Came here to watch the Pens/Islanders Playoff game. It's right across the street from the new arena. With Kansas City more of a soccer town I was worried they wouldn't care about hockey. They could not have been more accommodating. They showed the hockey game on multiple tv's, let us turn the sound up, and never rushed us along. My colleague and i told them we'd be there for the duration of the game and they never blinked.
We started off with potato skins and pretzels to start. The pretzels were amazing and I completely drench it in the cheese. I was not as high on the potato skins, but they weren't bad either. The waitress sold two salesman on their pizza. Pizza was very tasty. I've had better, but for a marathon visit to a restaurant, it served its purpose.
We had ample attention from the waitress all night, with waters being filled even when we were slowing down. The service was wonderful and I'll be back for sure the next time I need a sports bar when I'm in KC.
I didn't eat at Johnny's Tavern (Well, I ate the rest of my friend's deep fried cheese after he didn't want any more and one of my other friend's chicken strips). However, I had several beverages. What impressed me was the fact that the server was able to give us separate checks because our party was large and because people came and went as they pleased. I love places that handle all of these separate checks! What a great place for groups!
Review Source:Came here for dinner and drinks while I was in area for business. Â The place was decently busy when I arrived and people continued to come in. Â They have a rather large bar area which is where we sat. Â The bartender gave us just the right amount of attention.
I was surprised at the price of their food as it was rather reasonable (especially compared with other restaurants in the area). Â I ordered a steak salad and really enjoyed it! Â The drinks were rather weak. Â I hardly had a buzz after 4 drinks and believe me, I should have had more than a slight buzz if they were correctly made drinks.
I would come back again for the reasonably priced food but would go somewhere else for good drinks.
This is a good solid sports bar. Emphasis on the sports.
The place is loaded with tvs so there's an ample chance you'll be able to watch the game you want. You'll be able to watch the Royals, Chiefs, Jayhawks, Tigers and Wildcats any time they're playing as well as some of other anticipated matchups of the day. A plus for me is they show the soccer matches so if you like Sporting KC, MLS and  European matches this is the place for you.
The food is your standard sports bar flair... burgers, sandwiches, fried appetizers. I like the Dodge City Burger and the nachos, but I think there's something for everybody in there.
Great place to watch college football on Saturdays! I was in town with several friends all from different Big 12 schools, and we could all watch our games at the same time here on different TVs.
They don't have mimosas or mojitos, so I recommend upgrading because next time I would probably find a bar that has them.
The food is very good- fried pickles, onion rings, southwest wrap, etc. GREAT food!
The place is quite large, so a good place to chill.
Decent menu and a nice crowd. Â Sound from whichever game was most exciting was selected, and if nothing was going on they switched over to a bar music mix. Â Steak salad was decent, no choice on the done-ness, but it was cooked well. Â Waitstaff was quick and attentive given the crowd on a Sunday evening.
Review Source:Four stars for Johnny's Tavern, and four points to support my rating.
*1. I came here with a friend early on a Friday evening. Â It wasn't crowded whatsoever and we had a really sweet waitress. Â We were the last table of her shift, but she didn't rush us at all. Â
*2. I really liked the fried pickles and jalapeños.  I would probably come back just for those. Â
*3. The atmosphere was nice and friendly, especially if you like to watch sports.
*4. If you want to go to P&L but aren't a fan of crowds, this place is relatively easy to get into and out of.
I actually didn't get to east here as I meet up with a friend and popped in to watch a Stanley Cup Finals game. Lots of TVs tuned to every major sporting event, decent beer selection (though Kansas City local beers, especially Boulevard Pale, is nothing to write home about), and a mostly nice--though sometimes pushy and pouty--wait staff.
Review Source:I am going to preface this review by saying that I hate P&L. So me giving this place 4 starts is really like giving it 10 stars. Johnny's is a nice sized sports bar with plenty of TVs. I've only ever sat at the bar but have always recieved good service. They usually have a few drink specials that are decently priced and their food is typical bar food (nothing to write home about but good enough to eat).
Review Source:I've been to the Johnny's Tavern in the Power and Light District a few times and always enjoy it. Â Johnny's is exactly what the P&L needed, some local flavor. Â Overall, I'm not a huge fan of the P&L because every place seems like some corporate, mass produced, no personality type establishments. Â Johnny's is a great place to hang out before or after a Sprint Center event. Â It is directly across the street.
Tons of TV's, cool atmosphere, good food, what's not to like. Â Their food is good for bar fare (pizzas are tasty). Â My only knock is that it is a bit overpriced for a sports bar. Â Went on a Tuesday night (before Van Halen) and their "special" was $4.25 domestic bottles. Â $4.25 domestics?!?!?!? Â How much are they when they aren't "special"? Â I'm sure that is because they are right at the Sprint Center and can charge what they want since they have a captive audience.
Overall a great location and my go to place when I'm at the P&L.
As a cuisine snob, sometimes it is hard to admit you like a good pizza, burger, and fries. Granted I love my concotions of truffle oil, pureed parnsips, and goat milk encrusted kobe beef burgers as much as the next patron. But sometimes you want a gritty hometown favorite. Johnnys is that place. You feel like you just walked in to your college hangout and all your friends are waiting for you. You know the place, where when you break it down, you aren't sure why you go there. But you would never dream of going anywhere else. The pizza is good, salads for the ladies, and burgers are manly portions of meat. Decor is rough, and mancave themed, which is guys and gals feel so comfortable there. Johnnys was smart enough to jump on the SKC bandwagon right from the beginning, and has opened their arms ever since. You will like Johnnys, get a good meal, with big portions and feel like you hung out with your best bros. BTW try the potato skins, pretty decent and it will take you back more than a Kenny Chesney song.
Review Source:While I am not a fan of Power and Light for several reasons, I have visited this Johnny's many times, and it's probably my favorite Johnny's out of all of them. Â Most of it has to do with memories that include drinking beer, watching KU games with friends, and eating pizza. Â
Waitresses are ALWAYS friendly, but NOT always knowledgeable about tap selections or food specials. Â Hey, I frequent Johnny's somewhere around KC about once a week, so I know when it's BOGO pizza night. Â Thing is, when I have to ask about specials, and when I have to ask about PARTICULAR specials, and then when I have to point out what the special IS, I feel like I am doing the waitress' job, and I also feel kinda bitchy. Â
Tap selection is decent, food is decent, and the crowd during KU games is tolerable. Â It's always filled nicely but not packed to where you can't find a seat or move around. Â It's a good location to meet a particular group of friends, and I feel like I avoid the douchy P and L crowd.
I've been forced to find a restaurant in power and light due to month long jury duty... I've been here 4 times in 3 weeks and it's been consistently good with great service. I always sit at the bar and the bartenders are attentive and friendly. I would probably not hang out at night because the potential for douche-baggery is high but maybe you like douche bags and wouldn't mind as much...
Review Source:I tend to be a fan overall of Johnny's probably because of their Lawrence roots; however, the service at this location is spotty. Â I think the servers get distracted easily and service can be slow. Â This bar is packed when there are special events or big KU/MU games on tap. Â
They have all the requirements of a good Sports bar... beer, bar food and television. Â The venue is a solid four stars. Â It is located in the corner of the live area of the Power and Light. Â The food overall ranges between three and four stars. Â The service here is three stars on average. Â I feel like they need more aggressive pricing specials. Â Sports bars typically have really good specials, not so much when I have been to the Power and Light location. Â
The venue could easily move up to four stars by training the servers a bit better to make sure they are touching tables on a regular frequency and follow up on order quality. Â I also believe strongly they could do a lot more business with a strong specials line up.
I'm normally not all that attracted to sports bars, but Johnny's has managed to work its way in to the soccer crowd in KC in a way that most other places have yet to embrace, which keeps me coming back. Â As someone who isn't a big meat-eater, it can sometimes be hard to find things on the menu at a place like this that isn't fried.
However, I can say without reservation that Johnny's has some of the best pizza in town. Â The crust is flavorful, the toppings are plentiful and for someone who doesn't like meat on her pizza, the freshness of the veggie toppings is important. Â Johnny's has a fan in me on their pizza, and it is always what I order when I'm there.
There is a decent tap selection, though mostly yellow beers aimed at the sports bar crowd. Â The service is definitely hit or miss on timeliness, but always friendly. Â Fair warning, it gets incredibly crowded on game nights.
That I'm giving a sports bar any stars speaks volumes about how much it overcomes to be a place worth visiting. I'm no fan of sports bars and usually complain if there are any televisions in the places where I drink my beer.
Johnny's is a sports bar, though, and so they have lots of devices on which to play sports. Tons. I'm not a big fan of "traditional" sports, but it can be an amazing place to watch a game. I'm especially grateful that they've embraced us renegade soccer fans, hosting great watch parties for the US team, Sporting Kansas City and various English league matches. With TVs in every possible vantage point, it doesn't get much better, and they've got a decent selection of taps that saves you from drinking the yellow stuff -- not always the case at sports bars.
The food is above average for bar food, but this isn't a dining destination. One thing that shines is the pizza, though from the pattern I've established in my first several Yelp reviews, it appears I'd eat pizza anywhere for any reason. While that's true, Johnny's pizza is surprisingly good, and it can be had by the slice. The crust is a crispy thin style with thin, greasy cheese and some extra seasoning on top. There are plenty of topping choices beyond what you'd expect from your average bar.
This review comes during the vegetarian challenge, but I usually avoid meat and don't eat red meat at all. They have a tasty veggie and turkey burger that are great options, and they dress them up nicely so you can feel like part of the burger party. This time, though, I went with the pizza.
The service can be quite inconsistent, and I think this is a factor of the bar getting too busy for the staff on hand. When it is too crowded, it is best avoided anyway. This spot is a bright one in P&L land, but when it just becomes part of the same overcrowded madness, it is time to explore other options around downtown. On a quiet Saturday or Sunday morning, the service can be among the most friendly I've had anywhere, and the bloody Mary bar is always welcome.
All in all, this is a sports bar I actually like going to, and that is saying something.
We came to Kansas city for a vaca. We came to johnny's for a late lunch. Food was great had the steak sandwich and my boyfriend had the pulled pork we were both pleased with the meal. The only reason it loses a star is because we ordered a beer and it was 4 months out of date so needless to say it was stale and gross. They need to learn to rotate beer but other than that it was good food
Review Source:Have yet to be disappointed by either the services or the food here. Â
Food: Â I have tried several burgers and sandwhiches, all of which were excellent. Â Today I had a Egg Burger - bacon, egg on top of a burger. Â It was better than what I was expecting. Â I am personally not a big sweet potato person, but Johnny's sweet potato fries are amazing.
Drink: Â They serve Pepsi products as well as alcoholic drinks. Â I normally only drink Coke, so always have to change what I order. Â So far the Tea is great and they always keep it coming. Â I have yet to run out of beverage before they are brining me a new one.
Service: Great as always. Â The servers are good at what they do and are certainly mindful of making sure your dining experience is going well. Â Food comes out in a timely manner. Â I usually go there at lunch time and even when it is busy I can be in and out in a reasonable amount of time.
Ambience: The business is a Sports Bar. Â They have a lot of high-top tables and TONS of TV's. Â If there is a sport going on, they have it playing on one of the TV's. Â Easily 30 TV's in the place. Â There are also normal tables on one section and an outdoor patio and a bar to sit at. Â There was background music playing but it wasn't overpoweringly loud so any conversations could actually be had.
Attire: Â Casual. You would be comfortable in jeans and a t-shirt or a business suit, as there are plenty of businesses near by.
Social Media: Â Replied to a fellow twitterer in the morning regarding a breakfast burger and included the Johnny's Tavern twitter handle in the tweet, and they replied. Â It was neat to actually have some interaction rather than how some companies just have a handle and don't engage. Â That actually made my decision to choose Johnny's for lunch - Power & Light District has plenty of options.
Price: Bill for a soda, burger, & fries was the same as what I have gotten at 3 other sports bars in the area w/in the last couple days. Â So, easily competitive with any of its competitors.
Bottom-line: Â I would recommend to a friend, I would bring a friend here for lunch, I would bring a business client here if they wanted a sandwhich or burger.
Drinks only in this review...haven't tried the food!
I hate Power & Light with a passion. I mean, words cannot even describe how much I hate this whole area. However, I was invited to a party here that I didn't want to miss, so I trudged on down. The best part about Johnny's is that you can come/go without having to go through the douchebaggery of the KC Live atrium and its associated bars.
We had a pretty big group here and most of us had separate checks, and considering that, the service was good. A little slow at times, and our server would disappear for a bit, but once ordered, the drinks usually came quickly. At the end of the night, my bill was correct, which is impressive in a group of 25 people with 10-15 different checks.
The prices suck, as they do with most of P&L - when is Power and Light going to realize that this is Kansas City...not New York, Miami, Chicago or LA? It's not as cool as they think it is. That being said, this is one of the better places at P&L. Unless you would rather wait in lines, get ruffied and pay even more for worse drinks and service...then you'll hate this place.
I've been to Johnny's in P&L countless times for watch parties, which is the only thing that brings me back. Â At least they are decent about large groups of people reserving portions of their bar.
The food is okay at best, but the servers have never failed to disappoint me. Â Now, it's to the point where I prefer to get my drinks straight from the bartender. Â Once the servers get you your initial beer, it seems you turn invisible. Â They walk by without even acknowledging you, like they're in such a hurry to go.... nowhere. Â I usually have to grab a different server to go conjure up the one that's supposed to be helping my group. Â Last time I was here, I watched my server hide out in the same spot for 15 minutes chatting with a co-worker, while my glass had been empty for 30. Â Getting your tab is near impossible as well. Â On several occasions, I wasn't even asked for a card to start a tab, or even to pay as I went. Â I could've walked out with at least a couple free drinks with nobody the wiser.
I'm huge on customer service, as I waited tables for almost 10 years. Â I'm never a demanding customer--my needs are simple, and I'm polite and courteous to my servers. Â Because remember, these people have the power to do nasty things to your food and drink. Â However, the service is extremely neglectful and unfriendly. Â Do yourself a favor and get your drinks from the bar and give your tips to a person who deserves it.
I'm not a usual patron of sports bars these days. Â I got my fill of them in college. Â But on one of the first nice days of the year, we decided to head down to Johnny's and finally try it out for lunch.
We sat outside on the KC Live-facing patio. Â Obviously, there are TVs everywhere. Â But we were kind of in between sports seasons so they had fishing on the TV I could see. Â
I ordered the Johnny Wilson burger with onion rings. Â Service was kind of a disaster. Â We had to go out of our way to flag our waitress down for everything...drinks, silverware, check. Â She would literally walk right by our table and avoid looking at us as if she were in a huge hurry to get...somewhere. Â We were one of about 6 tables in the entire restaurant. Â
Half the burger was good, but the bottom half of my bun was stale and hard as a rock. Â The onion rings were crispy, greasy and good.
Probably won't be back unless I have friends who are dying to watch a game in the P&L somewhere. Â But if I'm craving a burger, this definitely won't be where I'll go.
Johnny's is locally owned, so it will usually get my business if I venture to the P&L. Â Basically, I would only come here to watch a game. Â We went down here to take in the atmosphere for the Big 12 tournament and Johnny's delivered. Â Big crowd, but good service for how busy they are. Â Food is average.
Biggest complaint here is the douche bag doormen at the back door. Â I had a tab open inside and I'd been there for two hours. Â I went out on the patio to say hi to somebody and was told to keep moving and next thing I know I'm standing outside of the patio in the "Living Room". Â I told the doorman I had a tab open, he told me I had to wait in line to get back in (20 people deep). Â Shows how far a GED education will get you working the door at Johnnys.
We had a group of 9 here, and our service was bad. Â Our appetizers were cold and came out with the first deliver of our meal. 4 people got their food and it wasn't until we asked for a manager, that she got the rest of our orders after waiting an additional 20 minutes. Â Our first server, never refilled our drinks. Â The manager then took over our table, getting us our drinks, and our food. Â Normally we have great food and service here. Â I will say the manager did make it right, she comped our entire check and gave us a gift card for a future visit. Â That is the way to take charge and make up for incompetent service and make the customer fell good.
Review Source:Went here to catch a game and a bite to eat.
Simply put this place will get the 4th star because of its great TVs.
The food was pretty good too. I had a Philly, and veggies and it was better than average bar food.
I liked the area. KC is trying to make something happen with the Light district.
Overall good experience. I'd go back.
Quite a while ago, on a road trip from Colorado to Indianapolis, my girlfriend and I needed to stop for lunch. We figured we'd stop in KS City since neither of us had spent any amount of time in or near downtown, and we love checking out big cities. Well, we were towing a station wagon on a trailer behind a 12 foot UHaul, so needless to say, parking in downtown was going to be an issue. We found a large enough lot right near to the Power and Light District (which is awesome by the way!) and walked around a few blocks until we came upon Johnny's. We were the only ones in the restaurant at the time, but that didn't mean that our service was anything short of great. Our waitress was helpful, kind, and a fun person. We ordered two veggie burgers, which tasted awesome, and the fries were cooked perfectly. We were both very impressed! Fast forward to another road trip to Kansas, and we found ourselves in need of lunch right around KS City again, so where do we go? Johnny's! Same great service, same great food. This place will always be a regular stop along I-70.
Review Source:I went here for lunch during the week, it was a casual business lunch. The food was good, with a stone oven pizza that was crispy. They had a good lunch special too.
More Details:
The first thing I noticed, and liked, was the ambiance. It is a sports bar with lots of TV's on the walls and in booths. Each TV seemed to have a different sports show or event, which made it very interesting. Albeit, this is not the place to come for a romantic dinner or even a dinner or lunch where you want to spend a lot of time talking and focusing on your guests. The visual input is just too tempting and distracting.
The next thing I noticed where the video games. They have Golden Tee 2011 and other harmless bar games. While I did not play any of them, I did note this for future lunches with friends.
The wait staff was immediately attentive and friendly. They pointed out the decent specials and got us drinks while we waited and looked at the menus.
The special was one slice of pizza and a salad for about $7. I got pepperoni and a salad with blue cheese dressing. The dressing automatically came on the side, which is great since I usually want less than most places put on. The pizza was crispy with a thin crust. I thought the cheese was a little light, with most of in melted in the center of the slice. The slice was good sized, like NY-style size, so it was enough for lunch with the salad.
Overall, I liked the pizza, I liked the service, and I liked the ambiance.
Why is it so rare that a good place to catch a game is also a good place to get a meal when you're not also going to be watching a game? Johnny's food is frozen, taken off the truck and fried before being dumped rather unceremoniously on a plate and served. It's average. Nothing to write home about. They do have Boulevard's Single Wide on tap. That's a far cry better than being forced to drink Bud Light just to watch sports in a bar.
I've had some atrocious service here, though. Slow as molasses. "Here's your check, no hurry," after I've spent forty five minutes trying to find my server to ask for the check. Seriously? No hurry for you, obviously, but I've got places to be!
I'll cut her some slack, though, since that was on a Sunday night after a Chiefs game. I can only imagine they had been mobbed earlier in the day.
It's nice to have a local place in the Power and Light District, especially one with a Lawrence connection. Â I've been to the P&L Johnny's a few times now and the food is consistently good, the staff is friendly and the service is good. Â
It appears some other reviewers may look down on Johnny's "bar food," but the burgers beat nearby Chef Burger's alleged gourmet burgers that are nothing more than frozen patties with a high price tag. Â Johnny's is a good lunch alternative to the more expensive P&L joints like Gordon Biersch and a definitely upgrade over Raglan Road or Chef Burger at lunch time.
Good Beer. Good Clean Atmosphere. TVs in Men's Room. Sweet Potato Fries, what else could you want?!
This is place is great for watching college footbal or sports with your friends. It does get packed during big game days. They good selection of beers on tap, including Tank 7. I'd check this place out again on game days with the group.
In short, I luv Johnny's. Â It holds a special place in my heart as the location in Lawrence was one of my favorite places to go during college and my high school class even had our 5 year reunion there.
The burgers and onion rings are pretty phenomenal and they have a beer on tap that will suit even the most finicky of beer connoisseurs.
Johnny's isn't the type of place you go by yourself. Â It's loud and fun and when there is a KU (or bleck, MU) game on, it will be PACKED.
If you are looking for some good bar food and a cool place to have a good beer, be sure to check out Johnny's -- even in the dreadful Power and Light District, this place ROCKS.
We dropped in here on a quiet Saturday early evening for a couple of beers. Â Good list of draft options and plenty of tables. Â You can imagine how this place would fill up on game nights, though; it definitely has a college bar atmosphere. Â Didn't try the food but the beer was good and the service decent.
Review Source:Along with Flying Saucer, this is one of the only two bars in the Power & Light District that I actually enjoy going to. Â
While I try to avoid it when it's super packed, even when it's full I've always had very good service. Â The servers are friendly, and have no trouble keeping track of me as I move about the door to watch TV or play a game. Â Â I always get checked on frequently, and no order has ever been screwed up so far.
Sure, since it's P&L, the drinks are higher priced than at other bars. Â But it's one of the less expensive P&L places. Â Plus there's usually something on special.
As for the food, the menu is pretty expansive and neither I nor my friends have found anything yet we don't like. Â (The pizza is pretty damn good!) Â Carryout is available, it's a great option for late night food.
When I'm looking for a sports bar fix, this is currently my favorite place to get it downtown.
Went to Johnny's in the P&L District with my friend after checking out the College Basketball Experience the other weekend. We're both KU Alum and have fond memories of Johnnys in Lawrence. I was especially excited for a delicious slice of New York style pizza! ...only to be disappointed. Very disappointed. The homemade crust was burnt and thin, paper thin. The cheese or what resembled cheese was an oily, reflective pile of grease. Hardly any flavor and totally not worth the hundreds of calories I subjected myself to.
Ho was the service, you ask? These high schoolers acted like they were too cool to do their job!? They got our bill incorrect not once, but twice and we had to flag them down anytime we needed anything. I will say the Sunday $4 Bloody Mary bar was a fun way to create a drink and the other patrons were quite friendly and fun. The only reason I would go back is to cheer on the Jayhawks. For others - have low expectations and be prepared to drink draft beer, and lots of it if you want to have a good time.
Where else in can you get a good slice of pizza, watch the game and easily find a seat to hang out?
Yeah, it's in the P&L which means it's not a dive or college bar with really cheap drinks but hey, we've all got jobs now and we don't need $1 PBRs all the time.
There's not a better spot downtown to watch sports.
It is what it is.  It's a sports bar with bar food.  I have no doubt that it will be  busting at the seams for all the big college games.  Service was swift, but don't expect more then standard menu fare.  I doubt most people here expect a toasted bun or hand cut fries.  Beers are icy cold.
The only thing of note is that unlike other sports bar, there is an outdoor patio which is accessed through a huge garage door. Â This will certainly create a nice atmosphere in the spring.
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