Johnny's Downtown — Restaurant in Cleveland

I usually do not write reviews, but this experience was so bad, I must make an exception.

I had heard the legends about Johnny’s Downtown — the “iconic” Cleveland spot where old-school charm supposedly meets fine dining. What I actually got was a three-hour test of patience and indigestion, masquerading as a meal.

From the moment we sat down, things started going downhill. The waiter disappeared for 20 minutes before even bringing water — perhaps he was off trying to find the lemons for the “lemon butter” they later drowned the Potato Crusted Grouper in. When it finally arrived, the fish was soggy, not crisp; the potato crust tasted like wet cardboard seasoned with regret. I’ve had better texture control microwaving frozen fish sticks.

The French Onion Soup, supposedly a house classic, came lukewarm — like someone had described the concept of “heat” to it once, long ago. The cheese was rubbery enough to double as a bungee cord, and the broth had the complexity of a bouillon cube melted in tap water.

My companion’s Veal Parmesan was a crime scene. The veal was hammered thinner than a parking ticket, the mozzarella slouched over it like it had given up, and the marinara sauce was somehow both bland and acidic. Even Olive Garden would’ve called this a bad day.

Then came the Homemade Gnocchi — doughy little stress balls floating in a sauce so heavy it could anchor a freighter. The shrimp were overcooked into chewy pink marbles, the broccoli limp and lifeless, and the Romano cream tasted like curdled ambition.

We tried to find redemption in dessert, but the only thing served swiftly was the bill — a cruel joke, given that we’d waited over 45 minutes between courses. Even the Soup du Jour took so long I started to wonder if they were waiting for the next day to arrive.

The atmosphere? Somewhere between “dimly lit nostalgia” and “funeral home with candles.” The once-elegant charm feels stale, as though the restaurant’s glory days are as distant as their sense of urgency.

If Johnny himself still roams this kitchen, I suggest he take a long, hard look at his Filet Mignon ($60.95) and ask: “Why does it taste like despair?”

In short:

Service: slower than a glacier.

Food: uninspired, overcooked, and overpriced.

Ambience: dated to the point of parody.

Save your evening — and your digestive tract — and head literally anywhere else downtown. Johnny’s might once have been a Cleveland institution, but now it’s just a museum exhibit...

My recent experience at Johnny’s Downtown was incredibly disheartening and offensive. From the moment we walked in, it was clear that we were treated differently because of the color of our skin. As it was our first time visiting, we were excited to enjoy a nice meal, but it quickly became one of the worst dining experiences I’ve ever had.

Our initial server was loud, unprofessional, and dismissive. She constantly yelled about how the restaurant didn’t have certain items and seemed irritated by our presence. She even suggested we’d be better off going somewhere else. Feeling uncomfortable, we spoke to the host and requested a change of server. Unfortunately, things only got worse.

The second server assigned to our table had visibly dirty sleeves and a complete lack of professionalism. He repeatedly touched our food without gloves or proper hygiene and was exceptionally rude, refusing to say “excuse me” or acknowledge us in a respectful manner. His attitude made the entire experience even more awkward and uncomfortable.

The underlying tone of the entire evening was one of blatant disrespect. We felt marginalized and excluded simply because of who we are. I’ve dined at some of the finest establishments, and never in my life have I been treated as poorly as I was here.

Despite the appalling service, I still left a tip because I believe in kindness even when it’s not reciprocated. However, I will never return to Johnny’s Downtown, and I’ll be advising all my friends and family to avoid this place as well. Dining out should be a welcoming experience for everyone, and Johnny’s completely failed in providing even the bare minimum of respect and decency.

If you value great service and an inclusive environment, look elsewhere. Johnny’s Downtown has lost my trust and my...

Honestly, the portions were too small, and the service far too terrible, for the prices to be what they are. From the start, the service was horrible, and we should have taken that as a sign to leave. We found Johnny’s Downtown online as we were searching for places downtown to go for our first wedding anniversary—we’re from Louisiana, so we relied heavily on reviews to make our decision & reservation. When we arrived, the host stand was in disarray with no clear host, but also neither gentleman present acknowledging our presence for roughly 3-5 minutes, and people behind us were helped and seated before us. Once we were seated, it took a while before we were given menus & longer before we were asked for drinks. When ordering food, it’s necessary to have everything put in at once—not a problem but frustrating—also not a problem but frustrating, is the fact that no substitutions can be made without any indication of that fact on the menu. We were informed of this fact when my husband asked if the linguine on his veal Parmesan could be swapped for angel hair pasta as it was made in-house, and he wanted to try it. Not possible. We waited forever for everything—drinks, water refills, requested bread with our escargot, etc. We are not picky or easily frustrated people, and we don’t mind waiting for food, but waiting for requested items repeatedly with no explanation or apology does not justify the prices charged and the apparent esteem in which this place seems to hold itself. I also understand if a place is short staffed, this was not the case. It seems as if you are only paying for the building in which you sit. If you have a night out in Cleveland, do yourself a favor and pick...