Johnny's Charcoal Broiled Hamburgers

Johnny's Charcoal Broiled Hamburgers, or simply, "Johnny's Hamburgers", is an eatery located in Scarborough, Toronto, at Victoria Park and Sheppard Ave. It is locally famous for its charcoal broiled hamburgers which are considered one of the city's two best, famous for its economical prices, and infamous for its choice of glaring orange and white checkers decor and its choice to not serve lettuce. On its back walls are numerous retro Coca-Cola posters and signs. On its side wall is an assortment of taped-up newspaper clippings mentioning the restaurant.

The burgers come in a brown paper bag alongside a single napkin. If you order fries and a drink, their "combo" is served on a cardboard tray. There is no seating inside other than the bench where people wait for their number to be called up. The bench itself spans the entire length of the restaurant. Outside there are old wooden picnic tables on tiny patches of grass with the occasional large oil-barrel trashcan where pigeons often congregate. The restaurant's French fries come in a plain white cardboard carton. If the French fries are ordered with gravy, the server will fill half the carton with fries, pour gravy, then fill the rest of the carton with fries and pour gravy again, assuring a good distribution. At night, after closing, a large black metallic screen is drawn across the large window to deter thieves. Surrounding the restaurant is land owned by Imperial Oil. Johnny's Hamburgers itself comprises the parking lot, the restaurant itself, and an extended U-shaped driveway that branches off from the restaurant and allows patrons to drive out back and exit on to Victoria Park Ave. The driveway itself encloses a smaller area owned by Imperial Oil.

Comedian Mike Myers has endorsed the eatery several times during interviews as being a childhood favourite, having grown up in Scarborough, Ontario. The spot was combined with the Canadian coffee and donut chain Tim Hortons to create Stan Mikita's, a fictional hangout appearing in Myers' famous Wayne's World movies.

Famous quotes containing the words johnny and/or charcoal:

    Have Johnny fix him a sandwich or something. Any man running for the Senate has to wantsomething. Right, Bud?
    Okay, start the bus then. And drive them over a cliff.
    Jeremy Larner, U.S. screenwriter, and Michael Ritchie. John J. McKay (Melvin Douglas)

    For lack of wood the fire goes out, and where there is no whisperer, quarreling ceases. As charcoal is to hot embers and wood to fire, so is a quarrelsome person for kindling strife.
    Bible: Hebrew, Proverbs 26:20-21.