Eerie Eats: Sip Blood & Scream with Glee at That Pop Up Bar

Made to look like a bag of human blood and finished with a blood type label, a Dracula Drip cocktail is delivered to your table, held up by a mini IV pole. In the dim room, enjoy the combination of cherry vodka, amaretto and cranberry, cherry and pineapple juices as lights flicker from the mouths of jack-o’-lanterns and haunting instrumental music fills the air. It’s all part of the atmosphere at That Pop Up Bar, an immersive North Canton bar and restaurant that presents rotating themes, including a Halloween-focused extravaganza through Nov. 2.

“We want you to look like you walked into the best Halloween party ever,” says owner Kim Shapiro.

Originally located in an about 800-square-foot space in Canton, the first Halloween-themed That Pop Up Bar opened in 2018 in partnership with Factory of Terror.

“Their designers helped us put together the first build-out for the Halloween bar,” she says.

In past years, the bar has been decked out with a wall of creepy dolls, plenty of skeletons and even animated wall panels and paintings showing off scary scenes.

It relocated to North Canton in 2022. This year, That Pop Up Bar has moved into a larger, around 3,300-square-foot space, complete with an about 700-square-foot patio — allowing it to serve breakfast, brunch, lunch, dinner and cocktails.

“Our menu’s pretty descriptive. When you’re reading it, we want you to chuckle a little bit,” she says. “If you’re gonna order a Dracula Drip cocktail, we want you to be excited about it even before it ever gets to your table.”

At breakfast time, sip a mimosa served in a jack-o’-lantern-faced glass. Try a “Silence of the Lambs” Greek omelet, featuring gyro meat, or a French toast casserole, served with hot apple compote and smoking dry ice in a witch’s cauldron.

“We’ve got a Tiki transfusion,” Shapiro says of the Dead Ringer cocktail. “It will be based on the transfusions that are big on the golf courses for guys during tournaments, and it’s served in a Ghostface from the movie ‘Scream’ Tiki cocktail glass.”

For lunch and dinner, order a plate of spaghetti served on a suspended skeleton’s hand or various types of mac ‘n’ cheese, including chorizo and Buffalo chicken. Each is served on a giant rat trap made by Factory of Terror designers — with a large plastic rat as a decoration.

While the bar area is always 21 and over and open later, the main dining room is open to all ages until 8 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday. On Sundays, the pop-up closes at 3 p.m.

Kids love the I Scream Sundae — a scoop of ice cream with chocolate sauce, sprinkles, gummy worms and crushed Oreo “dirt”, served in a giant skeleton head bowl.

Keep your eyes peeled for decorations that stem from popular horror franchises, including a hand-painted “Stranger Things” wall hanging inside. Spot a 12-foot skeleton on the patio. The bar area gets a bit edgier, featuring motion-activated decor.

“Every year, we try and top ourselves,” Shapiro says. “That’s what keeps us motivated.”

1645 N. Main St., North Canton, 330-305-9680, thatpopupbar.com