This year Johnny Rockets joins the lineup at Cedar Point. If you are not familiar with Johnny Rockets, it is an authentic re-creation of a 1940's style hamburger malt shop. The first Johnny Rockets opened in 1986 on Melrose Avenue in Los Angeles and business soon flourished. They can now be found all over the country and even the world, with locations as far away as Australia, Japan, and Lebanon. Cedar Point's is the first one to open in an amusement park.

True to its billing, I found the place a refreshing throwback to a bygone era when life was much simpler. (Unfortunately, I wasn't alive for it.) The staple of every Johnny Rocket's is the large U-shaped counter with red stools, and lots and lots of chrome. The waitstaff were dressed in all white "soda jerk" uniforms (I don't even know what that means, but I'm told that's what they are called). Speaking of the waitstaff, everyone was very friendly and entertaining. When certain songs would come on the sound system, they would all head outside on the patio and engage in rather energizing dance routines that would attract gawking crowds of onlookers.

We chose to sit out on the patio and enjoy the mild July afternoon. I ordered a burger simply calld, "The Original" which was billed on the menu as, "fresh lettuce, tomato, chopped onion, relish, pickle, mustard & mayonnaise. I also had cheddar cheese added for 50 cents extra. I was very pleased with my burger. It was thick and juicy, just like a good burger should be. I also got a combination of fries & onion rings. I enjoyed the rings very much, they were very crispy. However, the fries didn't seem too inspired. There was nothing special about them. They were just...there. I have had some awfully good fries in my day and I guess I would have expected a little more in that department. Considering Johnny Rockets is billed as a throwback to the past, I was expecting fresh cut fries (which in my book are 100 times better than the frozen, out of the bag variety). Far too few eating establishments bother with fresh cut fries (I guess it's just too much work) but to me that's the clincher for a good burger experience.

So while the fries left me wanting a little more, the chocolate shake I ordered was pure heaven. They make their shakes with hand-dipped premium vanilla ice cream. They put whipped cream on top, and even give you the extra in another cup. It was very, very good. I can't say as if I recall too many chocolate shakes better than this one was.

I do not know if pricing at the Cedar Point location is an accurate picture of what the other locations are like. Usually amusement park food it quite a bit more. We paid $25 + tip for two burgers, fries, and shakes. That to me is a lot of money for that kind of meal. The burgers were over $5.00 each with the cheese. Fries were $2.50 more, and the shakes were a whopping $3.85 each. But then again, in AmusementParkLand where a water is $2.50, maybe it's not so bad after all.

Aside from the original, they have several other burgers on their menu: The Rocket Double, which is a half pound of beef with cheese and all the normal burger toppings; Smoke House, with thick bacon, onion rings, and a barbecue-ranch sauce; #12, which features a tangy "red red sauce"; and St. Louis, with bacon, swiss cheese, grilled onions and a special sauce. Also, you can order hot dogs, chili, and numerous other sandwiches including a grilled cheese, tuna, and grilled chicken..

If you find a Johnny Rockets near you, I think you will be pleased with the experience. Good food is obviously important, but Johnny Rockets has taken it several steps further. When our food came out, the waitress took a little paper tray and made a smiley face out of ketchup for us to dip our fries in - then joined the rest of the staff in singing and dancing to the "YMCA" - it was quite a site to behold.