Hot Johnnie's Smokehouse — Restaurant in San Francisco

HOT JOHNNIES - The New It Place In The Stro!!

Quick Update: Almost a year, and this place is a totally new spot altogether. WOW WOW WOW. The new menu that includes breakfast is a total game changer with a selection to choose from with a range of prices for customers. I am not gonna lie for someone who has been shopping in The Castro for the last 25yrs and seeing what comes and goes, I wish Johnny and his staff the best. You have to go and experience the new outside patio. Its an experience. The Quality, Cleanliness, and, of course, Customer Service this guys gives to customers is amazing. Well, at least i can speak for myself and my friends that frequent this place and love it a lot. I can't wait to keep introducing this place to my friends and relatives as Castro is finally getting the old outdoor patio brunch vibe that has been missing for a while there. Id recommend this place anyday to anyone reading this, and i won't be surprised with the rate the city is going (negative i mean where restaurants are closing left right and centre), we will have people lining up outside for a table on a sunday brunch at Hot Johnnies. For me, its definately a Two Thumps Up, 5 Stars, Couple of Diamonds with Tahitian Black Pearls and Platinum thrown in for Johnny and Crew. 👏👏👏

Original Post: I don't know where to start. Was told about this place by a great friend who I used to hang out with at the same spot when it was Nizarios Pizza. Not until last night after coming out of The Mix and hungry, I decided to check it out. if u like ur food and "meat" Castro boys, u don't know what you are missing... I, for one, go for quality and this place I will go to again and again just because Johnny himself welcomes you like he is inviting u to his home. Great host and owner, and one reason we should be supporting locally own businesses.... iam giving them a 5STAR and would recommend it No Doubt!!! ....Ooooooh hang on....The Patio???? Big added bonus... Thanks for the Great Work...

The smoke-choked interior, forgettable toppings, and meh prices overshadow good meat.

As soon as my friends and I walked in the front door, we were hit in the face with thick smoke. I do not recommend it for anyone who does not have very healthy lungs and eyes, or at least an N95 face mask. The smoke was thinner when we left, so your luck may vary, but I wish they had stronger exhaust hoods. At least they bring your food out to the patio so you don't have to go back inside until you're done. The patio itself has lots of seating, a ping pong table, and TVs playing sports and tropical house remixes. It was a pleasant place to be.

The food is decent but I expected better fkr the price. The smoked pastrami sandwiches are solid. The meat is flavorful but not particularly moist. The toppings were unobtrusive and adequate. There's not much sauce or other flavors. For the price I was disappointed to not get a side, not even a fistful of fries.

The chicken sandwich is similar, with well-executed meat that's comically large, but no sides and forgettable toppings.

With prices in SF these days, I would expect these sandwiches to go for $14-15. There's just a few too many flaws to make this...

The pastrami was good, lean, and full of flavor. The front of the house was super friendly, welcoming and took time to walk us through the menu. The back patio is super cool; I look forward to checking them out during a sunny weekend with some friends and a beer.

Why 3 starts - price and size. One star off for the crazy high price and one for the small size- $18 pre-tax for a sandwich that is about 6 inches in length is simply crazy. We ordered two sandwiches, including tax and tip; the total was $44 that is just nuts. For comparison, Hillstone charges $23 for their pastrami sandwich - they are a fine dining restaurant and provide a side for free.

I would highly encourage the owners to reconsider their pricing structure, or they will not capture the mass audience around the Castro. I've chatted to a few foodie friends who live in the area, and all have agreed that the food is fantastic, but the price does not make it worth it. I will likely come back again to try one more item on the menu, but this will not be a place I come to frequently as it's not enough food for a high price. I'm disappointed as I was super excited for a new sandwich place...