Johnny Rockets has the style of a 1950’s diner, with a definite tendency toward chain restaurant sensibilities. In a way, it’s very comparable with Steak & Shake, in that they intentionally try to cultivate the dine in fast food niche. Does it work? And how are their fries? For the first, yes. I can definitely imagine this being an updated version of how that era’s diners would look. For the second? Not so much. Despite the industrial fryer being close enough that I could stare right at it from my seat, the fries were surprisingly not fresh. They were closer to lukewarm than piping hot, and that’s simply unforgivable for a place that doesn’t have a drive-thru and encourages family dining. The fries had moderate skins on them, not exclusively focused on the edges, but evenly distributed. A moderate cut, about a 4.5/10, and similarly moderate crispiness. No seasoning and only a very light salting. But the story here is that the fries seemed to be not fresh at all, even though there’s no way they could have been anything else.

Price: $2.99

Cut: Moderate (4.5/10).

Seasoning: None.

Salt: Very light.