I went home to Lake Norman for ‘a taste of Maryland.’ Here’s what I got for $25
Whenever I go back to Denver, I try to steer clear of one road, but on this trip, that proved impossible.
If Denver had a Main Street, it would be N.C. 16 Business, or “Old 16,” as locals now call it, a nickname born when the bypass opened years ago. The road is the town’s most congested artery, though my only source of frustration came from a truck traveling 10 miles below the speed limit.
Poppy’s: A Taste of Maryland sits along this very highway, a potential dealbreaker for some but a small price to pay for genuinely good food.
I stepped inside, which got the attention of owner Rebecca Tapper, who was sitting at a table with her laptop. When I mentioned my order, it quickly became clear she had no idea what I was talking about.
I’d arrived ten minutes ahead of my 2 p.m. pickup, which confused her, she said, before asking for some time to get the order ready. I agreed, and not long after, she offered me samples of two soups: cream of crab, with large lumps of crab in a silky base, and Maryland crab, a lightly spicy tomato-and-vegetable concoction. Both were excellent.
While I waited, I learned that Tapper opened the restaurant to honor her late father, Jeff, affectionately known as “Poppy.”
“Poppy was equal parts silly and serious, endlessly hardworking, and fiercely dedicated to his family,” Tapper wrote on the website. “Everything he did — every sacrifice, was for us.”
Her words echoed memories of my own grandfather, chronicled in stories of trips to the now-shuttered K&W Cafeteria. And after a brief pang of melancholy, I felt something else: comfort in familiarity.
Here’s what you need to know.
What’s on the menu at Poppy’s?
The menu at Poppy’s features Maryland-style crab dishes, from jumbo lump crab cakes and sliders to creamy crab soups and crab dip, along with snacks and comfort foods like banana-bread, kettle-cooked chips and sliders.
Prices range from $7 for soups to around $30 for large crab cakes.
Here’s everything I got for roughly $25 (before tax and tip):
- Medium jumbo lump crab cake ($20): Made with “HUGE lumps of crab” and “minimal filler,” according to the Poppy’s website.
- Chocolate chip banana bread ($5): It’s “homemade deliciousness,” Poppy’s says.
We should talk about the prices. Twenty dollars for a crab cake isn’t cheap, though the cost of crab, influenced by labor-heavy harvesting, brief seasons and high global demand, offers some explanation.
Still, at that price point, one might hope for a meal that’s a bit more filling — but you’d be hard-pressed to find a crab cake that tastes quite as good in the Lake Norman area.
The restaurant’s promise of “minimal filler” in its crab cakes rings true, with impressively large, tender clusters of crab that feel almost decadent. The sweet crab flavor comes through clearly, making the cake taste fresh and clean. It’s a straightforward dish, but it works because the crab is the real star.
And when it comes to banana bread, a lack of moisture can be detrimental to the whole dish.
This one, thankfully, leans in the opposite direction. It’s tender, rich with banana flavor, and dotted with enough chocolate to make each bite feel a little indulgent without being heavy.
For me, the appeal of the trip extended far beyond the food.
Though Poppy’s operates as a carryout-only spot, it carries the hallmarks of a small-town sit-down restaurant: walls dotted with ads for local businesses, shelves and memorabilia in the orange and green of East Lincoln High School, and, above all, an owner who paused from her work to chat, offering generous samples of her favorite dishes along the way.
The restaurant may promise a “taste of Maryland,” but in that moment, it felt more like a taste of home — familiar, comforting and alive with memory.
Poppy’s: A Taste of Maryland
Location: 647A N.C. 16 Business N., Denver, NC 28037
Cuisine: Crab-based cakes, soups, plus comfort food
Instagram: @poppysatasteofmaryland
