Angie’s Restaurant will permanently close its doors after this weekend, wrapping up decades of serving gyros, omelets and more in the Kings Park West neighborhood.
The Greek and Italian diner’s last day of business will be this Sunday (May 26), one employee told FFXnow. Another said the team opted to close because the landlord for Twinbrooke Shopping Center, where Angie’s is located, “raised the rent too much.”
In a notice posted in a window, the business said the decision to close by the end of May “has not been easy” and comes “with mixed emotions.”
“Ongoing contract negotiations with Federal Realty unfortunately resulted in unreasonably high lease rates, leaving us no choice but to close,” the notice says. “…It has truly been an honor to serve you and be a part of this community. We here at Angie’s appreciate our loyal customers, hope that you have enjoyed your time with us, and we wish you and your family well.”
Federal Realty, which acquired Twinbrooke for $33.8 million in 2021, declined to comment. As of this writing, Angie’s Restaurant was still shown on a site plan for the shopping center as occupying the 2,750-square-foot space at 9569 Braddock Road.
“As a corporate policy, Federal does not comment on lease related matters,” a spokesperson said.
Though the closure notice expresses gratitude for the community’s support “throughout the past twenty-three years,” an archived Washington Post story suggests Angie’s Restaurant has been around for almost twice that long.
According to the story, which is dated March 4, 1998, the business was started by the eponymous Angie with the assistance of her younger sister, Elles, who had immigrated to the U.S. 19 years earlier “just to help out a little.” By the 1990s, Elles was running the show after Angie returned to their native Greece around 1989.
One interviewed customer, Pat Nash, said they had been dining at the restaurant for at least 15 years. Her go-to dish was the souvlaki in the form of either a sandwich, which came with a side of fries, or a platter, which was accompanied by a Greek salad.
The Post described the service as “plenty friendly” and “full of banter,” while praising the breakfast food — including an omelet, French toast and the Angie’s Special with eggs, pancakes, meat and toast or a biscuit — as “a nice way to ease into Saturday morning.”
Though the restaurant’s website no longer appears to be functional, its Yelp page boasts a 3.8 average rating with recent reviews highlighting the “delicious” food and “friendly and attentive” service.
“Food was excellent, service was wonderful, very friendly, reasonable prices, and good size portions,” the latest review on May 18 said. “Wonderful place to come for a fantastic, casual dining experience. Tucked away in a strip mall, it’s easy to miss — but I would definitely recommend it!”
Angie’s Restaurant is open from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on weekdays. For its final two days of business this weekend, it’ll be open from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.
Image via Google Maps
