The Apollo Flame

The Apollo Flame Diner
Lindenwold, NJ
June 21, 2012

By Mandy

Menu: 8      Pricing: 2
Food: 6       Coffee: 2
Service: 2    Decor: 6
Bathrooms: 5
Overall: 3.5




The Apollo Flame Diner had clearly blown out long ago, leaving embers at best.


Despite being greeted at the door by the type of waitress who seemed to hate everything about the life that led her to this job, the place looked nice, comfortable and original. The lighting was dim (perhaps to give it a fire-like feel) and the diner (like the bathroom) was clean.

The menu showed promise as well. While it covered all of the diner basics, at seemingly cheap prices, the menu also possessed a little of its own pizzazz (Oreo Sunday Belgium waffles for anyone?). There were also a number of specialty breakfast sandwiches and burgers to choose from, if you weren’t feeling waffles on this particular visit.

The pizzazz was necessary, we learned soon enough. It served as a diversion from the ridiculous subtle fees. A five dollar minimum charge per person. A three dollar sharing charge. 18% gratuity for any party they feel like charging. And then of course, the hidden fee (yes, hidden fees at a diner); a two dollar addition for the chocolate in chocolate chip pancakes, despite there being no mention of it on the menu.

Overall, there wasn’t much going on for the Apollo Flame. The food had mixed reviews. While the burgers were reportedly delectable, the waffles were typical waffles, the pancakes contained something that was neither pancake nor chocolate chip, and the three-slice order of cinnamon toast was one piece shy of its promise.

If the food could not redeem such a poor visit to the diner, then certainly the coffee was no better. The coffee tasted mostly like water when sipped, but left an all too pronounced aftertaste when swallowed. Though of course, the coffee wasn’t the only thing leaving a bad taste in our mouths after this visit.The Apollo Flame Diner? Whoever decided to liken this establishment to the mighty Greek sun god had clearly been riding out a pipe dream. I’m confident in saying it will never be a diner to sit higher than the others in South Jersey, a shining example of fine dinery.