Special Burger Review: Johnny Rockets

(Photo by Andrew Hockridge)

Date Visited: April 5, 2016
Location: Daytona Beach, Florida
BurgerTours Rating: 7.7/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Awesome	Some Drip	$6-$10	Fast Food	Veggie

Website

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Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Drew's Review

Johnny Rockets, home of America's Original Hamburger, was my 22nd BurgerTour to date. I decided to do this on my own as I was on vacation in Daytona Beach at the time. I did some research before arriving to dine and I noticed that there was a Johnny Rockets at Yonge and Dundas in Toronto not to long ago, and why it's not there anymore is beyond me. So I thought this would be my opportunity to try something that Toronto once had that is no longer available. (The only Johnny Rockets left in Canada is located in a casino I'm Windsor, so good luck!)

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

I decided to go on a Tuesday evening, around the dinner rush, and upon arriving, I actually had to walk down to make sure it was actually there. The thing about the Daytona Beach location is that it is hidden amongst many
ocean-view shops and other restaurants. It sits in a plaza just off the shorelines of Daytona. And, it was on the second floor of this plaza. So once I became familiar with the area, I set my date to return to dine with my expectations being pretty high.

When I went to go open their front doors, I noticed its logo wasn't lit up, yet there were waiters and chefs inside. I opened the doors and was greeted by a young gentleman who kindly gave me a choice of where I wanted to sit. With thousands of seating options available, I decided on a booth at the far end. He then places the menu in front of me, while I quickly skim over to see what I'm going to order.

A waitress walks over to my table and asks if I've ever been here before. I shake my head. She talks about the special burgers they have and a special Oreo Crumble milkshake they only have for a limited time. She then leaves after taking my drink order and leaves me alone with the menu. I see so many good options - even some of the options that I wasn't seeing when I checked out their menu online on their website. This was going to be a hard decision.

Within a few minutes, the waitress returns to take my order. At this time, it wasn't very busy, and I felt like I was her only customer right now. After several minutes of giving the menu a read-through, I finally landed on what I was going to order. I decided to go with a cheeseburger called the Number 12. Upon hearing my order, the waitress looks at me and asks, "Now did you read what was on it and not just look at the picture beside it?" I feel as if she must get this a lot with customers and having them return their order because the diner didn't give their order a second look. I reply by nodding my head. "All righty then." She then disappears and goes to place my order.

The #12/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

The reason I ordered the Number 12 was because I read beside the image of the burger that it was voted Number 12 by diners on a scale from 1 to 10. That excitedly got my hopes and taste buds up. The burger was topped with cheddar cheese, iceberg lettuce, white onions, pickles, mayonnaise and their signature Red Red Sauce (Chili ketchup with a kick of spice), so I knew this had to be one good burger. And I was right.

After taking my first bite, I was blown away by the flavour and the taste of the burger all combined into one delicious cheeseburger. The meat was cooked well to perfection, the toppings were nice and secure and didn't look like a mess at all, and the chili ketchup was a nice surprise to get my taste buds jumping for some root beer. (Yes, I ordered a root beer because this is a classic diner after all).

Glass of Root Beer/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

The fries that came as a side were also delicious and full of flavour. Each French fry is drenched in oil and covered in sea salt. I added some vinegar to them for the excellent combo. After the one burger, I just couldn't get enough. However, this fast food joint does do some damage to your wallet if you go in with an empty stomach.

Within seconds upon finishing my meal, I look up from my table and glance around the restaurant and notice that it had filled up. There wasn't a single seat left! I was so relieved I came at the time I did as I don't think I would have been seated right away as quickly as I was. I was surprised because this was a Tuesday night in Daytona Beach and this fast food joint was packed! That last few chairs available were along the bar, overlooking the chefs making the burgers.

Overall, this Johnny Rockets had speedy service, very friendly and engaging servers and waitresses, and a handful of burgers and side orders to choose from. Will I ever return to this establishment? Maybe not this particular one, but I would definitely dine at Johnny Rockets again.

7.7/10

Burger Review #20: Burger Stomper

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

Date Visited: March 22, 2016
Location: Danforth
BurgerTours Rating: 7.45/10

Taste	Messiness	Price	Venue	Pluses
Awesome	Some Drip	$11-$15	Bar	Veggie, Gluten Free, Liquor

Website

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Drew's Review

Signature Truffle Burger/Photo by Andrew Hockridge

It was a week before we wanted to do another #BurgerTours and I came up with the idea and thought maybe we should ask our followers to vote on our next tag. We sent the poll out across all social media channels and within a couple of days, we had our answer. The burger joint that received the most votes was the Burger Stomper. Even Burger Stomper liked and commented on our post, which was truly exciting. 

We decided to go on a chilly Tuesday in March, four days away from my birthday, and Mark was going to be buying my meal. We entered the joint around 12:30 in the afternoon and it had a fair amount of customers. It looked fairly small and compact upon entering and after we pitched our orders and grabbed a table, it still felt like the dining space was really small. We took a look at the menu board directly across from the cashier and my first choice was going to be their signature burger. But then something popped into the corner of my eye and persuaded me into ordering it instead. It was the Signature Truffle Burger. I hadn't had anything like it before, so that's what made me curious.

Photo by Andrew Hockridge

After about 10 minutes, our number was called and we grabbed our burgers and brought them back to our table. When I first saw it, I couldn't even see the bottom of the burger, like it was hiding, or maybe they had forgotten the bottom half entirely. But it made for a pleasant meal. I got a side order of French fries and added some ketchup to them as they didn't appear like they looked "fresh". 

After my first bite of the burger, I was satisfied with the flavour. Although the bacon was a little too crispy and there was something tangy, which was probably the truffle aioli. The meat was a little raw and chewy and didn't quite nearly have a distinctive flavour to it. The buns were soft, too, but they weren't crumbling or falling apart. I was actually surprised that after a few bites that most of the burger was still intact and not falling apart. I was impressed. It only takes a fine burger crafter to put the right amount of stuff on it and not have it crumble in your hands. 

Overall, Burger Stomper was certainly a surprise; one because I had only heard about this place through word of mouth and was excited to try it, and secondly, I guess those followers who voted in our poll knew exactly what they were voting for. Despite the taste of the burger I tried, I would definitely return for a second visit. This joint knows how to handle burgers well and if you haven't had them before, then I would highly recommend this burger joint.

7.4/10

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Mark's Review

The Greekburger/Photo by Mark Avila

We finally visit the Danforth! Among the many burger joints along this stretch of east Toronto, we visited the Burger Stomper. This joint in the heart of Greektown, just outside Chester Station, serves freshly ground AAA Canadian beef, prepared to the highest quality. They are known for their Burger Stomper Press, which ensures that they're burgers and sliders are pressed and evenly cooked to hold all the juiciness until that first bite.

Choosing a burger from their menu took no time at all. Since this joint is located in Greektown, I thought the 'Greekburger' was an appropriate choice. In addition, a combo with a side of fresh cut French Fries, and a Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake.

The Greekburger was as Greek as a burger could get. It was layered with Feta Cheese, lettuce, tomato, caramelized onions, and topped with homemade Tzatziki Sauce. My first initial thought was... wow. The spiciness of the Tzatziki sauce was totally unexpected. It gave the burger a kick of flavour, which I found to overpower the other ingredients. However, the caramelized onions were an unnecessary inclusion. I thought that it gave the burger an odd tasting sweetness that was not a good combination with the other toppings. Overall, it was pretty tasty and flavourful. Definitely something that you would expect to taste from a Greek-inspired burger.

The side order of fries were typical; nothing too special. They are double fried making them extra crispy, which I found made them more flavourful, and properly seasoned. Next time, I will definitely consider on the Cajun and/or Greek fries as a substitution.

Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake/ Photo by Mark Avila

The Mint Chocolate Chip Milkshake was as I expected. I'm a sucker for any drink or dessert with Mint and Chocolate. The mint didn't overpower the shake and was not too sweet. Trying this was a must when I saw it on the menu. I definitely recommend!

Overall, Burger Stomper was a pleasant experience. Good burger and fast service. If you’re ever in Greektown, make sure to pay this joint a visit!

7.5/10