Cheeseburger, $3.99

Johnny’s Charbroiled Hamburgers, 2595 Victoria Park Ave., Scarborough

The ask

Johnny’s Charbroiled Hamburgers has been satisfying burger cravings for more than 50 years.

The famous Scarborough restaurant, known for its orange decor, efficient service, crispy fries and good old-fashioned burgers, lures hungry diners from all over the city.

Its legion of fans include comedian Mike Myers and actor Raymond Ablack, best known for playing Sav Bhandari on Degrassi: The Next Generation.

Edmond Wong is also among the faithful who line up at all hours for a taste of Johnny’s charbroiled patties served on oversize fluffy white buns.

He knows, of course, that a cheeseburger isn’t considered health food.

Still, he wants to know the calorie count of Johnny’s cheeseburger. Especially since he lives just a few minutes away from the famed takeout counter.

“I’m somebody who likes to count calories,” Wong says. “I’m a health-conscious eater and tend to avoid places where I don’t know what I’m getting. I’d love to know how many calories are in these burgers.”

The guess

“I’ve tried to break down the calorie count in my head,” Wong says. “I think there’s about 200 calories in the roll, I’m guessing the patty has between 500 and 600 calories and the condiments maybe have 50 calories.

“So, in total, I think it has about 800 calories.”

The exclusive results

Calories: 725

Fat: 33 grams

Sodium: 2,201 milligrams

Carbohydrates: 82 grams

Protein: 26 grams

The breakdown

This is a cheeseburger meant to curb cravings; it weighs 310 grams, about ¾ of a pound.

Its 2,201 milligrams of sodium is close to the recommended daily maximum allotment and is 100 milligrams shy of what’s found in a teaspoon of salt.

This cheeseburger has 200 more calories than a Big Mac, which weighs 209 grams and has 520 calories, 28 grams of fat and 950 milligrams of sodium.

It has considerably fewer calories than the epic cheeseburger served at Jack Astor’s, which weighs 440 grams and has 1,068 calories, 71 grams of fat and 2,500 milligrams of sodium.

Additional facts to consider when eyeing a combo: A typical order of fries could add between 300 and 400 calories to the meal and a 175 mL (16 oz.) Coca-Cola (depending on the amount of ice) could add another 200 calories.

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The expert response

Registered dietitian Shannon Crocker considers this cheeseburger a meal on its own and “like any fast food burger, a now-and-then enjoyment.”

But for those who acknowledge the burger’s fast-food origins and still want it to make it a bit more healthy, Crocker suggests a few easy tweaks.

If you’re concerned about the burger’s higher carbohydrate count (its 82 grams of carbs is the equivalent of 4 1/2 slices of white bread), try eating the burger open-face to cut out some of the carbs. Though, Crocker acknowledges, that can make for a messy eating experience.

And, she adds, to help counteract its 2,201 milligrams of sodium — “and that’s without a side of salty fries” — make sure you drink plenty of water and eat lots of vegetables the remainder of the day.

“When you go for a restaurant burger, fries and pop, you’re eating it for enjoyment, not nutritional value,” Crocker says. “But knowing the nutritional numbers and being able to have a solid comparison can help you make an informed choice.

“So, maybe you see this burger is about a third of the calories you might need in a day and so you skip the fries. Or, maybe you see these numbers and think, ‘I love this burger and the fries, but I’m only having it now and then.’”

The restaurant response

Ilias Sklavos, co-owner of Johnny’s, says people love his restaurant for three reasons: the fresh-made meals, the quick and cheerful service and its bargain prices.

“It’s very, very cheap for this kind of burger,” he says. “It’s a 6 oz. patty and the cheeseburger is just $3.99. Where else can you get that?

“And our service is fast. We know people want their meal quick so they can get back to work.”

With pride, Sklavos points to patties sizzling on the grill, bags of white buns and bowls holding chopped onions and slices of tomatoes and pickles.

“Everything you see is brought in fresh every day. Our supplier makes the burgers especially for us and we slice the vegetables and pickles fresh every morning.”

Sklavos also points to his staff busily serving customers, noting some have been taking orders and building burgers for 20 or 30 years.

“Everybody knows us. It’s like a family here.”

As for the cheeseburger’s calorie count? “We don’t worry about that. That’s not what we’re about.”

The reader reaction

As someone who counts calories, Wong isn’t too surprised that Johnny’s generously sized cheeseburger has 725 calories.

“That’s more than a Big Mac, right? I think some people will be surprised to find that out.

“For me, I’ll be more inclined to stop in now that I have some ballpark nutrition numbers. It does taste really good.”

The Dish is a regular series that helps health-conscious diners navigate Toronto’s food scene by revealing the nutrition information of Star readers’ favourite foods. If you are curious about the calories in a meal or treat, email Megan Ogilvie at mogilvie@thestar.ca. Items selected for The Dish will be sent to an accredited laboratory for nutritional analysis.