Johnny's Tavern West — Restaurant in Lawrence

So, having been literally housebound for over a week, warmer temps and melting snow makes it possible for us to finally venture out. A run into town to get supplies on wakarusa also includes a lunch out at johnnys west. YAY! LUNCH OUT! hubby and I have missed our "burp excursions ". We've had a good time trying and cooking new dishes at home but we absolutely ❤️ larryvilles diverse and plentiful restaurants. We've been to johnnys west before but usually for a basketball game, beer and appetizers. We were ready to EAT FOOD someone else prepared. Sadly, one of our favorite brewskis, yakamaniac, was out but our server recommended another IPA, Space camper which was delicious! A little more of a hoppy flavor but still good. I ordered the firecracker tacos with grilled shrimp and extra firecracker sauce. Hubby had the special that day: 2 hard shell beef tacos (1.75 each). My tacos arrived and boy howdy, absolutely delicious. I will, however, ask for corn tortillas next time. The flour tortillas are a bit doughy for the extended flavors. As you bite into the taco, it's a fierce blend of jalapeño, cabbage, shrimp, tomato and the firecracker sauce. Wait for the heat as it will arrive after you chew a couple of times. It's not a "grab a drink" heat to alleviate the burn. More like a "here ya go and then it's gone" heat. Perfect balance. Hubby's beef tacos were fine, I mean can you screw up beef tacos? Our server was efficient, she didn't hover and checked in 3 times. Bathroom was clean but no paper towels (I'm not a fan of hand dryers for reasons that I shan't discuss). Good news is when you exit the bathroom (using toilet paper as handle cover) there's a paper towel dispenser! All in all, 4 solid stars on every category. P.s. this week is restaurant week and their menu is very inviting!

P.s.s. look at the difference between the firecracker shrimp tacos on corn vs. Flour!...

First off I want to say I have been here several times and have always liked the place. That being said the manager working the night of February 1st should be fired and will keep me from ever going back in there again. There were three of us that ordered food and they brought two of our dinners out before the third one. We waited to start eating until everyone’s meal came out. 15 minutes later they told us it would be another 10 minutes. We asked if we could send ours other meals back to be put on the warmer, that wasn’t an option so then we asked for new ones to come out with the last meal. That was not an option either. Then my wife asked for our bill for the appetizers and they could keep the rest of the food. The manager proceeded to tell my wife to not raise her voice to her. I can tell you right now that she was not even close to raising her voice. Then the manager proceeded to tell us to have a nice night in a sarcastic voice over and over. I have never seen such an unprofessional excuse for a manager in my life. I felt sorry for the waitress so I paid for what we had already gotten and gave her a 20% tip. Then as we were walking out the manager proceeded to loudly and sarcastically yell have a great night and thanks for coming in. As a local business owner, that manager was the most unprofessional manager I have ever met and if she worked for me she would be fired...

A buddy and I had lunch with others at another restaurant and came to Johnny's West for drinks and good conversation thereafter. We sat at the bar where a gal named Gabby was learning the trade of bartending and doing a great job as far as I could tell. Another gal was leading the training and giving Gabby some pointers about how to do things quicker and more efficiently, helping her gain experience and confidence. Based on this, I judge the staff--both the new and the seasoned--to be great folks and definitely interested in top-notch quality service.

The experience that my buddy and I had was also quite good. Though the place was busy and fairly crowded at the tables and booths, the bar seats were nearly empty and the noise level was actually not that bad: my friend and I could hear each other pretty well. The trainer bartender was a little soft-spoken on occasion but Gabby had a good voice and was able to measure it well to make herself heard but not make it seem like she was yelling, all while keeping a wonderful smile.

The beers were good, the service was what I would expect from a Lawrence tradition for more than half a century, and the atmosphere was fun and inviting. I have been here many times since it changed over from JB Stouts many many years ago and I will...