Johnny Boy — Local services in Somerville

A local gem that offers great Filipino sandwiches.

Recently came across this place while looking for a quick breakfast near Union Square. Operating within Juliet Social Club from Wednesday to Saturday mornings, Johnny Boy morphs the space into an adorable café exuding a relaxed and charming ambiance.

At Johnny Boy, Chef Jeff elegantly redefines humble breakfast sandwiches with a touch of island magic. During my past two visits on Thursday and Saturday mornings, I was the only customer, so I had a nice conversation with him. He was extremely friendly and seemed really enthusiastic about developing Filipino-inspired sandwiches. The menu, though concise, featured a rotating selection of one or two sandwiches daily, with the Longganisa Sandwich on weekdays and Chicken Adobo Sandwich on Saturdays.

On my first visit, I got the Longganisa Sandwich, which turned out to be one of the best sandwiches I had in my recent memory. With the banana ketchup adding a layer of sweetness and spice kick to the sweet and garlicky sausage patty, each bite was a flavor bomb. I came back a few days later to try the Chicken Adobo sandwich. Initially, the adobo's bold soy-vinegar melody seemed a tad overpowering, but soon, the subtle pepper undertone wove a more nuanced flavor narrative.

Since Jeff does pop-ups in different locations around the city, you might come across his sandwiches on college campuses or at different restaurants. Juliet Social Club doesn’t have a coffee bar, so you might have to walk over to their main restaurant right next doors if you want to pair them with coffee, but the experience is worth it. Highly recommend giving this...

I'm Filipino, and I've always been looking for places that not only spotlight Filipino flavors, but also present them in a creative way. Been meaning to go here for the longest time and it exceeded my expectations.

We got the tortang talong, the longganisa (get the Extra Filipino!) sandwich, and the chicken bites. The flavors, especially the longganisa and the atchara on the chicken bites, were on point. Special mention goes to the pandesal - it reminded me of the pandesal I'd buy in the wet markets back home. Now all I need is a calamansi drink to wash it all down lol

Can't wait to come back and try the chicken...

What a GEM! A passing customer mentioned that their friend, a fried chicken connoisseur, exclaimed that Johnny Boy's fried chicken sandwich was the best they had ever had. I got one for myself, and to my amazement, it was the best I had ever had! Tender magic on the inside, light fluffy, crisp perfection on the outside with a secret infusion of a special tanginess with a light sprinkle of pickled vegetables on top sandwiched between highly calibrated buns. Just like some sort of secret recipe from SpongeBob's hamburgers that would turn even the most pessimistic food critics into fanatics (or...