The elevated train has stopped for the final time at Rolo’s Café on Airport Road.

The sign in a window at Rolo’s Cafe may say “temporarily closed,” but the popular eatery has served its last helping of Southern fare. (Photo/Alan Clemons)

After 30 years, the popular meat-and-three establishment is closed for good. Although a sign on the front window by the door says “Temporarily Closed,” a person who declined to provide her name confirmed that it’s permanent.

Rolo Weaver opened his namesake restaurant in 1991. It quickly earned raves from diners for down-home Southern breakfast and lunch fare.

The menu hit all the favorites: grits, sausage, country fried steak with gravy and eggs your way in the mornings along with bottomless hot coffee, and switching to burgers, pot roast, cobbler, vegetables, a cheesy patty melt and more for lunch or afternoon early suppers.

Open Monday through Saturday from 7 a.m. to 8 p.m., Rolo’s was equally popular with the white- and blue-collar crew that might be sitting beside a mother with two youngsters happily plowing through mac ‘n cheese while watching the train run overhead. The tracks hung from the ceiling, allowing a wonderful locomotive pulling a string of cars and caboose to tug and toot around the restaurant. Young and old alike enjoyed seeing the train.

The train and tracks will stay in the family. Restaurant furnishings are being sold, however, with other local establishments nabbing the appliances, utensils, fixtures and other items.

Rolo’s locked up for the final time on July 2.

New Restaurant Opening

An opening date for Viet House on Airport Road has not been announced. (Photo/Alan Clemons)

Viet House Vietnamese Cuisine is the newest addition to Westbury Square, with brown paper blocking the windows in the unit beside Moe’s Southwest Grill. It’s hard to miss the vivid, bright sign atop the building, however.

Building permits granted in December 2020 and posted on the door say the owner is Tommy Nguyen. The restaurant’s website says “Coming Soon” with a map of the Airport Road location, but no other information is available about a date. It also has a “Now Hiring” link with a list seeking cooks on the wok line along with kitchen, dishwasher, hostess, busser and server staff.

The menu is varied, with spring rolls and appetizers, 11 pho dishes, hú tiéu, vermicelli and noodle bowls, bánh mi, 16 clay pot and fried rice dishes, six stir fry options and four special Vietnamese soups. Viet House also will offer 16 side dishes, six desserts, 17 beverages, a selection of Boba tea, beer and wine.