VJ's Drive Inn
| VJ's Drive Inn | |
|---|---|
 | |
Interactive map of VJ's Drive Inn | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Established | 1980 |
| Owner | John Calogeris |
| Food type | Fast food |
| Location | 170 Main St., Winnipeg, Winnipeg Metro Region, Manitoba, R3C 1A6, .svg.png){kind=small} Canada |
| Coordinates | 49°53′23″N 97°08′08″W / 49.8896°N 97.1355°W |
Seating capacity | Outdoor seating only |
| Reservations | No |
Other locations | One |
VJ's Drive Inn is a burger joint in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada, located at 170 Main Street.[1][2]
Overview
The restaurant initially opened as Juniors in 1958, the name of the restaurant changed to VJ's Drive Inn in 1980.[1]
The restaurant is owned by John Calogeris whose father was Nick Calogeris (b. Spiros Calogeris). Nick Calogeris was involved with many Winnipeg restaurants, such as The Manhattan, the Original Food Bar, BBQ Restaurant, and Kit Kat Grill. John Calogeris' two partners—John and Gus Razos—are his cousins.[3]
Staff at VJ's prepare and sell up to 5,000 pounds (2,300 kg) of french fries per week, and up to 100 pounds (45 kg) of hamburger each day.[1] Because the restaurant only has outdoor seating, all orders are take-out and are packaged into traditional fold-up boxes.[1]
Actor Blake Anderson said the “VJ’s Drive Inn has probably one of the top five burgers I’ve ever had in my life,” when discussion the "Fat Boy Burger" when he was in town filming the curling movie Sticks and Stones.[4] Timeout Magazine also labeled having a meal at VJ's as the third best thing to do in all of Winnipeg.[5]
Prominent VJ’s customers throughout the years include former Winnipeg Mayor Sam Katz, Burton Cummings, George Reznik, Hymie Weinstein, former Premier and United States Ambassador Gary Doer, Steve Ashton, Al Golden, and Garth Steek.[6]
References
- 1 2 3 4 Ketchen, Courtney. "VJ's Drive Inn". Downtown Winnipeg Biz. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
- ↑ "VJs Drive-Inn: Burger Shack Bliss". Peg City Grub. 21 August 2012. Retrieved 17 February 2013.
- ↑ Scurfield, Maureen (August 4, 2010). "Famous burger joint draws a worldly crowd". Winnipeg Free Press. Retrieved February 17, 2013.
- ↑ Winnipeg Free Press. American actor praises burgers at VJ’s Drive Inn. Winnipeg Free Press, Jan. 7, 2026. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/arts-and-life/2026/01/07/american-actor-praises-burgers-at-vjs-drive-inn.
- ↑ Time Out. Best things to do in Winnipeg. Time Out Canada. https://www.timeout.com/canada/things-to-do/best-things-to-do-in-winnipeg
- ↑ Winnipeg Free Press. Famous burger joint draws a worldly crowd. Winnipeg Free Press, Aug. 4, 2010. https://www.winnipegfreepress.com/local/2010/08/04/famous-burger-joint-draws-a-worldly-crowd