Johnny's Tavern — Restaurant in Amherst

I went to Johnny's for my (girl) friends birthday on March 11, 2025 for a table of 11. First impression was that the place was very nice and beautiful. The service from our waitress was amazing. I thought she was very kind. But when delivered our food it changed the experience.

Thankfully my plate was delicious but 4 of my other friends said differently. 2 of them ordered the same plate and said that it was not even warm to the point where 1 of one them had to send it back because it wasn't enjoyable and tainted her appetite. The excuse from a different waiter was the (ricotta?) cheese in the middle is cold and that the meat is tossed with the pasta sauce, but then how come the pasta and meat were not warm? Regardless of the ricotta cheese, it should have not affected the temperature of the plate as a whole.

The birthday girl shared a plate of pasta with her friend both having their own small bowl. The first plate was heavily spiced. Though it was mentioned by the waitress that it was spicy it was overly spiced. I encouraged them to have the restaurant take it back and order something instead because they should eat something that they are going to enjoy. Both of them are vegetarians so the menu was limited. The waitress brought something back a different bowl of pasta approximately 15 mins later for each of them. They hardly touched the bowl after their 2nd bite. Me and a couple of other friends at the table tried the new pasta to see what was wrong with it. I had 1 bite and I had a hard time swallowing it because the taste was sincerely intolerable. With all respect, it was absolutely disgusting. I feel bad for them both for I had them take it back a second time. Neither of them had a dinner! To the point where us friends had to make up for it with a dessert someplace else.

I took it upon myself to speak with the manager, because this was simply not okay especially for an occasion. They tried to explain what the ingredients were to have made the food taste as such and apologized as well, which was much appreciated. The plates sent back we were not charged for.

I think that the party was too big for them to handle to present quality food service. I myself will not be returning. But I would not recommend having big parties here over 6. I hope this will help the restaurant and guests...

Great cocktails! Every time we come here we have a wonderful experience. Food is awesome, big menu, specials seasonally. Staff is lovely. Great atmosphere. Plenty of seating options-bar stools, bar tables, private dining room, as well as outdoor patio seating. Lots of cute shops & a movie theater within walking distance. Tons of parking. Reasonable prices for great quality. Owned by the same family that own several other great resteraunts in the area. We have sat at the bar, at a bar table, & in the dining room. All are great options. They can handle any size group and we have seen several special occasions celebrated there. Garlic noodles are addictive, I get them every time we go. Decor is cool, lots of old pics of the area as well as family. Nice local hang out, a little on the quieter side. We will continue to frequent this place. In the shopping area surrounding the resteraunt you can find a book store, a really good coffee shop, an apothocary, a clothes store, ice cream shop, sushi place, chinese food resteraunt, deli, and spa. Plenty of handicapped spots in the lot close to the doors. There is even a few cute little courtyards and a fountain you can sit on a bench next to. The surrounding area is the campus of Mount Holyoke College and it is absolutely beautiful to walk around on. Usually lots of students around but quiet and peaceful anyway. Looks like a pretty good public transportation system goes right through here as well. Look out for lots of cross walkers and make sure you follow the speed...

Another great meal! Our 4th time here since Sept. Our daughter goes to UMass and this has become our favorite restaurant. Service, food, atmosphere are top notch! We came on a Thursday night and it was busy!! Always a wait but well worth it. For starters, we split the Fried Mushroom Risotto Balls. They were delicious, hot and crispy. The garlic pomodoro sauce had a real spicy kick to it. I got the Braised Boneless Short Rib, subbing mashed potatoes for the gnocchi. Wonderful!!!! Johnny's is great about substituting food. The roasted onions and mushrooms with the Gorgonzola Demi-glaze went perfectly. I didn't even need a knife to eat the shirt rib because it was fall-apart tender and amazing! My husband had the special. Seared scallops over corn, Brussels sprouts, risotto and wasabi cream. Also amazing!!! The plating for our meals was beautiful. For drinks I had two glasses of the winter Sangria. It consisted of red wine, rum, cinnamon cranberries, and an orange slice. Goes down so easy! We sat at the bar before being seated. The bartender gave beer samples to try. My husband liked the White Lion on tap. I took back the dessert to our hotel room but it's still in the fridge. Can't wait to eat it tonight. It's a banana cream tart with chocolate sauce and fresh...