Was in Johnstown 10/28/23 for hockey tournament. Had a late game (7:45) and needed a place for 12 hungry guys to eat at 9:30 on a Saturday night. Made arrangements with Balance owner and staff to stay "open" for our team. We pre-ordered our entrees and apps so when we arrived our food orders were already underway. Had drink orders taken and within minutes our drinks and appetizers were served. We had the place to ourselves with a wonderful waiter, Trenton, his assistant, a bartender, chef Dallas and his wife who owns the establishment but I cannot remember her name. First and foremost, the menu is awesome, diverse, unique and wide ranging. Prices are very reasonable and portions very good. The really reason to return is the taste. 12 guys had 6 or 7 different dishes and everyone raved at how good their choice was. Drinks were excellent and complimentary dessert samplings were awesome. The service was excellent, we were treated like special. My hats off to them for wanting to stay "open"; the restaurant closed to the public at 9:30 and serve us. Granted, it was a pretty good bill but I had called another restaurant in the area explaining our situation and they turned us down. I believe our proprietor asked her staff if they wanted to oblige us and she told me that their reply was something along the lines of "we're going to be here anyway cleaning up, why not make some money." Please, if you're in town or even close, give Balance a try, I guarantee you will be glad you did. Thanks again to all the staff at Balance for making our dinner together as a team a memorable and satisfying event! read more

So not to jump past the details... but overall Balance was just ok. It is a place I'd try again because I feel like it has potential and maybe it was an off night. When I found them online I was jazzed about the menu. They have a lot of unique options which I'm a huge fan of. It's always easy to find basic menus, so to find something fun that also offered a kids menu (meaning, cool... I don't need to worry about taking my humans even though they'll be ordering off the regular menu) was promising. The space itself is funky in a good way and spacious. It spans a few different rooms which all have their own vibe, and we saw igloos outside! I'd say our food had a 60/40 success rate. The hummus was seriously awesome, as was the risotto. My protein power bowl was so tasty with a great dressing and I absolutely love that they have creative vegetarian options. Our server was so kind, but I'm not quite sure where they were for most of our visit. Again... maybe an off night. We'd try it again. If you're someone who needs a changing table, they have one! read more

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Too damn expensive for Johnstown, PA! If I want to pay $15.00 for a hamburger then maybe but I just don't see myself being that hungry! Sorry! read more

First time visiting this very cool restaurant in downtown Johnstown. We were in town for a ZZ Top concert down the street , so the location was great enabling us to park and walk a few blocks to the concert and parking on the street was free! The restaurant itself looks like it has expanded a few times, probably due to its popularity, as we were seated in a third dining room. Looks like there are three storefronts it now occupies. An industrial vibe would describe the decor. So the food was amazing. We shared a hummus veggie platter with sea salt pitas as our appetizer. I ordered the balance bowl which was whole grains like couscous and barley with beets, feta, sweet potatoes, kale , golden raisins, candied walnuts and topped it with an optional 2 pieces of salmon. So the menu says one piece of salmon is $4, while 2 are $9. I asked the waiter and he said he thought it was a typo on the menu for the one piece price. Ok. I'll accept that, but they really should correct it. Regardless, it was really good! My friend ordered the mushroom risotto with the optional filet added on. She ordered it medium rare, so the blood kind of pooled around the edge of the rise, but she said that she didn't mind that but some might find that off putting. She also enjoyed her meal. Our drinks were dirty martinis with Tito's as an upgrade. The first ones were delicious. The second ones, definitely were not the same. I asked the waiter if he ordered them with Tito's and he said he had. I told him that it definitely didn't taste the same so he offered to take them off the tab. That was nice of him to accommodate us. He was the only server on the third dining room and I think he was a little overwhelmed because our water bottle was empty for a while and it was hard to get him to even look our way to see if we needed something because he was running between tables. They were a-bit understaffed that night. Nonetheless he was pleasant and accommodating to us. read more

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Last night's meal was a disappointment. I don't think the chef ever had a gyro. What I got was a cold chopped salad on a pita. If I wanted a salad I would have ordered one. I upgraded to a soup. The one I ordered was out of stock for the night. The waiter brought a different soup without asking that's what I wanted. The Brussel sprouts were beyond roasted to burnt. BTW, the waiter did not say sides were upgrades. He just offered chips, soup, or vegetables when he took the orders. The surcharge caught many at the table as a surprise. The atmosphere is still nice. Don't mess it up next. I used to be a big fan of Balance. Now, not so much. read more

Nice place in this small town! Has a great little inside and outside area, and pleasantly has good food. Staff is very nice, however our waiter seemed a little overwhelmed. Had a hummus plate to start. Then finished with a spicy and sweet pizza and a quesadilla. Both were very good with the pizza probably being our favorite. In town for a concert and this was definitely a bright spot of our visit. read more

Balance Restaurant - Pita and Hummus - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

This is for the Johnston airport location. The main restaurant in downtown is definitely better. It was great to see Balance open up at the airport as there were no food options there if you wanted to get something before your flight. We went there to grab a quick bite as our flight was delayed. There were only two other couples sitting in the restaurant at the time we were seated. It seemed they were understaffed with a cook, bartender/server, and another server. Our food took a really long time for a very simple order (salad and chicken gyro). As I mentioned, there were only a couple couples in there when our order was placed. When the order came out, it had no dressing for the salad and no tzatziki. We flagged down the server and she said she was going to get the missing items. She did bring the tzatziki, but brought some vinegar instead of salad dressing. We sort of gave up at that point. We could also hear the kitchen chatter that they were out of fries, being slammed due to the flight delay, etc. Anyhow, we will try them again and hope they do better. read more

Great service and quality of food. The food appears fresh and very well prepared with visually appealing presentation. This was a stop after work on a business trip to the area and I will return! Great place read more

Balance Restaurant - Twisted Caprese (delicious) - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Balance is one of the few restaurants that have excellent food and a calm atmosphere. I've been here several times with family and every one was good. The prices are more like Pittsburgh than Johnstown probably 50 a person with a drink. I see a lot of couples here for dinners and at the bar. I heard they grow their own greens hydroponic ally upstairs. Cool. Recommend. read more

Nice atmosphere, dining area was well kept and inviting. Brussels were a highlight for me as well as the chips served with mango salsa. Super crispy and delicious. I will say the pierogies were a bit of a disappointment, hence the four stars. I visit back home (cambria county) once a year and am always anticipating fresh homemade pierogies, as this is something you can't really find easily in Southern California. These definitely tasted like Mrs T's or some other frozen brand. Onions were still slightly crunchy and not at all caramelized which was also a bit of a let down and probably would have saved the pierogies a little. I feel that for this higher price point for the area and the level of dining Balance is trying to deliver, the pierogies should be made in-house. All in all, a good experience and I would recommend read more

A gem in a dining desert. Support it and help it thrive. Note to chef: Please, no garlic in risotto. Please!! Good job on the pizza! Best wishes for your continued success. read more

We had a reservation for 4 people for 5:45 PM before a 7:30 concert at 1st Summit Arena. It was obviously a very busy night and at the point, walk-ins were being turned away. We ordered our drinks and placed our dinner order from a very harried and hurried waiter at 6PM. 3 of 4 got their drinks in 10 minutes. When we inquired about one drink, he had to ask what it was and then said it was being made - and then brought the wrong drink. At 7:10 we had not received our dinners - which were all salads with a protein added. We said we had to leave - our waiter was rude and asked if we had reservations and then backed off when we said we did and ordered over an hour before. He brought our meals and then boxes and bags and took 30% off and rushed us through the checkout process in his handheld device. We left at 7:20, literally ran our food to the car and ran to 1st Summit Arena to arrive at 7:29PM - starved. Bottom line: Cannot fairly rate food we didn't eat until the next day Service was poor and attitude was worse This isn't the first concert at 1st Summit Arena - surely preparations for appropriate waitstaff and kitchen crew should have been in line? Haven't been here for a long time and was very anxious to go back - and now have no desire to go ever again. read more

Great food experience and friendly staff. Spacious dining area and cool modern bar with delicious cocktails!

When we pulled up, we thought the restaurant was not open, but it is a little bit inside the airport. The food was DELICIOUS! Great prices too. We were too early for the Sunday breakfast buffet, but it sure was looking good from the setup that we witnessed! read more

Hot and sweet pizza and cheese pizza with spicy sauce were delicious. Two sides to this place. Live music or not. We chose "not" because it was loud in the foyer. Foyer a bit odd. Dessert case with a couple of things in it. Wait here to be seated sign. Nobody around. Kitchen visible. Only a moment of weirdness. Someone came to seat us. My pizza was cheesy enough that I could not separate or pick up a slice with my fingers. An improvement would be to help the very busy staff by having silverware on the table, so the customers don't have to ask for it. Good pizza. read more

Balance Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

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I am from California in for a visit. Dined at Balance during my last two visits to Johnstown. The food was great and compares with fine dining I have had in California and in Scottsdale AZ. Definitely recommend this place. read more

I went to Balance the day before Mother's Day and also the weekend of many college graduations and proms so my review may be a little skewed. We were seated accordingly with our reservation and we ordered appetizers which arrived at the table quickly. We had the Brussels sprouts with bacon which are one of my favorites at Balance. We also ordered the truffle fries which were tasty but definitely could've been cooked more. They didn't really have any crisp on them. It took over an hour to get our entrees out which was annoying. Thankfully we had the appetizers in the mean time or I would've been hangry. I ordered the special asian style beef bowl which was good but definitely needed more sauce and less rice. My family enjoyed their meals except my aunt said the salmon had way too much sauce on it that it was kind of overpowering. I'm kind of sad about my experience this time because I really enjoyed it the first time I went. I would recommend going but maybe on a less busy weekend. read more

Balance Restaurant - Rice Bowl - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

I planned a few weeks ahead to visit Balance Restaurant for a family member's birthday and knew it had to be the place for us to go. It's really unique in the area, offering a nice size menu and all dishes use a rich array of fresh ingredients that you're more hard pressed to find in the loveable old steel town better known for "hunky food". Balance is right downtown and perfectly located next to the town's Christmas tree and decorated housing displays. So it's perfect for dinner when you're here for the holidays! I'd made a reservation through Open Table and had to call last minute to delay it slightly. There was a quick phone answer and zero issue changing my reservation. When we arrived, street parking was free after 5pm and super easy to find. At the hostess stand, we requested to sit on the newly opened side of the restaurant, as it offers a more industrial vibe with exposed brick walls on one side, worn wood walls on another, nicely spaced/sized tables to accommodate parties of different sizes, string lights tastefully strong from the ceiling, and a gas fireplace for great scene setting along the back wall. Our request was happily accommodated and we were asked if ordering by QR code was okay for us, which it was. Two bars are available inside, though only one was open while we were there and every seat was full before we left! QR codes are set on the table, one code for the entire menu. Our waitress was so kind and answered all of my questions about their different cocktails to help me choose which to get. I landed on the "When the Smoke Clears" as I couldn't pass up a good mezcal cocktail. I'm glad I didn't, it was delicious. The cocktail menu offered a charity mocktail that aligned with the holiday theme (Gingerbread Espresso Mocktini) and donates to the local Toys for Tots chapter. This was a really unique idea that I loved to see on the menu! But didn't order because it sounded much too sweet for me. We also ordered the Grilled Pineapple Margarita as we were told it was super popular. I can confirm, it was also delicious! We planned to split everything (highly recommend doing so if you can). To accommodate this, our waitress proactively brought us a stack of plates to split things on our own and have a clean new plate between courses. So thoughtful! We started with the seasonal salad (for right now, that's a fall salad) and WOW it was a fantastic way to start. So flavorful and really fresh. The bacon bits were perfectly cooked and the apple cider vinaigrette was really balanced and light for a dressing. Perfect size for two people. And it was served with its own serving spoon and fork, which made splitting even better so we didn't need to use our own utensils. Next, we ordered the Mushroom Risotto with grilled chicken and the Chef's Vegetable Plate. However, I made a special request to see if we could get brussels sprouts added because I really wanted to try the Lemon Parm Brussels but didn't need a whole bowl just for myself...our waitress was so kind to have it added to our Chef's Vegetable Plate with no issue whatsoever! The vegetable plate was beautiful and so delicious. The vegetables were perfectly cooked to not be too tender or too underdone. And what a variety! The plate included: grilled tomatoes, green peppers, carrots, asparagus, baby potatoes, two types of mushroom, and my brussel sprouts. The lemon dressing was so flavorful and not overpowering or too heavy! The Mushroom Risotto was very good too, but could have been just a tad saltier for my liking. I just added in a few of the vegetables from my Chef's Plate and it was perfect. The grilled chicken was cooked really well, flavorful and retaining its moisture! The service was timely and wonderfully kind and accommodating. After paying for the meal, I had the courage to admit we were there for a birthday and our waitress was so generous to let us know we could pick a dessert from the menu and it would be complimentary! We chose the apple cake, which was made by a local bakery. It was delivered to our table adorably with poached apples and caramel sauce. We ran into friends at the bar on our way out and stayed to chat for a while as the bartender was serving up even further tempting cocktails along the bar. We left feeling really happy and so grateful to have leftovers to bring home so we could eat this really fantastic meal again the next day! A final note - we did have a digital gift card to use here which can be purchased online at their website. It was easily received and super easy to use! Definitely would be a great gift for anyone you know living in the area! read more

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Stopped in here for dinner with my boyfriend while we were in town nearby for the weekend to do some hiking. Glad we came here because the food was great and the ambiance was cool too. The service was decent (although our hummus took a peculiar amount of time to come out - we asked for it to come out with the edamame but came 20 minutes later and then another at least 20 minutes before our second course arrived. Overall I'd definitely come back here. The charcuterie board was extremely generous at the price of $16 and was really well put together. Everything we got was delicious but we really loved the edamame too. read more

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Great menu, the pizza had a nice chew and we tried the roasted vegetables pizza which was quite hearty. The restaurant has 3 separate sections with a large table in a bank vault, a bar area and the inn side is a sit down. Attentive and friendly service, a great addition to the area with a modern American bistro menu. We will be sure to try the amazing salads and grain bowls read more

I had a wonderful experience at Balance! My meal was so delicious and filling. It paired really well with their Moscato! Great little spot for delicious food and drink options. read more

Balance Restaurant - Protein Power Bowl $13 - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

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Decided to give this place a try for date night with my fiance.... and oh my goodness what a delicious decision! We were seated immediately (even with no reservation), and our waitress took our drink order. They had Arsenal cider on draft and I. was. in. Heaven. For dinner, Balance specializes in shareable plates. Basically everything on the dinner menu is more than enough for two people to share. For our meal, we decided to give the Lemon Parm Brussels. They were on our table within 10 minutes and they were piping hot and really, really delicious. Arguably some of the best brussel sprouts I've ever had. For our next dish, we ordered the Dry-Aged Striploin. Hellooooo delicious!! The steak was perfectly cooked and super, super juicy! Nothing short of a flavor explosion. For our final dish we ordered the Three Way Bacon. If you come here, do yourself a HUGE favor and just order the Three Way Bacon. I PROMISE you won't regret it. The order comes with a bunch of bacon ... 6-8 strips of bacon... served in a mason jar glass. The bacon is cooked three different ways: original, candied, and spicy. (Candied is my personal favorite.) I also have to give props to our waitress! She was wonderful and very attentive! I've said it before and I'll say it again. This place is a total gem in downtown Johnstown. Can't wait to return! read more

Balance Restaurant - Dinner menu - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

This is one of our favorite places to go to around Johnstown. They have a great menu and they are vegan friendly which is GREAT!! They use to have meatless Monday which was great, I wish they would bring that back. I also wish they would have more vegan options on the menu. Our go to appetizer is the pita and hummus. The hummus is delicious and you can tell it's home made. Our meal of choice, is the Balance bowl without goat cheese and add roasted chickpeas for the protein!! This place has great service and great atmosphere read more

This place has gone down the hill! Absolutely gross, awful service, subpar drinks and food. The worst part is it feels dirty! The credit card thing they bring to the table was gross!!! I didn't even want to touch it, seeing food and finger prints from weeks. This place used to be so much better all around. But every time I come I feel like I'm being rushed out by our server. This place was good at one point, but don't waste your time today!!! Awful, dirty, snobby..... read more

My son in law had a draft beer from this restaurant. The name of the beer was Stella. Had something in it that went from the bottom of the glass to the top. He thought it was maggots. We showed the staff and I believe the owner. He did replace his beer. First and last visit for me!! read more

I love this place more than I can say, scratch made food, ambiance for days; Balance is a reason to visit Johnstown. This family has invested in the community, they offer a quality food experience for locals and visitors; conveniently located, they are expanding to Pittsburgh. read more

Balance Restaurant - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Let me start off by saying the food was good. If you show up and don't have a reservation they will find you a seat but they will treat you like a red-headed stepchild. We were a party of three and they sat us at this long table that seemed to be a community table for those that "didn't make a reservation/broke the Balance Restaurant Hidden Rule." Our server brought us water and took our first drink order and appetizer. After a period of time our server returned to take out dinner order and left the dirty appetizer dishes there. We observed dinner orders of reservation people that were seated AFTER us having their food delivered promptly. It appeared that if you "didn't have a reservation/broke the Balance Restaurant Hidden Rule" your food was made after the ones that had reservations. Our server never returned to take the dirty appetizer dishes/drink glasses and to see if we needed anything. I had to flag her down to get her attention and she seemed annoyed because she was so busy focusing on the reservation tables. When my sister went to the ladies room another female customer asked why they sat us three at such a long table. My sister stated we were walk-ins. My sister then asked if she had a reservation and Surprise Surprise she did. As we sat there longer and watch the attention the reservation tables received compared to us those that "didn't make a reservation/broke the Balance Restaurant Hidden Rule" we felt uncomfortable and ignored. The tables that made reservations had their server at their fingertips not us. Our food slowly made its way to our table. It was very upsetting that our server cheerfully made her way over when it was time to give us the bill. Just so you know we didn't treat our server crappy like she treated us we left a $15 cash tip and it would have been better IF our server treated us with the same respect as those that made Reservations. Like I said the food was good but after having this negative experience all because we "didn't have a reservation/broke the Balance Restaurant Hidden Rule" we will not be going back. read more

Balance Restaurant - Even though the server was lousy we left a 10% cash tip. - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Balance has been off kilter as of late. Many of the best menu items have disappeared, and the menu today is, in a word, lackluster. What set this place apart when it opened was the epic food, but Balance has seemingly chosen easy to prepare dishes over the elevated dishes that put them on the map. I hope that this is a temporary situation, and that the restaurant finds its magic again. read more

Good food, good service. Menu is not typical run of the mill food. We have been several times, always happy. At times the noise gets a little loud. read more

First time here. Excellent south western salad with shrimp and the pierogi skillet was just right. Definitely will come back.

I came here last night and was very happy with my choice. They have a very creative menu - I had their steak and lentil soup and the Pierogi Skillet - pierogis, kielbasa, onions and brussels sprouts. I would like to try their mushroom risotto in the future. The have a good beer selections - a number of local beers on tap. The service was great - they were attentive and knowledgeable. The atmosphere is pleasant. I would highly recommend them. read more

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Food was great everything was fresh and service was great specially the drinks. The steak cost $65 but is worth the penny. read more

Johnstown is my home e town and I come back to our family farm every month. Heard the raves about Balance and the food was fine considering. Service was horrible!!! I was served a Jameson on the rocks with a lime? My son waited 30+ minutes for a beer refill. My wife's espresso with a shot of Bailey's was served cold.. Our waitress, Maddie, took orders from 1/2 our table of 6 and bolted off... obviously under qualified. The food was modern for Johnstown but Maddie destroyed any and all positive aspects of the outing. The night is young, stay tuned for updates read more

My family lives in Johnstown and I have visited every two years of my life. This is hands down the best meal I have ever had in town! The atmosphere was very trendy and clean, the staff was very attentive and warm, and the food was unreal. Brussel sprouts have a lemon flavor I have never had before but would like to integrate into my own cooking! Perfect kielbasa and classic pierogis I crave every time I'm in town. Must stop for any out of towner and a regular stop for the locals for sure. read more

Balance Restaurant - Pierogi Skillet - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

Stopped in for lunch during a quick visit to Johnstown. Great restaurant. The staff were all friendly and the menu had a nice offering. We ordered the classic cheeseburger and a Remy wrap. Both were very tasty. I added Brussels sprouts to mine which were excellent. I'd definitely come back. read more

Balance Restaurant - Remy wrap with Brussels sprouts. - Bars Near Me - Johnstown, Pennsylvania

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OK. If balance means mediocrity, the name is apropos. C'mon, people, don't let your desire to make Johnstown into something it isn't blind you to the realities. Four of us showed up at 6P without realizing we needed a reservation on a Monday . . . in Johnstown. We didn't. The host managed to "squeeze" us into a dining room that was 1/3 full. Like most people, I liked the Brussel sprouts and the cauliflower appetizers. I didn't like the maître d dressing like a cabanaboy from the French Riviera; the servers wearing hot pants; the dining room being WAY too warm on a hot August night; the expectation to use a smartphone in order to view the menu which featured a $60 ribeye; the inaccurate explanation of the cost of a double whiskey; the cheeseburger coming to the table well-done instead of the medium cited on the menu with its bun (brioche, doncha know) evenly blackened across the inside surfaces and the l-o-o-o-ng wait for the food to arrive. One reviewer said it was clean. I would hope so, it is newly renovated, after all. I won't be back: there is far more bang for the buck available elsewhere in J-town. And, if I get the craving for a World-Class burger, I'll wait until I go to The Burgh and get one at Tessaro's. read more

Everything was spot on. Great food, great surroundings and good service. Trifecta. Goat cheese and tomato appetizer so yummy.

The service was good the food was very good I ordered a salad with a chicken breast cut up not the salad. It was delicious. The coffee was very good also, the water was served first and was not tap water. A one!!!! Prices reasonable!! I'll be back! read more

The prices at Balance are very high for what you receive. The atmosphere is wonderful and it's very pleasant place to sit and enjoy a meal with friends. Friendly staff. But not a very good value for the money for the food itself. read more

The appearance of this place is super cute. Parking could be tough. The meal was good. I think they should have a tad more options although I know they are known for tapas. From what I remember, it was a tad long to get drinks. The charcuterie board was really good. Would go just for that. Not sure what the bill was, but hoping it wasn't high for what we got. I remember a lot of things being salty, like the Brussels sprouts. But, besides that, honestly I will be back. Forgot pics. The owner did do a table touch. read more