Johnny Dee's Lounge

James Bond is licensed to kill. Johnny Dee's Lounge is licensed to serve fine food and beverages. It says so right on the door.

It's not a restaurant. It's not a bar. It's a lounge. With a tacky mix of mid century modern and assorted 60's loveseats, tables and chairs. When you enter, you must choose between the tables in the latticed back room decorated to sorta look like somebody's back porch or the lounge with it's grandma sofas and cocktail tables from a half century ago. Wherever you choose, you'll sit beside many small brass plaques with the names of regulars who've kept this place in business since the 50's.

Located behind and underneath a strip shopping center in Parkville, the place is nothing fancy-- just good food in a comfortable, relaxed setting. Set your GPS to 1705 Amuskai Rd, Parkville if its your first visit because you will not find it at its legal address on Joan Rd. (I said it was around back and underneath, remember?)  If you can recall back when Frazier's was in the basement of a Hampden row home, not on the Avenue, then you'll know the vibe. John Waters could use this place as a set in his next movie.

Shrimp salad and sour beef are the house specialties. But the menu includes crab cakes and burgers, a few Italian dishes and my mom's favorite, the open faced hot turkey sandwich with gravy. I tried their meatball sub a few weeks back and I'm still thinking about it. The balls were melt in your mouth tender! They even serve french fries with brown gravy here, just like in the movie about Baltimore in the 60's, Diner. This is old school Baltimore comfort food, hon. Its the last of a dying breed of restaurants that used to feed generations of Baltimorons. The atmosphere alone is worth a visit.

Lunch of bacon cheese burger and fries. Enjoyed it. Wait staff very friendly. Relaxed atmosphere

An Old School gem with the best burgers in town, great wait staff, friendly owner who came out to ask how our meal was...all at very old school prices! I would say that their bacon cheeseburger is my all time favorite! Will go back for sure and with the kids too!