Acropolis Diner
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What drums up the magic is the lighting. Without a doubt. It achieves a your-grandfather’s-70s brain (with less smoke). The herd here is so very eclectic: from your Yankees cap with his son clutching a kiddie Pepsi cup to Spanish-speaking families. The couple in front of me clinched comic-strip status with gems like, “I can’t stand people,” “That’s going to drive me crazy, that light flickering,” and the following order: “Wings, plain. In the basket. Fries. Fresh.” They also took to dropping their smiles and gossiping about the waitress once she turned her back. I looked in vein for frosted glass squares, but nowhere could they be found. While I know you can’t control clientele, I’d be weary of these folk. The actual diner staff? Darlings. Somehow my waitress kept refilling my water in the kindest way. And, at one point, I heard one of the servers call back in indisputable jest, “I made $13 in tips today. I’m so rich.” While the soundtrack of new hits—Dua Lipa and Harry Styles among them—really didn’t fit, it didn’t matter. It was at the perfect volume to not disrupt the flow. “Only the best,” the radio’s disc jockey offered again and again, bestowing the space with an American Graffiti energy. A ROWE jukebox extensions on each table, metal vertical blinds matching the interior’s chrome paneling, and the blue vinyl booths acting as the continuing sky and sea for the Acropolis painting on the wall furthest from the door, it culminates into a vibrant dining space of vibrancy and all the imaginable classic diner concord.
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Drink: Coffee
They’ve got a cappuccino, iced cappuccino, and espresso on the menu, but there is no machine in sight. I’d be nervous to give it a shot (pun intended). The black coffee is black diner coffee. It’s not too hot (in other words, you can drink it without burning your mouth off), and it just skirts tasting like Folgers. Honestly, it could be diluted Folgers. It looks like they use gold individual packages of pre-ground coffee, but they aren’t labeled, so it’s hard to tell. Regardless, depending on the cup, you will be satisfied. I offer this cryptic final note because the second cup I had was...difficult. Supposedly it was more fresh. I’m going to give it the benefit of the doubt. I have to given that I overheard my waitress saying to the host, “I’ll leave regular coffee because she’s drinking regular coffee.” That’s me. I’m she. And she appreciated this so much. However, you’ve been warned not to look for a glowing cup of joe here.
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Food: Avocado, Mushrooms & Onions Omelette
The home fries were like a home fries sheet. Huge. I’m a huge sucker for when diners put the bread on the plate in “ears.” That’s not any technical way to see it, just how I do. And the omelette? Oh it’s top tier. Not over cooked, none of the sink water flavor I’ve come to try getting ahead of. Thought it was going to be immediate hate. But, no. Avocado, onion, and mushroom...no way. Another bite. A thick onion ring perfectly sautéed. I took another look at my stacked rye and noticed that it was perfect...there’s something patient about their cook. The avocado is soft, ample, and intact. I pushed my fork down into the omelette: a fight with onion, mushroom, and onion. They have an omelette maestro in the back there, and I’m distraught. I now have an omelette standard. And, before I forget: the rye was as good as it looked.
Blueberry Pancakes
Let me just say that these pancakes are worth their weight in gold. Three horseshoe crab (okay, maybe not that big) discs are stacked on a plate with a side of creamed butter and maple syrup. My mind immediately got on the defensive, anticipating overwhelming sweetness or—given the craterous state of the top patty—flour taste. Have I never been so delighted to banish my anticipation from whence they came. It’s not too sweet, and the blueberries have a decent. These berries too somehow add real bursts of flavor in each bite, almost candied. I had no qualms adding syrup, but it wasn’t a necessity or a burden (when it’s too sweet, but you want the fun of drizzling this syrup). I only ate one and took the rest home. I wanted more of it the next day. Fantastic.
Price: Avocado, mushroom, onion omelette=$10.99; Coffee=$2.49; Blueberry Pancakes=$10.25 (only charged me $10, and I have no idea why)
*These two items are not listed, so just consider this gospel.
Hours*: Friday–Saturday {24H}; Monday–Thursday {7–23}; Sunday {7–22}
*While the Google Maps app isn’t updated and the sign still stays “OPEN 24 HOURS.”
Extra Notes:
This visit was my second. My first was on February 11. I didn’t even hesitate ordering food again. And, taking it to-go this time, I got to discover that they have the sturdiest takeaway boxes known to man. You could probably keep them and reuse them. They even microwave. Definitely no reason to hesitate on taking leftovers from this place.