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Restaurant Review: Johnny’s Pizza & Restaurant

Denis Baldwin | Jul 12, 2009 | Comments 0

Good things come in strange packages, and gas station turned restaurant Johnny’s Pizza & Restaurant (3001 28th St N, St Petersburg, FL 33713-2604, (727) 323-3919) is a fine example of that principle at work. To look at Johnny’s, you wouldn’t assume much. From the outside, it looks like a carryout place that used to be a gas station, and it is. From the inside, the hustle and bustle of a diner is apparent in everything you see. On the surface, there’s nothing classy or proper about it. Then the food arrives and you’ll find yourself blown away.

I knew about Johnny’s from one of my clients who ordered us in a Greek Pizza during a meeting. It was nothing short of amazing. I knew I had to try it in person. At another meeting, she and I and another business associate decided to go there and do Johnny’s right.

We showed up around lunch time on a Saturday and the place was packed. There were people standing around picking up to-go orders and most every booth was filled. Everyone seemed pretty pleased, and other than a bit of slow service on refills I would agree with the sentiment. The waitstaff was complimentary, attentive and sweet all while juggling a dozen or so tables full of people. I’d say considering all of that, they did a good job.

Our food order took about 40 minutes, a bit longer than I expected. Jeanette ordered the roast pork and Thomas ordered the roasted lamb, both low-cost specialties under $10. I decided to take on a large Greek Pizza, the same as I had tried before. I knew I wouldn’t be able to eat it all, so bringing it home to enjoy over the next few days was the most logical decision. I’m very glad I did. I’m only miffed that I didn’t take advantage of their “Buy 1, get 1 half price” pizza deal, as this would have been a great meal to keep around all week.

The thing about Johnny’s Pizza is that you get something more than just a pizza. The Greek is a fine example of this, being based on a white sauce and covered in spinach, gyro meat, feta, tomatoes, onions and pepperoncinis. The pizza is piled thick at probably 1″ from crust bottom to bubbling cheese. While I’ve had a lot of Greek pizzas with feta and the vegetables listed above, very few take it the extra step with the gyro meat. The crust is a bit crunchier than I like, but the pile of toppings more than make up for any misgivings I may have for the base. This pizza is a bargain too, with the large being under $20.

Thomas continually commented on how great his lamb was. He pulled me off a piece (with his fork, it was that tender) and it was truly melt-in-your-mouth magnificent. They cover it (and the accompanying potatoes) in this red sauce that is a bit spicy but incredibly flavorful. This may be the best lamb I’ve had outside of a Greek community. Leaving the bone in adds to the flavor and the portion size is outstandingly large. Once you throw in the corn on the side, the meal is overwhelming in scale and flavor. Everything a restaurant can do right with a lamb dish was done right here.

The roast pork was made with the same care as the roast lamb. It’s slow roasted in a way that keeps the pork intact until you hit it with your fork and then it begins to come apart. Very little knife work is required to break the pork down. Jeanette also commented about the quality of the pork and my confirmation bite supported her claims. It really was exceptional Greek-style roasted pork.

Johnny’s has a lot to offer at a bargain diner price. Since it’s so close to this client’s office, I’ll be heading there again in the future to try more of their roasted meat specials.

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