About a week ago, I had the unique opportunity to attend a birthday party. For Johnny Rockets! A few of us bloggers were invited down to the Flamingo to celebrate 27 years of this burger joint being in Las Vegas. And man, did we celebrate in style. Burgers, shakes, drinks, dancing, tweeting, it was truly so much fun. Ever been to Johnny Rockets? Yes? No? Either way, let me tell you a little about them. Because wow, there's a lot I didn't know.
First, let me introduce you to this guy. Robb Bonanno. If you want to know what the culture behind Johnny Rockets is like, meet this guy. Even though the place was busy (not only were they hosting the blogger event, they were also hosting regular customers and they ARE located in the Flamingo, ON THE STRIP!), Robb took about 15 minutes to just stop and talk to The Hubs and I. He told us all about Johnny Rockets in Las Vegas, how he came to be part of the company, and all the new and exciting prospects that they are working on here. I love to hear that this city is coming back to life and bringing awesome new food to the Strip.
Next, the atmosphere at Johnny Rockets is so fun. I love their diner look! The nostalgia reminds me of my parents and makes me wonder what it would have been like to grow up in the 50s and 60s. (Now DO NOT go and try to figure out how old I am.) I loved the red and white theme, the straw dispensers, and the jukeboxes that doubled as menu holders. And the staff? For being in a food court in a major casino on the strip (have I mentioned they are on the strip?), I was so impressed with how nice and courteous everyone was there. Our server, Melissa, was so accommodating and friendly, I might just be asking for her next time I head down there!
Alright, now for the nitty gritty. The reason I went. The food. I was so excited to be able to go to an event where they were serving a variety of food. We were able to try their Original and Patty Melt. Wow. Although the Original was so good (The Hubs loved it!), the Patty Melt just did that - melted in my mouth. Rye bread, cheese, and grilled onions with their hamburger patty. Lurving it. Next, their fries. That is usually the one thing that gets left on my plate after a meal. I just don't care for restaurant fries. But for the first time, I actually liked the fries. Johnny Rockets has awesome fries. They were like steak fries, but not too thick. Crispy, but not too salty. Perfection, in my opinion.
There's one last thing I'd like to share with you. It's art. Ketchup art. When we walked into the event, we noticed this woman, wearing all white, a chef's hat, and armed with gallons of ketchup, creating a ketchup masterpiece. I thought, "Oh how cool! They hired her for the event!" Nope, it's part of the whole culture at Johnny Rockets. Upon investigation of the company, I found out that this is a basic thing - with every serving of fries you receive, you get a ketchup smiley face! And their ketchup artist, Cynthia Kostylo, is truly so talented. How impressive is this to use only ketchup and have something turn out so amazing?! I love it.
It was such a fun night, and I want to say thanks to all the staff over at Johnny Rockets for the fantastic food, music, dancing, Grillology lessons, and for sharing your birthday with us. I can't wait to get back down there for a visit (and maybe a Patty Melt)!
Disclosure: I am not being compensated for my review. The opinions in this review are my own and 100% honest. And please forgive my poor photography - I pulled a blonde moment and left the memory card from my camera at home. Epic blogging fail.
