Since its closing in 2013, the absence of Roy’s Place has left a hole in the hearts of many current and former Montgomery County residents. According to the now-defunct Roy’s Place website, the restaurant first opened in Rockville in 1955, offering more than 200 sandwiches. After a couple of moves within Rockville, it relocated to 2 E. Diamond Ave. in Olde Towne Gaithersburg in 1971, where it became a local institution.
Menu staples reflected the restaurant’s quirky personality, with creations like “The Bender Schmender” (corned beef, turkey, roast pork, chicken liver pâté, and golden brisket with lettuce, tomato, golden sauce, and “a psychiatric appointment”) and “The Raunchy Raymond” (ham, crab salad, Swiss cheese, bacon, tomato, and golden sauce, broiled on bread of choice).
Founder Roy Passin remained the driving force behind the restaurant until his death in 2009 at age 87. Many longtime patrons felt Roy’s Place was never the same in the four years it continued after his passing. His imaginative sandwich ideas, inspired by friends’ preferences and available ingredients, expanded the menu from just two pages to 23, according to a 2009 Gazette article…