John's Cafe - September 22, 2010

This week's quest took us to Greenville Avenue just north of Ross Avenue to visit John's Cafe. John's opened its doors originally in 1972 on Greenville Avenue but was forced to move to Plano Road and Miller when its lease wasn't renewed in 2005. In 2007, John's Cafe opened this location at 1733 Greenville Avenue which is near its original location. We entered the long narrow restaurant and I reviewed the menu above the cash register which included eggs and pancakes, gyros, variety of sandwiches, salad bar and blue plate specials such as chicken fried steak and roast beef. I placed my order for a bacon cheeseburger with grilled onions and mayonnaise, a side of fries and a drink which totaled $10.01. I was asked how I wanted my burger cooked and I ordered it medium. I was given my drink and a number and I found a seat in one of the comfortable booths lining each side of the restaurant. About ten minutes later, the following burger was brought to my table:





When the burger arrived, it was dripping juice on the plate and thin slices of grilled onion were peeking out from below the patty. The patty was resting on a golden toasted bun which was topped with the grilled onions which still had a slight crunch and a nice sweetness from being caramelized on the flattop. The thin hamburger patty was topped with three slices of long thin crispy bacon and two slices of gooey American cheese. Taking a bite, I could taste the simple seasoning of salt and pepper on the juicy patty. The patty was cooked slightly more than medium but with a thin style patty, ordering a temperature really doesn't work. The bacon added a nice crunch to each bite and a little bit of smokey flavor to the burger. The cheese was noticeable in each bite but didn't overwhelm or detract from the flavors of the meat. The toasted bun appeared to be a standard hamburger bun but it was fluffy inside and held up well from start to finish of the burger. The french fries were crispy and hot and complimented the burger. They were standard frozen product but tasted good and weren't overcooked.


Overall I thought John's Cafe prepared a very good diner style burger. The burger had a nice amount of juices in each bite and the simple seasoning of salt and pepper was noticed in each bite. If you are in the area and craving a burger, you can't go wrong with the offering at John's Cafe. I will be back in the future to try the breakfast items and an gyro.


Ratings (1-25):


Bun - 18, standard hamburger bun, toasted golden brown, held up to the end of the burger


Meat - 20, lightly seasoned patty, juicy meat, bacon was crispy and tasty


Appearance - 21, nice looking burger, patty had crispy bits, cheese was melted well over entire burger


Taste - 20, good tasting diner style burger


Overall - 79