Johnny V's Smoke Shack — Restaurant in Perry

Johnny V's Smoke-Shack, nestled now in the small town of Perry, is not a marketing term in comparison to Johnny V's Smokehouse in Corruna. It is a smaller, more family oriented restaurant, however. It's size is that made for the small town of Perry, I personally felt that it's price might have not been. I walked in and had a sense of modernism. An architectural design I felt Perry was really lacking aside from a majority of the fast food restaurants that are present by the time of this review. I ordered the Smokehouse Sliders with Burnt Ends --which can have different choices of protein aside from the Burnt Ends--, but prior to ordering, the definition of this was vague. The menu did not specify the count of sliders per order, not the mention it does not specify to come with a drink nor a side as those must be ordered separately as based on the menu itself. I would advise them to make an edit to assist to get that message accross. The menu also did not mention the toppings of onions and pickles, so I'm glad I did ask the cashier about that. Personally, not a pickle fan, but onions are neat. I also wanted to try their seasoned fries, so I got that to go along with it. I didn't get a drink, but if I was they do have the modern style Fountain Dispensers where one can mix different style beverages. I ordered it to go as I am a busy man who had to go places, yet I was told the wait would take twenty minutes, which I was okay to make the sacrifice for. During the wait, I leaned on the railing that was on the border of the kitchen area, and a gentleman accross asked if he could help me. I had some questions about the restaurant, I did not expect it to be the owner. It's owner is the same owner of the Smokehouse, a gentleman I've met named Kevin who had a very down-to-earth vibe. They have been quite busy getting this going, and with their product being sold out in certain areas, show potential. I was given my food and went along my way.

The Food. It was... Well, I can imagine the chefs might have had some fatigue. Even though I ordered my meal to have onions, there was no onions. I ordered the seasoned fries, but these were bland. I'm not sure if they gave me seasoned fries or normal fries. I had a side of Kansas Barbeque sauce, it was sweet, but too sweet where it can blind the pallet. The burnt ends had a good bitter taste from the char on the side and would fall apart in the mouth, but I found a few pieces of unrendered fat which made it difficult to enjoy. Three Small sliders that didn't have onion, "seasoned" fried (???), and a small cup of barbeque sauce. Price: $11.23, which my wallet felt like it got hit with a shovel for what it was worth, especially for the value one can get from competitors. I would like to see this place grow for this community as it's an addition to the local economy and an alternative flavor for many to try. I would like to see improvments that take it from "Okay I guess" to "Wow, this is great". For now, it's okay,...

Hands down some of if not the absolute best food I've ever eaten. I've tried a good majority of things on the menu and I can honestly say that I've never had one bad thing.

The burgers are fantastic, the pulled pork sandwiches are fantastic, the ribs are fantastic, etc. The buns! Oh wow. I know I've never had a better bun for anything in my entire life. And you'll have to visit when the owner Kevin is working some time. Aside from the greatest customer service I've ever experienced, he'll tell you the story of how they get the buns from a bakery in Pennsylvania because they couldn't bake a better one.

The smokehouse mac and cheese!? Honestly, the best mac & cheese I've ever had...and I've had some good ones. The Union Woodshop's "famous" mac & cheese doesn't even come close to comparing.

The fries / house made chips!? Wow. I could just eat the fries. The seasoning is so good it's insane. Definitely the best fries I've ever had.

The brisket? Brisket isn't my thing, but I've had multiple friends who I've taken here (and brisket is their favorite bbq) and THEY said it was possibly the best smoked brisket they've ever had...so take their word for it, not mine lol.

And, as odd as it may seem, probably my favorite item on the menu...the tacos!! Oh my. The pulled pork and the shrimp tacos are so good it's ridiculous. I think I could live off just their tacos. They're large, good sized tacos and they're STUFFED full. No skimping here. One time we were eating there with friends who'd never been there before and the owner (Kevin) walks over and asks everyone how the food is, etc. I tell him the pork tacos were amazing (first time I had tried them) and he asked if we had tried the shrimp tacos yet. None of us had...so Kevin says "wait right there...I'll be back" and brings out a full entree of shrimp tacos on the house for us to try! Of course they were absolutely amazing. Make sure to ask for extra aioli too!

Honestly the owners are so nice, that's almost enough of a reason to keep coming back, let alone the amazing food. I've never received better or more friendly service anywhere I've been, a tribute to the great owners and the employees that work there. I will rave and tell everyone about this place until the day it closes down. It's might be worth moving to Perry JUST to live close by the restaurant haha.

Prices are on the higher side, but not one time have I ever felt like I over-paid for any of the food. This place really exemplifies the old saying "you get what you pay for". I would eat here every day if my budget allowed for it lol. But even then, they send out lots of coupons, deals, and whatnot, plus they have a rewards program you can join. All in all just a great great place to eat. Can't wait for the expansion and more seating!

Keep up the good...

Updated: Kevin, Thanks again for the experience. While our business has been running for 8 years, I’ve been practicing BBQ for over 20. Like I mentioned in my review, I’ll absolutely be back—BBQ can be hit or miss sometimes, and that’s part of the journey.

What really stood out to me was the energy and passion from your team, and the overall setup—it’s clear you care deeply about what you’re building.

One piece of advice: while it’s great to celebrate the positive feedback, don’t shy away from the critical ones. There’s always room to grow, and owning those moments can be powerful. I read through all your reviews and responses, and it’s clear you’re engaged with your customers, which is awesome.

If you’re familiar with Michigan BBQ, you know there are folks here who serve up some of the best in the country. That said, it’s not always consistent across the board. My best advice? Let the meat be the star. When the rub is dialed in, the smoke should enhance—not overpower—the flavor.

Looking forward to stopping by again soon. I pass through Perry twice a month and will definitely ask for you by name.

Where do I begin? POWERFUL hickory flavor in the meat. Making it incredibly difficult to taste the ACTUAL meat. Got the meat sampler for 1 and additional side. Let’s review each meat. Close your eyes and take a bite. Can you say you know this __ by taste at all?

Candies bacon - The ONLY recognizable meat. Great flavor very well prepared. Pulled Pork - utterly tasteless. No bark to be found. Quite possibly was microwaved prior to packaging it. Ribs - see pulled pork. Microwaved till all the juices were gone and then tossed in the container. Brisket - looked fantastic. Elasticity on the pull test was ON POINT. Unfortunately the taste was pure smoke and no existence of meat flavor

Finally the worst for last: “Quarter Chicken” - 1/4 chicken is supposed to be connected Leg and Thigh. This was a BURNT thigh (that was NO DOUBT microwaved) dried to nearly jerky texture. Which is tough to do with dark meat. The other piece was a full chicken wing. The look was great but yet again overpowered by hickory smoke.

The star of the order was the Mac n cheese and cornbread muffin. It’s a shame when the stars are sides at a bbq joint. I’ve owned a bbq business for 8 years and take pride in my meats. I can tell by the look and feel of this place, they really try. I WILL try again because I believe in bad days but the over smoke is a rookie mistake and overreach at trying to have a...