Business & Tech

Merritt Canteen, Johnny Rockets Take Off

Johnny Rockets is located in the Westfield Trumbull Mall.

The Merritt Canteen, a 60-year-old Bridgeport business, took top honors in this week's poll, but , a newer business in the , came in second.

Here's the breakdown of the votes:

  • Johnny Rockets 8 (19%)
  • McDonald's 3 (7%)
  •  2 (4%)
  •  3 (7%)
  •  1 (2%)
  • 3 (7%)
  • Merritt Canteen 20 (47%)
  •  2 (4%)

On Main Street in Bridgeport, not far from the Trumbull Mall, lies the Merritt Canteen.

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"It started out as a little hut serving the best dogs, burgers and seafood around. In 1958 Lorraine Kohn, the original owner, decided to level the building and build a state of the art drive in restaurant. It had an ice cream parlor, overhead doors as entrances and an outdoor patio. It was the first of its kind in the area," according the restaurant's Website.

The restaurants serves a variety of dishes, from burgers to hotdogs to chicken.

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The first Johnny Rockets opened in 1986 and the chain has been spreading ever since. It offers a 50s-style atmosphere with all the traditional menu options. There is also a location in Milford. 

Other suggestions came from a reader, "HL."

"Our family regularly makes trips to The Tavern (in Monroe), Five Guys (Newtown) or Pub 25 (Newtown) to get a decent burger," he wrote.


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