What’s Old In the New: Apollo Restaurant Review

>Back where I grew up in New Jersey, diners rule. All the locals would meet up in the booths and my family was always one of them. There’s only one place in Rockville to compare and that’s the Apollo Restaurant.

The Apollo, tucked away in a shopping center on North Washington Street, doesn’t receive the same publicity as the newer Town Center restaurants. This is old Rockville. The people who eat here have been doing so for years and when you walk in, everyone’s head raises to see who’s arrived.

When I go to the Apollo, I splurge. This is good, old-fashioned diner food. The Burger Melt Platter with fried onions and cheese soaks the rye bread. I prefer the thin fries but they offer a steak fry option too. When I had the Hot Open Roast Beef sandwich with all the white bread, mashed potatoes, and gravy, I was 10 years old again sitting with my family. Greek dishes and salads offer lower-calorie, hearty options. The gyros and the Spaniko pita (spinach pie) are both layered with flavor.

Any place that serves breakfast all day has always rated high on my scale. The cheese omelets, standard eggs, grits, and home fries are all just as you would expect, but the pancakes are heavenly. The pancakes melt in your mouth like butter and there’s probably a very good reason for that.

Behind the accordion dividers, a full bar serves up the drinks, which reminds me of a VFW or Moose Lodge. You pay your bill at the little window between the bar and the restaurant and the kids are offered a lollipop.

If you like the diner experience, you need go no farther than the Apollo to find traditional, American fare.

The Apollo is located at 12 N Washington St, Rockville, MD 20850 (301) 294-3540

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