Johnny's Bar on Fulton

Update: (Despite owners statement that they would call to make things right, it has been more that a month and I have not heard a word from them. Sadly, this seems to further my conclusion that the management and staff want to continue with "business as usual" and are genuinely unconcerned about either their patrons or quality.)

I dined here with a guest for a late Saturday night dinner after reading rave reviews online, from Zagat, and strong recommendations from some locals, who urged me to dine at the original Johnny’s Bar. It has been around since 1942 and is a real institution of Cleveland. However, the experience left much to be desired.

In the small and bustling dining room, the host pointed out a few open tables and invited us to seat ourselves wherever we liked, and for some reason, later seemed annoyed that we had chosen the table that we did. We sat for quite a while before we received any water, bread, dinner/drink menus, or any acknowledgement at all from the waiter who was busy chatting up the table next to us and walking around to the other tables who mostly had already been served their main dishes. When the waiter finally did come to greet us, he was very curt and annoyed to explain beer and drink options that were not listed anywhere on the wine or dinner menu.

The escargot with angel hair pasta appetizer was overcooked and barely edible. My guest ordered Potato Gnocchi with Sautéed Shrimp, Broccoli and Cream which tasted, and I am not exaggerating when I say this, like it was a frozen meal from Bertolli that you would buy at a grocery store, though to be clear, I am not suggesting that it was. Suffice to say that dining experience was outrageously overpriced for the quality and I could not bear to dine their again, or to recommend that others do.

Perhaps at one point, this establishment was truly an anchor of the Cleveland dining experience with its charm and old school Italian feel, though it seems clear that under the current management, those days are past.