Lenny's Burger Shop

Phoenix natives and long-term residents can probably recall when cruising up and down Central Avenue was a big deal. Long before light rail and Midtown office towers, the stretch of Central above Downtown was a place to show off the car, look for a date, and have a basic meal of burgers, fries, and a coke at a place like the old Carnation restaurant or Bob's Big Boy. Those places are long gone, and the cruising culture has inevitably diminished as Phoenix has progressed from state capital to regional city to major metropolitan area, but the associated food still has a certain appeal. It's therefore fitting that Lenny's Burger Shop, a small local chain, has an outpost right on Central Avenue in the heart of the old Midtown cruising district. The current location just south of Thomas has replaced Lenny's older, smaller, and grubbier Central Phoenix restaurant that was once located on westCamelback.

Lenny's occupies a strip mall on the southeast corner of Central and Thomas, just across the street from the Thomas / Central light rail station. The little shopping center seems out of place and has seen better days. The anchor space, once home to branches of banks like Citibank and Norwest, now lies vacant, with its drive-thru now serving as an unofficial shade canopy for people waiting for the Thomas Road bus. The site desperately calls out for redevelopment to match the dense cluster of nearby high-rises, but that type of project will have to wait for a better real estate market and a healthier economy. Until then, Lenny's presence adds a bit of color and charm where those qualities are desperately needed. Lenny's makes up for the strip mall's drab stucco exterior with an interior that is a kitschy, energetic combination of quilted metal, checkered patterns, neon signs, tinsel decorations, '50s memorabilia, and Pepsi paraphernalia. The retro theme even extends to the music with oldies rock and roll on the speakers.

Lenny's is a casual place; order at the counter, help yourself to a drink at one of the self service soda fountains, and wait for your number to be called. Seating is at stools along a counter facing the kitchen. Two-top tables line the other side of the restaurant's linear space, and a few four tops are up front. There's also a second dining room off to the side, but it's closed during off-peak hours. For Lenny's, peak hours right now are principally the weekday lunch rush. Remember, the primary clientele today is Midtown office workers, perhaps former cruisers themselves, so the hours at Lenny's are on the early side with closing time at 7 PM. In recent months, Saturday lunchtime hours have been added, a small step toward a more lively Midtown. The restaurant is a little crowded -- enough so that customers have to duck behind the "order here" station to fetch iced tea. The friendly staff don't seem to mind. There are high chairs available for little ones, although no separate kid's menu. Still, the prices are low enough that ordering adult portions for young diners shouldn't be a hardship.

The food is obviously centered around hamburgers (center photo below) -- big, juicy, and moderately priced. The burgers are cooked to order and come in single, double, and triple configurations. All can be dressed to order with condiments, and variations liketeriyaki mushroom, chili, Mexican burgers offer some tempting pre-loaded options. All burgers can be purchased a la carte or in combos with fries and a fountain drink. Around the same time it added Saturday hours, Lenny's also added fish and chips (right photo below) to the menu. To be honest, the dish is not the restaurant's strength. The breading is a little soggy and melds with the fish inside instead of standing on its own as a distinctive coating. Customers seeking an alternative to red meat are better off with one of the grilled chicken sandwiches, grilled cheese, or the veggie burger. At the other end of the nutritional spectrum, anyone looking for maximum indulgence might turn to one of the dozen hot dogs available.

The principal sides are fries and onion rings, both unabashedly purveyed by food service powerhouse J.R. Simplot. The former are just okay; they have good potato flavor but also the sometimes mealy texture associated with pre-cut frozen fries. The onion rings are better with sweet onion slices encased in a crisp exterior. There's also coleslaw -- sweet and slightly soupy like most fast food versions of this popular side. Greenery is limited to a garden salad of mostly iceberg. It's best not to bother and to enjoy instead the fried dishes with any compensatory healthful eating deferred until the next meal. Every table is adorned with squeeze bottles of ketchup and mustard. A small condiment bar near the cash register provides additional choices like malt vinegar and hot sauce. To be sure, Lenny's is no Welcome Diner with a farm-fresh, locavore perspective on burger basics. Nevertheless, it works as a tasty and affordable link between the past and present of Midtown.

2825 N. Central Ave., Phoenix, AZ 85004 | Map
(602) 263-8700
http://www.lennysburger.com