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A chicken club sandwich with fries at Johnny Rockets at Outlets at Traverse Mountain in Lehi on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald

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A Ghirardelli dark chocolate milkshake at Johnny Rockets at Outlets at Traverse Mountain in Lehi on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald

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A bacon cheddar single hamburger with a side of fries at Johnny Rockets at Outlets at Traverse Mountain in Lehi on Tuesday, Dec. 11, 2012. SPENSER HEAPS/Daily Herald

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The Outlets at Traverse Mountain might as well be the Cape Canaveral of Utah County, serving, as it were, as the local launching pad for worldwide Americana chain Johnny Rockets.

First of all, judging by the crowd we encountered on a recent Saturday afternoon visit, Elton John had it wrong in his 1972 song “Rocket Man” when he groused that he was “burning out his fuse up here alone.” The only way to have been alone on this day would have been to lock yourself in the bathroom.

Let’s just say that Johnny Rockets was hopping on Saturday. We’re not sure how to interpret the crowd — did Johnny’s attract a number of people specifically wanting to give the hip new diner a try or does it mostly stem from it being the only real restaurant option at the new mall combined with it being a busy Saturday in December? We don’t have the answer to that question, but we can tell you that dining at Johnny Rockets was an enjoyable experience overall.

Johnny Rockets sports a 50s diner theme, with red and white vinyl booths, vintage Coca Cola posters featuring servicemen and women in armed forces uniforms, and a jukebox cranking out old-style tunes. The restaurant made good use of its available space, fitting in a selection of booths, tables seating two and four patrons, and 10 barstool seats along a front counter that overlooks the grill.

After a 10-minute wait, our group featuring two adults and four kids, was shown to a booth near the back of the restaurant. While trying to decide what to order, we got sidetracked for a few minutes by the shake menu. Let’s face it, it’s not often one encounters a 10-page booklet devoted entirely to touting the merits of 18 different shake concoctions ranging from Big Apple (made with real apple pie) to Black Forest (a mixture featuring cherries and chocolate, like the cake). I opted to try the Butterfinger, a combo of the candy bar and vanilla ice cream. The shake arrived before the food and with many other mouths wanting a sample, this item was a goner long before the end of the meal. The shake, which was topped with whipped cream and very delicious, came with a spoon (or in this case five spoons), but it wasn’t too thick to slurp with a straw.

Did we mention how crowded it was? Orders were a long time arriving, prompting our waitress to stop by halfway through the wait with two plates of complimentary fries “just to munch on.” The fries proved to be one of the highlights at Johnny Rockets, especially when dipped in the house fry sauce, and they were quickly gobbled up. An added enticement is that many of the menu items come with unlimited fries. Bonus!

The menu is heavily Americana-based, meaning a wide selection of 1/3-pound hamburgers, sandwiches, salads, melts and sides. One of our favorites was the Philly Cheese Steak sandwich. The sandwich, with thinly sliced sirloin topped with grilled onions and bell peppers and a choice of cheese, was delicious, albeit slightly dry to our taste. It could have used a little sauce or something to moisten it up — although maybe that is just a personal preference.

The Grilled Chicken Club Salad was served in a large, wide bowl and featured a mix of romaine and iceberg lettuce with chopped bacon, tomatoes, grilled (or crispy) chicken and cheddar cheese. It made for a nice combo.

The Bacon, Lettuce and Tomato Sandwich came as advertised and tasted great. We only wish the white bread had been toasted.

One of our teenage daughters opted for The Original hamburger. Unfortunately, she is a notoriously picky eater and ordered it plain. The sample I tried was excellent, which made me wish all the more for a bite with all the fixings included. Maybe next time!

There is also a kids menu at Johnny Rockets, and the Chicken Tenders were a revelation — nothing like the small nuggets or wimpy portions that seem like a mere afterthought at many restaurants. These were great!

As for sides, we tried sweet potato fries and onion rings, which were both standard. The latter we ended up getting to go as they got lost in the rush and never came during the meal.

The atmosphere at Johnny Rockets may be one of its biggest draws. We enjoyed listening to the main jukebox throughout most of our meal. There were even individual jukeboxes available at each booth table, for a cheap 5 cents a play. It turns out, though, that they are not hooked up yet — which we only learned after dropping some coinage in the machine at our table.

We understand that workers at many Johnny Rockets establishments break out into spontaneous song — which beats whistling while they work. That didn’t happen during our visit, but maybe they are building up to it.

As far as a potential return visit to Johnny Rockets, with apologies to Sir Elton, I don’t think it’s gonna be a long, long time.

Johnny Rockets

Where: 3700 N. Cabelas Blvd., Suite 353, Lehi

Hours: 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Monday to Thursday, 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Sunday

Prices: $2.79-$10.79

Info: (801) 901-1343, johnnyrockets.com