An old-school American diner is the place to go for a retro-style meal once you've already been caught eating soup out of a grandmother's bouffant. Sate chronologically motivated hunger with today's deal: for $15, you get $30 worth of all-day breakfast, burgers, sandwiches, and more at Johnny's Luncheonette, a Newton Centre eatery.
Wielding a bountiful bevy of certified U.S. comfort foods, Johnny's Luncheonette has garnered fame and fortune from myriad magazines. No matter how late you get up, Johnny's celebrated crunchy french toast ($7.95) is always waiting to greet your face. For diners whose style doesn't include a breakfast out of bed, Johnny's serves burgers and sandwiches as well as classic American dinners. Eating a 50s burger (served with coleslaw and a pickle; $7.50) brings people back to a time during which they almost certainly weren't alive, and a roast turkey dinner with stuffing, gravy, mashed potatoes, cranberry sauce, and choice of bread ($12.95) transports the mouth to a different day and age without the aid of a flux capacitor. Pair any delectable selectable with an old-fashioned malt ($5.50) or a raspberry-lime rickey ($3.50) to complete the mouthsemble.
Johnny's retro stylings match the retro meals to a chrome-plated T stolen from the high school bully's Thunderbird. Drop in with a group of friends or your dance gang and toss a throwback meal down the hatch.
Reviews
Boston magazine declared Johnny's Luncheonette the Best of Boston – Breakfast in 2002, 2004, 2005, 2008, and 2009. Boston magazine also named the restaurant as the spot for the Ultimate Reuben in 2010. The Phantom Gourmet included the diner in its Great Ate for Kid-Friendly Restaurants, and it has been featured on Chronicle. Yelpers give the restaurant an average of 3.5 stars.
- This four-time Best Of winner extends its run by virtue of its satisfyingly thick French toast and rib-sticking meals like pastrami skillet scrambles and Santa Fe burritos. – Boston
- Even the most particular of children can find something to eat from the big menu that includes classics like grilled cheese, burgers, and breakfast all day. For dessert, Johnny’s serves up ice cream sodas, frappes, and milkshakes. Many customers are even known by name. – Phantom Gourmet