ROY ROGERS DOUBLE R BURGER REVIEW (VIDEO)

I stopped by the Grand Opening of the new Roy Rogers in Rockville yesterday, and made sure to order my childhood favorite at Roy's: the Double R Burger. The fixin's bar is back, but so are some things the old Roy Rogers in Bethesda never had, like the Coca Cola Freestyle soda fountain machines. That meant serving myself a refreshing Mello Yello.

Another nice touch was the prominent image of Roy Rogers himself on the wall, with his now famous Promise to customers. Some menu items have been tweaked to be more premium, such as the use of brand-name Hormel Cure 81 ham atop the Double R burger, and Edy's ice cream in the milkshakes. The flavors of the Double R, famous Roy's fried chicken, and french fries - I ordered the Holster Fries version, of course - were reassuringly familiar and delicious. What was my verdict on the 2014 Double R Burger? Watch my review to find out, and get all the details.

I expect to make many more stops at Roy Rogers, until we finally get a Roy's back in Bethesda. The River Road Roy Rogers wasn't just a childhood hangout for me, but also a regular stop for Chessie System train crews, who used to park their locomotive across from the side door, and get take out bags of Roy's before reboarding, and heading back to the Eckington yard.

Among famous names who frequented the River Road Roy Rogers? None other than Dick Dyszel, of Captain 20 and Count Gore de Vol fame at WDCA Channel 20 - located right behind Roy Rogers at the time.

BRUCE VARIETY OPENS AT NEW LOCATION IN BETHESDA (PHOTOS) - 8011 WOODMONT AVENUE

Bruce Variety has reopened in Bethesda at its new location, 8011 Woodmont Avenue.

A friendly employee was welcoming each customer entering the store yesterday. There is convenient parking alongside the store, and you can park for free on weekends, according to the posted sign.

Much of the familiar Bruce Variety products are back in stock, including thread, craft supplies and, yes, Mad Libs books.

The store has more open space, and brighter lighting than the old location, even though the cramped aisles and dim lighting were part of the original's charm. Overall, it is much easier to get around this store during more crowded times than the old one.

Enjoy a virtual tour of the new store below. It is also a virtual online catalog, as you can click to zoom in on each photo to see all of the individual products.

The Captain 20 Dick Dyszel pirate stole the show. Now that's classic Bethesda for you.