The Niagara Falls location of Johnny Rockets recently made headlines regarding Aretha Franklin as she wanted to eat her take-out order in the restaurant. I have seen the chain whenever I am in Niagara Falls, but I have never personally ate there. However, I have finally tried Johnny Rockets about a month ago at their Dundas location (near Eaton's Center).

  

Johnny Rockets is an American franchise with multiple locations all throughout the world. There are four different locations in Canada, and the one we ate at is nearby the Eaton's Center. The restaurant's concept is to retain the classic restaurant look from the 1950's; so pretty much diner-style.

As you can see from the picture; the decor was dated as they want to retain the 1950's look. There were a few booths along the side which was where we were seated. On each table was a mini jukebox machine that plays music when you insert a nickel (5 cents) into it but it was non-functional.

Johnny Rockets is known for their thick and creamy shakes and malt, and offers several flavors. We decided to get both the vanilla original shake ($6.49) and strawberry original shake ($6.49). I liked the milkshakes a lot as it was tasty and rich. You can really tell that Johnny Rockets uses real ice-cream and whipped cream for their milkshakes instead of artificial ingredients.

The grilled cheese ($6.99) - our grown-up version of the grilled cheese with your choice of four slices of cheddar, American, Swiss or pepper jack on your choice of bread, was one sandwich cut into two slices. It also came with a side of french fries. The grilled cheese looked rather lackluster, but at least there was plenty of cheese. Unfortunately, the two slices of breads were lukewarm so I didn't fully enjoy the second slice as it was rather cold when I got to it. I did like their fries though as it was crispy and non-oily.

JL opted for the Route 66 ($11.99) - this favorite is named after the iconic, carefree, American Highway Swiss cheese, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions and mayonnaise, which also came with a side order of either salad or fries. You can also add additional toppings for $1.79 each (onion rings, jalapeno slices, grilled mushrooms, grilled onions or gravy) and $1.99 each (2 slices of bacon, chili). The burger may be a tad overpriced due to its small portion, but he liked it regardless.

I find that with chained restaurants; one can either like it or hate it. With that being said, I am rather indifferent towards Johnny Rockets.The food wasn't completely inedible or bad, and I really did enjoy their milkshakes. However, there was nothing spectacular about the food or service.

Address: 22 Dundas St W, Toronto, ON M5B 1R4