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Categories: Diners, American (Traditional) [Edit]
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
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Not much to say about JR's. A retro 50's malt shop pretender which is just a place to get a quick bite to eat when you're more hungry than fussy.
Passable burger, fries and chilli dog. So, 2 stars for the food and a bonus point for "free" soda refills, but the soda costs about $3 so you need to get at least 3-4 refills to break even.
All Johnny Rockets look alike, so if you're not careful you may think that you're in downtown San Jose and not in the Marina District, but the sidewalk and street traffic should tip you off.
Do you know they have a take-out menu?
So instead of the frozen yogurt across the street, you can order french fries to go from a smiling clerk from Acapulco, and take them down to the park for a snack in the sunshine!
Fries, $2.90. Extra catsup, salt, and napkins, free. Not having frozen yogurt melt all over your forearm, priceless!
Yay for Johnny Rocketships! A and I stopped by for a late dinner after catching 3 For All at the Bayfront Theater. We sat down in a booth, but we really weren't feeling it so we moved to the counter. The counter is much cooler. You get to swivel around and around on your stool and you get to watch your food being made. I ordered a chili dog and a strawberry banana shake. A ordered a philly cheesesteak sandwich, a side of fries, some rocket wings, and an orange soda. I didn't realize how tired I was, but once I started eating, it's like my body suddenly said, "Ahhh, finally I have some food. Now I can sleep." I'm surprised I managed to stay upright and even eat most of my food. I was falling asleep after every bite.
Service was excellent. No complaints about that or the food. I did enjoy the entertainment though. A group of girls (young women?) came in and ordered some food at the counter, to go, and they wanted it in a hurry. But then, when they got their food, they just sat there slowly eating. One of the girls asked one of the guys behind the counter if they sell alcohol. Of course, he said no. So, what does she ask next? If they can bring their own alcohol in. Of course, another no. So they sat there being loud and eating for a while and finally left. But about 5 or 10 minutes later, she comes back in really loud saying, "Has anyone seen an iPhone? Has anyone seen an iPhone?!" And then she lets out a shriek and runs over to the stool where she had been sitting and screams, "There it is!!!" picks up her iPhone and runs out yelling to her friends. Now, THAT was entertaining.
Typical diner food. I love it! This one, Mel's and Lori's are some of my favorites. Great burgers great service. Burgers so good makes me wanna order 2 lol. But hey, I'm not a hard guy to satisfy. Price ain't bad either. Check it out!
Went at 2am on Halloween. Food was okay.
The service was a little long, but there was a crowd. I was amazed how these four waiters/cooks were able to keep the business going.
Prefer Mel's over this.
If you want to beat the Marina crowd that piles in after the bars close and get a seat, come a few minutes BEFORE the bar closes.
The onion rings on this last visit were amazing. SUPER crispy.
I don't even remember the burger I was so in awe of the onion rings.
An extra star for them letting us come in 3 minutes before close (because we were STARVING) and for… Read more »
I have only had one Johnny Rockets experience, and let me just say, thank goodness this place is open so late. Somehow we could not find our way to Mel's (our usual spot for after-the-bars-kick-you-out dining) and we stumbled upon two guys that were headed here. The place was PACKED but fun and the food was just what we needed. It wasn't great, but it was good.
After we finished we grabbed two burgers to take back to our two hungry friends waiting at home for us, and they LOVED them!!
This is for their strawberry malt drink! Too sweet! :(
More malt please...!
Service was nice though! :)
The food I'd give 3 stars but I gave this restaurant 2 stars because they have
gotten my order wrong quite a few times. So if you are thinking of going to this Johnny Rockets remember to say your order VERY CLEARLY.
the average of 2 star and 4 star experiences.
and let me start of by saying, that for the 2-star experience, it was 2 a.m., so my standards weren't even THAT high. we ordered grilled cheese with tomato (which came with ketchup.. ummm?) and the onion rings were pretty bangin'. although, as i stood up out from the booth, i slipped on water streaked across the floor. really? did i mention i was wearing white..
the only reason i give one 4-star experience is because it was to-go. cheeseburger with chili and onion rings, need i say more? deliciosa.
After storming out of Barneys (for good reason), my son and I ended up here.
I had never eaten at Johnny Rockets. But, I have heard Mixed-reviews about the place. The total for my son and I was $27.00. I thought that was a bit high. But, I just wanted him to happy so I wasn't trippin'. We ordered the food "to-go". So, we took a seat at the end of the counter next to the cook. I watched him move very mechanically through several orders. Finally, he was making our food. Just as our burgers were done cooking, this nincompoop reached into the freezer (w/bare hands) and grabs two handfuls of raw meat, plops them down on the grill and flattens them (with his hands). Then, he uses those same raw meat covered hands to put our burgers together. I was SICK!
I told the manager immediately. But, all of a sudden, it was like I was speaking gibberish. I was not offered a refund or any thing.
Eat here at your OWN RISK!
I was craving a burger and I remember this place on Chestnut Street. I was really hungry so I knew this place would have what I wanted. I ordered your standard burger and fries. It was good but not sure if it's because I was just hungry? Not crowded. Staff was friendly. Music was cool. Burger and fries hit the spot. Will I come here all the time? No. But at the time it was just what I wanted...
I know I know, it's a chain, but really who cares? The fries are yum and they made a smiley face with the ketchup. The service was fantastic! Prices aren't too terrible & the chocolate shake? Delicious :)
The best thing about this place, in my opinion is the music. I'm a sucker for all that du-wop and bubblegum stuff :)
Aside from that it's just one of those places that is open late, has spotty service, and serves a decent meal. The menu is limited to burgers, sandwiches, chicken fingers, fries, onion rings, chili...but they're all pretty decent. Wish the fries came with the burger or sandwich but you know...
P.S. Since when did they start serving spicy BONELESS chicken wings? I had some the other day and they weren't half bad.
I've been to Johnny Rockets several times since they opened in my neighborhood many years ago, and I've actually enjoyed the food in the past. So, one star for auld lang syne, and one star for very fast service, and a clean environment.
HOWEVER, the hamburger I had there the other night was almost inedible. I actually can't believe I ate it, and after I went home I was worried I would have indigestion or food poisoning.
I ordered the Route 66 which is a hamburger with swiss cheese, grilled onions and mushrooms. When it arrived, the patty was so incredibly hot (temperature wise) that it was steaming the bun into a soggy mess, and the cheese was completely melted and gooey. The patty was a grey color from being overcooked and, I'm guessing, the meat wasn't that fresh to begin with because it didn't just taste like good, fresh, meat that had been overcooked, it tasted like cheap, not-quite-fresh meat that had been overcooked. Combined with the "burn your fingers temperature" the whole thing was a tasteless soggy mess. The one good thing is that it was so overcooked if there had been any bad bacteria in there from being days-old meat, it would have been nuked into oblivion. I rarely complain about my food to the actual wait staff (though I'll complain to my friends) but on this occasion I did tell the waiter, and he just said "It's the cook."
This used to be an old standby in the neighborhood but I don't think I'll be going back anytime soon.
I used to waitress on the early morning shift in a fake 50s diner in Pasadena called Rosie's, and so I know my fake '50s diners.
This, my friend, is not a real fake '50s diner.
You get one star because you make smiley faces with the ketchup and one more star because you are a clean restaurant. Other than that I can't say I am pleased. My best friend LOVES this place so I have been here a few times only because I abide my the best friend rules of doing anything for one another. Everytime I leave with a stomach ache and bad after math. I stick to the grilled cheese or the burger. Two things that really shouldn't leave one's tummy a hot mess. Sorry JR's you don't do it for me.
Uber-late night review.
Showed up after hanging out at Circa... lost an hour due to daylight savings.
The place is mad tiny. There is only maybe 5-6 booths, with the rest of the seating at the counter, or around the edge of the restaurant facing outside.
I was going to give the place 3 stars, due to the size... and the obnoxious drunk that spent 5 minutes pounding the table, then TOTALLy eating it when he was trying to go to the bathroom -- like feet were momentarily above his head, body splashed on the diner floor. I also enjoyed watching his two female friends trade prescription drugs and splitting up vicodin (and other tabs) while their friend finally disappeared for the rest of the night.
HOWEVER, I decided to upgrade the rating to a 4 because:
(1) They're open until 3am.
(2) Our server, who was also the supervisor/manager, was also in the back flipping burgers. The dude is definitely a multi-tasker.
Oh, the food... typical late-night johnny rocket diner food. Got the Rocket wings (boneless buffalo wings) which I would rate as average/below-average -- i like my boneless buffalo wings breaded and crunchy -- these, were not.
The only way i would eat at this place is after a night of heavy drinking. I watched a cook put on his latex gloves touch raw beef then chicken then his dirty apron and then grab some fries and onion rings and toss them in the fryer. Not trying tosound like a sissy but thats pretty damngnarlycouldnt get those images ot of my head all night. JRo's just doesnt cut it.
So I heard that this place changed hands recently and the quality had gone UP?
Since this was my first time here, I don't know what it was like before, but I am that red-headed chick who was licking her plate when you came in last night. Maybe I was just hungry or maybe the food was really good.
A year or two ago I ate in a Johnny Rockets in the Underground in Atlanta. This Chestnut Street location was small in comparison, but the food was just as good and the service was excellent. The waitress appeared new, but was right on top of our order; plus she was very polite and seemed to be following the "rules." Like making the little catsup happy face in the dipping bowl - - that has to be a unique and peculiar requirement of JR's? The onion rings were real onions, which I like. Not chopped, freeze-dried and reconstitued onions, but real onions.
Only problem I saw was that it seemed a tad expensive for two regular sized cheeseburgers, one fries, one 1/2 & 1/2 (fries & onion rings), and one cherry coke. $21. A little steep for a juke box and 60's music atmosphere.
All in all I'd give this place 4 stars. It is a hamburger joint after all, not a white tablecloth, gourmet 5-star restaurant. But good for a 60's diner. Food was good and service was excellent.
I will go back next time I'm in the neighborhood and I am craving red meat and onion rings and a REAL CHERRY COKE - not out of a can (Just next time, guys, every real cherry coke should have a cherry in the glass! Even Sonic does that!)
You'll love it at 1:30 am, then hate it at 1:30 pm
Good food, friendly staff, and you get your money's worth! Overall a great experience. I'd love to take company from out of town there sometime!
Very nice service!
The old fashioned decor is great. The staff sometimes give you coins to place in the jukebox.
The burgers, fries, shakes are all good. They also have chicken strips and onion rings.
I've been told that the staff is also trained to sing and dance, but I have not seen that yet.
After a night of bar-hopping in the Marina, all I really wanted was a greasy hamburger with greasy fries. We were soooo craving a good burger that we were about to hop into a cab to In N' Out in Fisherman's Wharf, when we saw the neon lights of Johnny Rockets.
An order of chili fries, hamburger, grilled cheese sandwich and oreo milkshake later: aaaaaaaahhh life has never been so great!!
Happiness = good food and the company of great friends.
My favorite menu selection here - the Route 66.
It's a messy, drippy, greasy, juicy burger but oh so good. The burger usually arrives sizzling hot on a soft bun slathered with a film of mayonnaise; soft melt-in-your-mouth caramelized onions and a generous heaping of mushrooms are pocketed between the burger and a slice of melted Swiss cheese (processed - not real Swiss). The burger is so juicy greasy that the bun often falls apart after a few bites.
Fries and onion rings are good but pretty generic and pricey for the portion they give you.
They always offer free soda refills, and they make good, thick milkshakes.
The staff is friendly and while the service is not rocket fast your wait for food is quite short.
I'm pretty easy to please, especially when it comes to burgers.
But ew.
Johnny Rockets delivered a disappointing, gross burger.
The service was really nice even though the place was packed and chaotic with screaming kids running around everywhere.
You know after a night (or day, whatever, we're not judgemental here) of boozing, and you're looking at your reciepts? There's the $40 tab from Monaghans (how?), $20 at Mauna Loa (why?), and then the one receipt that makes you TOTALLY REDEEM YOURSELF. That one would be the $8 receipt from Johnny Rockets. The proof-of-purchase that explains why you made it through the night without losing your guts.
I have few requirements for a restaurant like JR's. Let's be honest, I'm only gonna go there when I'm hammered, so basically all I ask of the place is that they put up with my inebriation, give me greasy food, and accept credit cards because chances are all my cash has been spent on adult beverages. These expectations are more than met everytime I stumble into Johnny's.
Bonus: the staff actually has a choreographed LINEDANCE. I know right! I was so freakin' excited when this was brought to my attention. It was last Saturday; I was watching college FB at Mo's, and it occurred to me that perhaps the hyphybombs would settle better in my tummy with a burger. So I mosey in, am catered to by the General Manager (holla, Mitch!) who not only tolerates my drunken stupor but encourages me to join in on the linedancing extravaganza! Will definitely go back for alcohol-induced munchies and classic oldies calisthenics.
Dear Johnny,
I decided to day drink last yesterday. And when I was drunk and hungry, you were there for me. Your delicious fries, your hamburger oozing with more condiments than I care to share, your little smiley face ketchup thingy, you were the best thing in the world at that moment. And for that, I thank you. Thank you, Johnny.
Love,
Kristen
Are you thinking about having a kid? Is the likelihood that your kid will be blond high? Do you want to know what your life will look like when that blond kid is four or five and you're taking her and her six friends out for dinner after soccer practice? Come here at 7:00 on a Wednesday evening in springtime. A keen imagination SO not necessary.
For burgers and fries in the area, I prefer Barney's.
I came here with friends for a late meal at 11pm. The place was filled with people and the employees looked very overwhelmed. We were greeted and given menus but it took a while for the server to come back to get our orders. 10 minutes later, the server comes back with food for everyone in my group except for me. He said that my chicken tenders would be coming out shortly. 10 minutes passed and my order still hadn't come out and the server was busy taking orders from other tables. After another 5 minutes, I asked about my order again and he said he'd follow up... by this time, my friends were more than halfway finished with their meals while I sat next to them without my food. I was sooo frustrated I told the server to cancel my order and he then "realized" that they never even cooked my order. He apologized and within 5 minutes, I had some chicken tenders, which I didn't have to pay for. I liked that he showed responsibility for his mistake, but it just took too much time and was a big hassle.
Ersatz nostalgia, commodity processed-food, bad lighting but a killer location and late hours define the essence of Johnny Rockets. Coming from seeing Superbad at the Presidio Theatre last night we were up for dessert. Other than a few dive bars and The California Wine Merchant, our option was this or getting in a cab. How hard could a sundae be?
We lucked out and got seats at the counter. We were waited on quickly and ordered a hot fudge sundae. I watched as the waiter went over to the hot fudge machine, removed the lid (I guess the pump wasn't working) and began spooning out the fudge. What we wound up with was a dish two-thirds filled with fudge and a small single scoop of ice cream...a combination that insured we'd be leaving at least half the dish uneaten. Not worth two bucks, never mind four fifty.
The ambiance was a magical combination of fluorescent light, fifties music and a disheveled appearance...just grimy enough to offer mild discomfort. The service was friendly although I can't see how somebody working at midnight on a Saturday night under harsh lights and the fifteenth repetition of "Lets Twist Again" can retain their composure.
The headline for this review, and surely the sole reasons they remain in business, are the location and the hours of operation.
1.5 stars.
seriously!? you are on a street with some of the best food in the entire world and you chose to eat at Johnny Rocket's? That's like going to Japan and eating in America Town. But, my coworker ordered some food from there and I went ahead and got a burger and fries. One would think that a place whose only job is to make burgers and fries would make decent burgers and fries...well, this is pretty much one step below Arby's. Thin, overcooked, cheap beef slathered in like forty five pounds of mayonnaise to disguise the roadkill in my lifeless bun. My fries were soggy and slightly green. I walk by this place every day and do feel bad for the employees who have to wear those silly hats, but I bet the hat could make a better burger than the people wearing them.
One look at the clientle tells you everything you need to know; midwesterners on vacation who were not expecting to actually have to pay lots of money for good food like ISA, A16, Bistro Aix, Mamacitas, Circa, Blue Barn, Pacific Catch, etc, so went back to the comfort level of their sad little prosaic Iowa existences and had a cliche Johnny Rockets' (worst restaurant name ever by the way). My coworker is an idiot, and I now have further proof because he though it was just fine......um.....no.....not OK!!
Anna K knows what's up. If I am sober enough to drive a car there's no way I'd step foot inside Johnny Rockets. All I ask is that they provide free water so I can sober up a bit, they have a bathroom that I can puke in if necessary and that they have man food (ie not salad, tapas, small plates etc). I'm not expecting a world-class burger, just a place to sober up and hopefully not embarrass myself.
I recommend their greasy-ass cheese fries and burgers. Their shakes are actually pretty awesome.
Not an in-N-out i tell ya.........the reason i give it a 2 is because the burgers are not that good.....I'm sorry....if you like soggy, bland burgers.....then you should definitely check this place out.......if you want a good GOOD burger go to Barney's a few blocks away....or Bullshead Restaurant in west portal....or .......ANYWHER ELSE!!!........
although, if you like chicken tenders, then this place is aight! they are crunchy and greasy, just how i like them...
and the onion rings are pretty good too.....
The malts as well.....
I came to eat here with my girlfriend on a Saturday at 3pm as she was craving a hamburger. So we thought Johnny Rockets since we are in the area. We go in and sit down on a table that has been previously cleaned, because we can see all the stream marks left behind from a water down towel, and her seat is full of crumbs and $h!*, my kid sister cleanse a table better than that. the waitress approaches us and says. Do you want to see a menu? of course I want to see a menu didn't you just see me come in. So I order a double hamburger, it was a little to greasy but it was eatable , the onion rings and fries were pretty Delicious. Just before I can take my last bite there comes the waitress with my bill in her hand. In my mind I'm thinking like, what if I want dessert? what if I want something else to eat? so I take the bill and I'm like whatever I guess we are done eating at this place. so I pay with my credit card and my girlfriend leaves a five dollar cash tip just to be nice, she says the waitress looked a little over worked. A days later I check my bank statements just to find out that my credit card has been charged five dollars and 1 cent more than what the bill was, a ten dollar tip and 1 cent for BAD service I don't think so! That will be the last time my girlfriend will be craving a burger on chestnut. and by the way I'm gonna go and get my five dollar and one cent back.!
Don't take this stuff home - things get very soggy - eat your burger and fries ASAP.
The malt shakes are really good - I'm just rating Johnny Rockets low so that I don't go there too often - hmmmm - who am I kidding?
The staff was very friendly though - which helps you to digest your 5000 calorie meal a little quicker!
Lastly - the lights are way too bright and at night it's like drinking a coffee!
The food is greasy and good, if you like that sort of thing.
Great spot to hit up after a night of bar hopping. You know the food is healthy when you can rub your meal on the wall and the it becomes opaque and you can see through to the street.
Great shakes
Good burgers, melts or whatever
Good portions
Decent price
It's 2:45, you're walking home, and you are suddenly faced with a burning question:
"Is it possible to get an order of 1/2 onion rings, and 1/2 cheese fries... WITH chili?"
There is only one place that you can go to get an answer. And there is only one man who will drop everything, except possibly the tray with milkshakes he's carrying, to help.
His name is Rigo.
I first met Rigo about 7 or 8 months ago, upon my first visit to JR's. I ordered my usual late-night meal, B.L.T. and a chocolate milkshake. Ok, and 1/2 fries and 1/2 onion rings, but that's not the point. Rigo was quick to respond, served me extra dipping sauce, nickels for the jukebox, a straw and a smile. Who could ask for anything more?
Time and time again, Rigo has been there to accommodate my late-night cravings, while furiously tending tables and tables of loud intoxicated ex-frat boys with the utmost patience.
Rigo, we salute you. As well as all of the workers at Johnny Rockets, who bust their tail to serve us delicious deep fried dishes at these early morning hours.
If it wasn't the gut-wrenching, tire-around-my-waist feeling I have each time I wake up the next morning, coupled by the fact that my clothes tend to smell like bacon grease (I know, I know, I say it like it's a bad thing) for a few days afterwards I would definitely come here more often.*
*As for the food/quality/service during daytime and nighttime hours before 1AM, I decline to review based on my inexperience with this establishment.
The burgers are fine, but really who is in the mood to go to this place? The whole 50s nostalgia shlock gets old.
[NOTE: it does beat Barney's.]
First time going to this restaurant and there was nothing special about this place. I really enjoyed the decor with a '50s feel to the eating experience and the music was great as well, really setting one up to feel that era and dinning experience. But as I looked through the menu the burgers did not include fries which was disappointing. When the food came, I wasn't impressed. The portion size of my burger was small, the side order of onion rings were dry, the strawberry milk shake was too sweet, and the table did not include condiments. Other than the decor, music, and friendly service the food was par.
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