!

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.