A long-standing Dundalk bar and restaurant is getting a major makeover this spring. The Poplar Inn — a local landmark near the intersection of Wise Avenue and Merritt Boulevard since 1953 — will be rebranded as Poplar Sports Bar & Grill, with a new menu and look set to debut April 1.
Operating owner Richhpal "Ricky" Singh bought the restaurant in 2016 and has made a number of improvements to the building since then. The latest round of work, however, will mark a new path forward for the business. The updated Poplar will have new walls, a new ceiling, new furniture and a sports bar atmosphere, with lots of TVs and servers dressed in uniforms that look like athletic jerseys. The menu, long focused on old-school dishes like meatloaf and liver and onions, will be updated with modern-day entrees, many with names that nod to the sports world — "Sugar Ray shrimp," for example, and a "Ty Cobb salad." Poplar will also serve a wider range of vegetarian and vegan options, as well as steaks, pork chops, baby back ribs and crab cakes.