Johnny Rockets

My favorite burger joint in Santa Monica. I was attending the American Film Market nearby several years ago. The restaurant was walking distance from the hotel was convenient. The food was delicious and the free fries was a fantastic deal. The manager and your employees were very friendly and welcoming. The retro ambiance was a touch of nostalgia.

Fresh hamburgers, great service, and a 50s theme atmosphere. Wouldn't call it a fast food restaurant, considering there's a waiter and a longer than anticipated wait time. Price is higher than expected, but then again it's 3rd Street. Still, great place to get a burger once in awhile.

Possibly 1 of my best burgers at a fast food joint. Loved the crisp edge on the patty and the overall balance of the burger. The style and diner vibe rocks too. Price is on the high side though which is a bit of a let down. But still a great experience. I will def keep Johnny rockets high up on my list of burgers.

Very mesmerizing atmosphere and even better food. Staff was welcoming and ensured that we had a good time. Erik was our server and he was wonderful. I usually don’t enjoy cheesesteak, but that’s what I got here and I’m glad that I did. It came fresh off the grill. 5/5 would highly recommend.

This place is very nice. The impossible burger was amazing. Service was so good too! They even draw a ketchup portrait of you, atmosphere is good too. Clean, fast, tasty and prices are good.

Store was very busy and only 2 people were working, They do a good job but still you got to wait too long to be served, tables weren’t clean even when we asked for someone to wipe the table he did wipe it but it was still dirty! The food was good and the price is good as well compared to the portions!

Oh yes!!! Finally a homemade tasty burger. The burger was cooked to perfection. The chili cheese fries were flavored like the chili had been slow cooked all day. Employees were so kind despite being extremely busy.

Well, if you have not tried the Impossible Burger as of yet, I would recommend trying it here. I loved it! It was very delicious. We sat outside for obvious reasons, so it was a bit chaotic with foot traffic going by. After all, this is Santa Monica, foot traffic everywhere. We did not have to wait too long for a seat. However, the food took a bit long though. But when it arrived, we were pleased. Our waitress was very nice. I can just imagine on weekends this place is packed. Santa Monica is overly crowded on weekends. So dining in here might be a challenge. Today, Monday, was not so bad of a wait.

Wow - had to go to Santa Monica and hadn't been to the 3rd street promenade in sometime. What was once a people fav has lost its popularity. Stopped by Johnny Rockets around 1pm and nobody was in the restaurant. Anyway, I ordered the chili and basic salad. The chili was tasty and barely warm (more cold than hot), almost like a thick concoction. The salad was full of greens which I needed and a few other elements but basically it was greens. Overall lunch was acceptable but the place did not have the vibe I had known Johnny Rockets for. In fairness, perhaps the venue is going through a change or upgrade but many businesses did not have the usual foot traffic. I am sure there must be a plan, otherwise JR is going to die on the vine. Service was good. Parked on street (metered).

Yuk! We ordered a double classic, and yes, it's been a few years since we've been here, but the quality of the meat was downright AWFUL; it was the worst burger--like eating ground-up grizzled meat, minimal flavor, all crumbly and oily! The fries were just OK, a small portion. The best item was the onion rings. Even the milkshake tasted heavily processed and oversweetened. Service was friendly but slow. We are not coming back here. Sorry!

Really great place for a smash burger and fries while shopping on the Promenade! The service was good and the waitress was very polite and attentive. The place itself was a little dirty and the bathrooms were pretty gross though so that was the downside but it was gross to the point of not wanting to be there or anything. But if you're looking for a spot to get a quick bite to eat in between shopping, I say give this a try!

My kids were desperate for lunch so we ended up here. While probably not my first choice, it actually was pretty good! Our server had a fun outfit on that the kids thought was cool and he made funny designs with the ketchup. The burgers were actually really good! And the shakes too. It's a 50s style diner. Probably overpriced but it is what it is. Pleasantly surprised.

Came in for a quick bite and had such a nice experience thanks to Erik! He took great care of me and my husband and made us feel so welcomed. Above is great energy he has an eye for detail and made sure we had everything we needed for the hour we were there. Thank you so much!

4 soggy pieces of bacon for a BLT. It literally felt like I was eating a mayonnaise sandwich. Will never come here again, and should have forced my kids to go to Tender Greens across the way for actual food.

The meat tasted like a sponge. I took one bite and couldn't take another. This location was particularly disgusting; greasy, stinky, sticky, bleh.

Whoever said Johnny Rockets was fun evidently never set foot in this one. This would've been a 1-star review save for the fact they turned out a decent hamburger. Overall one of the most disappointing restaurant service experiences I've had. I walked in and was told to sit anywhere, which I proceeded to do for 10 minutes trying to flag someone down for a menu or anything (I was one of 6-8 people in the restaurant, they weren't busy). After finally getting a menu and ordering, nothing again until my food was brought out, without any napkins or utensils, which I then had to flag someone else down (after multiple attempts) to get. Lots of employees just chatting with each other, seeming to ignore most customers except for the ones right in front of them at the counter. I had also ordered a shake to-go and specifically asked them not to make it until I was done because I wanted to take it with me and didn't want it to have melted. Somebody came by to drop off the check while I was still eating (attempting to clear the plate I was eating from in the process) and I asked to take the shake off the bill because I didn't want it anymore. The person got all annoyed at me because they had already made the shake that I had asked them not to until I was done with my food! Plus, I would've been able to tell them earlier that I didn't want the shake if they weren't so intent on ignoring me for most of the time I was there. Needless to say, I won't be coming back. There are much better options in downtown SM.

Way to go!!! What an amazing experience did I had at this Johnny Rockets!!!! Ok first off the Bathrooms are CLEAN! You can tell from the things I pick up as a yelper with a good clean bathroom means to me a clean environment, clean staff, clean food = great food and time!!! Well today is earth day can do be why my experience is good? Well the club Sandwich i half that and my friend got one of the mushrooms burger half this one also so we can taste both at the same time. We also got the onion rings for us to share. Everything was brought to us!! The burger was soooo good and done right! The onion rings was crispy and cook well (no burn spots). Again my experience here at this John rocks was surprisingly well over all customer and food was just great!!! Do I recommend this place yes it's been awhile they opened and during Covid 3rd Street had its up and downs. So I'm guessing they are just happy to see you come by and have a sit and drink some great shakes, eat some good burgers with onion rings and some fries! Great job and great putting a stuff together where they put you 1st!!!! Enjoy the pictures of this place as you can see it was restful place to eat and rest at the same time!

Bomb food just like always!! Great service!! And cute little ketchup design on the plate of fries!! Love it!! Delicious burgers, fries, chilli and shakes!! Yumm

I got a shake that was made so poorly, it came to me runny and melted. In no way was there any effort. I gave this place too many chances before giving them a 1 star.

It was nice to eat here today. I hadn't been here in a while. The ambiance is nice and fun. The burger was Very good. I'm glad that Johnny Rockets makes sure that their burgers are always great. The tater tots and Milk Shake were also delicious. I still cannot believe that they switched from Coca Cola to Pepsi. They were iconic for having Cherry Coke... Cherry Pepsi is nice but it's not quite what you want with a classic Johnny Rockets meal. Also the QR code needed for juke box is an awful idea. But overall, this is a Great restaurant. Highly recommended!

The Getty Villa exit is spectacular we were here ina Sunday and then ate at Johnny Rockets for lunch. They're very busy and no reservations accepted. Food was good a little over priced for burgers and shakes but what do you expect in 2023 with all the inflation?

Love the burgers, but miss their steak fry's. Their thin fry's and not very good and kinda taste old, but burgers are beefy and chewy, old school BEST!!! Always classy atmosphere and service and people are nice and friendly. Would totally go back, but would like thick cut fluffy steak fry's like you used to have !!!

I am hurting. This is my all time favorite burger chain, and it hurts to see it go downhill.. the staff at this place clearly and openly doesn't care about the brand they represent or about their job. The food is far from the burger I once fell in love with. Patties were very thin and too fatty. This place used to have the best chili cheese fries ever! And now they serve soggy miserable looking fries with a pile of s... on top and some cheeze wizz they straight got from that 7/11 cheese and chili machine. What a shame. I wish I could talk to the owner of this location because I am sure all that has to do with why this place is constantly empty and why it's probably gonna go out of business! Please start caring more! This is one of the last Johnny Rockets we have left in LA !

We entered on 6/25/23 and waited to be seated. No one helped us while we stood there for about 10 mins. Another family came in saw us standing there and rushed to the first open table and sat themselves. After that a worker finally approached us seeing what happened, and asked us to sit anywhere. Obviously there were no empty tables and some weren't cleared/cleaned from previous diners. No one mentioned anything that it was self seating, nor was there any sign. Even if it was or wasn't self seating The waiter saw what happened and didn't tell the rude family we were waiting here first. We just left rather than to put up with this disrespect from the staff. If management or corporate reads this you should make changes so it's clear that it's self seating. All other Johnny rockets locations we've been to in Hollywood, universal city, we had to wait to be seated. I will be contacting corporate as well to ask them about this disrespect and discrimination as well.

Their milkshakes are very good and them alone may be worth the visit, burger and fries are decent. Indoors has a very cool special aesthetic, outdoor seating is nothing special, other than that it is a nice location. Service was quick and pleasant.

Great service and the food was very filling. We walked around for a while trying to find a good place to eat. We got seated very quickly especially on a weekend. The food was good and good portioned. What made the expletive a five star review, was the staff. They were very accommodating especially with our kiddos.

The rest room is disgusting. The fries was really over cocked and the oils did not seem to be fresh. The place old and need update The server was nice and quick though. Thanks you The burger was also good to be honest. Still a bad experience for the brand name Jonny Rocket

Zero stars due to horrible customer service. Was not greeted and sat down for 5 min while 5-8 employees had their backs turned conversing amongst themselves. At least a hi will be right with you. Disappointed but went a few shops over and got decent pizza!

This chain isn't doing so well and I think there are reasons for that. This location is a perfect example of lacking to carr for customers. Johnny Rockets on 3rd street was a solid choice for lunch or dinner if you'd be in the area and didn't want to spend a lot. I always liked their tart lemonades, the original hamburger and fries (yes, the ketchup created smiley face helped). My husband is a fan of their cherry coke and shakes. Nothing fancy, but fun food. Sure, you have to wait longer to get a table, but it comes with the territory. Unfortunately, last time we went to eat there, that waiting turned into a nightmare, the place was dirty and smelly (didn't smell like food) and had an incident. That can happen, but it always depends on how management handles it and they did a poor job for long time customers like us. So no more Johnny Rockets at this location for us. I wouldn't recommend it either. There are better options in the area!

SUPER busy location as on the 3rd Ave Promenade + during holidays and tourist season with limited seating inside & out. Expected 50s decor for the chain. Took out instead of dining in on this occasion due to crowd. Had a turkey Original burger which was delicious. My husband said the Streamlinee (Boca) burger was good, but the patty itself is not as good as Beyond the Meat nor Impossible. Fries were not greasy nor salty (yay!) & a decent size for 'large". Would come back again

Had heard about the vegan options here, and was excited to give it a try. I could never get any one to take my order. Counter service said I had to be at a table outside. Waitress outside said go inside. Finally left. Disappointingly poor customer service kept me from ever trying the food.

Truly a staple Santa Monica restaurant that I hope stays forever on the Promenade. I have been coming here for as long as I can remember. The staff have been here for even longer as they all remember me when I come in. The customer service is always top notch and the workers are very friendly. There is seating both outside on the patio as well as inside (either booth or bar seating). If you choose to sit inside there are jukeboxes at each table that still only cost a nickel! What a bargain to get to choose a song for only 5 cents. The menus are usually brought out pretty fast. And they have lots of variety from burgers, sandwiches, and shakes. My favorite is still the chicken burger but I ask for it on sourdough. If you get fries they will also make you a fun design out of ketchup. This is a fun place for both locals and tourists. Also a great places to take kids. It has a great 50s vibe.

I took my elderly dad here and my service dog who was in a carry bag. This Latina older lady who was a server proceeded to lecture me that I'm not allowed inside with my dog. I explained she is a service dog & she said I don't care it needs to go on the floor under the table. She was so rude & out of line of what the law is in regards to service animals that I left! So bad for business. You're in the customer service field be KIND to your customers ALWAYS!

I have not been to a johnny rockets in years and remembered having great malts . we were killing time between doctor appointments on the 3rd street promenade we decided to have lunch here. Bring a jacket in the fall season as they are in the shade and its cool at lunch time. I had the Jalapeno Burger with Chipotle Mayo and Tots and he had the Swiss Burger Protein style in a lettuce wrap. The burgers are perfectly sized for me because they are smaller than other chains . The prices are around 11.99 for a single burger so I would say that the price is in line with with the serving. The tots were crisp and the oil they fry them in was "clean" tasting, no old oil . My burger was tasty and cooked perfectly. He helped me finish the tots as the serving was quite generous. Our server was prompt and gave me the extra left over shake from the blender. Nice afternoon . Nice weather. The cops had a presence and there were staff patrolling, constantly cleaning and picking up trash .

Came in today, Sunday weekend and it was busy! We asked to be seated outside since the inside was full and crowded. All the staffs were multitasking and was still able to keep track of who was seated first and we were attended to quickly. Everyone was nice, speedy, and friendly. Our waiter Christopher was very nice and kept checking on us which honestly made the whole experience better. We got the Houston and double cheese burger and they were delicious! No gimmicky flavors, you taste the ingredients that you see. Being a former customer service worker made me appreciate them more and the customers could be a little more nicer.

So yesterday I gone here to have lunch with friend We stand outside for 15 minutes nobody greets us all the workers saw us some was just standing around talking the cook saw us didn't even tell the waiters/waitresses anything till a short older lady help us she said how many we said she tells us we have 2 tables pick whatever you want and we had wait a 15mins just for someone take our order never coming back too this restaurant

It's a 1950's/60's vibe restaurant. A fun place to dine. Decided to dine on the outdoor patio. The waitress was lovely. She sketched a heart in ketchup on my plate... it's the little things that make experiences memorable. Beat the rain just in time as I took my last bite. Will visit again.

Excellent customer service, our server was "Erik" He gave my daughter a hat and balloon then decorated our paper plates with ketchup, he drew a family portrait of three on my wife's plate a sunflower on my daughters plate, and wrote the word Boss on mine. It was extremely busy but the staff still manage to provide excellent customer service, they periodically checked on us refilled our drinks, and the food was great !

Nice spot to get burgers and milkshakes at the staff here are nice and welcoming and the milkshakes here are the best and the service here is good

Johnny rockets had always been a nostalgic thing for me over the times, you feed the juke box nickles and choose old school hits. The whole entire atmosphere, classic burgers and shakes. Friday night was a busy one, customer service could have been better but wasn't all to bad. Me and friends came for the offer at this location, 2 single burgers, 2 fries and 2 classic shakes for $20 tax not included. I ordered the smokehouse and swapped the smokehouse bbq ranch with honey bbq, and paid more for a cookies and cream. It all tasted so GOOD, I watched them make it, and put love into it. The burger was juicy, the cheese was melted just right, perfect amount of sauce, the onion rings had this perfect crisp. Fries seasoned perfectly and the shake was cold but not so thick I couldn't drink it and the amount of Oreos, I needed a spoon at the end. The tab came up to $25 total For me and my homegirl. We were completely satisfied, and as always I see myself returning, until next time.

Well me and my daughter were down here for a brande Melville model thing we Decided to get food and the place that had great atmosphere and live music was johnny rockets. I decided to get the chicken salad and Man was it good. Not much to say about it, but it was very very good the service was good. We will come back here on our next trip to Santa Monica. Doesn't it look yummy

the nicest staff ever!! food is amazing and such a cute restaurant!! i definitely recommend for a family setting

Erik Benavidez was our server and he gave us the best customer service we've ever had. And we only ordered milkshakes. We hope he gets the recognition he deserves.

Very slow and got yelled at for trying to sit inside. Took 20 minutes to even get drinks and over 45 to get food. Was not that crowded at the time either. All tables were dirty and had old drinks and food, only cleaned off when you sat down. Food is decent but not worth the time.

I enjoyed a delicious to go dinner with my son consisting of a kids burger and fries plus shake as well as a mushroom burger for myself. Everything was fresh and delicious and the older white man who took care of us was especially friendly and delightful. I wish I got his name but I did tip him well, after not planning to tip at all since it was to go!

Took my girlfriend and family that was visiting here last night for a nice burger dinner and hang. The food was good. The service was great. My sister forgot her travel camera there so I went about thirty minutes later to get it and they found and held it for us. Which I really, really admired and appreciated. Location is great for tourist and locals. The vibe inside is really cool. Some what of an old school diner. Which coming from New York, I like alot. I will for sure go back for more dinners. Doing the right thing with my sisters camera and having great service is why they will have my continued business.

We ordered at the patio and we were enjoying our food when someone splashed water on us from the promenade. Management and our waiter in particular were very quick to react. They made sure we're okay, cleaned our area, provided us with clean towels and replaced all our orders. Our waiter is Rene.

Johnny Rockets on 3 rd street ok so this serveer is kinda pissing me off he needs to place my order. Maintenance here not cool these guys must learn to clean and walk. Place like this gets a lot of people so share the work when you see a dirty table pic up the dirty plates and empty cups so the table can be cleaned by a bus boy for the next customer. Team work makes everything run best!

Consistency is key at Johnny Rockets. I've never had a bad experience, but haven't had a stellar one yet. The service is always quick & the food is always as expected. I have noticed over the past couple years that their portion sizes have started to dwindle so the value isn't as great. I like that they are constantly introducing new seasonal items. It tends to get quite loud inside since the space is so small and the kitchen is open, but I think it's fun to watch the food prep. We tend to sit outside on the patio which is not always quieter thanks to street performers, but we do enjoy the breeze.

I don't want to say that the food was bad because it was decent. Nothing special but it wasn't bad by any stretch. My issue was the price. This was a mall food court and I paid $16.72 for a hamburger, fries and a drink. Thats a heck of a price to pay for a combo meal. I wouldnt come back unless someone was dying for Johnny Rockets experience in a food court. It's way different than in the restaurant itself

I like this place. Basic American food served hot and fast. What more could you want. Fairly reasonable prices. I was surprised at how much food was prepared and served in this tiny location. The staff really was hopping. There was at least six working here and they worked hard. Given the tiny location and open kitchen, it didn't smell like a fry kitchen. Excellent ventilation.

I stopped in today to this location which was jam-packed. Counter service was abrupt and very slow. The burger was good but I got it as a wrap, so it was a bit messy. My server did not have much of a personality and I don't tho k he ever smiled.

Too busy to serve. It took them a while to acknowledge that I was standing in the front of "please wait to be seated" sign. When I sat myself at the counter, I had to wait some more in order for someone to take any orders. The server finally came and asked me what I wanted. I ordered the Grill Cheese and Fries. After taking my order and leaves, he comes back 5 minutes later and asks me what I wanted to drink. I didn't order anything to drink at the time so asked him for water. He drops off the water and doesn't bother offering a straw. I looked at the counter to realize that all the straw holders were far for me to reach so I ended up drinking from the cup. Food came and I ate. No one came to check up on me nor refill my water. As I work on the second half of my sandwich, a server slides my check next to me. I finished my lunch, paid cash and left without talking to any other server. I was a bit hesitant about giving them tip but I just didn't bother anymore at that point and still put down 15%. I don't think I will come back here.

Food was great! Glad to see gluten feee and dairy free options at a burger and shakes place!

Stopped in here for a milkshake and some fries with my brother. The fries were ok, but nothing special. Could have done with some more cheese - but we of course still ate them. Te milkshakes were very tasty. Not huge, but just the right size. The only thing was the order took forever to arrive at our table. It wasn't busy and they didn't seem understaffed. So we were a little put out by that. Otherwise, the overall experience was ok. But nothing to write home about or come and visit again.

Johnny Rockets raised their price. Now they have fries with the burgers or sandwiches. It's an all you can eat fries. I used to order their Egg Salad sandwich for about $4.5, now it's $7 with fries. :-( Their new Philly cheese steak was delicious! bell peppers and onions are $1.29 extra! Other then the complain about the price, the food was good. They were busy! but after it slowed down, the waiters and cooks were dancing and the lights went off and on, off and on, so it was so cool! A great entertainment to enjoy with the food! This location is small and very busy locating on the boardwalk of the 3rd street promenade. They have patio seatings with heaters so you can enjoy people watching.. :-O

I absolutely love this place. I come here very often and I never get tired of the food nor the environment. The people working there are very friendly and nice. I've tried Johnny rockets at other locations but it wasn't alike to this one; the service and the food is amazing! I usually like to get the spicy Houston with the bacon cheese fries. Also their ketchup drawing are very nice. :)