When Ronn Teitelbaum opened the first Johnny Rockets in 1986, his wanted to create a restaurant where people could escape the postmodern blues and experience a taste of time-honored Americana. And he chose a name that reflects that ideal: It combines the star of a classic American fable, Johnny Appleseed, and a classic car, Oldsmobile’s beefy Rocket 88. Now, decades later, his chain makes itself at home in America's cultural landmarks, including Yankee Stadium and the Flamingo Hotel.

During dinners at the famous burger joints, signs of simpler times start with the cooks and servers—dressed head to toe in white, including white paper hats, they look like they’ve fallen out of a wormhole from the 1950s ready to sling shakes and grill up some eats. Behind a stainless-steel bar lined with red leather stools, they tend to their traditional diner fare, including burgers and melts with sides like chili-cheese fries and onion rings.